BRUTUS

He has no equal. Marked you his lip and eyes. Being moved, he will not spare to gird the Gods. The present Wars devour him, he is grown Too proud to be so valiant. Fame, at the which he aims, In whom already he's well graced, cannot Better be held, nor more attained then by A place below the first: for what miscarries Shall be the Generals fault, though he perform To the utmost of a man, and giddy censure Will then cry out of Martius : O, if he Had born the business. Come: half all Cominius Honours are to Martius Though Martius earned them not: and all his faults To Martius shall be Honours, though indeed In ought he merit not. Let's along. Good or bade? He's a Lamb indeed, that bahs Like a Bear. He's poor in no one fault, but stored withal. And topping all others in boasting. Come sir come, we know you well enough. Come, come, you are well understood to be a perfecter gyber for the Table, then a necessary Bencher in the Capitol. All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights Are spectacled to see him. Your prattling Nurse Into a rapture lets her Baby cry, While she chats him: the Kitchen Malkin pins Her richest Lockram about her reechy neck, Clambering the Walls to eye him: Stalls, Bulks, Windows, are smothered up, Leads filled, and Ridges horsed With variable Complexions; all agreeing In earnestness to see him: seld-showne Flamins Do press among the popular Throngs, and puff To win a vulgar station: our veiled Dams Commit the War of White and Damask In their nicely gauded Cheeks, toth' wanton spoil Of Phœbus burning Kisses: such a poother, As if that whatsoever God, who leads him, Were slyly crept into his humane powers, And gave him graceful posture. You see how he intends to use the people. Come, we'll inform them Of our proceedings here on the Market place, I know they do attend us. You speak of the people, as if you were a God, To punish; Not a man, of their Infirmity. Why shall the people give One that speaks thus, their voice? Enough, with over measure. Has said enough. Manifest Treason. The Ediles hoe: Let him be apprehended: Seize him Aediles. He Consul. We'll hear no more: Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence, Least his infection being of catching nature, Spread further. Go not home. In this point charge him home, that he affects Tyrannical power: If he evade us there, Enforce him with his envy to the people, And that the Spoil God on the A tiats Was never distributed. What, will he come? How accompanied? And when such time they have begun to cry, Let them not cease, but with a din confused Enforce the present Execution Of what we chance to Sentence. Go about it, Put him to Choler strait, he hath be used Ever to conquer, and to have his worth Of contradiction. Being once chafed, he cannot Be rein'd again to Temperance, then he speaks What's in his heart, and that is there which looks With us to break his neck. But since he hath served well for Room. There's no more to be said, but he is banished As Enemy to the people, and his Country. It shall be so. I would he had. Well, well, we'll leave you. We stood too't in good time. Is this Menenius ? Gooden to you all, gooden to you all. Farewell kind Neighbours: We wished Coriolanus had loved you as we did. Caius Martius was A worthy Officer in the War, but Insolent, Overcome with Pride, Ambitious, passed all thinking Self-loving. The Gods have well prevented it, and Room Sits safe and still, without him. Go see this Rumorer whipped, it cannot be, The Volces dare break with us. Not possible. Raised only, that the weaker sort may wish Good Martius home again. I do not Like this News. Let's to the Capitol: would half my wealth Would buy this for a lie. Only make trial what your Love can do, For Room, towards Martius. You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot loose your way. We do it not alone, sir. We stay here for the People. With a proud heart he wore his humble Weeds: Will you dismiss the People? We pray the Gods, he may deserve your loves. Could you not have told him, As you were lessoned: When he had no Power, But was a petty servant to the State, He was your Enemy, ever sp ke against Your Liberties, and the Charters that you bear In the Body of the Weal: and now arriving A place of Potency, and sway of the State, If he should still malignantly remain Fast Foe toth' Plebeii, your Voices might Be Curses to your selves. You should have said, That as his worthy deeds did claim no less Then what he stood for: so his gracious nature Would think upon you, for your Voices, And translate his Malice towards you, into Love, Standing your friendly Lord. Did you perceive, He did solicit you in free Contempt, When he did needs your Loves and do you think, That his Contempt shall not be bruising to you, When he hath power to crush? Why, had your Bodies No Heart among you? Or had you Tongues, to cry Against the Rectorship of Judgement? Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends, They have chosen a Consul, that will from them take Their Liberties, make them of no more Voice Then Dogs, that are as often Beatrice for barking, As therefore kept to do so. Lay a fault on us, your Tribunes, That we laboured (no impediment between) But that you must cast your Election on him. I, spare us not: Say, we read Lectures to you, How youngly he began to serve his Country, How long continued, and what stock he springs of, The Noble House of the Martians: from whence came That Ancus Martius, Numa's Daughters Son: Who after great Hostilius here was King, Of the same House Publius and Quintus were, That our best Water, brought by Conduits hither, And Nobly named, so twice being Censor, Was his great Ancestor. Say you never had don't, (Harp on that still) but by our putting on: And presently, when you have drawn your number, Repair toth' Capitol. Let them go on: This Mutiny were better put in hazard, Then stay passed doubt, for greater: If, as his nature is, he fallen in rage With their refusal, both observe and answer The vantage of his anger. It will be dangerous to go on— No further. Cominius, no. The People are incensed against him. Call't not a Plot: The People cry you mocked them: and of late, When Corn was given them gratis, you repined, Scandal'd the Suppliants: for the People, called them Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to Nobleness. Not to them all. How? I inform them? Not unlike each way to better yours. By the consent of all, we were established the Peoples Magistrates. Or let us stand to our Authority, Or let us loose it: we do here pronounce, Upon the partly of the People, in whose power We were elected theirs, Martius is worthy Of present Death. Aediles seize him. 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. Lay hands upon him. Merely awry: When he did love his Country, it honoured him. If it were so? I talk of that, that know it. Now we have shown our power, Let us seem humbler after it is done, Then when it was a doing. Dismiss them home. Here comes his Mother. They have taken note of us: keep on your way. Pray let's go. But is this true sir? Then our Office may, during his power, go sleep. In that there's comfort. I herd him swear, Were he to stand for Consul, never would he Appear in the Market place, nor on him put The Naples Vesture of Humility, Nor showing (as the manner is) his Wounds Toth' People, beg their stinking Breathes. It was his word: O he would miss it, rather then carry it, But by the suit of the Gentry to him, And the desire of the Nobles. It's most Like he will. So it must fallen out To him, or our Authorities, for and end. We must suggest the People, in what hatred He still hath held them: that to's power he would Have made them Mules, silenced their Pleaders, And dispropertied their Freedoms; holding them, In humane Actium, and Capacity, Of no more Soul, nor fitness for the World, Then Camels in their War, who have their Provand Only for bearing Burdens, and soar blows For sinking under them. What's the matter? Let's to the Capitol, And carry with us Ears and Eyes for the time, But Hearts for the event. Which the rather we shall be blessed to do, if he remember a kinder valve of the People, then he hath hereto prized them at. Most willingly: but yet my Caution was more pertinent then the rebuke you give it. Sir, I hope my words dis-bench'd you not? Mark you that. Why?