And thus far having stretch'd it (here be with | Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his them,) Thy knee bussing the stones (for in such business Men. Vol. Pr'ythee now, Go, and be rul'd: although, I know, thou hadst That hath receiv'd an alms!-I will not do't: Vol. Cor. At thy choice then: To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour Vol. To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd Com. I have been i' the market-place: and, sir, With accusations, as I hear, more strong 'tis fit You make strong party, or defend yourself By calmness, or by absence; all's in anger. I think, 'twill serve, if he He must, and will: Can thereto frame his spirit. With my base tongue, give to my noble heart You have put me now to such a part, which Away, my disposition, and possess me 1 It is probably from want of a more complete acquaintance with the rules of grammar which guided our ancestors, that the use they made of the pronouns appears to us anomalous. Which here, as Malone observes, is to be understood as if the poet had written It often, &c. Steevens pertinaciously insists upon attributing these seeming anomalies of ancient grammar to the incorrectness of ancient printers, whose press-work, he supposes, seldom received any correction; but those who are familiar with the manuscripts of Shakspeare's age will at once acquit the learned and useful body of typographers. 2 Thus in Othello, folio ed. 1623 : Rude am I in speech, And little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace; Ed, Bru. He's coming. How accompanied? d. With old Menenius, and those senators That always favoured him. Sic. Have you a catalogue d. I have; 'tis ready. Sic. Assemble presently the people hither: I shall inform them. Chaucer, Troilus and Cressida, II. v. 110, Pandarus says to Cressida :- 'Do way your barbe and show your face bare.' Where Speght explains barbe a mask or visard; Mr. Hawkins, a veil or covering; and Mr. Tyrwhitt, a hood or muffler. It should be remembered that a barbed steed was an accoutred steed, or one covered with trappings. 5 Plot is piece, portion, applied to a piece of earth, and here elegantly transferred to the body, carcass. 6 Some of the modern editors substituted as for which here. Malone has shown that this was Shakspeare's usual phraseology. And Horne Tooke tells us why as and which were convertible words. See note on Julius Caesar, Act i. Sc. 2. 7 i. e. which played in concert with my drum. So 3 Bower was the ancient term for a chamber. Spen-in The Merchant of Venice :-cer, speaking of the Temple, Prothalamion, st. 9, says: Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers.' 4 Unbarb'd is unarmed, unaccoutred, uncovered. Cotgrave says that a barbute was a ridinghood, or a montero or close hood, and that it also signified the beaver of a helmet. It was probably used for any kind of covering that concealed the head and face. Thus in Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubims.' 8 To tent is to dwell, to take up residence. 9 The meaning appears to be,Go, do thy worst; let me rather feel the utmost extremity that thy pride can bring upon us than live thus in fear of thy dangerous obstinacy.' 10 i. e. own. 11 Enforce his envy, i. e. object his hatred. Sic. Make them be strong, and ready for this hint, Go about it. Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Sic. Well, here he comes. Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice 1 Sen. Men. A noble wish. Amen, amen! Re-enter Edile, with Citizens. Sie. Draw near, ye people. Cor. First, hear me speak. Must all determine here? Sic. I do demand, If you submit you to the people's voices, Cor. I am content. Scars to move laughter only. Scratches with briars, Consider further, Com. Well, well, no more. Cor. What is the matter, That being pass'd for consul with full voice, You take it off again? Sic. Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take From Rome all season'd' office, and to wind For which, you are a traitor to the people. 1 i. e. his full part or share, as we should now say his pennyworth of contradiction. So in Romeo and Juliet: You take your pennyworth [of sleep] now.' 2 The sentiments of Coriolanus's heart are our coadjutors, and look to have their share in promoting his destruction.' 3 Will bear being called a knave as often as would fill out a volume.' 4 Do not take his rougher accents for malicious sounds, but rather for such as become a soldier, than spite or malign you.' See the first note on this scene, Act i. Sc. viii. 5 i. e. wisely tempered office, established by time. 6 Grasp'd. So in Macbeth : Come let me clutch thee.' 235 Cor. How! Traitor? Mark you this, people? The promise that you made your mother? I pray you, For that he has From off the rock Tarpeian, never more To enter our Rome gates: l' the people's name, say, it shall be so. may signify as well as; such elliptical modes of expres- 10 i. e. received in her service, or on her account. Theobald substituted for, and supported his emendation by these passages: To banish him that struck more blows for Rome.' Again :- Good man! the wounds that he does bear for Rome.' 11 I love my country beyond the rate at which I value my dear wife,' &c. Cit. It shall be so, it shall be so. Cor. What, what, what! Cor. You common cry of curs! whose breath I shall be lov'd when I am lack'd. Nay, mother I hate As reek o'the rotten fens, whose loves I prize [Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENE- [The People shout, and throw up their Caps. Cit. Come, come, let us see him out at gates: Nay, I pr'ythec, woman,— Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in And occupations perish! I Cry here signifies a pack. So in a subsequent scene: "You have made good work, A cry of hounds was the old term for a pack. 2 So in the Tempest: Seb. As if it had lungs, and rotted ones. Ant. Or, as 'twere, perfum'd by a fen." 3 When it was cast in Diogenes' teeth that the Sinopenetes had banished him Pontus; yea, said he, I them.' We have the same thought in King Richard II. : Think not the king did banish thee, 4 Thus in the old copy. Malone, following Capell's meddling, changed this line to 'Making not reservation of yourselves.' &c. Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say, you had been the wife of Hercules, If Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd As 'tis to laugh at them.-My mother, you wot My hazards still have been your solace; and son Will, or exceed the common, or be caught My first11 son, Cor. Fare ye well;- That's worthily Men. Cor. Give me thy hand :- SCENE II.-The same. A Street near the Gate. without a struggle. If we were to read as Malone would have us 'Making not reservation of yourselves,' it would imply that the people banished themselves, af ter having banished their defenders. 5 Abated, is overthrown, depressed. To abate cas tles and houses, &c. is to overthrow them. See Blount's Glossography, in voce. To abate the courage of a man was to depress or diminish it. 6 Horace, speaking of the Roman mob, says :— 7 This is the reading of the second folio; the first folio reads, extremities was, &c. meaning of this. 9 Foolish. 8 When fortune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded, and yet continue calm, requires a noble arisdom.' Cunning is often used in this sense by Shakspeare. Johnson reprehends Warburton for misinter and attempted to defend his reading by a wordy argu-preting the poet's words, and has himself mistaken the ment, which shows that he did not understand the passage. Dr. Johnson's explanation of the text is as correct as his subsequent remark upon it is judicious. Coriolanus imprecates upon the base plebeians that they may still retain the power of banishing their defenders, till their undiscerning folly, which can foresee no consequences, leave none in the city but themselves; so that for want of those capable of conducting their defence, they may fall an easy prey to some nation who may conquer them 10 Cautelous here means insidious. 12 Exposure; for which it is probably a typographical 13 i. e. of true metal. The metaphor from the touchstone for trying metals, is common in Shakspeare. CORIOLANUS. Sic. Let's not meet her. Sic. They say, she's mad. Bru. Keep on your way. Why? They have ta'en note of us : Vol. O, you're well met: The hoarded plague Requite your love! Nay, and you shall hear some.-Will you be gone! To say so to my husband. Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame ?-Note but this Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship2 Sic. O blessed heavens ! Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise words ¿ And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what :-yet Nay, but thou shalt stay too:-I would my son Sic. Vir. What then? He'd make an end of thy posterity. Vol. Bastards, and all. 237 You have told them home, And, by my troth, you have cause. with me? Vol. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself, [Exeunt. SCENE III. A Highway between Rome and Antium. Enter a Roman and a Volce meeting. Rom. I know you well, sir, and you know me: your name, I think, is Adrian." Vol. It is so, sir: truly I have forgot you. you are, against them: know you me yet? Rom. The same, sir.. but your favour is well appayed by your tongue. Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you; Volcian state, to find you out there: You have well What's the news in Rome? I have a note from the saved me a day's journey. Rom. There hath been in Rome strange insurrection: the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles. thinks not so; they are in a most warlike preparaVol. Hath been! Is it ended then? Our state tion, and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division. Rom. The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again. For the nobles Coriolanus, that they are in a ripe aptness, to take receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy their tribunes for ever. all power from the people, and to pluck from them you, and is almost mature for the violent Breaking This lies glowing, I can tell out. Vol. Coriolanus banished? Vol. You will be welcome with this intelligence, What then? Nicanor. Good man, The noble knot he made. Bru. I would he had. Rom. The day serves well for them now. wife, is when she's fallen out with her husband. Your heard it said, the fittest time to corrupt a man's I have noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no request of his country. Vol. He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you: You have ended Vol. I would he had! "Twas you incens'd the my business, and I will merrily accompany you [Exeunt Tribunes.mon in our elder language than well appaied, i. e. satis- 1 Mankind is fierce, ferocious. sense is evident, because we sometimes find it applied That it had this to a stubborn or ferocious animal. Volumnia chooses to understand it as meaning a human creature. 2 i. e. mean cunning. 3 The old copy reads, "Your favour is well appeared by your tongue. For the emendation in the text I am answerable. Warburton proposed appealed; Johnson, affeared; Steevens, approved; and Malone thought the old reading might be right. No phrase is more com- I SCENE IV. Antium. Before Aufidius's House. Enter CORIOLANUS, in mean Apparel, disguised | and muffled. Cor. A goodly city is this Antium: City, "Tis I that made thy widows; many an heir Of these fair edifices 'fore my wars Have I heard groan, and drop: then know me not; In puny battle slay me.-Save you, sir. Cor. Which is his house, 'beseech you? Thank you sir, farewell. [Exit Citizen. O, world, thy slippery turns! Friends now fast Cor. A goodly house: the feast smells well : but I Appear not like a guest. Re-enter the first Servant. 1 Serv. What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no place for you: Pray, go to the door. Cor. I have deserv'd no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus.2 Re-enter second Servant. 2 Serv. Whence are you, sir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such companions? Pray, get you out. Cor. Away! 2 Serv. Away? Get you away. Cor. Now thou art troublesome. 2 Serv. Are you so brave? I'll have you talked with anon. Enter a third Servant. The first meets him. 3 Serv. What fellow's this? 1 Serv. A strange one as ever I looked on: cannot get him out o' the house: Pr'ythee, call master to him. my 3 Serv. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house. 3 Serv. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my 3 Serv. Where dwellest thou? 3 Serv. Under the canopy? 3 Serv. Where's that? Cor. I' the city of kites and crows. [Exit. 3 Serv. I' the city of kites and crows?-What an ass it is!-Then thou dwellest with daws too? Cor. No, I serve not thy master. 3 Serv. How, sir! Do you meddle with my master? Cor. Ay; 'tis an honester service than to med- Thou prat'st, and prat'st; serve with thy trencher, Enter AUFIDIUS and the second Servant. 2 Serv. Here, sir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within. Auf. Whence comest thou? what wouldest thou? Why speak'st not? Speak, man: What's thy Cor. name? If, Tullus, [Unmuffling. Auf. What is thy name? [Servants retire. Cor. A name unmusical to the Volcians' ears, me yet? Auf, I know thee not:-Thy name? Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done. The cruelty and envy of the people, I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world Cor. Let me but stand; I will not hurt your hearth. 3 Serv. What are you? 1 This fine picture of common friendship is an artful introduction to the sudden league which the poet makes him enter into with Aufidius, and a no less artful apology for his commencing enemy to Rome.'-Warburton. 2 i. e. in having derived that surname from the sack of Corioli And make my misery serve thy turn: so use it, 3 Feed. 4 Memory for memorial. 5 Wreak is an old term for revenge. So in Titus Andronicus: "Take wreak on Rome for this ingratitude.” 6 i. e. disgraceful diminutions of territory. |