A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts:

I never faw the like.

Bru. Let's to the capitol,

And carry with us ears and eyes for th' time,

But hearts for the event.

Sic. Have with you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to the Capitol.

Enter two Officers, to lay cushions.

Ome, come, they are almost here; how many ftand for confulthips?

C%

2 Off. Three, they fay; but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it.

Off. That's a brave fellow, but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people.

2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flatter'd the people, who ne'er lov'd them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore; fo that if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or hate him, manifefts the true knowledge he has in their difpofition, and out of his noble carelessness lets them plainly fee't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he wav'd indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm: but he feeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their oppofite. Now to feem to affect the malice and difpleasure of the people, is as bad as that, which he diflikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deferved worthily of his country: and his afcent is not by fuch eafy degrees as thofe, whe have been fupple and courteous to the people; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath fo plantedhis honours in their eyes, and his actions in their. hearts, that for their tongues to be filent, and not con VOL. VI.

fefs

fefs fo much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwife, were a malice, that, giving itfelf the İye, would pluck reproof and rebuke from ev'ry ear

that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him, he is a worthy man: make way, they are coming.

Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of the People, Litters before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius the Conful: Sicinius and Brutus take their places by themJelves:

Men. Having determin'd of the Volfcians, and

To fend for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratify his noble fervice, that

Hath thus ftood for his country. Therefore, please you,
Moft reverend and grave elders, to defire

The prefent conful, and laft General,

In our well-found fucceffes, to report

A little of that worthy work perform'd

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We met here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius:

Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our state's defective for requital,

Than we to ftretch it out. Mafters o' th' people,
We do request your kindett ear; and, after,
Your loving mo ion toward the common body,
To yield what paffes here.

Sic. We are convented

Upon a pleafing treaty; (16) and have hearts.

Inclinable to bonour and advance

Inclinable

The theme of our affembly] Without doubt it would have been more proper for the tribune, who is here addreffing himself to the Senate, to have faid:

The theme of your affembly.

But Shakespeare, contrary to the truth of hiftory, makes the tribunes. fit in the Senate, as part of that body. For 'till the Lex Attinia

Inclinable to honour and advance
The theme of our affembly.

Bru. Which the rather

We fhall be bleft to do, if he remember
A kinder value of the people, than
He hath hitherto priz'd them at.

Men. That's off, that's off:

I would, you rather had been filent: please you
To hear Cominius speak?

Bru. Moft willingly:

But yet my caution was more pertinent,
Than the rebuke you give it.

Men. He loves your people,

But tie him not to be their bed-fellow:
Worthy Cominius, fpeak.

[Coriolanus rifes and offers to go away.

Nay, keep your place.

1 Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never fhame to hear What you have nobly done.

Cor. Your honours' pardon :

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,
Than hear fay, how I got them.

Bru. Sir, I hope,

My words dif-bench'd you not?

Cor. No, Sir; yet oft,

When blows have made me ftay, I fled from words, You footh not, therefore hurt not: but your people, I love them as they weigh,

Men. Pray now, fit down.

Cor. I had rather have one fcratch my head i' th' fun, When the alarum were ftruck, than idly fit

To hear my nothings monfter'd.

Men. Mafters of the people,

[Exit Coriolanus.

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,

That's thousand to one good one? when you fee,

(which Attinius is fuppos'd by Sigonius, De Vetere Italie Jure, to, have been contemporary with Quintus Metellus Macedonicus;) the tribunes had not the privilege of entring the fenate, but had feats placed for them, near the door, on the outfide of the houfe.

Mr. Warburton.

He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of's ears to hear't. Proceed, Cominius.

Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held,
That valour is the chiefeft virtue, and
Moft dignifies the Haver: if it be,

The man, I fpeak of, cannot in the world
Be fingly counter-pois'd. At fixteen years,
When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought
Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, faw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin he drove
The briftled lips before him he bestrid
An o'er preft Roman, and i'th' conful's view
Slew three Oppofers: Tarquin's felf he met,
And ftruck him on his knee: in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the fcene,
He prov'd beft man i'th' field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil-age
Man-entred thus, he waxed like a fea;
(17) And, in the brunt of feventeen battles fince,

He

(17) And in the brurt of sev'nteen battles finee.] I cannot help making a remark upon this circumftance of or author's conduct, whether cafual or defignedly. It is faid, and the fact is true, that he has follow'd Plutarch very closely in his ftory; but he devia'es from him in one point, by which he feems to decline a ftrange abfurdity in the calculation of time Shakespeare tells us, that, at fixteen years old, Coriolanus began his foldiership, when Tarquin made head to regain his kingdom; and that in feventeen battles he diftin guifh'd himself with exemplary bravery and fuccefs. Plutarch likewife fays, that our hero fet out in arms a youth, that his first expedition was when Tarquin made this push, and that he fignaliz'd himfelf in war for feventeen years fucceffively. Now it happens a little unluckily for Plutarch's account that this attempt of Tarquin was made Anno U. C. 258, and Coriolanus was banifh'd, nay and kill'd within the period of eight years after his first campaign, Anno U. C. 266.- There is fomething again lies cross on the other fide, that if Coriolanus was fo young when he commenced foldier, and if the interval was fo fhort betwixt that and his banish ment, he was too young to have been admitted a candidate for the confulfhip. The compliment of that office fo early to any man was a pro, ftitution of Dignity, that, I think, was never made till the times of

the

He lurcht all fwords o' th' garland. For this laft,
Before, and in Corioli, let me fay,

I cannot fpeak him home; he ftopt the fliers,
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into fport. As waves before
A veffel under fail, fo men obey'd,

And fell below his ftern: his fword, (death's ftamp)
Where it did mark, it took from face to foot:
He was a thing of blood, whofe every motion
Was tim'd with dying cries: alone he enter'd
The mortal gate o' th' city, which he painted
With fhunlefs destiny: aidlefs came off.
And with a fudden re-enforcement ftruck
Corioli, like a planet. Nor all's this;
For by and by the din of war 'gan pierce
His ready fenfe, when ftreight his doubled spirit
Requicken'd what in flesh was fatigate,
And to the battle came he; where he did
Run reeking o'er the lives of men, as if
Twere a perpetual fpoil; and 'till we call'd
Both field and city ours, he never flood
To eafe his breaft with panting.

Men. Worthy man!

Sen. He cannot but with meafure fit the honours, Which we devise him.

Com. Our spoils he kick'd at,

And look'd upon things precious, as they were
The common muck o' th' world; he covets lefs
Than mifery itfelf would give, rewards
His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend his time to end it.

the Emperors, when fervitude had debafed the very spirits of the Romans. 'Tis certain, there is some mistake in the computation of this great man's years. I fhould conjecture (were there any proofs to fecond it) that he started into notice as a foldier, when Tarquin was expell'a Rome, Anno U. C. 245; and allowing him only to be eighteen years of Age then, at the time of his own banishment (U. C. 264) we shall find him 37 years old; a period of life, at which the city could fcarcely have refus'd one of his extraordinary merit the confulfhip.. - But this is no more than an attempt to reconcile improbabilities by guefs.