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The fruites of should shonne, being that which Plato called solitarines selfe will and in the ende, all men that are wilfully geven to a selfe o

obstinacie.

and obstinate minde, and who will never yeld to others r but to their owne: remaine without companie, and fo of all men. For a man that will live in the world, must have patience, which lusty bloudes make but a mocke a Martius being a stowte man of nature, that never yel any respect, as one thincking that to overcome allwaye to have the upper hande in all matters, was a tol magnanimitie, and of no base and fainte corage, which s out anger from the most weake and passioned parte harte, much like the matter of an impostume: went ho his house, full fraighted with spite and malice again people, being accompanied with all the lustiest young § men, whose mindes were nobly bent, as those that ca noble race and commonly used for to followe and honou But then specially they floct about him, and kept him panie, to his muche harme: for they dyd but kyndl inflame his choller more and more, being sorie with h the injurie the people offred him, bicause he was their ca and leader to the warres, that taught them all ma discipline, and stirred up in them a noble emulation of h and valliantnes, and yet without envie, praising ther deserved best. In the meane season, there came great of corne to Rome, that had bene bought, parte in Itali parte was sent out of Sicile, as geven by Gelon the tyra Syracusa so that many stoode in great hope, that the d of vittells being holpen, the civill dissention would also The Senate sate in counsell upon it immediatly, the co people stoode also about the palice where the counse kept, gaping what resolution would fall out: persuading selves, that the corne they had bought should be solde cheape, and that which was geven, should be devided polle, without paying any pennie, and the rather, b certaine of the Senatours amongest them dyd so wish persuade the same. But Martius standing up on his dyd somewhat sharpely take up those, who went ab insolencie of gratifie the people therein and called them people pl the people. and traitours to the nobilitie. 'Moreover he sayed 'nourrished against them selves, the naughty seede and 'of insolencie and sedition, which had bene sowe 'scattered abroade emongest the people, whom they

Great store of corne brought to Rome.

Coriolanus oration against the

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'have cut of, if they had bene wise, and have prevented their 'greatnes: and not to their owne destruction to have suffered 'the people, to stablishe a magistrate for them selves, of so 'great power and authoritie, as that man had, to whom they 'had graunted it. Who was also to be feared, bicause he 'obtained what he would, and dyd nothing but what he listed, 'neither passed for any obedience to the Consuls, but lived in 'all libertie, acknowledging no superiour to commaund him, 'saving the only heades and authours of their faction, whom 'he called his magistrates. Therefore sayed he, they that 'gave counsell, and persuaded that the corne should be geven 'out to the common people gratis, as they used to doe in 'citties of Græce, where the people had more absolute power: 'dyd but only nourishe their disobedience, which would breake 'out in the ende, to the utter ruine and overthrowe of the 'whole state. For they will not thincke it is done in recom'pense of their service past, sithence they know well enough 'they have so ofte refused to goe to the warres, when they 'were commaunded: neither for their mutinies when they 'went with us, whereby they have rebelled and forsaken their 'countrie: neither for their accusations which their flatterers 'have preferred unto them, and they have receyved, and made 'good against the Senate: but they will rather judge we geve ' and graunt them this, as abasing our selves, and standing in 'feare of them, and glad to flatter them every waye. By this 'meanes, their disobedience will still growe worse and worse: 'and they will never leave to practise newe sedition, and 'uprores. Therefore it were a great follie for us, me thinckes 'to doe it: yea, shall I saye more? we should if we were wise, 'take from them their Tribuneshippe, which most manifestly 'is the embasing of the Consulshippe, and the cause of the 'division of the cittie. The state whereof as it standeth, is 'not now as it was wont to be, but becommeth dismembred in 'two factions, which mainteines allwayes civill dissention and 'discorde betwene us, and will never suffer us againe to be 'united into one bodie.' Martius dilating the matter with many such like reasons wanne all the young men, and almost all the riche men to his opinion: in so much they range it out, that he was the only man, and alone in the cittie, who stoode out against the people, and never flattered them. There were only a fewe olde men that spake against him, fearing least some mischief might fall out upon it, as in dede there followed

no great good afterward. For the Tribunes of the pe
being present at this consultation of the Senate, when
sawe that the opinion of Martius was confirmed with the
voyces, they left the Senate, and went downe to the pe
crying out for helpe, and that they would assemble to
their Tribunes. Hereupon the people ranne on head in tu
together, before whom the wordes that Martius spake in
Senate were openly reported: which the people so stom
that even in that furie they were readie to flye apon the V
Senate. But the Tribunes layed all their faulte and bu
wholy upon Martius, and sent their sergeantes forthwi
arrest him, presently to appeare in persone before the pe
to answer the wordes he had spoken in the Senate.
Ma
stowtely withstoode these officers that came to arrest
Then the Tribunes in their owne persones, accompanied
the Ædiles, went to fetche him by force, and so layed v
hands upon him. Howbeit the noble Patricians gath
together about him, made the Tribunes geve backe, and
it sore upon the Ediles: so for that time, the night p
them, and the tumult appeased. The next morning bet
the Consuls seing the people in an uprore, ronning t
market place out of all partes of the cittie, they were aff
least all the cittie would together by the eares: whe
assembling the Senate in all hast, they declared how it s
them upon, to appease the furie of the people, with
gentle wordes, or gratefull decrees in their favour: and
over, like wise men they should consider, it was now no
to stande at defence and in contention, nor yet to fig
honour against the communaltie: they being fallen to so
an extremitie, and offering such imminent daunger.
fore they were to consider temperately of things, and to
some present and gentle pacification. The most parte
Senatours that were present at this counsaill, though
opinion best, and gave their consents unto it. Wher
the Consuls rising out of counsaill, went to speake un
people as gently as they could, and they dyd pacifie
furie and anger, purging the Senate of all the unjust a
tions layed upon them, and used great modestie in pers
them, and also in reproving the faultes they had com
And as for the rest, that touched the sale of corne
promised there should be no disliking offred them in the
So the most parte of the people being pacified, and app

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so plainely by the great silence and still that was emong them,
as yelding to the Consuls, and liking well of their wordes:
the Tribunes then of the people rose out of their seates, and
sayed: Forasmuch as the Senate yelded unto reason, the
people also for their parte, as became them, dyd likewise geve
place unto them: but notwithstanding, they would that Martius
should come in persone to aunswer to the articles they had
devised. First, whether he had not solicited and procured Articles
the Senate to chaunge the present state of the common weale, oriolanus.
against
and to take the soveraine authoritie out of the peoples handes.
Next, when he was sent for by authoritie of their officers, why
he dyd contemptuously resist and disobey. Lastely, seeing
he had driven and beaten the Ediles into the market place
before all the worlde: if in doing this, he had not done as
muche as in him laye, to raise civille warres, and to set one
cittizen against another. All this was spoken to one of these
two endes, either that Martius against his nature should be
constrained to humble him selfe, and to abase his hawty and
fierce minde: or els if he continued still in his stowtnes, he
should incurre the peoples displeasure and ill will so farre,
that he should never possibly winne them againe. Which
they hoped would rather fall out so, then otherwise;
as in deede they gest unhappely, considering Martius
nature and disposition. So Martius came, and presented
him selfe, to aunswer their accusations against him, and
the people held their peace, and gave attentive eare, to heare
what he would saye. But where they thought to have heard
very humble and lowly wordes come from him, he beganne not
only to use his wonted boldnes of speaking (which of it selfe Coriolanus
was very rough and unpleasaunt, and dyd more aggravate his stowtnes in
accusation, then purge his innocencie) but also gave him selfe him selfe.
in his wordes to thunder, and looke therewithall so grimly as
though he made no reckoning of the matter. This stirred
coales emong the people, who were in wonderfull furie at it,
and their hate and malice grewe so toward him, that they
could holde no longer, beare, nor indure his bravery and careles
boldnes. Whereupon Sicinius, the cruellest and stowtest of Sicinius the
the Tribunes, after he had whispered a little with his com- Tribune, pro-
panions, dyd openly pronounce in the face of all the people, tence of death
Martius as condemned by the Tribunes to dye. Then presently upon Martius.
he commanded the Ediles to apprehend him, and carie him
straight to the rocke Tarpeian, and to cast him hedlong downe

defence of

nounceth sen

the same. When the Ædiles came to laye handes Martius to doe that they were commaunded, divers o people them selves thought it to cruell, and violent a The noble men also being muche troubled to see such and rigour used, beganne to crie alowde, Helpe Martiu those that layed handes of him being repulsed, they comp him in rounde emong them selves, and some of them ho up their handes to the people, besought them not to h him thus cruelly. But neither their wordes, nor crying could ought prevaile, the tumulte and hurly burley w great, untill suche time as the Tribunes owne friendes kinsemen weying with them selves the impossiblenes to vey Martius to execution, without great slaughter and m of the nobilitie: dyd persuade and advise not to proced so violent and extraordinary a sorte, as to put such a m death, without lawfull processe in lawe, but that they s referre the sentence of his death, to the free voyce o people. Then Sicinius bethinking him self a little, dyd the Patricians, for what cause they tooke Martius out officers handes that went to doe execution? The Patr asked him againe, why they would of them selves, so c and wickedly put to death, so noble and valliant a Rom as Martius was, and that without lawe or justice? Well sayed Sicinius, if that be the matter, let there be no quarrell or dissention against the people: for they doe g your demaunde, that his cause shalbe heard according law. Therefore sayed he to Martius, We doe will and you to appeare before the people, the third daye of our sitting and assembly here, to make your purgation for articles as shalbe objected against you, that by free voy people maye geve sentence upon you as shall please The noble men were glad then of the adjornment, and muche pleased they had gotten Martius out of this da In the meane space, before the third day of their next c came about, the same being kept every nineth daye conti at Rome, whereupon they call it now in Latin, Nun ✓ there fell out warre against the Antiates, which gave some to the nobilitie, that this adjornment would come to effect, thinking that this warre would hold them so lon that the furie of the people against him would be well s or utterly forgotten, by reason of the trouble of the w But contrarie to expectation, the peace was concluded pre

Coriolanus hath daye geven him to answer the people.