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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.

Sir, I hope,

No, sir: yet oft,

My words disbench'd you not.
Cor.
When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.
You sooth'd not, therefore, hurt not: But, your

people,

I love them as they weigh.

Men.

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.

Men.

[Exit CORIOLANUS. Masters o'the people,

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?

minius.

Proceed, Co

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 he drove
The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er-press'd Roman, and i' the consul's view

8

8 Without a beard.

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,
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,

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 every motion
Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd
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

honours

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 misery3 itself would give; rewards

9 Reward. I Disappointed.

2 Wearied. 3 Avarice.

His deeds with doing them; and is content
To spend the time, to end it.

Men.

Let him be call'd for.

1 Sen.

Off. He doth appear.

He's right noble;

Call for Coriolanus.

Re-enter CORIOLANUS.

Men. The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd

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I do beseech you,

Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot

Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them, For my wounds' sake, to give their suffrage: please

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Put them not to 't:

Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and
Take to you, as your predecessors have,
Your honour with your form.

Cor.

It is a part

That I shall blush in acting, and might well

Be taken from the people.

Bru.

Mark you that?

Thus I did, and

Cor. To brag unto them.

thus;

Show them the unaking scars which I should hide,

As if I had receiv'd them for the hire

Of their breath only :—

Men.

Do not stand upon 't.

We recommend to you, tribunes of the people,

Our purpose to them; and to our noble consul Wish we all joy and honour.

Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! [Flourish. Then exeunt Senators. Bru. You see how he intends to use the people. Sic. May they perceive his intent! He that will require them,

As if he did contemn what he requested

Should be in them to give.

Bru.

Come, we 'll inform them

[Exeunt.

Of our proceedings here: on the market-place,

I know, they do attend us.

SCENE III.

The Forum.

Enter several Citizens.

1 Cit. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.

2 Cit. We may, sir, if we will.

3 Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he show us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds, and speak for them; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monstrous and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which, we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.

1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will serve: for once, when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many-headed multitude.

3 Cit. We have been called so of many; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some auburn,

some bald, but that our wits are so diversly coloured: and truly I think, if all our wits were to issue out of one scull, they would fly east, west, north, south; and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o' the compass.

2 Cit. Think you so? Which way, do you judge, my wit would fly?

3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another man's will, 'tis strongly wedged up in a block-head: but if it were at liberty, 'twould, sure, southward. 2 Cit. Why that way?

3 Cit. To lose itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return to help to get thee a wife.

2 Cit. You are never without your tricks :- You may, you may.

3 Cit. Are you all resolved to give your voices? But that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.

Enter CORIOLANUS and MEnenius.

Here he comes, and in the gown of humility; mark his behaviour. We are not to say all together, but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars: wherein every one of us has a single honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues: therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him.

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All. Content, content.

[Exeunt:

Men. O sir, you are not right: have you not

known

The worthiest men have done it?

Cor.

What must I say?—

I pray, sir,- Plague upon't! I cannot bring
My tongue to such a pace: Look, sir;-my

wounds;

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