The city ports by this hath enter'd, and
Intends to appear before the people, hoping
Το purge himself with words: Despatch.
[Exeunt Attendants.

Enter Three or Four Conspirators of Aufidius' Faction.

Most welcome!

Even so,

1 CON. How is it with our general?
AUF.
As with a man by his own alms empoison'd,
And with his charity slain.

2 CON.
Most noble sir,
If you do hold the same intent wherein
You wish'd us parties, we'll deliver you
Of your great danger.

AUF.

Sir, I cannot tell;

We must proceed, as we do find the people.

3 CON. The people will remain uncertain, whilst 'Twixt you there's difference; but the fall of either Makes the survivor heir of all.

AUF.
I know it;
And my pretext to strike at him admits

A good construction. I rais'd him, and I pawn'd
Mine honour for his truth: Who being so heigh-

ten'd,

He water'd his new plants with dews of flattery,
Seducing so my friends: and, to this end,
He bow'd his nature, never known before
But to be rough, unswayable, and free.

3 CON. Sir, his stoutness,

When he did stand for consul, which he lost
By lack of stooping,-

AUF.
That I would have spoke of:
Being banish'd for't, he came unto my hearth;
Presented to my knife his throat: I took him;
Made him joint-servant with me; gave him way
In all his own desires; nay, let him choose
Out of my files, his projects to accomplish,
My best and freshest men; serv'd his designments
In mine own person; holp to reap the fame,
Which he did end all his; and took some pride
To do myself this wrong: till, at the last,
I seem'd his follower, not partner; and
He wag'd me with his countenance, as if

Which he did end all his;] In Johnson's edition it was: "Which he did make all his," which seems the more natural expression, though the other be intelligible. M. MASON.

End is the reading of the old copy, and was chang'd into make by Mr. Rowe. STEEVENS.

* He wag'd me with his countenance,] This is obscure. The meaning, I think, is, he prescribed to me with an air of authority, and gave me his countenance for my wages; thought me sufficiently rewarded with good looks. JOHNSON.

The verb, to wage, is used in this sense in The Wise Woman of Hogsden, by Heywood, 1638:

I receive thee gladly to my house,

"And wage thy stay."

wages.

Again, in Greene's Mamillia, 1593: "by custom common to all that could wage her honesty with the appointed price." To wage a task was, anciently, to undertake a task for So, in George Withers's Verses prefixed to Drayton's Polyolbion: "Good speed befall thee who hast wag'd a task, "That better censures, and rewards doth ask."

Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. II. c. vii:

must wage

"Thy works for wealth, and life for gold engage." Again, in Holinshed's Reign of King John, p. 168: "the summe of 28 thousand markes to levie and wage thirtie thou“

sand men."

I had been mercenary.

1 CON.

So he did, my lord: The army marvell❜d at it. And, in the last, When he had carried Rome; and that we look'd For no less spoil, than glory,

AUF. There was it ;For which my sinews shall be stretch'd' upon him. At a few drops of women's rheum, which are As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour Of our great action; Therefore shall he die, And I'll renew me in his fall. But, hark! [Drums and Trumpets sound, with great Shouts of the People.

1 CON. Your native town you enter'd like a post,

And had no welcomes home; but he returns,
Splitting the air with noise.

2 CON

And patient fools,

Whose children he hath slain, their base throats

tear,

With giving him glory.

3 CON. Therefore, at your vantage, Ere he express himself, or move the people

With what he would say, let him feel your sword, Which we will second. When he lies along, After your way his tale pronounc'd shall bury

Again, in the ancient MS. romance of the Sowdon of Babyloyne, p. 15:

"Therefore Gy of Burgoyn

"Myne owen nevewe so trewe,

"Take a thousande pound of ffranks fyne

"To wage wyth the pepul newe."

STEEVENS.

For which my sinews shall be stretch'd-] This is the point

on which I will attack him with my utmost abilities.

JOHNSON.

But, worthy lords, have you with heed perus'd What I have written to you?"

And grieve to hear it.

What faults he made before the last, I think,
Might have found easy fines: but there to end,
Where he was to begin; and give away
The benefit of our levies, answering us
With our own charge; making a treaty, where
There was a yielding; This admits no excuse.
AUF. He approaches, you shall hear him.

Enter CORIOLANUS, with Drums and Colours; a Croud of Citizens with him.

soldier;

COR. Hail, lords! I am return'd your No more infected with my country's love,

• What I have written to you?] If the unnecessary wordsto you, are omitted (for I believe them to be an interpolation) the metre will become sufficiently regular :

What I have written?

Lords.

1 Lord.

answering us

7

With our own charge ;]

We have.

And grieve to hear it.
STEEVENS.

That is, rewarding us with our

own expences; making the cost of war its recompence.

JOHNSON.

Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting
Under your great command. You are to know,
That prosperously I have attempted, and
With bloody passage, led your wars, even to
The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought
home,

Do more than counterpoise, a full third part,
The charges of the action. We have made peace,
With no less honour to the Antiates,

Than shame to the Romans: And we here deliver,
Subscrib'd by the consuls and patricians,

Together with the seal o'the senate, what
We have compounded on.

AUF.

Read it not, noble lords;

But tell the traitor, in the highest degree
He hath abus'd your powers.

COR. Traitor!-How now?

AUF.

COR.

Ay, traitor, Marcius.

Marcius!

AUF. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius; Dost thou

think

I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol'n name Coriolanus in Corioli?

8

You lords and heads of the state, perfidiously
He has betray'd your business, and given up,
For certain drops of salt, your city Rome
(I say, your city,) to his wife and mother:
Breaking his oath and resolution, like
A twist of rotten silk; never admitting
Counsel o'the war; but at his nurse's tears
He whin'd and roar'd away your victory;

* For certain drops of salt,] For certain tears. So, in King

Lear:

"Why this would make a man, a man of salt.”

MALONE.