Would't thou have laugh'd, had I come coffin'd

home,

That weep'ft to fee me triumph? ah, my Dear,
Such eyes the widows in Corioli wear,

And mothers that lack fons.

Men. Now the Gods crown thee!

Cor. And live you yet? O my sweet Lady, pardon.

[To Valeria. Vol. I know not where to turn. O welcome home; And welcome, General! y'are welcome all.

Men. A hundred thousand welcomes: I could weep, And I could laugh, I'm light and heavy!wel

come!

A curfe begin at very root on's heart,

That is not glad to fee thee.You are three,
That Rome fhould dote on: yet, by the faith of men,
We've fome old crab-trees here at home, that will not
Be grafted to your relifh. Welcome, Warriors!

We call a nettle, but a nettle; and

The faults of fools, but folly.

Com. Ever right.

Cor. Menenius, ever, ever.

Her. Give way there, and go on.

Cor. Your hand, and yours.

Ere in our own houfe I do fhade my head,

The good Patricians must be vifited;

From whom I have received not only Greetings,

But, with them, Change of honours.

Vol. I have lived,

To fee inherited my very wishes,

And buildings of my fancy; only one thing
Is wanting, which, I doubt not, but our Rome

Will caft upon thee.

Cor. Know, good Mother, I

Had rather be their fervant in my way,

Than fway with them in theirs.
Com. On, to the Capitol.

Flourish Cornets.

[Exeunt in State, as before. SCENE

Bru.

Brutus, and Sicinius, come forward.

ALL tongues fpeak of him, and the bleared

fights

Are fpectacled to fee him. Your pratling nurse
Into a rapture lets her Baby cry,

While fhe chats him: the kitchen malkin pins
Her richest lockram 'bout her reechy neck, [dows,
Clambring the walls to eye him; ftalls, bulk, win-
Are fmother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges hors'd
With variable complexions; all agreeing

In earnestnefs to fee him: feld-fhown Flamins
Do prefs among the popular throngs, and puff
To win a vulgar ftation; our veil'd dames
Commit the Ware of white and damafk, in
Their nicely-gawded cheeks, to th' wanton spoil
Of Phœbus' burning kiffes; fuch a pother,
As if that whatsoever God, who leads him,
Were flily crept into his human powers,
And gave him graceful pofture.

Sic. On the fudden,

I warrant him Conful..

Bru. Then our Office may,

During his Power, go fleep.

Sic. He cannot temp'rately transport his honours, From where he should begin and end, but will Lose those he hath won.

Bru. In That there's comfort.

Sic. Doubt not,

The Commoners, for whom we ftand, but they,

Upon their ancient malice, will forget,

With the leaft caufe, these his new honours; which

That he will give, make I as little question

As he is proud to do't.

Bru. I heard him fwear.

Were he to ftand for Conful, never would he

Appear

Appear i'th' market-place, nor on him put
The napless Vefture of Humility;

Nor fhewing, as the manner is, his wounds
To th' people, beg their stinking breaths.
Sic. Tis right.

Bru. It was his word: oh, he would mifs it, rather Than carry it, but by the suit o'th' Gentry, And the defire o'th' Nobles.

Sic. I wish no better,

Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it
In execution.

Bru. 'Tis moft like, he will.

Sic. It fhall be to him then, as our good wills, A fure deftruction.

Bru. So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,

We must fuggeft the people, in what hatred

He ftill hath held them; that to's power he would
Have made them mules, filenc'd their Pleaders, and
Difproperty'd their freedoms: holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more foul nor fitness for the world,
Than camels in their war; who have their provender
Only for bearing burdens, and fore blows
For finking under them.

Sic. This, as you fay, fuggefted

At some time, when his foaring infolence
Shall reach the people, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,

As to fet dogs on fheep) will be the fire
To kindle their dry ftubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

Enter a Meffenger.

Bru. What's the matter?

Mef. You're fent for to the Capitol: 'tis thought, That Marcius fhall be Conful: I have seen

The dumb men throng to fee him, and the blind

Το

To hear him fpeak; the Matrons flung their gloves,
Ladies and Maids their fcarfs and handkerchiefs,
Upon him as he pafs'd; the Nobles bended,
As to Jove's Statue; and the Commons made
A fhower and thunder with their caps and fhouts :
I never faw the like.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol,

And carry with us ears and eyes for th' time,
But hearts for the event.

Sic. Have with you.

SCENE V.

Changes to the Capitol.

Enter two Officers, to lay cushions.

1 Off. COM

[Exeunt.

OME, come, they are almoft here; how many ftand for Confulfhips?

2 Off. Three, they fay; but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will

carry

it.

1 Off. That's a brave Fellow, but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common People,

2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great Men that have flatter'd the People, who ne'er lov'd them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore; fo that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or hate him, manifefts the true knowledge he has in their dif pofition, and out of his noble careleffness lets them plainly fee't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he wav'd indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm: but he feeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their oppofite. Now to feem to affect the malice and displeasure of the People, is as bad as

That,

That, which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deferved worthily of his Country: and his afcent is not by fuch eafy degrees as thofe, who have been fupple and courteous to the People; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath fo planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be filent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from ev'ry ear that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him, he is a worthy Man: make way, they are coming.

Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of the People, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius the Conful: Sicinius and Brutus take their places by themselves.

Men. HAVING determin'd of the Volcians, and

To fend for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,
To gratify his noble fervice, that

Hath thus ftood for his Country. Therefore, pleafe you,
Most reverend and grave Elders, to defire

The prefent Conful, and laft General,
In our well-found fucceffes, to report
A little of that worthy Work perform'd
By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We met here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius;

Leave nothing out for length, and make us think, Rather our State's defective for requital,

Than we to ftretch it out. Mafters o'th' People,

We