Page images
PDF
EPUB

Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going: Commend me to my wife. I'll return consul; Or never trust to what my tongue can do

I' the way of flattery, further.

VOL.

Do your will.

[Exit.

COм. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm yourself

To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd
With accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.

COR. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us go: Let them accuse me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

MEN.

Ay, but mildly.

COR. Well, mildly be it then; mildly. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Same. The Forum.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

BRU. In this point charge him home, that he affects

8

Tyrannical power: If he evade us there,
Enforce him with his envy to the people;
And that the spoil, got on the Antiates,
Was ne'er distributed.-

Enter an Edile.

He's coming.

What, will he come ?

ED.

8 envy i. e. malice, hatred. So, in King Henry VIII.:

66

no black envy

"Shall make my grave."

See vol. v. p. 108, n. 9. STEEvens.

See also before in this play, p. 46, n. 4. Boswell.

BRU.

How accompanied ?

ED. With old Menenius, and those senators

That always favour'd him.

SIC.

Have you a catalogue

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by the poll?

ED. I have; 'tis ready 9.

SIC. Have you collected them by tribes?
ED.

I have.
SIC. Assemble presently the people hither:
And when they hear me say, It shall be so
I the right and strength o' the commons, be it

either

For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them, If I say, fine, cry fine; if death, cry death; Insisting on the old prerogative

And power i' the truth o' the cause 1.

ED.

I shall inform them.

BRU. And when such time they have begun to

cry,

Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd

Enforce the present execution

Of what we chance to sentence.

ED.

Very well.

SIC. Make them be strong, and ready for this

hint,

9 'tis ready, HERE.] The word-here, which is wanting in the old copies, was supplied by Sir Thomas Hanmer. STEEVENS. -i' the truth o'the cause.] This is not very easily understood. We might read:

I

[ocr errors]

66 - o'er the truth o' the cause." JOHNSON.

As I cannot understand this passage as it is pointed, I should suppose that the speeches should be thus divided, and then it will require no explanation:

"Sic. Insisting on the old prerogative

66

And power.

"Ed. In the truth of the cause

"I shall inform them."

That is, I will explain the matter to them fully.' M. MASON.

When we shall hap to give't them.

BRU.

Go about it.

[Exit Edile.

Put him to choler straight: He hath been us'd
Even to conquer, and to have his worth

Of contradiction2: Being once chaf'd, he cannot
Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks
What's in his heart; and that is there, which looks
With us to break his neck ".

Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

SIC. Well, here he comes.

MEN.

Calmly, I do beseech you. COR. Ay, as an ostler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by the volume .-The honour'd

2

gods

and to have his WORTH

Of contradiction:] The modern editors substituted word; but the old copy reads worth, which is certainly right. He has been used to have his worth, or (as we should now say) his worth of contradiction; his full quota or proportion. Romeo and Juliet:

66

You take your pennyworth [of sleep] now."

penny

So in

MALONE.

3 Be rein'd again to TEMPERANCE ;] Our poet seems to have taken several of his images from the old pageants. In the new edition of Leland's Collectanea, vol. iv. p. 190, the virtue temperance is represented "holding in hyr haund a bitt of an horse."

TOLLET.

Mr. Tollet might have added, that both in painting and sculpture the bit is the established symbol of this virtue. HENLEY.

which looks

With us to break his neck.] To look is to wait or expect. The sense I believe is, 'What he has in heart is waiting there to help us to break his neck.' JOHNSON.

The tribune rather seems to mean- The sentiments of Coriolanus's heart are our coadjutors, and look to have their share in promoting his destruction. STEEVENS.

Will bear the knave by the volume.] i. e. would bear being called a knave as often as would fill out a volume. STEEVENS.

Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice Supplied with worthy men! plant love among us! Throng our large temples with the shows of peace, And not our streets with war 6!

1 SEN.

MEN. A noble wish.

Amen, amen!

Re-enter Edile, with Citizens.

SIC. Draw near, ye people.

EDI. List to your tribunes; audience: Peace, I

say.

COR. First, hear me speak.

BOTH TRI.

Well, say.-Peace, ho7.

COR. Shall I be charg'd no further than this pre

sent ?

Must all determine here?

SIC.

I do demand,

If you submit you to the people's voices,
Allow their officers, and are content

6

- plant love among us!

Throng our large temples with the shows of peace, And not our streets with war!] [The old copy-Through.] We should read:

"Throng our large temples—”

The other is rank nonsense.

WARBURTON.

The emendation was made by Mr. Theobald.

The shows of peace are multitudes of people peaceably assembled, either to hear the determination of causes, or for other purposes of civil government. MALONE.

The real shows of peace among the Romans, were the olivebranch and the caduceus; but I question if our author, on the present occasion, had any determinate idea annexed to his words. Mr. Malone's supposition, however, can hardly be right; because the "temples" (i. e. those of the gods,) were never used for the determination of civil causes, &c. To such purposes the Senate and the Forum were appropriated. The temples indeed might be thronged with people who met to thank the gods for a return of peace. STEEVENS.

7 Well, say.-Peace, ho.] As the metre is here defective, we might suppose our author to have written :

"Well, sir; say on.-Peace, ho." STERVENS.

To suffer lawful censure for such faults

As shall be prov'd upon you?

COR.

I am content.

MEN. Lo, citizens, he says, he is content: The warlike service he has done, consider ; Think on the wounds his body bears, which show Like graves i' the holy churchyard.

COR.

Scars to move laughter only.

Scratches with briars,

MEN.
Consider further,
That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a soldier: Do not take
His rougher accents for malicious sounds,
But, as I say, such as become a soldier,
Rather than envy you

Сом.

9

COR. What is the matter,

Well, well, no more.

That being pass'd for consul with full voice,
I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour

You take it off again?

SIC.

Answer to us.

COR. Say then: 'tis true, I ought so.

SIC. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to

take

From Rome all season'd office 1, and to wind

8 His rougher ACCENTS -] The old copy reads-actions. Mr. Theobald made the change. STEEVENS.

His rougher accents are the harsh terms that he uses. MALONE. 9 Rather than ENVY you.] Envy is here taken at large for malignity or ill intention. JOHNSON.

According to the construction of the sentence, envy is evidently used as a verb, and signifies to injure. In this sense it is used by Julietta in The Pilgrim :

"If I make a lie

"To gain your love, and envy my best mistress,

"Pin me up against a wall," &c. M. MASON.

"Rather than envy you." Rather than import ill will to you. See p. 140, n. 8. MALONE.

I

season'd office,] All office established and settled by time, and made familiar to the people by long use. JOHNSON.

« PreviousContinue »