To say, extremity was the trier of spirits; Vir. O heavens! O heavens ! Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome, And occupations perish! Cor. What, what, what! I shall be lov'd, when I am lack'd. Nay, mother, Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say, had been the wife of Hercules, If you Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd Droop not; adieu :-Farewell, my wife! my mother! And venomous to thine eyes.-My sometime general, As 'tis to laugh at them.-My mother, you wot well, Believe't not lightly, (though I go alone, Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen and Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen,) your son Will, or exceed the common, or be caught With cautelous baits and practice." Vol. My first son, 6 Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius With thee a while: Determine on some course, More than a wild exposure to each chance That starts i'the way before thee. Cor. O the gods! [3] The sense is, When Fortune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded, and yet continue calm, requires a generous policy. He calls this calmness cunning, because it is the effect of reflection and philosophy. Perhaps the first emotions of nature are nearly uniform, and one man differs from another in the powers of in. durance, as he is better regulated by precept and instruction.-----" They bore as heroes, but they felt as men." JOHNSON. [4] i. e. 'tis foolish. [5] By artful and false tricks, and treason. First noblest, most eminent of men. WARBURTON. JOHNSON Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee Cor. Fare ye well :— Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full That's yet unbruis'd: bring me but out at gate.- Men. That's worthily As any ear can hear.-Come, let's not weep.- From these old arms and legs, by the good gods, I'd with thee every foot. Cor. Give me thy hand :-Come. SCENE II. [Exeunt. The same. A street near the Gate. Enter SICINIUS, Brutus, and an Edile. Sic. Bid them all home; He's gone, and we'll no further. -The nobility are vex'd, who, we see, have sided In his behalf. Bru. Now we have shown our power, Let us seem humbler after it is done, Than when it was a-doing.. Sic. Bid them home: Say, their great enemy is gone, and they Stand in their ancient strength. Bru. Dismiss them home. [Exit Edile. Enter VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, and MENENIUS. Here comes his mother. Sic. Let's not meet her. Bru. Why? [7] i. e. Of true metal unallay'd. Metaphor taken from the trying gold on the touchstone. WARBURTON. Sic. They say, she's mad. Bru. They have ta'en note of us : Keep on your way. Vol. O, you're well met. The hoarded plague o'the gods requite your love! Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear,— Nay, and you shall hear some.— -Will you be gone ? [TO BRUTUS. Vir. You shall stay too: [To SICIN.] I would, I had the power To say so to my husband. Sic. Are you mankind ? Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame ?-Note but this fool. -Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship9 To banish him that struck more blows for Rome, Than thou hast spoken words? Sic. O blessed heavens ! Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise words; And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what ;-Yet go :Nay, but thou shalt stay too. I would my son Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him, His good sword in his hand. Sic What then? Vir. What then? He'd make an end of thy posterity. Vol. Bastards, and all. - Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome! Men. Come, come, peace. Sic. I would he had continu'd to his country, As he began; and not unknit himself The noble knot he made. Bru. I would he had. Vol. I would he had ? 'Twas you incens'd the rabble : Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth, As I can of those mysteries which heaven Bru. Pray, let us go. Vol Now, pray, sir, get you gone : [8] The word mankind is used maliciously by the first speaker, and taken per. versely by the second. A mankind woman is a woman with the roughness of a man, and, in an aggravated sense, a woman ferocious, violent, and eager to shed blood. In this sense Sicinius asks Volumnia, if she be mankind. She takes mankind for a human creature, and accordingly cries out, Note but this fool. Was not a man my father? JOHNSON. [9] Hadst thou, fool as thou art, mean cunning enough to banish Coriolanus? JOHNSON. You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this The meanest house in Rome; so far my son, Vol. Take my prayers with you.— I would the gods had nothing else to do, [Ex. Tribunes. But to confirm my curses! Could I meet them But once a day, it would unclog my heart Of what lies heavy to't. Men. You have told them home, And, by my troth, you have cause. You'll sup with me? And so shall starve with feeding.-Come, let's go : In anger, Juno-like.) Come, comé, come. SCENE III. A Highway between Rome and Antium. and a Volce, meeting. [Exeunt. Enter a Roman Rom. I know you well, sir, and you know me: your name, I think, is Adrian. Vol. It is so, sir: truly, I have forgot you. Rom. I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are, against them: Know you me yet? Vol. Nicanor? No. Rom. The same, sir. Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you; but your favour is well appeared by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volcian state, to find you out there: You have well saved me a day's journey. Rom. There hath been in Rome strange insurrections: the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles. Vol. Hath been! Is it ended then? Our state thinks not so they are in a most warlike preparation, and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division. Rom. The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again. For the nobles receive so [1] I would read,----Your favour is well approved by your tongue. That is, your tongue strengthens the evidence of your face. STEEVENS. to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus, that they are in a ripe aptness, to take all power from the people, and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking out. Vol. Coriolanus banished? Rom. Banished, sir. Vol. You will be welcome with this intelligence, Ni canor. Rom. The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said, The fittest time to corrupt a man's wife, is when she's fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer, Coriolanus, being now in no request of his country. Vol. He cannot choose. I am most fortunate, thus accidentally to encounter you: You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home. Rom. I shall, between this and supper, tell you most strange things from Rome; all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you? Vol. A most royal one: The centurions, and their charges, distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour's warning. Rom. I am joyful to hear of their readiness, and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company. Vol. You take my part from me, sir; I have the most cause to be glad of your's. Rom. Well, let us go together. SCENE IV. [Exeunt. Antium. Before AUFIDIUS's House. Enter CORIOlanus, in mean apparel, disguised and muffled. Cor. A goodly city is this Antium :-City, 'Tis I that made thy widows; many an heir Of these fair edifices 'fore my wars Have I heard groan, and drop then know me not; In Enter a Citizen. puny battle slay me.-Save you, sir. Cit. And you. [2] That is, though not actually encamped, yet already in pay. To entertain an army is to take them into pay. JOHNSON. |