As thofe fhould do that had deferv'd his hate, And therein thew'd like enemies. Men. 'Tis true: If he were putting to my houfe the brand A trembling upon Rome, fuch as was never Tri. Say not, we brought it. [like beafts, Men. How! Was it we? We lov'd him; but, And cowardly nobles, gave way to your clusters, Who did hoot him out o' the city. Com. But, I fear, They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, Enter a Troop of Citizens. Men. Here come the cluiters.-And is Aufidius with him You are they That made the air unwholefome, when you caft Your tinking, greafy caps, in hooting at Coriolanus' exile. Now he's coming; And not a hair upon a foldier's head, Which will not prove a whip; as many coxcombs, As you threw caps up, will he tumble down, And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter; If he could burn us all into one coal, We have deferv'd it. Omines. 'Faith, we hear fearful news. 1 Cit. For mine own part, When I faid, banish him, I faid, 'twas pity. 2 Cit. And fo did I. 3 Git. And fo did I; and, to fay the truth, fo did very many of us: That we did, we did for the beft; and though we willingly confented to his b.nifhment, yet it was against our will. Com. You are goodly things, you voices! Men. You have made you [Capitol Good work, you and your cry !-Shall us to the Com. O, ay; what else? [Exe. Com. and Men. Sic. Go, mafters, get you home, be not difmay'd; There are a fide, that would be glad to have This true, which they fo feem to fear. And fhew no fign of fear. Go home, 1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, mafters, let's home. I ever faid, we were i' the wrong, when we banish'd him. 2 Cit. So did we all. But come, let's home. Bru. I do not like this news. (I mean, for your particular) you had not Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou fure, The fenators, and patricians, love him too : To expel him thence. I think, he'll be to Rome A noble fervant to them; but he could not Even with the fame aufterity and garb One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; fail. Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine, 'Thou art poor'st of all; then shortly art thou mine [Exeunt i. e. As they hooted at his departure, they will roar at his return; as he went out with fcoffs, he will come back with lamentations. 2 A kind of eagle. 3 The fenfe is, The virtue which delights to commend itfelt will find the fureft temb in that chair wherein it holds forth its own commendations. 4 i. e. What is already right, and received as fuch, becomes lefs clear when fupported by fupernumerary pro ›fs. ACT Men. No, others. O, I'll not go: you hear, what he hath Which was fometime his general; who lov'd him But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him, GoM. Yet one time he did call me by my name: Men. Why, fo; you have made good work: Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon When leaft it was expected: he reply'd, It was a bare 3 petition of a state, To one whom they had punish'd. Could he fay leís? Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard Of noifome, mufty chaff: he said, 'twas folly, Men. For one poor grain or two? I am one of thofe ; his mother, wife, his child, But fure, if you Might stop our countryman. Men. No; I'll not meddle. Sic. Pray you, go to him. Men. What should I do? Bru. Only make trial what your love can do For Rome, towards Marcius. Men. Well, and fay that Marcius Return me, as Cominius is return'd, But as a difcontented friend, grief-shot Sic. Yet your good will Muft have that thanks from Rome, after the measure Men. I'll undertake it: Yet to bite his lip, And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me. To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd And then I'll fet upon him. Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, Men. Good faith, I'll prove him, Com. He'll never hear him. Sic. Not? Com. I tell you, he does fit in gold, his eye Unless his noble mother, and his wife, [Exeunt. 1 To rack means to harrafs by exactions. The meaning is, You that have been such good stewards for the Roman people, as to get their houfes burned over their heads, to fave them the expence of coals. 3 A bare petition means only a mere petition. 2 Memory for memorial. 4 Dr. Johnfon is of opinion, that here is a chafm. The fpeaker's purpose seems to be this: To yield to his conditions is ruin, and better cannot be obtained, fo that all hope is vain. You'll You'll fpeak with Coriolanus. Men. Good my friends, If you have heard your general talk of Rome, name Is not here pailable. Men. I tell thee, fellow, Thy general is my lover: I have been I fay, go, left I let forth your half pint of blood; -back, that's the utmost of your having :-back. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow,— Enter Coriolanus, with Aufidius. Cor. What's the matter? Men. Now, you companion, I'll fay an errand for you you fhall know now, that I am in eftimation: you fhall perceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me from my fon Coriolanus: guels, The book of his good acts, whence men have read by my entertainment with him, if thou stand'st not (Of whom he's chief) with all the fize that verity Would without lapfing fuffer 2: nay, fometimes, Like to a bowl upon a fubtle 3 ground, I have tumbled past the throw; and in his praife fon, my fon! thou art preparing fire for us ; look Have, almost, stamp'd the leafing: Therefore, fellow, Men. Has he din'd, can't thou tell? for I would not fpeak with him 'till after dinner. I Watch. You are a Roman, are you? Men. I am as thy general is. I Watch. Then you fhould hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pufh'd out of your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your fhield, think to front his revenges with the eafy groans of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palfy'd interceffion of fuch a decay'd dotant as you feem to be? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with fuch weak breath as this? No, you are deceiv'd; therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for your execution: you are condemn'd, our general has fworn you out of reprieve and pardon. Men. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would ufe me with eftimation. 2 Watch. Come, my captain knows you not. Men. I mean, thy general. 1 Watch. My general cares not for you. Back, 'the ftate of hanging, or of fome death more long in fpectatorship, and crueller in fuffering; behold now prefently, and fwoon for what's to come upon thee. The glorious gods fit in hourly fynad about thy particular profperity, and love thee na worfe than thy old father Menenius does! O, my thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee: but being affured, noce but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with fighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods affwage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee. Cor. Away! Men. How! away! Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs Are fervanted to others: Though I owe My revenge properly, my remiffion lyes In Volcian breafts 5. That we have been familiar, Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather Than pity note how much.-Therefore be gone. Mine ears against your suits are stronger, than Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee, Take this along; I writ it for thy fake, [Gives bim a letter. And would have fent it. Another word, Menenius, I will not hear thee fpeak.-This man Aufidius, Was my belov'd in Rome : yet thou behold'st— Auf. You keep a conftant temper. [Exeunt. Manent the Guard, and Menenius. I Watch. Now, fir, is your name Menenius. 2 Watch. 'Tis a spell, you fee, of much power: You know the way home again. I Watch. Do you hear how we are fhent 6 for keeping your greatnefs back? 2 Watch. What caufe, do you think, I have to fwoon? Men. I neither care for the world, nor your general: for fuch things as you, I can fcarce think there's any, you are fo flight. He that hath a will to die by himfelf, fears it not from another. Let your general do his worst. For you, be that you A lot here is a prize. 2 Dr. Johnfon explains this paffage thus: To verify is to eftablish by tefShakspeare ccatimony. One may fay with propriety, he brought falfe witnesses to verify his title. fidered the word with his ufual laxity, as importing rather testimony than truth, and only meant to 3 Subtle means meth, fay, I bore witnefs to my friends with all the fize that verity would fuffer. level. 4 By virginal palms may be underflood the holding up the hands in fupplication. 5 i. e. Though I have a peculiar right in revenge, in the power of forgivenefs the Volcians are conjoined. 6 Shent means fhamed, disgraced, made ofhamed of ourselves. Cor. This laft old man, Even to a full disgrace.-Beft of my fleth, Of thy deep duty more impreffion shew Vol. O, ftand up bleft! [Kneels Whilft, with no fofter cufhion than the flint, Gor. What is this? [Kneels. Your knees to me? to your corrected fon? Whom with a crack'd heart I have fent to Rome, Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery fun ; Lov'd me above the meature of a father; (Though I fhew'd fourly to him) once more offer'd Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Marcius, My wife comes foremoft; then the honour'd mold What is that curt'fy worth? or thofe dove's eyes, am not | Murd'ring impoffibility, to make Vol. Thou art my warrior; Cor. The noble fifter of Publicola, Cor. The god of foldiers, prove To fhame invulnerable, and stick i' the wars Vol. Your knee, firrah. Vol. Even he, your wife, this lady, and my- Of stronger earth than others.—My mother bows; Are fuitors to you. In fupplication nod: and my young boy Great nature cries, Deny not.-Let the Volces Virg. My lord and huíband! Cor. Thefe eyes are not the fame I wore in Rome. Virg. The forrow, that delivers us thus chang'd, Makes you think fo. Cor. Like a dull actor now, I have forgot my part, and I am out, Cor. I beseech you, peace: Or, if you'd afk, remember this before; Vol. Oh, no more, no more! Ii. e. bow openly. 2 i. c. Juno. 3 i. e, every gus, 'every florm. May May hang upon your hardness: therefore hear us. And ftate of bodies would bewray what life Making the mother, wife, and child, to fee Which thou shalt thereby reap, is fuch a name, More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate, Our wifh, which fide fhould win: for either thou That thou reftrain'ft from me the duty, which With manacles thorough our ftreets; or elfe Virg. Ay, and mine, To a mother's part belongs.-He turns away: That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name I am hush'd until our city be afire, Boy. He fhall not tread on me; I'll run away 'till I am bigger, but then I'll fight. Requires nor child nor woman's face to fee. Vol. Nay, go not from us thus. If it were so, that our request did tend [us, The Volces whom you ferve, you might condemn "This we receiv'd;" and each in either fide The end of war's uncertain; but this certain, And then I'll fpeak a little. Cor. Mother, mother! [Holds her by the bands, fient, Cor. I dare be fworn, you were : 1 That is, conftrains the eye to weep, and the heart to fkake. much, and yet be merciful. 4 i. e. argue for. 2 The meaning is, to threaten 3 i. c. keeps me in a itate of ignominy talking to no purpofc. Stand B |