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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-advis’d, 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 judgment?

       SICINIUS.

       Have you

       Ere now denied the asker, and now again,

       Of him that did not ask but mock, bestow

       Your su’d-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

       Th’ 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 labour’d,—

       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,

       Pre-occupied with what you rather must do

       Than what you should, made you against the grain

       To voice him consul. Lay the fault on us.

       BRUTUS.

       Ay, 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 o’ the Marcians; from whence came

       That Ancus Marcius, Numa’s daughter’s 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 Censorinus, darling of the people,

       And nobly nam’d so, twice being censor,

       Was his great ancestor.

       SICINIUS.

       One thus descended,

       That hath beside well in his person wrought

       To be set high in place, we did commend

       To your remembrances: but you have found,

       Scaling his present bearing with his past,

       That he’s your fixed enemy, and revoke

       Your sudden approbation.

       BRUTUS.

       Say you ne’er had done’t,—

       Harp on that still,—but by our putting on:

       And presently when you have drawn your number,

       Repair to the Capitol.

       CITIZENS.

       We will so; almost all

       Repent in their election.

       [Exeunt.]

       BRUTUS.

       Let them go on;

       This mutiny were better put in hazard

       Than stay, past doubt, for greater:

       If, as his nature is, he fall in rage

       With their refusal, both observe and answer

       The vantage of his anger.

       SICINIUS.

       To the Capitol,

       Come: we will be there before the stream o’ the people;

       And this shall seem, as partly ‘tis, their own,

       Which we have goaded onward.

       [Exeunt.]

       ACT III.

       SCENE I. Rome. A street

       [Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS,

       Senators, and Patricians.]

       CORIOLANUS.

       Tullus Aufidius, then, had made new head?

       LARTIUS.

       He had, my lord; and that it was which caus’d

       Our swifter composition.

       CORIOLANUS.

       So then the Volsces stand but as at first;

       Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road

       Upon’s again.

      

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