Than dogs, that are as often beat for barking,
As therefore kept to do so.

Sic.

18

Let them assemble;
And, on a safer judgment, all revoke
Your ignorant election: Enforce 18 his pride,
And his old hate unto you: besides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed;
How in his suit he scorn'd you: but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
The apprehension of his present portance 19,
Which most gibingly, ungravely he did fashion
After the inveterate hate he bears you.

Bru.

Lay A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd (No impediment between) but that you must

Cast

your Sic.

election on him.

Say, you chose him

More after our commandment, than as guided

By your own true affections: and that, your minds Preoccupy'd with what you rather must do

Than what you should, made you against the grain To voice him consul: Lay the fault on us.

Bru. Ay, spare us not. Say, we read lectures

to you,

How youngly he began to serve his country,
How long continued: and what stock he springs of,
The noble house o'the Marcians; from whence came
That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son,
Who, after great Hostilius, here was king:
Of the same house Publius and Quintus were,
That our best water brought by conduits hither;

18 Object his pride, and enforce the objection. So afterwards :

Enforce him with his envy to the people.'

19 i. e. carriage. So in Othello:

And portance in my travels' history.'

And Censorinus, darling of the people 20,
And nobly nam'd so, being Censor twice,
Was his great ancestor.

Sic.
One thus descended,
That hath beside well in his person wrought
To be set high in place, we did commend
To your remembrances: but you have found,
Scaling 21 his present bearing with his past,
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation.

Bru.

Say, you ne'er had done't

(Harp on that still), but by our putting on 22:

And presently, when you have drawn your number, Repair to the Capitol.

Cit. We will so: almost all [Several speak. Repent in their election.

Bru.

[Exeunt Citizens.

Let them go on;

20 Pope supplied this verse, which the context evidently requires, and which is warranted by the narration in Plutarch, from whence this passage is taken :- The house of the Martians at Rome was of the number of the patricians, out of which sprung many noble personages, whereof Ancus Martius was one, King Numaes daughter's sonne, who was king of Rome after Tullus Hostilius. Of the same house were Publius and Quintus, who brought to Rome their best water they had by conduits. Censorinus came of that familie, that was so surnamed because the people had chosen him censor twice.' Publius and Quintus and Censorinus were not the ancestors of Coriolanus, but his descendants. Caius Martius Rutilius did not obtain the name of Censorinus till the year of Rome 487; and the Marcian waters were not brought to the city by aqueducts till the year 613, near 350 years after the death of Coriolanus. Shakspeare has confounded the ancestors and posterity of Coriolanus together.

21 That is, weighing his past and present behaviour. 22 i. e. our incitation. So in King Lear:

you protect this course,

And put it on by your allowance.'

And Iago says of Roderigo, in Othello:

If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trace
For his quick hunting, bear the putting on,' &c.
VOL. VIII.

S

This mutiny were better put in hazard,
Than stay, past doubt, for greater:

If, as his nature is, he fall in ràge

With their refusal, both observe and answer
The vantage of his anger.

To the Capitol:

Sic. Come; we'll be there before the stream o' the people; And this shall seem, as partly 'tis, their own, Which we have goaded onward.

[Exeunt.

ACT III.

SCENE I. The same. A Street.

Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, CoMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

Cor. Tullus Aufidius then had made new head? Lart. He had, my lord; and that it was, which caus'd

Our swifter composition.

Cor. So then the Volces stand but as at first; Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon us again.

Com.

They are worn, lord consul1, so,

That we shall hardly in our ages see
Their banners wave again.

Cor.

Saw you Aufidius?

Lart. On safeguard he came to me; and did curse

1 Shakspeare has here again given the usage of England to Rome. In his time the title of lord was given to many officers of state who were not peers, as lords of the council, lord ambassador, lord general, &c.

2 That is, with a convoy, a guard appointed to protect him.

Against the Volces, for they had so vilely
Yielded the town: he is retir'd to Antium.
Cor. Spoke he of me?

Lart.

Cor.

He did, my lord.

How? what?

Lart. How often he had met you, sword to sword: That, of all things upon the earth, he hated

Your person most: that he would pawn his fortunes To hopeless restitution, so he might

Be call'd your vanquisher.

Cor.

Lart. At Antium.

At Antium lives he?

Cor. I wish, I had cause to seek him there, To oppose his hatred fully.-Welcome home.

[TO LARTIUS.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

Behold! these are the tribunes of the people,
The tongues o'the common mouth. I do despise them;
For they do prank3 them in authority,

Against all noble sufferance.

Com. Hath he not pass'd the nobles, and the com

mons?

Bru. Cominius, no.

Cor.

Have I had children's voices?

1 Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market

place.

Bru. The people are incens'd against him.

3 So in Measure for Measure, Act ii. Sc. 2:

'Drest in a little brief authority.'

Sic.

Or all will fall in broil.

Cor.

Stop,

Are these your herd?Must these have voices, that can yield them now, And straight disclaim their tongues?-What are your offices?

You being their mouths, why rule you not their

teeth?

Have you not set them on?

Men.

Be calm, be calm.

Cor. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot, To curb the will of the nobility:

Suffer it, and live with such as cannot rule,
Nor ever will be rul'd.

Bru.

Call't not a plot:

The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late,
When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd;
Scandal'd the suppliants for the people; call'd them
Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.
Cor. Why, this was known before.
Bru.

Not to them all.

Cor. Have you inform'd them since?
Bru.

How! I inform them!

Not unlike,

Cor. You are like to do such business.

Bru.

Each way to better yours *.

Cor. Why then should I be consul? By yon clouds, Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me

Your fellow tribune.

Sic.

You show too much of that,

For which the people stir: If you will pass
To where you are bound, you must inquire your way,
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit;

4 i. e. likely to provide better for the security of the commonwealth than you (whose business it is) will do. To which the reply is pertinent, Why then should I be consul?'