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

Men. Good faith, I'll prove him,
Speed how it will. I fall ere long have kaowledge
Of my success.

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

Com. I tell you, he does fit in gold, his eye
Red as 'twould burn Rome ; and his injury
The goaler to his pity. I kneel'd before him,
Twas very faintly he said, rise: disiniss’d me
Thus, with his speechless hand. What he would do,
He sent in writing after ; what he would not,
Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions :
So that all hope is vain, unless his mother
And wife,---who (as I hear) mean to follicit him
For mercy to his country : therefore hence,
And with our fair intreaties haste them on. Exeunt.
SCENE changes to the Volfcian Camp.

Enter Menenius to the Watch or Guard. · Watcha Tay: whence are you?

2 Watch. Standand back.
Men. You guard like men, 'tis well. But, by your leave,
I am an officer of state, and come
To speak with Coriolanus.

i Watch. Whence ?
Men. From Rome.

[General 1 Watch. You may not pass, you must return : our Will no more hear from thence.

2 Watch. You'll see your Romeembrac'd with fire, before You'll speak 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
Is not here paffable.
Mlen. I tell thee, fellow,

Thy

STay

your name

Thy General is my lover : I have been
The book of his good acts; whence men have read
His fame unparallel'd happily amplified :
For I have ever verified my friends,
(Of whom he's chief) with all the size that verity
Would without lapfing suffer: nay, fometimes,
Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,
I've tumbled paft the throw; and in his praise
Have, almoft, ftamp'd the leasing. Therefore, fellow,
I must have leave to pafs.
• 1 Watch. Faith, Sir, if you had told as many lies in
his behalf, as you have utter'd words in your own,
you should not pass here: no, though it were as vir.
tuous to lye, as to live chaftely. Therefore, go back.

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

ż Watch. Howsoever you have been his liar, (as you fay, you have;) I am one that, telling true under him, muft fay, you cannot pass. Therefore, go back.

Men. Has he din'd, canst thou tell for I would not speak with him 'till after dinner.

1 Watch. You are a Roman, are you?
Men. I am as thy General is.

1 Watch. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can

you have push'd out of your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front his revenges with the easy groans of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palfied intercession of such a decay'd dotard as you seem to

think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to fame in, with such 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 sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

Men. Sirrah, if thy Captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation.

1 Watch. Come, my Captain knows you not.
Men. I mean, thy General.
1 Watch. My General cares not for you. Back, I

fay,

you, when

be? can you

C

say, go; left I let forth your half pint of blood. Backi, 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 say an errand for you; you shall know now, that I am in estimation; you shall perceive, that a Jack-gardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus; guess but my entertainment with him; if thou stand'st not i'th' state of hanging, or of fome death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering, behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come upon thee.- The glorious gods fit in hourly fy.nod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does ! Oh my son, my son! thou art preparing fire for us ; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly mov'd to come to thee; but being assured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of our gates with fighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen.. The good gods afiuage 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 servanted to others : though I owe
My revenge properly, remiffion lies
In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar, (38)

Ingrate
That we bave been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness fhall poisor., rather

Tban piry: Note bow mucb-] We cannot defire a more fignal inftance of the indolent stupidity of our editors. Forgetfulness might poijon, in not remembering a con. versation of friendship, but how could it, in such an action, be said to picy too? The pointing is absurd; and the sentiment consequenily funk into nonsense. As I have regulated the stops, both Dr. Thirlby a id Mr. Warburton saw with me, they ought to be regulared..! have ftill ventur'd beyond my ingenious friends, in changing poison

(38)

Ingrate forgetfulness shall prison, rather
Than pity note how much. Therefore, be gone ;
Mine ears against your suits are stronger than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee,
Take this along; I writ it for thy fake,

[Gives him a letter,
And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,
I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius,
Was my belov'd in Rome ; yet thou behold'it-
Auf. You keep a constant temper. [Exeunt.

Manent the Guard, and Menenius.
I Watch, Now, Sir, is your name Menenius?

2 Watch. "Tis a fpell, you see, of much power : you know the way home again.

1 Watch. Do you hear, how we are fhent for keeping your greatnefs back?

2 Wateh. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

Men. I neither care for the world, nor your Gene. sal: for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, y'are so flight. He, that hath a will to die by himself, fears it not from another: let your General do his worst. For you, be what you are, long; and your misery encrease with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, away!

[Exit.
i Watch. A noble fellow, I warrant him.
2 Watch. The worthy fellow is our General. He's
the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. (Ex. Watch.

Re-enter Coriolanus and Aufidius.
Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow
Set down our hoft. My partner in this action,
You must report to th' Volfcian Lords how plainly
I've borne this business.

Auf. Only their ends you have respected; stopt
Your ears against the general suit of Rome :
into prison: which adds an antithesis, by which the sense seems
clearer and more natural: viz. That forgetfulness shall rather keep it
a secret, that we have been familiar; than pity thall.disclose how mucha
we have been fo.

Never admitted private whisper, no,
Not with such friends that thought them sure of you.

Cor. This last old man,
Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,
Lov'd me above the measure of a father:
Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
Was to send him ; for whose old love, I have
(Tho' I shew'd fow'rly to him) once more offer'd
The first conditions ; (which they did refuse,
And cannot now accept,) to grace him only,
That thought he could do more: a very little
I've yielded to. Fresh embaffy, and fúits,
Nor from the state, nor private friends, hereafter
Will I lend ear to.-Ha! what shout is this?

[Shout withine
Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow,
In the same time 'tis made? I will not-
Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Marcius,

with Attendants all in Mourning,
My wife comes foremost, then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grand-child to her blood. But, out, affection!
All bond and privilege of nature break!
Let it be virtuous, to be obstinate.
What is that curt’sy worth ? or those dove's eyes,
Which can make gods forsworn ? I melt, and am not
Of stronger earth than others: my mother bows,
As if Olympus to a mole-hill should
In supplication nod; and my young boy
Hath an aspect of interceffion, which
Great nature cries,Deny not. Let the Volfcians
Plough Rome, and harrow Italy; I'll never
Be such a golling to obey instinct ; but ftand
As if a man were author of himself,
And knew no other kin.

Virg. My Lord and husband!
Cor. These eyes are not the same. I wore in Romea

Virg. The forrow, that delivers us thus chang'd,
Makes you think {Q.