"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 heighten'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,a

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
I had been mercenary.

1 CON.

So he did, my lord,—

1

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

• Sir, his stoutness,-] A word seems to have dropped out of this line; it possibly ran originally,-"Witness, sir, his stoutness."

Which he did end all his ;] So the old copies. Rowe changed "end" to "make;" Mr. Collier's annotator substitutes "ear;" and Mr. Collier has a preference for in,"did in all his;" but is not "end" an erratum for bind? So, in "As You Like It," Act I. Sc. 2,

"They that reap must sheaf and bind.”

Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's "Bonduca," Act IV. Sc. 3,

"when Rome, like reapers,

Sweat blood and spirit for a glorious harvest,

And bound it up, and brought it off."

And in the ancient Harvest Song,

"Hooky, hooky, we have shorn

And bound what we did reap."

and

He wag'd me with his countenance,—]

This is explained, he gave me his countenance for my wages, rewarded me with good looks. But "countenance," or we mistake, means here not looks, but entertainment. See note (), p. 355, Vol. I.

[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
His reasons with his body.a

AUF.

Here come the lords.

Say no more;

Enter the Lords of the city.

I have not deserv'd it,

LORDS. You are most welcome home.
AUF.

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

And grieve to hear 't.

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 drum and colours; a crowd of Citizens with him.

COR. Hail, lords! I am return'd your soldier; (3)

No more infected with my country's love

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,

• His reasons with his body.] In the old copies we have,

- let him feele your Sword:

Which we will second, when he lies along
After your way, His Tale pronounc'd shall bury
His Reasons, with his Body."

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.

Ay, traitor, Marcius.

COR.

Marcius!

AUF. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius; dost thou think
I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol'n name,
Coriolanus, in Corioli ?-a

You lords and heads o' 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,
That pages blush'd at him, and men of heart
Look'd wondering each at other.

COR.

Hear'st thou, Mars!

AUF. Name not the god, thou boy of tears!
COR.

AUF. No more.

Ha!

COR. Measureless liar! thou hast made my heart
Too great for what contains it. Boy! O slave !—
Pardon me, lords, 't is the first time that ever

I was forc'd to scold. Your judgments, my grave lords,
Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion
(Who wears my stripes impress'd upon him; that
Must bear my beating to his grave) shall join
To thrust the lie unto him.

1 LORD.

Peace both and hear me speak.

COR. Cut me to pieces, Volsces! men and lads, Stain all your edges on me!-Boy! False hound! If you have writ your annals true, 't is there,

That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I

*

Flutter'd your Volscians in Corioli:

Alone I did it!-Boy!

Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune,

Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart, 'Fore your own eyes and ears?

CONSPIRATORS.

Let him die for 't!

(*) Old text, Flatter' d.

in Corioli?-] See note (*), in page 184.

CITIZENS. [Speaking promiscuously.] Tear him to pieces!-Do it presently! He killed my son!-my daughter!-He killed my cousin Marcus!-He killed my father!

2 LORD. Peace, ho!-no outrage:-peace! The man is noble, and his fame folds in

This orb o' the earth. His last offence to us
Shall have judicious hearing.-Stand, Aufidius,
And trouble not the peace.

COR.

O, that I had him,

Insolent villain!

With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,
To use my lawful sword!

AUF.

CON. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!

[AUFIDIUS and the Conspirators draw, and kill CORIOLANUS, who falls, and AUFIDIUS stands on him. Hold, hold, hold, hold!

LORDS.

AUF. My noble masters, hear me speak.

1 LORD. O Tullus!

2 LORD.

Valour will weep.

Thou hast done a deed whereat

3 LORD. Tread not upon him.-Masters all, be quiet; Put up your swords.

AUF. My lords, when you shall know (as in this rage, Provok'd by him, you cannot) the great danger

Which this man's life did owe you, you'll rejoice

That he is thus cut off. Please it your
To call me to your senate, I'll deliver
Myself your loyal servant, or endure

Your heaviest censure.

1 LORD.

honours

Bear from hence his body,

And mourn you for him: let him be regarded

As the most noble corse that ever herald

Did follow to his urn.

2 LORD.

His own impatience

Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.
Let's make the best of it.

AUF.
My rage is gone,
And I am struck with sorrow.-Take him up :-
Help, three o' the chiefest soldiers; I'll be one.-
Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully:
Trail your steel pikes.-Though in this city he
Hath widowed and unchilded many a one,
Which to this hour bewail the injury,

Yet he shall have a noble memory.—

Assist.

[Exeunt, bearing the body of CORIOLANUS. A dead march

sounded.

ILLUSTRATIVE COMMENTS.

ACT I.

(1) SCENE I-Suffer us to famish, and their store-houses crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to support usurers.] The circumstances which led to the insurrection of the people in Rome at this period, and awakened their animosity in a peculiar degree against Caius Marcius, are thus related in North's translation of Plutarch, the work to which Shakespeare was indebted for all the conduct of his tragedy, and for no inconsiderable portion of its language:

"Now he being grown to great credit and authority in ROME for his valiantnesse, it fortuned there grew sedition in the citie, bicause the Senate dyd favour the rich against the people, who did complaine of the sore oppression of userers, of whom they borrowed mony. For those that had litle, were yet spoiled of that litle they had by their creditours, for lack of ability to pay the usery: who offered their goods to be sold to them that would give most. And such as had nothing left, their bodies were layed hold on, and they were made their bondmen, notwithstanding all the wounds and cuts they shewed, which they had received in many battels, fighting for defence of their countrey and common wealth: of the which, the last warre they made was against the SABYNES, wherein they fought upon the promise the rich men had made them, that from thenceforth they would intreate them more gently, and also upon the word of Marcus Valerius chiefe of the Senate, who by authority of the Counsell, and in the behalfe of the rich, sayed they should performe that they had promised. But after that they had faithfully served in this last battel of al, where they overcame their enemies, seeing they were never a whit the better, nor more gently intreated, and that the Senate would give no care to them, but made as though they had forgotten the former promise, and suffered them to be made slaves and bondmen to their creditours, and besides, to be turned out of all that ever they had they fel then even to flat rebellion and mutinie, and to sturre up dangerous tumults within the city. The ROMAINES enemies hearing of this rebellion, did straight enter the teritories of ROME with a marvelous great power, spoiling and burning all as they came. Whereupon the Senate immediately made open proclamation by sound of trumpet, that all those which were of lawfull age to cary weapon, should come and enter their names into the muster-masters book, to goe to the wars: but no man obeyed their commaundement. Wherupon their chiefe magistrates, and many of the Senate, began to be of divers opinions among themselves. For some thought it was reason, they shold somewhat yeeld to the poore peoples request, and that they should a litle qualifie the severity of the law. Other held hard against that opinion, and that was Martius for one. For he alledged, that the creditours losing their money they had lent, was not the worst thing that was thereby but that the lenity that was favoured, was a beginning of disobedience, and that the proud attempt of the communalty, was to abolish law, and to bring all to confusion. Therefore he sayed, if the Senate were wise, they should betimes prevent and quench this ill favoured and worse meant beginning."

(2) SCENE I.-And leave me but the bran.] The reader desirous of investigating the origin of the famous apologue of the belly and its members will do well to consult an article on the subject by Douce, in his " Illustrations of Shakespeare." The poet derived it apparently from Plutarch, through North's translation, and the marvellous skill with which he has varied and amplified the story will be seen from the version of it which that historian presents :--

"The Senate being afeard of their departure, dyd send unto them certaine of the pleasauntest olde men, and the most acceptable to the people among them. Of those,