For my wounds' sake, to give their suffrage: please you, That I may pass this doing. Sic. Sir, the people Must have their voices; neither will they bate One jot of ceremony. Put them not to't: Men. Cor. It is a part That I shall blush in acting, and might well Be taken from the people. Bru. Mark you that? Cor. To brag unto them,-Thus I did, and thus ;— Show them the unaking scars which I should hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire Of their breath only: Men. Do not stand upon't. We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Sen. To Coriolanus.come all joy and honour! As if he did contemn what he requested Should be in them to give. Come, we'll inform them [Exeunt. Bru. 21 Your form' is the form which custom prescribes to you. 22 We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, to declare our purpose to them,' namely, the appointment of Coriolanus to the consulship. SCENE III. The same. The Forum. Enter several Citizens. 1 Cit. Once1, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him. 2 Cit. We may, sir, if we will. 3 Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he show us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds, and speak for them; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous: and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which, we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members. 1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve: for once 3 we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the manyheaded multitude. 3 Cit. We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured: and truly I think, if all our wits were to issue out of one scull, they would fly east, west, north, south; and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o'the compass. 1i. e. once for all. See vol. ii. p. 129, note 35; vol. iv. p. 158, note 10. 2 Power in the first instance here means natural power, or force, and then moral power, or right. Davis has used the word with the same variety of meaning: Use all thy powers, that heavenly power to praise, That gave thee power to do.' 3 Once signifies here one time, and not as soon as ever, which Malone takes to be its meaning. Rowe inserted when after once, which is indeed elliptically understood. 4 Consent is accord, agreement. To suppose that their agree 2 Cit. Think you my wit would fly? so? Which way, do you judge, 3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's will, 'tis strongly wedged up in a blockhead: but if it were at liberty, 'twould, sure, southward. 2 Cit. Why that way? 3 Cit. To lose itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience sake, to help to get thee a wife. 2 Cit. You are never without your tricks :-You may, you may 5. 3 Cit. Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man. Enter CORIOLANUS and MENENius. Here he comes, and in the gown of humility; mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars: wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues : therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him. All. Content, content. [Exeunt." Men. O sir, you are not right: have you not known The worthiest men have done it? ment to go all one way should end in their flying to every point of the compass, is a just description of the variety and inconsistency of the many-headed multitude. 5 The force of this colloquial phrase appears to be, 'You may divert yourself as you please at my expense.' It occurs again in Troilus and Cressida : Hel. By my troth, sweet lord, thou hast a fine forehead. Cor. What must I say?— I pray, sir,-Plague upon't! I cannot bring wounds! Look, sir; -my I got them in my country's service, when O me, the gods! Men. You must not speak of that; you must desire them To think upon you. Cor. Think upon me? Hang’em! I would they would forget me, like the virtues Which our divines lose by them. Men. You'll mar all; I'll leave you: Pray you, speak to them, I pray you, In wholesome manner. Cor. [Exit. Enter two Citizens. Bid them wash their faces, And keep their teeth clean. So, here comes a brace. You know the cause, sir, of my standing here. 1 Cit. We do, sir; tell us what hath brought you to't. Cor. Mine own desert. 'Twas never my desire yet, To trouble the poor with begging. 6 I wish they would forget me, as they do the virtuous precepts which our divines preach to them.' This is another amusing instance of anachronism. 7 So in Hamlet:- If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer.' 1 Cit. You must think, if we give you any thing, We hope to gain by you. Cor. Well then, I pray, your price o'the consulship? 1 Cit. The price is, sir, to ask it kindly. Cor. Kindly? Sir, I pray let me ha't: I have wounds to show you, Which shall be yours in private.-Your good voice, sir; What say you? 2. Cit. You shall have it, worthy sir. Cor. A match, sir: There is in all two worthy voices begg'd: of 1 Cit. But this is something odd. 2 Cit. An 'twere to give again,—But 'tis no [Exeunt two Citizens matter. Enter two other Citizens. Cor. Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune your voices, that I may be consul, I have here the customary gown. 3 Cit. You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly. Cor. Your enigma? 3 Cit. You have been a scourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not, indeed, loved the common people. Cor. You should account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter my sworn brother the people, to earn a dearer estimation of them; 'tis a condition they account gentle and since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the insinuating nod, and be off to them most counterfeitly: that is, sir, I will counterfeit |