Cor. Your honour's pardon:

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,

Than hear say how I got them.

Bru. Sir, I hope

My words dif-bench'd you not?

Cor. No, Sir; yet oft,

When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.
You footh not, therefore hurt not: but your people,
I love them as they weigh----

Men. Pray now, fit down.

Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i'th' fun,
When the alarum were ftruck, than idly fit
To hear my nothings monster'd.

Men. Masters of the people,

[Exit Coriolanus.

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,
That's thousand to one good one? when you fee
He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of's ears to hear't. Proceed, Cominius.

Com. I fhall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held
That valour is the chiefeft virtue, and
Most dignifies the haver: if it be,

The man I speak of cannot in the world
Be fingly counter-pois'd. At fixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others: our then Dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, faw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er-preft Roman, and i'th' Conful's view
Slew three oppofers: Tarquin's felf he met,
And struck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,

He

He prov'd best man i’th' field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil-age
Man-entred thus, he waxed like a sea,

f

And in the brunt of seventeen battels fince
He lurcht all swords o'th' garland. For this laft,
Before, and in Corioli, let me fay

I cannot speak him home: he stopt the fliers,
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into fport. As waves before
A veffel under fail, fo men obey'd,

And fell below his & ftern: his fword (death's stamp)
Where it did mark, it took from face to foot:
He was a thing of blood, whofe every motion
Was 'tim'd with dying cries: alone he enter'd
The mortal gate o'th' city, which he painted
With fhunless destiny: aidlefs came off,
And with a fudden re-enforcement ftruck
Corioli, like a planet. Nor all's this;
For by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready sense, when streight his doubled spirit
Requicken'd what in flesh was fatigate,

And to the battel came he; where he did
Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if
'Twere a perpetual spoil; and 'till we call'd
Both field and city ours, he never stood

To ease his breaft with panting.

Men. Worthy man!

I Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the honours

Which we devife him.

Com. Our fpoils he kick'd at,

And look'd upon things precious, as they were
The common muck o'th' world: he covets less

Than mifery it self would give, rewards

f waited.

& ftem

h trim'd

i defamy:

His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend his time to end it.
Men. He's right noble,
Let him be called for.

Sen. Call Coriolanus.

Off. He doth appear.

Enter Coriolanus.

Men. The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd

To make thee Conful.

Cor. I do owe them still

My life, and fervices.

Men. It then remains

That you do fpeak to th' people.

Cor. I beseech you,

Let me o'er-leap that cuftom; for I cannot
Put on the gown, ftand naked, and entreat them,

For my wounds fake, to give their suffrages :
Please you that I may pass this doing.

Sic. Sir, the people must have their voices,

Nor will they bate one jot of ceremony.

Men. Put them not to't: pray fit you to the custom,

And take t'ye, as your predeceffors have,

Your honour with your

Cor. It is a part

form.

That I fhall 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,

Shew them th' unaking scars, which I would hide,
As if I had receiv'd them for the hire

Of their breath only.

Men. Do not stand upon't:

We

We recommend t'ye, Tribunes of the people,
Our purpose to them, and to our noble Conful
Wish we all joy and honour.

Sic. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!

[Flourish Cornets. Then Exeunt.

Manent Sicinius and Brutus.

Bru. You fee how he intends to use the people.

Sic. May they perceive's intent: he will require them, As if he did contemn what he requested

Should be in them to give.

Bru. Come, we'll inform them

Of our proceedings here on th' market-place,
I know they do attend us.

SCENE VII.

Enter feven or eight Citizens.

[Exeunt.

1 Cit. Oons! if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.

2 Cit. We may, Sir, if we will.

In

3 Cit. We have power in our felves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do; for, if he shew us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds, and speak for them: so, if he tells us his noble deeds, we must also tell him of our noble acceptance of them. gratitude is monstrous, and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monfter of the multitude; of the which, we being members, should bring our felves to be monstrous members.

■ Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will ferve: for once when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

3 Cit. We have been call'd fo of many, not that our heads are

fome

fome brown, fome black, fome auburn, fome bald; but that our wits are fo diverfly colour'd; and truly, I think, if all our wits were to iffue out of one fcull, they would fly East, Weft, North, South, and their consent of one direct way, would be at once to all points o'th' compass.

2 Cit. Think you fo? which way do you judge my wit would fly.

3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not fo foon out as another man's will, 'tis ftrongly wedg'd up in a blockhead: but if it were at liberty, 'twould fure fouthward.

2 Cit. Why that way?

3 Cit. To lose it self in a fog, where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for conscience fake, to help to get thee a wife.

2 Cit. You are never without your tricks ---- you may, you may---

3 Cit. Are you all refolved to give your voices? but that's no matter, the greater part carries it, I fay. If he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.

Enter Coriolanus in a gown, with Menenius.

He's to

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 ftands, by one's, by two's, and by threes. make his requests by particulars, where every one of us has a fingle honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues: therefore follow me, and I'll direct

fhall go by him.

All. Content, content.

you how you

Men. Oh Sir, you are not right; have you not known The worthieft men have done't?

Cor. What must I say,

I

pray, Sir? plague upon't, I cannot bring

My