Coriolanus

give it bountiful to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, I may be consul. Fifth Citizen We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily. Fourth Citizen You have received many wounds for your country. Coriolanus I will not seal your knowledge with showing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no further. Both Citizens The gods give you joy, sir, heartily! Exeunt. Coriolanus

Most sweet voices!
Better it is to die, better to starve,
Than crave the hire which first we do deserve.
Why in this woolvish toge should I stand here,
To beg of Hob and Dick, that do appear,
Their needless vouches? Custom calls me to’t:
What custom wills, in all things should we do’t,
The dust on antique time would lie unswept,
And mountainous error be too highly heapt
For truth to o’er-peer. Rather than fool it so,
Let the high office and the honour go
To one that would do thus. I am half through;
The one part suffer’d, the other will I do.

Re-enter three Citizens more.

Here come more voices.
Your voices: for your voices I have fought;
Watch’d for your voices; for your voices bear
Of wounds two dozen odd; battles thrice six
I have seen and heard of; for your voices have
Done many things, some less, some more: your voices:
Indeed, I would be consul.

Sixth Citizen He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest man’s voice. Seventh Citizen Therefore let him be consul: the gods give him joy, and make him good friend to the people! All Citizens Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul! Exeunt. Coriolanus Worthy voices! Re-enter Menenius, with Brutus and Sicinius. Menenius

You have stood your limitation; and the tribunes
Endue you with the people’s voice: remains
That, in the official marks invested, you
Anon do meet the senate.

Coriolanus Is this done? Sicinius

The custom of request you have discharged:
The people do admit you, and are summon’d
To meet anon, upon your approbation.

Coriolanus Where? at the senate-house? Sicinius There, Coriolanus. Coriolanus May I change these garments? Sicinius You may, sir. Coriolanus

That I’ll straight do; and, knowing myself again,
Repair to the senate-house.

Menenius I’ll keep you company. Will you along? Brutus We stay here for the people. Sicinius

Fare you well. Exeunt Coriolanus and Menenius.
He has it now, and by his looks methink
’Tis warm at’s heart.

Brutus

With a proud heart he wore his humble weeds.
Will you dismiss the people?

Re-enter Citizens. Sicinius How now, my masters! have you chose this man? First Citizen He has our voices, sir. Brutus We pray the gods he may deserve your loves. Second Citizen

Amen, sir: to my poor unworthy notice,
He mock’d us when he begg’d our voices.

Third Citizen

Certainly
He flouted us downright.

First Citizen No, ’tis his kind of speech: he did not mock us. Second Citizen

Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says
He used us scornfully: he should have show’d us
His marks of merit, wounds received for’s country.

Sicinius Why, so he did, I am sure. Citizens No, no; no man saw ’em. Third Citizen

He said he had wounds, which he could show in private;
And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn,
“I would be consul,” says he: “aged custom,
But by your voices, will not so permit me;
Your voices therefore.” When we granted that,
Here was “I thank you for your voices: thank you:
Your most sweet voices: now you have left your voices,
I have no further with you.” Was not this mockery?

Sicinius

Why either were you ignorant to see’t,
Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness
To yield your voices?

Brutus

Could you not have told him
As you were lesson’d, when he had no power,
But was a petty servant to the state,
He was your enemy, ever spake against
Your liberties and the charters that you bear
I’ the body of the weal; and now, arriving
A place of potency and sway o’ the state,
If he should still malignantly remain
Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
Be curses to yourselves? You should have said
That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than 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.

Sicinius

Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advised, had touch’d his spirit
And tried his inclination; from him pluck’d
Either his gracious promise, which you might,
As cause had call’d you up, have held him to;
Or else it would have gall’d his surly nature,
Which easily endures not article
Tying him to aught; so putting him to rage,
You should have ta’en the advantage of his choler
And pass’d him unelected.

Brutus

Did you perceive
He did solicit you in free contempt
When he did need 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?

Sicinius

Have you
Ere now denied the asker? and now again
Of him that did not ask, but mock, bestow
Your sued-for tongues?

Third Citizen He’s not confirm’d; we may deny him yet. Second Citizen

And will deny him:
I’ll have five hundred voices of that sound.

First Citizen I twice five hundred and their friends to piece ’em. Brutus

Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends,
They have chose a consul that will from them take
Their liberties; make them of no more voice
Than dogs that are as often beat for barking
As therefore kept to do so.

Sicinius

Let them assemble,
And on a safer judgment all revoke
Your ignorant election; enforce his pride,
And his old hate unto you; besides, forget not
With what contempt he wore the humble weed,
How in his suit he scorn’d you; but your loves,
Thinking upon his services, took from you
The apprehension of his present portance,
Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion
After the inveterate hate he bears you.

Brutus

Lay
A fault on us, your tribunes; that we laboured,
No impediment between, but that you must
Cast your election on him.

Sicinius

Say, you chose him
More after our commandment than as guided
By your own true affections, and that your minds,
Preoccupied with what you rather must do
Than what you should, made you against the grain
To voice him consul: lay