Men. He's right noble, Let him be call'd for. Off. He doth appear. Enter Coriolanus. Men. The fenate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee Conful. Cor. I do owe them ftill My life, and fervices. Men. It then remains That you do fpeak to th' people. Cor. I do befeech you, Let me o'er-leap that cuftom; for I cannot Pleafe you, that I may pafs this doing. Sic. Sir, the people must have their voices, Nor will they bate one jot of ceremony. Men. Put them not to't; pray, fit you to the cuftom. And take t'ye, as your predeceffors have, Your honour with Cor. It is a part your form. That I fhall bluth in acting, and might well Be taken from the people. Bru. Mark you that? Cor. To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus,Shew them th' unaking fcars, which I would hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire Of their breath only Men. Do not stand upon't: We recommend t'ye, tribunes of the people, Sen. (18) To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! (18) Sic. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour!] How Mr. Pope came to put this kindly wish in the mouth of the tribune, I can't fay. We will fuppofe it to be chance-medley. I have refter'd it to the body of the fenate, with all the preceding editions. Manent Manent Sicinius and Brutus. Bru. You fee, how he intends to use the people. Should be in them to give. Bru. (19) Come, we'll inform them Of our proceedings here: on th' market place, 1 [Exeunt. SCENE, changes to the Forum. 1 Cit. (20) Enter feven or eight citizens. NCE, if he do require our voices, we 2 Cit. We may, Sir, if we will. 3 Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is a power that we have no power to do; for if he fhew us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into thofe wounds, and fpeak for them: (19) Come, we'll inform them Of our proceedings bere on th' market place, know they do attend us.] But the Tribunes were not now on the market place, but in the Capitol. The pointing only wants to be rectified, and we fhall know what this magiftrate would fay; viz. Come, I know, the people attend us in the forum; we'll go and inform them what proceedings have been here in the fenate, (20) Oons! if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.] What more anachronifms, and more than ever the poet either defign'd or pt into! but this, like the boil'd pig and colliflower in the farce, is of 'Squire fomebody's own befpeaking; and 'twill be but kind to let him have the dish to himself. Mr. Pope, I prefume, hardly thinks that blood and rounds ever came into an oath, 'till after the crucifixion of our Saviour. But, to fet that queftion apart, our citizens here are no fuch blustering blades. They fay honeftly, in all the other editions, no more than this: once, if he do require our voices, &c. i. e. In a word, once for all, I've faid it once and I'll ftand to it. So in Much Ado about Nothing. 'Tis once, thou lov'ft: So in Anthonic and Cleopatra. Men. Wilt thou be Lord of all the world? Pomp. What fay'ft thou? Men. Wilt thou be Lord of all the world? that's wice. And in a number more of inftances. fo, if he tells us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monftrous; and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which, we being members, fhould bring ourselves to be monftrous members. 1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will ferve: for once when we ftood up about the corn, he himself ftuck not. to call us the many-headed multitude. 3 Cit. We have been call'd fo of many; not that our heads are fome brown, fome black, fome auburn, fome bald; but that our wits are fo diverfly colour'd; and truly, I think, if all our wits were to iffue out of one fcull, they would fly eaft, weft, north, fouth; and their confent of one direct way would be at once to all points o'th' compafs. 2 Cit. Think you fo? which way, do you judge, my wit would fly? 3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not fo foon out as another man's will, 'tis ftrongly wedg'd up in a blockhead: but if it were at liberty, 'twould, fure, fouthward. 2 Cit. Why that way? 3 Cit. To lofe itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for confcience fake, to help to get thee a wife. 2 Cit. You are never without your tricks may, you may you 3 Cit. Are you all refolv'd to give your voices? but that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I say, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man. Enter Coriolanus in a gown, with Menenius. Here he comes, and in the gown of humility, mark his behaviour: we are not to stay all together, but to come by him where he ftands, by one's, by two's, and by three's. He's to make his requefts by particulars, wherein every one of us has a fingle honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues: therefore follow me, and I'll dire&t you how you fhall go by him. All. Content, content. Men. Oh, Sir, you are not right; have you not known, The worthieft men have done't? Cor. What must I say? I pray, Sir,-plague upon't, I cannot bring Some certain of our brethren roar'd, and ran Men. Oh me, the gods! You must not speak of that; you must defire them Cor. Think upon me? hang 'em. (21) I would they would forget me, like the virtues Which our divines lofe by 'em. Men. You'll mar all. I'll leave you: pray you, speak to 'em, I pray you, In wholesome manner. Citizens approach. Cor. Bid them wash their faces, [Exit. And keep their teeth clean.-So, here comes a brace : You know the caufe, Sirs, of my ftanding here. 1 Cit. We do, Sir; tell us what hath brought you to't. Cor. Mine own defert. 2 Cit. Your own defert? Cor. Ay, not mine own defire. 1 Cit. How! not your own defire? Cor. No, Sir, 'twas never my defire yet to trouble the poor with begging. 1 Cit. You must think, if we give you any thing, we hope to gain by you. Cor. Well then, I pray, your price o'th' confulfhip? 1 Cit. The price is, to ask it kindly. Cor. Kindly, Sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to fhew you, which fhall be yours in private; your good voice, Sir; what fay you? (21) I would they would forget me, like the virtues Which our Divines loje by them.] i e. I with they would forg t me, as they do thofe virtuous precepts, which the divines preach up to them, and lose by them, as it were, by their neglecting the pra Vice. 2 Cit. You shall ha't, worthy Sir. Cor. A match, Sir; there's in all two worthy voices begg'd: I have your alms, ad eu. 1 Cit. But this is fomething odd. 2 Cit. An 'twere to give again:-but 'tis no matter. Two other Citizens. [Exeunt. Cor. Pray you now, if it may ftand with the tune. of your voices, that I may be conful, I have here the caftomary gown. 1 Cit. You have deferved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly. Cor. Your ænigma. 1 Cit. You have been a fcourge to her enemies ; you have been a rod to her friends; you have not, indeed, loved the common people. Cor. You should account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love; I will, Sir, flatter my fworn brother, the people, to earn a dearer eftimation of them; 'tis a condition they account gentle; and fince the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my cap than my heart, I will practise the infinuating nod, and be off to them moft counterfeitly: that is, Sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of fome popular man, and give it bountifully to the defirers: therefore, befeech you, I may be conful. 2 Cit. We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily. 1 Cit. You have received many wounds for your country. Cor. I will not feal your knowledge with fhewing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no further. Both. The go's give you joy, Sir, heartily! [Exe. Cor. Moft fweet voices. Better it is to die, better to ftarve,. Than crave the hire, which first we do deserve. Their needlefs voucher ? cuftom calls me to't→→→ What |