4

Where one part does disdain with cause, the other Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wisdom

Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no
Of general ignorance,-it must omit

Real necessities, and give way the while

To unstable slightness: purpose so barr'd, it follows, Nothing is done to purpose: Therefore, beseech

you,

You that will be less fearful than discreet;
That love the fundamental part of state,

More than you doubt the change of't'; that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish

6

To jump a body with a dangerous physick

The Romans swore by what was human as well as divine; by their head, by their eyes, by the dead bones and ashes of their parents, &c. See Brisson de formulis, p. 808-817. HEATH.

4 Where ONE part] In the old copy we have here, as in many other places, on instead of one. The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. See King John, Act III. Sc. III. MALONE.

This error occurs in the first scene of the present play, p. 5: "What_authority surfeits on;" is printed in the folio "surfeits one." BOSWELL.

5 That love the fundamental part of state,

More than you DOUBT the change of't;] To doubt is to fear. The meaning is, 'You whose zeal predominates over your terrors; you who do not so much fear the danger of violent measures, as wish the good to which they are necessary, the preservation of the original constitution of our government. JOHNSON.

6 TO JUMP a body-] Thus the old copy. Modern editors read:

"To vamp

To jump anciently signified to jolt, to give a rude concussion to any thing. "To jump a body," may therefore mean, to put it into a violent agitation or commotion.' Thus, Lucretius, III.

452-quassatum est corpus.

So, in Phil. Holland's translation of Pliny's Natural History, b. xxv. ch. v. p. 219: "If we looke for good successe in our cure by ministring ellebore, &c. for certainly it putteth the patient to a jumpe or great hazard." STEEVENS.

From this passage in Pliny, it should seem that “to jump a body," meant to risk a body; and such an explication seems to me to be supported by the context in the passage before us.

That's sure of death without it,-at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison': your dishonour
Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it';
Not having the power to do the good it would,
For the ill which doth control it.

BRU.

He has said enough. SIC. He has spoken like a traitor, and shall an

swer

As traitors do.

COR. Thou wretch! despite o'erwhelm thee!— What should the people do with these bald tribunes?

On whom depending, their obedience fails

To the greater bench: In a rebellion,

When what's not meet, but what must be, was law,

Then were they chosen; in a better hour,
Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet ',
And throw their power i' the dust.

So, in Macbeth:

"We'd jump the life to come."

Again, in Antony and Cleopatra, Act. III. Sc. VIII. :

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66

our fortune lies

Upon this jump."

7 let them not lick

sure:

MALONE.

The sweet which is their poison :] So, in Measure for Mea

"Like rats that ravin up their proper bane-."

STEEVENS. Mangles true JUDGMENT,] Judgment is the faculty by which right is distinguished from wrong. JOHNSON.

9 Of that INTEGRITY which should BECOME IT;] Integrity is in this place soundness, uniformity, consistency, in the same sense as Dr. Warburton often uses it, when he mentions the integrity of a metaphor. To become, is to suit, to befit. JOHNSON.

Let what is meet, be said, it MUST BE meet,] Let it be said by you that what is meet to be done, must be meet, i. e. shall be done, and put an end at once to the tribunitian power, which was established when irresistible violence, not a regard to propriety, directed the legislature. MALONE.

BRU. Manifest treason.

SIC.

This a consul? no.

BRU. The Ediles, ho!-Let him be apprehended. SIC. Go, call the people; [Exit BRUTUS.] in whose name, myself

Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,

A foe to the publick weal: Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.

COR.

Hence, old goat!

SEN. & PAT. We'll surety him.

Сом.

Aged sir, hands off.

COR. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy

bones

Out of thy garments 2.

SIC.

Help, ye citizens.

Re-enter BRUTUs, with the Ædiles, and a Rabble of

[Several speak.

CIT. Down with him, down with him!

2 SEN.

Weapons, weapons, weapons ! [They all bustle about CORIOLANUS.

Tribunes, patricians, citizens !—what ho!-
Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!

CIT. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace! MEN. What is about to be ?-I am out of breath; Confusion's near: I cannot speak :-You, tribunes

3

To the people,-Coriolanus, patience :-
Speak, good Sicinius.
SIC.

CIT. Let's hear our

speak, speak.

Hear me, people ;-Peace. tribune :-Peace. Speak,

SIC. You are at point to lose your liberties: Marcius would have all from you; Marcius, Whom late you have nam'd for consul.

Fye, fye, fye!

MEN. This is the way to kindle, not to quench. 1 SEN. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat. SIC. What is the city, but the people?

CIT.

The people are the city.

True,

BRU. By the consent of all, we were establish'd The people's magistrates.

CIT.

You so remain.

MEN. And so are like to do.

COR. That is the way to lay the city flat;
To bring the roof to the foundation;

And bury all, which yet distinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.

This deserves death.

SIC.
BRU. Or let us stand to our authority,
Or let us lose it :-We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
Of present death.

3 To the people,-Coriolanus, patience:] I would read :
"Speak to the people.-Coriolanus, patience :-

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Speak, good Sicinius. TYRWHItt.

Tyrwhitt proposes an amendment to this passage, but nothing is necessary except to point it properly:

"Confusion's near,-I cannot. Speak you, tribunes,
"To the people."

He desires the tribunes to speak to the people, because he was not able; and at the end of the speech repeats the same request to Sicinius in particular. M. MASON.

I see no need of any alteration. MALONE.

SIC.

Therefore, lay hold of him;

Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence

Into destruction cast him.

BRU.

CIT. Yield, Marcius, yield.

MEN.

Ediles, seize him.

Hear me one word.

Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word.

EDI. Peace, peace.

MEN. Be that you seem, truly your country's

friend,

And temperately proceed to what you would

Thus violently redress.

Sir, those cold ways,

4

BRU. That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous Where the disease is violent:-Lay hands upon him, And bear him to the rock.

COR.

No; I'll die here.
[Drawing his sword.

There's some among you have beheld me fighting; Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me. MEN. Down with that sword;-Tribunes, withdraw a while.

Help, Marcius! help,

BRU. Lay hands upon him.
MEN.
You that be noble; help him, young, and old!
CIT. Down with him, down with him!

[In this mutiny, the Tribunes, the Ædiles, and
the People, are all beat in.

MEN. Go, get you to your house'; be gone,

are very poisons." JOHNSON.

S get you to YOUR house ;] Old copy-our house.

rected by Mr. Rowe. So below:

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I pr'ythee, noble friend, home to thy house."

Cor

MALONE.