Act III.]
CORIOLANUS.
283
If he should still malignantly remainFast foe to the plebeii, your voices mightBe curses to yourselves ? You should have said,That, as his worthy deeds did claim no lessThan what he stood for ; so his gracious natureWould think upon you for your voices, andTranslate 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’dEither 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 articleTying him to aught; so, putting him to rage,
Y ou should have ta’en the advantage of his clioler,And pass’d him unelected.
Bru. Did you perceive,
He did solicit you in free contempt,
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 yourbodies
No heart among you ? Or had you tongues, to cryAgainst the rectorship of judgment ?
Sic. Have you,
Ere now, deny’d the asker ? and, now again,
On him, that did not ask, but mock, bestowYour su'd-for tongues ?
3 Cit. He’s not confirm’d, we may deny himyet.
2 Cit. And will deny him ;
I’ll have five hundred voices of that sound.
1 Cit. I twice five hundred, and their friendsto piece ’em.
Bru. Get you hence instantly ; and tell thosefriends,—
They have chose a consul, that will from themtake
Their liberties; make them of no more voiceThan dogs, that are as often beat for barking,As therefore kept to do so.
Sic. Let them assemble;
And, on a safer judgment, all revokeYour ignorant election : Enforce his pride,
And his old hate unto you: besides, forget notWith what contempt he wore the humble weed ;How in his suit he scorn’d you : but your loves,Thinking upon his services, took from youThe apprehension of his present portance,
SCENE I.— The same. A street.
Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius , Co-minius, Titus Lartius, Senators, and Pa-tricians.
Cor. TullusAufidius then had made new head ?
Which gibingly, ungravely he did fashionAfter the inveterate hate he bears you.
Bru. Lay
A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour’d(No impediment between) but that you mustCast your election on him.
Sic. Say, you chose himMore after our commandment, than as guidedBy your own true affections ; and that, your mindsPre-occupy’d with what you rather must doThan what you should, made you against thegrain
To voice him consul: Lay the fault on us.
Bru. Ay, spare us not. Say, we read lecturesto 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 whencecame
That Aneus 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 ;And Censorinus , darling of the people,
And nobly nam’d so, being censor twice,
Was his great ancestor.
Sic. One thus descended,
That hath beside well in his person wroughtTo be set high in place, we did commendTo your remembrances: but you have found,Scaling his present bearing with his past,
That lie’s your fixed enemy, and revokeYour sudden approbation.
Bru. Say, you ne’er had done't,
(Harp on that still,) but by our putting on :And presently, when you have drawn yournumber,
Repair to the Capitol.
Cit. We will so: almost all Q Several speak.Repent in their election. [( Exeunt Citizens.
Bru. Let them go on ;
This mutiny were better put in hazard,
Than stay, past doubt, for greater:
If, as his nature is, he fall in rage
With their refusal, both observe and answer
The vantage of his anger.
Sic. To the Capitol:
Come; we’ll be there before the stream o’thepeople ;
And this shall seem, as partly ’tis, their own,Which we have goaded onward. [^Exeunt.
III.
Lai t. He had, my lord; and that it was,which caus’dOur swifter composition.
Cor. So then the Voices stand but as at first;Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make roadUpon us again.