2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flatter'd the people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore: so 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, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love, or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his country: And his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those, who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted 25, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, 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 every ear that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him; he is a worthy man: Make way, they are coming.

A Sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, many other Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.

Men. Having determin'd of the Volces, and To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratify his noble service, that

Hath thus stood for his country: Therefore, please

you,

Most reverend and grave elders, to desire

The present consul, and last general
In our well-found successes, to report
A little of that worthy work perform'd

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We meet 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 stretch it out. Masters o' the people,
We do request your kindest ears; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common body,
To yield what passes here.

We are convented

Sic.
Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts

Inclinable to honour and advance

The theme of our assembly.

Bru.

Which the rather

We shall be bless'd to do, if he remember

A kinder value of the people, than

He hath hereto priz'd them at.

Men.

I would

That's off, that's off;

you rather had been silent: Please you

To hear Cominius speak?

But tie him not to be their bedfellow.

Worthy Cominius, speak.-Nay, keep your place. [Coriolanus rises, and offers to go away.

1 Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear

What you have nobly done.

Cor.

Your honours' pardon;

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,

Than hear say how I got them.

Bru.

My words dis-bench'd you not.

Cor.

Sir, I hope,

No, sir: yet oft,

When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.

You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not:

people,

I love them as they weigh.

Men.

But, your

Pray now, sit down.

Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i' the

sun,

When the alarum were struck, than idly sit

To hear my nothings monster'd. [Exit Coriolanus. 26 Masters o' the people,

Men.

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,

(That's thousand to one good one,) when you now

see,

He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,

Than one of his ears to hear it?-Proceed, Comi

nius.

Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus Should not be utter'd feebly.-It is held,

That valour is the chiefest virtue, and

Most dignifies the haver: if it be,

The man I speak of cannot in the world

Be singly counterpois'd. At sixteen 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, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin 27 he drove
The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er-press'd Roman, and i' the consul's view
Slew three opposers: Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene
He prov'd best man i' the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man-enter'd thus, he waxed like a sea;

And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since,

28

,

He lurch'd all swords o' the garland. For this last,

Before and in Corioli, let me say,

I cannot speak him home: He stopp'd the fliers;
And, by his rare example, made the coward
Turn terror into sport: as waves before

A vessel under sail, so men obey'd,

every

And fell below his stem: his sword (death's stamp)
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose motion
Was tim'd with dying cries: alone he enter'd
29 The mortal gate o' the city, which he painted
With shunless destiny; aidless came off,
And with a sudden re-enforcement struck
Corioli, like a planet: Now all's his:
When by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready sense: then straight his doubled spirit
Re-quicken'd what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle 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 breast with panting.

Men.

Worthy man!

1 Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the ho

nours

Which we devise him.

Com.

Our spoils he kick'd at;

And look'd upon things precious, as they were
The common muck o' the world: he covets less
Than misery itself would give; rewards