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Than thou of them. Come all to ruin; let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear
Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death
With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list.

3

Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me; But owe thy pride thyself.

Cor.

Pray, be content;
Mother, I am going to the market-place;

Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves,
Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd
Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going:
Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul;
Or never trust to what my tongue can do

I' the way of flattery, further.

Vol.

Do your

will. [Exit.

Com. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm
yourself

To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd
With accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.

Cor. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us go: Let them accuse me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

Men.

Ay, but mildly.

Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly, [Exeunt.

let

Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear

Thy dangerous stoutness;] This is obscure. Perhaps, she means: -Go, do thy worst; let me rather feel the utmost extremity that thy pride can bring upon us, than live thus in fear of thy dangerous obstinacy. JOHNSON.

owe] i. e. own.

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Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

Bry. In this point charge him home, that he affects

Tyrannical power: If he evade us there,
Enforce him with his envy' to the people;
And that the spoil, got on the Antiates,
Was ne'er distributed.-

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How accompanied?

and those senators

Have

Ed. With old Menenius, That always favour'd him. Sic. you a catalogue Of all the voices that we have procur'd,

Set down by the poll?
Ed.

I have; 'tis ready, here.
Sic. Have you collected them by tribes?
Ed.

Sic. Assemble presently the people hither:
And when they hear me say, It shall be so

I have,

I the right and strength o'the commons, be it either For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them, If I say, fine, cry fine; if death, cry death;

Insisting on the old prerogative

And power i'the truth o'the cause..

Ed.

I shall inform them.

Bru. And when such time they have begun to cry,

5enry - i. e. malice, hatred.

Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd
Enforce the present execution

Of what we chance to sentence.

Ed.

Very well.

Sic. Make them be strong, and ready for this hint, When we shall hap to give't them.

Bru.

Go about it.

[Exit Edile. Put him to choler straight: He hath been us'd Ever to conquer, and to haye his worth

Of contradiction: Being once chaf'd, he cannot Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks What's in his heart; and that is there, which looks With us to break his neck."

Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

Sic. Well, here he comes.

Men.

Calmly, I do beseech you. Cor. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by the volume.-The honour'd

gods

Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice Supplied with worthy men! plant love among us! Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,

And not our streets with war!

1 Sen.

Men. A noble wish,

and to have his worth

Amen, amén!

Of contradiction:] He has been used to have his worth, or (as we should now say) his pennyworth of contradiction; his full quota

or proportion. which looks

With us to break his neck.] The tribune seems to mean-The sentiments of Coriolanus's heart are our coadjutors, and look to have their share in promoting his destruction.

3 Will bear the knave by the volume.] i. e. would bear being called a knave as often as would fill out a volume,

Re-enter Ædile, with Citizens.

Sic. Draw near, ye people.

Ed. List to your tribunes; audience: Peace, I

say.

Cor. First, hear me speak.

Both Tri.

Well, say.-Peace, ho.

Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this pre

sent?

Must all determine here?

Sic.

I do demand,
If you submit you to the people's voices,
Allow their officers, and are content

To suffer lawful censure for such faults
As shall be prov'd upon you?

Cor.

I am content. Men. Lo, citizens, he says, he is content: The warlike service he has done, consider;

Think on the wounds his body bears, which show Like graves i' the holy churchyard.

Cor.

Scars to move laughter only.

Scratches with briars,

Men.
Consider further,
That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a soldier: Do not take
His rougher accents for malicious sounds,
But, as I say, such as become a soldier,
Rather than envy you.9

Com.

Well, well, no more.

Cor. What is the matter,

That being pass'd for consul with full voice,
I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?

Sic.

Answer to us.

Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so.

• Rather than envy you.] Rather than import ill will to you.

Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take

From Rome all season'd office,' and to wind
Yourself into a power tyrannical;

For which, you are a traitor to the people.
Cor. How! Traitor?

Men.

Nay; temperately: Your promise. Cor. The fires i' the lowest hell fold in the people! Call me their traitor!-Thou injurious tribune! Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths, In thy hands clutch'd' as many millions, in Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say, Thou liest, unto thee, with a voice as free As I do pray the gods.

Sic.

Mark you this, people? Cit. To the rock with him; to the rock with him! Sic. Peace.

We need not put new matter to his charge:

What you have seen him do, and heard him speak, Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,

Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying Those whose great power must try him; even this, So criminal, and in such capital kind,

Deserves the extremest death.

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1

season'd office,] All office established and settled by time,

and made familiar to the people by long use.

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