The people do admit you; and are summon'd
To meet anon, upon your approbation.
Cor. Where? at the senate-house?
Sic.

There, Coriolanus.

You may, sir.

Cor. May I change these garments?

Sic.

Cor. That I'll straight do; and, knowing myself

again,

Repair to the senate-house.

Men. I'll keep you company.-Will you along? Bru. We stay here for the people.

Sic.

Fare you well.

[Exeunt CORIOL. and MENEN.

He has it now; and by his looks, methinks, "Tis warm at his heart.

Bru.

With a proud heart he wore

His humble weeds: Will you dismiss the people?

Re-enter Citizens.

Sic. How now, my masters? have you chose this man?

1 Cit. He has our voices, sir.

Bru. We pray the gods, he may deserve your loves. 2 Cit. Amen, sir: To my poor unworthy notice, He mock'd us, when he begg'd our voices.

3 Cit.

He flouted us downright.

Certainly,

1 Cit. No,'tis his kind of speech, he did not mock us. 2 Cit. Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says, He us❜d us scornfully: he should have show'd us His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for his country. Sic. Why, so he did, I am sure. Cit.

No; no man saw 'em [Several speak.

3 Cit. He said, he had wounds, which he could

show in private;

And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn,
I would be consul, says he: aged custom 12,
But by your voices, will not so permit me ;
Your voices therefore: When we granted that,
Here was, I thank you for your voices,—thank
you,-

Your most sweet voices:-now you have left your voices,

I have no further with you:Was not this mockery? Sic. Why, either, were you ignorant to see't 13? Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness

To yield your voices ?

14

Bru. Could you not have told him, As you were lesson'd,-When he had no power, But was a petty servant to the state, He was your enemy; ever spake against Your liberties, and the charters that you bear I' the body of the weal: and now, arriving1 A place of potency, and sway o'the state, If he should still malignantly remain Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might Be curses to yourselves? You should have said, That, as his worthy deeds did claim no less Than what he stood for; so his gracious nature Would think upon you for your voices 15, and

12 The Romans (as Warburton observes) had but lately changed the regal for the consular government: for Coriolanus was banished the eighteenth year after the expulsion of the kings. Plutarch, as we have before seen, led the poet into the error concerning this aged custom. See note 20, p. 173.

13 Were you ignorant to see't?' is did you want knowledge to discern it?'

A place of potency.'

So in The Third Part of King Henry VI. Act v. Sc. 3:-

those powers that the queen

Hath rais'd in Gallia have arriv'd our coast.'

See Julius Cæsar, Act i. Sc. 2, note 7.

15 i. e.

'Would retain a grateful remembrance of you,' &c.

Translate his malice towards

you into love,

Standing your friendly lord.
Sic.
Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit,
And try'd his inclination; from him pluck'd
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had call'd you up, have held him to;
Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature,
Which easily endures not article

Tying him to aught; so, putting him to rage,
You should have ta'en the advantage of his choler,
And pass'd him unelected.

Bru.

Did you perceive, He did solicit you in free contempt 16,

When he did need your loves; and do you think That his contempt shall not be bruising to you, When he hath power to crush? Why, had your

bodies

No heart among you? Or had you tongues, to cry
Against the rectorship of judgment?

Sic.
Have you,
Ere now, deny'd the asker? and, now again,
On him, that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your su'd-for tongues 17?

3 Cit. He's not confirm'd, we may deny him yet.
2 Cit. And will deny him:

I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.

1 Cit. I twice five hundred, and their friends to piece 'em.

Bru. Get you hence instantly; and tell those friends,

They have chose a consul, that will from them take Their liberties; make them of no more voice

16 That is, in pure contempt, open and unrestrained.

17 Your voices, to obtain which so many have hitherto solicited.'

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

Sic.

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 election on him.

Cast

your Sic.

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.