Enter the Plebeians

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 mocked us when he begged 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 showed us

His marks of merit, wounds received for’s country.

SICINIUS

Why, so he did, I am sure.

ALL THE 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. ‘Agèd 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 (to the Citizens) 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 spake against

Your liberties and the charters that you bear

I‘th’ body of the weal; and now arriving

A place of potency and sway o’th’ state,

If he should still malignantly remain

Fast foe to th’ 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 (to the Citizens) Thus to have said

As you were fore-advised had touched his spirit

And tried his inclination, from him plucked

Either his gracious promise which you might,

As cause had called you up, have held him to,

Or else it would have galled his surly nature,

Which easily endures not article

Tying him to aught. So putting him to rage,

You should have ta‘en th’advantage of his choler

And passed him unelected.

BRUTUS (to the Citizens) 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 (to the Citizens) 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 confirmed, 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 therefor kept to do so.

SICINIUS (to the Citizens) Let them assemble,

And on a safer judgement 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 scorned 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 (to the Citizens) Lay

A fault on us your tribunes, that we laboured

No impediment between, but that you must

Cast your election on him.

SICINIUS (to the Citizens) 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 the fault on us.

BRUTUS (to the Citizens)

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’th’ Martians, from whence came

That Ancus Martius, 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 that was so surnamed,

And nobly named so, twice being censor,

Was his great ancestor.

SICINIUS (to the Citizens) 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 (to the Citizens) Say you ne‘er had done’t—