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Enter an AEDILE
Let him be apprehended。 SICINIUS。 Go call the people； ＇Exit
AEDILE＇ in whose name myself Attach thee as a traitorous innovator； A
foe to th' public weal。 Obey； I charge thee； And follow to thine answer。
CORIOLANUS。 Hence； old goat！ PATRICIANS。 We'll surety him。
COMINIUS。 Ag'd sir； hands off。 CORIOLANUS。 Hence； rotten thing！ or I
shall shake thy bones Out of thy garments。 SICINIUS。 Help； ye citizens！
Enter a rabble of plebeians； with the AEDILES
MENENIUS。 On both sides more respect。 SICINIUS。 Here's he that
would take from you all your power。 BRUTUS。 Seize him； aediles。
PLEBEIANS。 Down with him！ down with him！ SECOND SENATOR。
Weapons； weapons； weapons！ ＇They all bustle about CORIOLANUS＇
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CORIOLANUS
ALL。 Tribunes！ patricians！ citizens！ What； ho！ Sicinius！ Brutus！
Coriolanus！ Citizens！ PATRICIANS。 Peace； peace； peace； stay； hold；
peace！ MENENIUS。 What is about to be？ I am out of breath； Confusion's
near； I cannot speak。 You tribunes To th' people… Coriolanus； patience！
Speak； good Sicinius。 SICINIUS。 Hear me； people； peace！ PLEBEIANS。
Let's hear our tribune。 Peace！ Speak； speak； speak。 SICINIUS。 You are at
point to lose your liberties。 Marcius would have all from you； Marcius；
Whom late you have nam'd for consul。 MENENIUS。 Fie； fie； fie！ This is
the way to kindle； not to quench。 FIRST SENATOR。 To unbuild the city；
and to lay all flat。 SICINIUS。 What is the city but the people？
PLEBEIANS。 True； The people are the city。 BRUTUS。 By the consent of
all we were establish'd The people's magistrates。 PLEBEIANS。 You so
remain。 MENENIUS。 And so are like to do。 COMINIUS。 That is the way
to lay the city flat； To bring the roof to the foundation； And bury all which
yet distinctly ranges In heaps and piles of ruin。 SICINIUS。 This deserves
death。 BRUTUS。 Or let us stand to our authority Or let us lose it。 We do
here pronounce； Upon the part o' th' people； in whose power We were
elected theirs： Marcius is worthy Of present death。 SICINIUS。 Therefore
lay hold of him； Bear him to th' rock Tarpeian； and from thence Into
destruction cast him。 BRUTUS。 AEdiles； seize him。 PLEBEIANS。 Yield；
Marcius； yield。 MENENIUS。 Hear me one word； beseech you； Tribunes；
Hear me but a word。 AEDILES。 Peace； peace！ MENENIUS。 Be that you
seem； truly your country's friend； And temp'rately proceed to what you
would Thus violently redress。 BRUTUS。 Sir； those cold ways； That seem
like prudent helps； are very poisonous Where the disease is violent。 Lay
hands upon him And bear him to the rock。 ＇CORIOLANUS draws his
sword＇ CORIOLANUS。 No： I'll die here。 There's some among you have
beheld me fighting； Come； try upon yourselves what you have seen me。
MENENIUS。 Down with that sword！ Tribunes； withdraw awhile。
BRUTUS。 Lay hands upon him。 MENENIUS。 Help Marcius； help； You
that be noble； help him； young and old。 PLEBEIANS。 Down with him；
down with him！ ＇In this mutiny the TRIBUNES； the AEDILES； and the
people are beat in＇ MENENIUS。 Go； get you to your house； be gone； away。
All will be nought else。 SECOND SENATOR。 Get you gone。
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CORIOLANUS
CORIOLANUS。 Stand fast； We have as many friends as enemies。
MENENIUS。 Shall it be put to that？ FIRST SENATOR。 The gods forbid！ I
prithee； noble friend； home to thy house； Leave us to cure this cause。
MENENIUS。 For 'tis a sore upon us You cannot tent yourself； be gone；
beseech you。 COMINIUS。 Come； sir； along with us。 CORIOLANUS。 I
would they were barbarians； as they are； Though in Rome litter'd； not
Romans； as they are not； Though calved i' th' porch o' th' Capitol。
MENENIUS。 Be gone。 Put not your worthy rage into your tongue； One
time will owe another。 CORIOLANUS。 On fair ground I could beat forty
of them。 MENENIUS。 I could myself Take up a brace o' th' best of them；
yea； the two tribunes。 COMINIUS。 But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetic；
And manhood is call'd foolery when it stands Against a falling fabric。 Will
you hence； Before the tag return？ whose rage doth rend Like interrupted
waters； and o'erbear What they are us'd to bear。 MENENIUS。 Pray you be
gone。 I'll try whether my old wit be in request With those that have but
little； this must be patch'd With cloth of any colour。 COMINIUS。 Nay；
come away。 Exeunt CORIOLANUS and COMINIUS； with others
PATRICIANS。 This man has marr'd his fortune。 MENENIUS。 His nature
is too noble for the world： He would not flatter Neptune for his trident； Or
Jove for's power to thunder。 His heart's his mouth； What his breast forges；
that his tongue must vent； And； being angry； does forget that ever He heard
the name of death。 ＇A noise within＇ Here's goodly work！ PATRICIANS。 I
would they were a…bed。 MENENIUS。 I would they were in Tiber。 What
the vengeance； could he not speak 'em fair？
Re…enter BRUTUS and SICINIUS； the rabble again
SICINIUS。 Where is this viper That would depopulate the city and
Be every man himself？ MENENIUS。 You worthy Tribunes… SICINIUS。
He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock With rigorous hands； he hath
resisted law； And therefore law shall scorn him further trial Than the
severity of the public power； Which he so sets at nought。 FIRST CITIZEN。
He shall well know The noble tribunes are the people's mouths； And we
their hands。 PLEBEIANS。 He shall； sure on't。 MENENIUS。 Sir； sir…
SICINIUS。 Peace！ MENENIUS。 Do not cry havoc； where you should but
hunt With modest warrant。 SICINIUS。 Sir； how comes't that you Have
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CORIOLANUS
holp to make this rescue？ MENENIUS。 Hear me speak。 As I do know the
consul's worthiness； So can I name his faults。 SICINIUS。 Consul！ What
consul？ MENENIUS。 The consul Coriolanus。 BRUTUS。 He consul！
PLEBEIANS。 No； no； no； no； no。 MENENIUS。 If； by the tribunes' leave；
and yours； good people； I may be heard； I would crave a word or two； The
which shall turn you to no further harm Than so much loss of time。
SICINIUS。 Speak briefly； then； For we are peremptory to dispatch This
viperous traitor； to eject him hence Were but one danger； and to keep him
here Our certain death； therefore it is decreed He dies to…night。
MENENIUS。 Now the good gods forbid That our renowned Rome； whose
gratitude Towards her deserved children is enroll'd In Jove's own book；
like an unnatural dam Should now eat up her own！ SICINIUS。 He's a
disease that must be cut away。 MENENIUS。 O； he's a limb that has but a
disease… Mortal； to cut it off： to cure it； easy。 What has he done to Rome
that's worthy death？ Killing our enemies； the blood he hath lost… Which I
dare vouch is more than that he hath By many an ounce… he dropt it for his
country； And what is left； to lose it by his country Were to us all that do't
and suffer it A brand to th' end o' th' world。 SICINIUS。 This is clean kam。
BRUTUS。 Merely awry。 When he did love his country； It honour'd him。
SICINIUS。 The service of the foot； Being once gangren'd； is not then
respected For what before it was。 BRUTUS。 We'll hear no more。 Pursue
him to his house and pluck him thence； Lest his infection； being of
catching nature； Spread further。 MENENIUS。 One word more； one word
This tiger…footed rage； when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness；
will； too late； Tie leaden pounds to's heels。 Proceed by process； Lest
parties… as he is belov'd… break out； And sack great Rome with Romans。
BRUTUS。 If it were so… SICINIUS。 What do ye talk？ Have we not had a
taste of his obedience… Our aediles smote； ourselves resisted？ Come！
MENENIUS。 Consider this： he has been bred i' th' wars Since 'a could
draw a swor