to fay that for the defence of a town, our gene-[peace, as far as day does night; it's fprightly,

Alluding, improperly, to the act of croffing upon any strange event. 2 That is, drag him down By the ears into the dirt. The word is derived from fow, i. e. to take hold of a perfon by the ears, as a dog feizes one of these animals. 3 That is, bared, cleared. 4 i. e. full of rumour, full "of materials for difcourfe. 5 i. e. fotten'd and difpirited, as wine is when burnt and sweeten'd. 6. e ineffectual in times of peace like thefe.

Sic. This is a happier and more comely time, Than when these fellows ran about the streets, Crying, Confufion.

Bra. Caius Marcius was

A worthy officer i' the war; but infolent,
O'ercome with pride, ambitious part all thinking,
Self-loving,-

Sic. And affecting one fole throne,

Without affiftance 1.

Men. I think not fo.

Sic. We had by this, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth conful, found it fo.

The young'ft and oldeft thing.

Sic. This is most likely !

Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker fort may wish
Good Marcius home again.

Sic. The very trick on't.
Men. This is unlikely:

He and Aufidius can no more atone 3,
Than violenteft contrariety.

Enter another Meffinger.

Mef. You are fent for to the fenate:
A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius,
Allociated with Aufidius, rages

Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Upon our territories; and have already Sits fafe and ftill without him.

O'er-borne their way, confum'd with fire, and took
What lay before them.

Enter Cominius.

Com. O, you have made good work!
Men. What news? what news?
[ters, and
Com. You have holp to ravish your own daugli-
To melt the city leads upon your pates;
To fee your wives difhonour'd to your noses ;-
Men. What's the news? what's the news?
Com. Your temples burned in their cement; and
Your franchifes, whereon you itood, confin'd
Into an augre's bore.

[news?

Men. Pray now, the news?-
You have made fair work, I fear me :- - Pray, your
If Marcius fhould be joined with the Volces,-
Com. If!

He is their god; he leads them like a thing
Made by fome other deity than nature,
That shapes man better: and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no lefs confidence,
Than boys purfuing fummer butter-flies,
Or butchers killing flies.

Men. You have made good work,

You, and your apron-men; you that stood fo much
Upon the voice of occupation 4, and

The breath of garlick-eaters 5!

Com. He'll fhake your Rome about your ears.
Men. As Hercules did shake down mellow fruit.

You have made fair work!

Bru. But is this true, fir ?

Com. Ay; and you'll look pale

Before you find it other. All the regions
Do fmilingly 7 revolt; and, who refiit,

Go whip him "fore the people's eyes :-his raifing! Are mock'd for valiant ignorance,

Nothing but his report !

M. Yes, worthy fir,

The flave's report is feconded; and more,
More fearful, is deliver'd.

Sic. What more fearful?

M. It is fpoke freely out of many inouths,
(How probable, I do not know) that Marcius,
Join'd with Auidius, leads a power 'gainit Rome;
And vows revenge as fpacious, as between

And perith conftant foels. Who is't can blame him?
Your enemies, and his, find fomething in him.
Men. We are all undone, unless

The noble man have mercy.

Com. Who fhall afk it?

The tribunes cannot do't for fhame; the people
Deferve fuch pity of him, as the wolf
Does of the thepherds: for his best friends, if they
Should fay, Be good to Rome, they charg'd him even

That is, without affefors; without any other fuffrage. 2 i. e. talk. 3 Dr. Johnfon remarks, that to atome, in the active fenfe, is to reconcile, and is fo ufed by our author. To atone here is, in the neutral fenfe, to come to reconciliation. To atone is to unite. 4 Occupation is here ufed for mechanicks, men occupied in daily businefs. 5 To fmell of garlick was once fuch a brand of vulgarity, that garlick was a food forbidden to an ancient order of Spanish knights, mentioned by Guevara. It appears alfo, that garlick was once much ufed in England, and afterwards as much out of fashion. Hence, perhaps, the cant denomination Pil-garlick for a deferted fellow, a perlon left to fuffer without friends to affift him. 6 Alluing to the apples of the Hefperides. revolt failingly, is to revolt with figns of pleafure, or with marks of contempt.

7 To A$

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
That fhould confume it, I have not the face [hands,
To fay, 'Beftech you, ceafe. You have made fair
You, and your crafts! you have crafted fair!

Com. You have brought

A trembling upon Rome, fuch as was never
So incapable of help.

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,
The fecond name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer:--defperation
Is all the policy, ftrength, and defence,
That Rome can make against them.

Enter a Troop of Citizens.

caft

Men. Here come the clutters.-
And is Aufidius with him ?--You are they
That made the air unwholefome, when you
Your itinking, 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 cox combs,
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

Cit. And fo did I; and, to fay the truth, fo did very many of us: That we did, we did for the best; and though we willingly confented to his banishment, 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 elfe? [Exe. Com. and Men.
Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not difmay'd;
Thefe are a fide, that would be glad to have
This true, which they fo feem to fear. Go home,
And fhew no fign of fear.

1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, masters, 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.
[Exeunt Citizens.

[wealth

Bru. I do not like this news.
Sic. Nor I.
Bru. Let's to the Capitol :-'Would, half my
Would buy this for a lie!

Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft's in him;

but

Your foldiers ufe him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end;
And you are darken'd in this action, fir,
Even by your own.

Auf. I cannot help it now;
Unlets by ufing means, I lame the foot
Of our defign. He bears himself more proudly
Even to my perfon, than I thought he would,
When first I did embrace him: yet his nature
In that's no changeling; and I must excufe
What cannot be amended.

Lieu. Yet I with, fir,

(I mean, for your particular) you had not
Join'd in commiffion with him: but either borne
The action of yourfelf, or elfe to him
Had left it folely.

Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou sure,
When he fhall come to his account, he knows not
What I can urge against him. Although it feems,
And fo he thinks, and is no less apparent

To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly,
And fhews good husbandry for the Volcian ftate;
Fights dragon-like, and does atchieve as foon
As draw his fword: yet he hath left undone
That, which fhall break his neck, or hazard mine,
Whene'er we come to our account. [Rome?
Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry
Auf. All places yield to him ere he fits down;
And the nobility of Rome are his :

The fenators, and patricians, love him too :
The tribunes are no foldiers; and their people
Will be as rafh in the repeal, as hafty

To expel him thence. I think, he'll be to Rome
As is the ofprey 2 to the fish, who takes it
Firft he was
By fovereignty of nature.
A noble fervant to them; but he could not
Carry his honours even: whether 'twas pride,
Which out of daily fortune ever taints
The happy man; whether defect of judgement,
To fail in the difpofing of thofe chances
Which he was lord of; or whether nature,
Not to be other than one thing, not moving
From the cafque to the cushion, but commanding
peace

Even with the fame aufterity and garb
As he controll'd the war: but, one of these,
|(As he hath spices of them all, not all,
For I dare fo far free him) made him fear'd,
So hated, and fo banish'd: but he has a merit,
To choak it in the utterance, So our virtues
Lie in the interpretation of the time:
And power, unto itfelf most commendable,
Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair
To extol what it hath done 3.

One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail
Right's by right fouler 4, ftrengths by ftrength do

fail.

Come, let's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine, Thou art poor'ft of all; then fhortly art thou mine. [Exeunt

1 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 de lights to commend itfelf will find the fureft tomb in that chair wherein it holds forth its own commendations. 4 i. c. What is already right, and received as fuch, becomes lefs clear when fupported by fupernumerary proofs,

ACT.

Men.

No,

others.

I'll not go you hear, what he hath
faid,

Which was fometime his general; who lov'd him
In a most dear particular. He call'd me father:
But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him,
A mile before his tent fall down, and knee
The way into his mercy: nay, if he coy'd
To hear Cominius fpeak, I'll keep at home.
Com. He would not feem to know me.
Men. Do you hear?

Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name:
I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not answer to: forbad all names;
He was a kind of nothing, titleleis,

'Till he had forg'd himfelf a name i' the fire
Of burning Rome.

Men. Why, fo; you have made good work:

Return me, as Cominius is return'd,
Unheard; what then?-

But as a difcontented friend, grief-shot
With his unkindness? Say't be fo?

Sic. Yet your good will

Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure
As you intended well.

Yet to bite his lip,

Men. I'll undertake it:
I think, he'll hear me.
And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well; he had not din'd:
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt

To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
Thefe pipes, and these conveyances of our blood
With wine and feeding, we have fuppler fouls [him
Than in our priest-like fafts: therefore I'll watch
'Till he be dieted to my request,

And then I'll fet upon him.

Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot lose your way.

Men. Good faith, I'll prove him,

A pair of tribunes, that have rack'd for Rome, Speed how it will. I fhall ere long have knowledge

To make coals cheap : a noble memory 2 !

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.
Men. Very well :

Could he fay lefs?

Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard
For his private friends: his anfwer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile

Of noisome, mufty chaff: he said, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And till to nofe the offence.

Men. For one poor grain or two?

I am one of thofe ; his mother, wife, his child,
And this brave fellow too, we are the grains :
You are the mufty chaff; and you are smelt
Above the moon: We must be burnt for you. [aid

Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: If you refuse your
In this fo never-needed help, yet do not

Upbraid us with our diftrefs. But fure, if you
Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
More than the inftant army we can make,
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

Of my fuccefs.

Com. He'll never hear him.
Sic. Not?

[Exit.

Cam. I tell you, he does fit in gold, his eye
Red as 'twould burn Rome: and his injury
The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him:
'Twas very faintly he faid, Rife; difmifs'd me
Thus, with his fpeechlefs hand: What he would do,
He fent in writing after me; what he would not,
Bound with an oath, to yield to his conditions +:
So that all hope is vain;

Unless his noble mother, and his wife,
Who, as I hear, mean to folicit him
For mercy to his country-Therefore, let's hence,
And with our fair entreaties hatte them on.

[Exeunt.

1 To rack means to harrass by exaltions. 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. Johnson is of opinion, that here is a chafm. The fpeaker's purpose seems to be this; To yield to his conditions is zuin, and better cannot be obtained, so that all hope is vain.

You'li

You'll fpeak with Coriolanus.

Men. Good my friends,

If you have heard your general talk of Rome,
And of his friends there, it is lots to blanks,
My name hath touch'd your ears: it is, Menenius.
I Watch. Be it fo; go back: the virtue of your

name

Is not here paffable.

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 eitimation: you shall perceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me from my fon Coriolanus: guess,

The book of his good acts, whence men have read by my entertainment with him, if thou stand'ft not
His fame unparallel'd, happily, amplified;
For I have ever verify'd my friends,

(Of whom he's chief) with all the fize that verity Would without lapfing suffer 2: nay, fometimes, Like to a bowl upon a fubtle 3 ground,

fellow,

I must have leave to pafs.

'the ftate of hanging, or of fome death more long in fpectatorship, and crueller in fuffering; be hold now prefently, and fwoon for what's to come upon thee. The glorious gods fit in hourly fynod about thy particular profperity, and love thee nɔ worfe than thy old father Menenius does! O, my

I have tumbled paft the throw; and in his praifefon, my fon! thou art preparing fire for us; look Have, almost, stamp'd the leafing: Therefore, thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee: but being afured, none 1 Watch. 'Faith, 'fir, if you had told as many out of your gates with fighs; and conjure thee to but myfelf could move thee, I have been blown lies in his behalf, as you have utter'd words in your own, you should not pafs here: no, though it were as virtuous to lie, as to live chately. Therefore, go

back.

Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general.

2 Watch. Howfoever you have been his liar, (as) you fay, you have) I am one that, telling true under him, must say, you cannot pafs. Therefore, go back.

Men. Has he din'd, can'ft thou tell? for I would
not speak with him 'till after dinner.
I Watch. You are a Roman, are you?
Men. I am as thy general is.

1 Watch. Then you fhould hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have puh'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 4 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.

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
In Volcian breafts 5. That we have been familiar,
My revenge properly, my remiffion lyes
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather
Than pity note how much.-Therefore be gone.
Mine ears againft your fuits are stronger, than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,
Take this along; I writ it for thy fake,

And would have fent it. Another word, Menenius,
[Gives him a letter.
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.

1 Watch. Now, fir, is your name Menenius. 2 Watch. 'Tis a fpell, you fee, of much power: You know the way home again.

I Watch. Do you hear how we are fhent for keeping your greatness 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 fearce think there's any, you are fo flight. He that hath a will to die by himfelf, fears it not from another. Let 1 Watch. My general cares not for you. Back, your general do his worst. For you, be that you

2 Watch. Come, my captain knows you not. Men. mean, thy general.

1 A lot here is a prize. 2 Dr. Johnfon explains this paffage thus: To verify is to establish by teftimony. One may fay with propriety, he brought falfe witnesses to verify his title. Shakspeare confidered the word with his ufual laxity, as importing rather teftimony than truth, and only meant to fay, I bore witness to my friends with all the fize that verity would fuffer. 3 Subtle means fmooth, 4 By virginal pels may be understood the holding up the hands in fupplication. Though I have a peculiar right in revenge, in the power of forgivenefs the Volcians are con6 Shent means fhamed, difgraced, made ashamed of our felves.

level.

5 i. e.

joined.

are;