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First Citizen: |
Before we proceed any further, hear me speak. |
All: |
Speak, speak. |
First Citizen: |
You are all resolved rather to die than to famish? |
All: |
Resolved. resolved. |
First Citizen: |
First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people. |
All: |
We know't, we know't. |
First Citizen: |
Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. |
Is't a verdict? |
All: |
No more talking on't; let it be done: away, away! |
Second Citizen: |
One word, good citizens. |
First Citizen: |
We are accounted poor citizens, the patricians good. |
What authority surfeits on would relieve us: if they |
would yield us but the superfluity, while it were |
wholesome, we might guess they relieved us humanely; |
but they think we are too dear: the leanness that |
afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an |
inventory to particularise their abundance; our |
sufferance is a gain to them Let us revenge this with |
our pikes, ere we become rakes: for the gods know I |
speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge. |
Second Citizen: |
Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius? |
All: |
Against him first: he's a very dog to the commonalty. |
Second Citizen: |
Consider you what services he has done for his country? |
First Citizen: |
Very well; and could be content to give him good |
report fort, but that he pays himself with being proud. |
Second Citizen: |
Nay, but speak not maliciously. |
First Citizen: |
I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did |
it to that end: though soft-conscienced men can be |
content to say it was for his country he did it to |
please his mother and to be partly proud; which he |
is, even till the altitude of his virtue. |
Second Citizen: |
What he cannot help in his nature, you account a |
vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous. |
First Citizen: |
If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; |
he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. |
What shouts are these? The other side o' the city |
is risen: why stay we prating here? to the Capitol! |
All: |
Come, come. |
First Citizen: |
Soft! who comes here? |
Second Citizen: |
Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always loved |
the people. |
First Citizen: |
He's one honest enough: would all the rest were so! |
MENENIUS: |
What work's, my countrymen, in hand? where go you |
With bats and clubs? The matter? speak, I pray you. |
First Citizen: |
Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have |
had inkling this fortnight what we intend to do, |
which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say poor |
suitors have strong breaths: they shall know we |
have strong arms too. |
MENENIUS: |
Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours, |
Will you undo yourselves? |
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