Vol. Do your will. [Exit. Com. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm yourself To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd Cor. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us go: Let them accuse me by invention, I Will answer in mine honour. Men. Ay, but mildly. [Exeunt. Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly. SCENE III.-The same. The Forum. Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS. Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affeets Tyrannical power: If he evade us there, Enforce him with his envy to the people; And that the spoil, got on the Antiates, Ed. With old Menenius, and those senators That always favour'd him. Sic. Of all the voices that we have procur'd, Set down by th' poll? Ed. Have you a catalogue I have; 'tis ready, here. I have. Sic. Have you collected them by tribes? Ed. Sic. Assemble presently the people hither: And when they hear me say, It shall be so I th' right and strength o' th' commons, be it either And power i' th' truth o' th' cause. Ed. I shall inform them Bru. And when such time they have begun to cry, Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd Enforce the present execution, Of what we chance to sentence. Ed. Very well. Sic. Make them be strong, and ready for this hint, When we shall hap to give't them. Bru. Go about it. [Exit Edile. Put him to choler straight: He hath been us'd Of contradiction: Being once chaf'd, he cannot Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Senators, and Sic. Well, here he comes. Men. Calmly, I do beseech you. Cor. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by th' volume.-Th' honour'd gods Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice Supplied with worthy men! plant love among us! Throng our large temples with the shows of peace, And not our streets with war! Amen, amen! 1 Sen. Men. A noble wish. Re-enter Edile, with Citizens. Sic. Draw near, ye people. Ed. List to your tribunes; audience: Peace, I say. Cor. First, hear me speak. Both Tri. Well, say.-Peace, ho. Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this present? Must all determine here? Sic. I do demand, Cor. I am content, Men. Lo, citizens, he says, he is content: The warlike service he has done, consider; Think on the wounds his body bears, which show Like graves i' th' holy churchyard., Cor. Scars to move laughter only. Men. Scratches with briars, Consider further, That when he speaks not like a citizen, Rather than envy you. Com. Well, well, no more. Cor. What is the matter, That being pass'd for consul with full voice, I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour Sic. Answer to us. Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so. Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take From Rome all season'd office, and to wind For which, you are a traitor to the people. Men. Nay; temperately: Your promise Cor. The fires i'th' lowest hell fold in the people! Call me their traitor!-Thou injurious tribune! Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths, In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say, Thou liest, unto thee, with a voice as free As I do pray the gods. Sic. Mark you this, people? Cit. To the rock with him; to the rock with him! Sic. We need not put new matter to his charge: Peace What you have seen him do, and heard him speak, Deserves th' extremnest death. Com. Know, I pray you, Cor. I'll know no further: Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, Sic. And in the power of us the tribunes, we, In peril of precipitation From off the rock Tarpeian, never more To enter our Rome gates: I'th' people's name, I say, it shall be so. Cit. It shall be so, It shall be so; let him away: he's banish'd, And so it shall be. .Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common friends; Sic He's sentenc'd: no more hearing. Com. Let me speak I have been consul, and can show from Rome, Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love My country's good, with a respect more tender, More holy, and profound, than mine own life, |