1 Serv. Ay, and it makes men hate one another. 3 Serv. Reason; because they then less need one another. The wars, for my money. I hope to see Romans as cheap as Volscians. They are rising, they are rising.

All. In, in, in, in.

SCENE VI.

Rome. A publick Place.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

[Exeunt.

Sic. We hear not of him, neither need we fear him;
His remedies are tame i' the present peace*
And quietness o'the people, which before

Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends
Blush, that the world goes well; who rather had,
Though they themselves did suffer by't, behold
Dissentious numbers pestering streets, than see
Our tradesmen singing in their shops, and going
About their functions friendly.

Enter MENENIUS.

Bru. We stood to't in good time. Is this Menenius ?

Sic. 'Tis he, 'tis he: O, he is grown most kind Of late. Hail, sir!

Men.

Hail to you both!

Sic. Your Coriolanus, sir, is not much miss'd, But with his friends; the common-wealth doth stand; And so would do, were he more angry at it.

Men. All's well; and might have been much better, if

4 His remedies are tame the present peace-] i. e. ineffectual in times of peace like these.

He could have temporiz'd.

Sic.

Where is he, hear you?

Men. Nay, I hear nothing; his mother and his

wife

Hear nothing from him.

Enter Three or Four Citizens.

Cit. The gods preserve you both!

Sic.

Good-e'en, our neighbours. Bru. Good e'en to you all, good e'en to you all. 1 Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees, pray for you both.

Are bound to

Sic.

Live, and thrive!

Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours: We wish'd
Coriolanus

Had lov'd you as we did.

Cit.

Now the gods keep you! Both Tri. Farewell, farewell. [Exeunt Citizens. Sic. This is a happier and more comely time, Than when these fellows ran about the streets, Crying, Confusion.

Bru.

Caius Marcius was

A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,

O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking, Self-loving,

Sic.

And affecting one sole throne,

Without assistance."

Men.

I think not so.

Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits safe and still without him.

5

affecting one sole throne,

Without assistance.] That is, without assessors; without any other suffrage.

Ed.

Enter Edile.

Worthy tribunes, There is a slave, whom we have put in prison, Reports, the Volces with two several powers Are enter'd in the Roman territories; And with the deepest malice of the war Destroy what lies before them.

Men. "Tis Aufidius, Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment, Thrusts forth his horns again into the world; Which were inshell'd, when Marcius stood for

Rome,

And durst not once peep out.

Sic.

Of Marcius?

Come, what talk you

Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd.-It cannot be, The Volces dare break with us.

Men.

Cannot be!
We have record, that very well it can ;
And three examples of the like have been
Within my age. But reason with the fellow,"
Before you punish him, where he heard this:
Lest you shall chance to whip your information,
And beat the messenger who bids beware
Of what is to be dreaded.

Mess. The nobles, in great earnestness, are going All to the senate-house: some news is come,

7

6 stood for Rome,] i. e. stood up in its defence.

reason with the fellow,] That is, have some talk with

him. In this sense Shakspeare often uses the word.

VOL. VII.

R

"Tis this slave ;

That turns their countenances.8

Sic.

Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes :—his raising! Nothing but his report!

Mess.

Yes, worthy sir,

The slave's report is seconded; and more,
More fearful, is deliver❜d.

Sic.

What more fearful?

Mess. It is spoke freely out of many mouths, (How probable, I do not know,) that Marcius, Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome; And vows revenge as spacious, as between

The young'st and oldest thing.

Sic.

This is most likely! Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker sort may wish

Good Marcius home again.

Sic.

Men. This is unlikely:

The very trick on't.

He and Aufidius can no more atone,9

Than violentest contrariety.

Enter another Messenger.

Mess. You are sent for to the senate; A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius, Associated with Aufidius, rages

Upon our territories; and have already,

O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire, and took What lay before them.

8

sour.

some news is come,

That turns their countenances.] i. e. that renders their aspect

9 — can no more atone,] To atone, in the active sense, is to reconcile, and is so used by our author. To atone here, is in the neutral sense, to come to reconciliation.

To atone is to unite.

Enter COMINIUS.

Com. O, you have made good work!

Men.

What news? what news? Com. You have holp to ravish your own daughters, and

To melt the city leads upon your pates;
To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses ;-
Men. What's the news? what's the news?

Com. Your temples burned in their cement; and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confin'd
Into an augre's bore.

Men.

Pray now, your news ?— You have made fair work, I fear me :-Pray, your

news?

If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,

Com.

He is their god; he leads them like a thing
Made by some other deity than nature,

That shapes man better: and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no less confidence,
Than boys pursuing summer betterflies,

Or butchers killing flies.

Men.

You, and

If!

You have made good work,

your apron men; you that stood so much

Upon the voice of occupation,' and

The breath of garlick-eaters!

Com.

He will shake

Your Rome about

your ears.

Men.

As Hercules

Did shake down mellow fruit:2 You have made fair.

work!

Upon the voice of occupation,] Occupation is here used for mechanicks, men occupied in daily business.

* As Hercules, &c.] A ludicrous allusion to the apples of the Hesperides.