The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1581]
Coriolanus offendeth the people.
And for the replenishing of the city of Velitres, he did compel those that were chosen, to go thither and to depart the city, upon great penalties to him that should disobey: but to the wars the people by no means would be brought or constrained.
Coriolanus invadeth the Antiates and bringeth rich spoils home.
So Martius, taking his friends and followers with him, and such as he could by fair words intreat to go with him, did run certain forays into the dominion of the Antiates, where he met with great plenty of corn, and had a marvellous great spoil, as well of cattle as of men he had taken prisoners, whom he brought away with him, and reserved nothing for himself. Afterwards, having brought back again all his men that went out with him, safe and sound to Rome, and every man rich and loaden with spoil: then the home-tarriers and house-doves that kept Rome still, began to repent them that it was not their hap to go with him, and so envied both them that had sped so well in this journey; and also, of malice to Martius, they spited to see his credit and estimation increase still more and more, because they accounted him to be a great hinderer of the people.
Shortly after this, Martius stood for the Consulship: and the common people favoured his suit, thinking it would be a shame to them to deny and refuse the chiefest noble man of blood, and most worthy person of Rome, and specially him that had done so great service and good to the commonwealth.
The manner of suing at Rome.
For the custom of Rome was at that time, that such as did sue for any office, should for certain days before be in the market-place, only with a poor gown on their backs, and without any coat underneath, to pray the citizens to remember them at the day of election:
Whereupon this means of suing was devised.
which was thus devised, either to move the people the more, by requesting them in such mean apparel, or else because they might shew them their wounds they had gotten in the wars in the service of the commonwealth, as manifest marks and testimonies of their valiantness.
Officers given then by desert, without favour or corruption.
Now it is not to be thought that the suitors went thus loose in a simple gown in the marketplace, without any coat under it, for fear and suspicion of the common people: for offices of dignity in the city were not then given by favour or corruption. It was but of late time, and long after this, that buying and selling fell out in election of officers, and that the voices of the electors were bought for money. But after corruption had once gotten way into the election of offices, it hath run from man to man, even to the very sentence of judges, and also among captains in the wars: so as in the end, that only fumed commonwealths into kingdoms, by making arms subject to money. Therefore me thinks he had reason that said:
Banquets and money given, only destroyers of commonwealths.
"he that first made banquets and gave money to the common people, was the first that took away authority, and destroyed commonwealth." But this pestilence crept in by little and little, and did secretly win ground still , continuing a long time in Rome, before it was openly known and discovered. For no man can tell who was the first man that bought the people's voices for money, nor that corrupted the sentence of the Judges.
Anytus then Athenian the first that with money corrupted the sentence of the judge, and voices of the people.
Howbeit at Athens some hold opinion, that