P'^:^i-^>'v^^/ '
(,!,
*. 'X>
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2008 with funding from
IVIicrosoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/coriolanuskerchOOshakuoft
THE ARDEN SHAKESPEARE GENERAL EDITOR: W. J. CRAIG 1899-1906: R. H. CASE, 1909 q
THE TRAGEDY
OF
CORIOLANUS
THE WORKS
OF
SHAKESPEARE
THE TRAGEDY OF CORIOLANUS
EDITED BY W. J. CRAIG AND R. H. CASE
I
1
METHUEN AND CO. LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET: STRAND LONDON
.•''.^•-
Firsf Published in ig22
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface .......... vii
Introduction ix
The Like of Caius Martius Coriolanus .... xxvii
CORIOLANUS 1
PREFACE
I REGRET that the completion of this edition of Coriolanus^ which came into my hands in 1909, has been perforce so long deferred, and that before Mr. Craig's death deprived the Arden Shakespeare of his devotion and scholarship, he had not brought his work on the play to a stage at which I might have confined myself to little more than seeing it through the press. Unfortunately I have been obliged by the rough state in which it was left, to add, subtract, and alter on a large scale.
Mr. Craig had typed all headings of passages which he thought of annotating, leaving many blank, roughly explain- ing others, and illustrating these from his unrivalled stores with a generosity much beyond the scale of the edition. He would later have supplied omissions, cancelled superfluities, rewritten or replaced explanations, and selected and corrected examples ; and all this 1 have done freely, sometimes also substituting examples where verification was both necessary and impossible. As he had, for the most part, reserved difficulties requiring thought, I am almost wholly responsible for the reasoned notes.
Mr. Craig had roughly fixed his text and prepared the Life of Coriolanus from North's Plutarch for the press ; but for his Introduction he had only made jottings, and I have been obliged to write what follows quite independently.
This edition keeps as close to the folio text as the plan of the series admits, generally retaining obsolete forms of words and obsolete grammatical forms. The old stage directions, if sufficient, and if clearly expressed, though less gracefully than by modern editors, are also reproduced. Debts to old and
viii PREFACE
modern editors are of course many, and have been recorded in the notes, in which are also specified constant obligations to the new Oxford English Dictionary. I have, however, ventured to dispute the application of two or three of its citations, e.g. in notes on IV. v. 230 and V. i. 16. The Cambridge Shakespeare has been used for variant readings subsequent to the first folio (K).
New matter, or supposed new interpretation, in the notes, includes a suggested explanation of the crux in I. ix. 46 : " Let him be made an overture for the wars ! "
References to other plays of Shakespeare apply to the Globe edition, and those to Qii^ox^^ Jonson, ed. Cunningham, to the edition in three volumes.
R. H. CASE
INTRODUCTION
Among the twenty plays which are first found in the folio of 1623, Coriolanus is one of sixteen for which licence to publish was obtained by Master Blounte and Izaak Jaggard on November 8th of that year, as " Master William Shakspeers Comedyes, Histories, and Tragedyes soe manie of the said Copies as are not formerly entred to other men." In the list of sixteen plays that follows, Coriolanus heads the section of tragedies, as it also does in the " Catalogue " of contents in the folio itself. But in the folio text it is preceded by Troilus and Cressida, which, though omitted in the catalogue, seems to have been meant to come fourth in the section, and was afterwards put first, in the course of printing.
Similarities of source, language, and metre, have suggested a date of composition for Coriolanus following closely on that of Antony and Cleopatra. Both plays exemplify the close- packed elliptical style of Shakespeare's late work, and also its metrical characteristics ; of which those that can be numbered for comparison, and can be shown to have been used increas- ingly by Shakespeare, especially the overflow, the speech - ending within the line, the aggregate of light and weak end- ings, would bring the plays immediately together in the order assumed. The most favoured date is therefore the latter part of 1608, or early in 1609, because Antony and Cleopatra is usually assigned to 1608 ; but as, in the edition of that play in this series, reasons were given for considering 1607, or even 1606, as possible dates for its production, and for excluding 1608, the year 1607 becomes a possibility for Coriolanus as well as 1608 or later, in proportion as these reasons are valid. They are based upon the re-fashioning by Daniel of his Cleopatra, in 1 607 (or between 1605 and 1607), in more dramatic form, and with new detail, suggesting Antony and Cleopatra as the model which converted him from dull recitation to representation.
External evidence of a reliable kind for the date of Corio- lanus is not forthcoming, except that, as Malone was the first to perceive, the language of Menenius in relating the fable of
X INTRODUCTION
the belly appears to be indebted to the version given by Camden in his Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine, etc., 1605, as well as to that of North's Plutarch.^ Other circumstances that have been put forward as evidence of date are : (i) that there was a great frost in the winter of 1 607- 1 608, when the Thames was frozen over and fires actually lit upon it, which, being present or fresh in remembrance, might suggest more readily sooner than later ''the coal of fire upon the ice," in I. i. 172 (Hales) ; (2) that there was a dearth in England in 1608 and 1609, as in the play (Chalmers) ; (3) that James I. encouraged the planting of mulberry trees in order to raise silk- worms in 1609, whence perhaps the simile, ** Now humble as the ripest mulberry That will not hold the handling," in III. ii. 79 (Malone). The two last, which would indicate 1609 or 1610 as earliest date for the play, are especi- ally weak, for mulberrys were not (as Malone himself points out) an absolute novelty either in England or in Shakespeare's work, and the dearth in Coriolanus is part of the original story. Malone's comparison of II. ii. loi : " He lurch'd all swords o' th' garland " with Jonson's Epicene^ V. ad fin., " Well, Dauphine, you have lurch'd your friends of the better halfe of the garland," has more point. Unless the combination of lurch and garland was a commonplace, in which case the saying would surely have turned up elsewhere, it creates a strong probability of reminiscence on one side or the other ; and this would be most likely in the character of a comedy, who playfully accuses his friend, and finds a striking phrase from a serious play very pat to his purpose. Epicene was acted towards the end of 1609, old style, that is, between January 4th (when a patent was granted for the Children of Her Majesty's Revels, who played it) and March 25th, 1610, which would point to 1609 for Coriolanus at latest.
Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps and Mr. A. B. Paton thought they had proved Coriolanus to be later than the edition of North's Plutarch published in 161 2, because the word " unfortunate " is used by Shakespeare in v. iii. 97, and in the corresponding passage in North in that edition, whereas in the earlier editions of North it is " unfortunately." The obvious answer has been made that Shakespeare — who had already used North long be- fore 161 2, according to dates generally accepted — had metrical inducements to shorten the word here, and was probably tht first to substitute adjective for adverb in this passage. More-
^ See Extract on pp. Ixiii, Ixiv post.
INTRODUCTION xi
over, Mr. M. W. MacCallum {Shakespeare's Roman Plays and their Background, 1910) points out his use oi spite in IV. v. 84, which is North's word in the editions before 1603 only. Arguments for the late date (and also for earlier ones) have been sought by attempting to show that Shakespeare had an eye to the political situation in England and the disputes be- tween James and his parliaments, which one is tempted to call " foul wresting and impossible construction."
Dr. Brandes ^ sees a help to the date in the death of Shakespeare's mother in 1608, regarding the event as an in- ducement to the subject of the play. Assuming the possible and desirable as fact, he says of Shakespeare : " He remem- bered all she had been to him for forty-four years, and the thoughts of the man and the dreams of the poet were thus led to dwell upon the significance in a man's life of this unique form, comparable to no other — his mother." According to his view, Shakespeare, hating the mob because he despised their discrimination, and above all because of the " purely physical repugnance of his artist nerves to their plebeian at- mosphere . . . now, for the third time, finds in his Plutarch a subject which not only responds to the mood of the moment, but also gives him an opportunity for portraying a notable mother; and he is irresistibly drawn to give his material dramatic style."
Leaving this view for later reference, there is no necessity, but a strong probability, that, having come back to North for the subject of Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare would turn over the pages of the same book for his next plot, and some think that having shown Antony as the infatuated victim of the charms and wiles of a mistress, he continued to illustrate "^ the effects of woman's influence by selecting the story of Coriolanus, whose character for good or evil was of his mother's making, and who could no more resist her power over him than Antony could evade the " full supremacy " of Cleopatra. ""
This is plausible, and if the poet required great difference of theme for his new work, it was by no means wanting. The story contracts time, scene of action and scale of events in the new play, giving it, notwithstanding some difficulties in adapt- ing historical material, a beauty of proportioned construction in which it is as superior to its predecessor as that exceeds it in variety of scene and character and in grandeur of scope.
^ William Shakespeare, a critical study, ed. 1902 (Translation), pp. 532, 533.
xii INTRODUCTION
The world for theatre of action, with its empire for the prize at stake, is contracted to a petty commonwealth, Rome though it be, and a neighbouring rival state. The dominion of queen- mistress and that of mother are as different in essence as is the omnipresence of the one and the unobtrusiveness of the other save at decisive moments. The genial Antony, a reveller and a brawler " with knaves that smells of sweat " finds a sharp contrast in the haughty and temperate Coriolanus, whose first words in even an amiable interview with a plebeian would probably be, " Breathe further off! " His situation is simpler than Antony's, and his character less complex and less in the magical light of poetry. He has no genius " that's the spirit that keeps " him, and no god whom he loves to befriend him, and to forsake him at the crisis of his fate with " music i' the air." He is eloquent in the emphasis of strong views before the senate, in profuse language of scorn or anger to the tri- bunes and people, and his too few and brief words to his mother, wife, and Valeria, owe a debt to imagination as well as to grace and gentleness ; but it is in his pride that he en- dures torture, and racked pride can never speak with the spell of doubting or repentant love, or " greatness going off." The heroes meet in their valour and invincibleness in fight. Both come always from " the world's great snare uncaught," and in battle, when seconded, Coriolanus can even become the inspir- ing comrade-leader like Antony and Henry V. Both are great in adversity, but in different ways, and there is a mag- nanimity in Antony and a generous understanding of others, that lifts him higher above fate. When Coriolanus bids fare- well to his mother and friends he speaks something Hke Antony, " 'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes," but uncon- vincingly, as in forced consolation, and never with the pathetic greatness of soul in : —
The miserable change now at my end
Lament nor sorrow at ; but please your thoughts
In feedmg them with those my former fortunes,
Wherein I lived the greatest prince o' the world,
The noblest, . . . (Antony and Cleopatra, iv. xv. 51 ^/ seq.)
Coriolanus, as drawn by Plutarch, is deprived by the loss of his father, of education and its civilising influence, so that he is unfit for society, choleric, impatient, uncivil, and unyielding. By nature he has an excellent under- standing, a great heart, and temperance in everything but pride and choler. He is subject neither to love of pleasure
INTRODUCTION xiii
nor love of money, and seeks only honour, cheerfully en- during all pains by which his natural valiantness — the virtue honoured in Rome above all others — may be equipped to take the lead. Even his unsociableness seems qualified in some degree as we proceed, for his valour drew the young men about him, and we are told that he praised them when they did well,^ without envy. He seeks honour because of *' the joy he saw X his mother did take in him," and thought all due to her " that had been also due to his father if he had lived." j
This better side of Marcius Shakespeare has developed,^ so that in the play he is not only all that he should be to his wife, his mother, and Valeria, but as courteous and genial with his equals, as capable of winning and returning their love, as he is incomparably brave and disinterested. He has also given him an unwillingness to hear his own praise, which is pleasing, though perhaps too much a part of his pride ; and, besides the freedom from flattering the people for which the young men praise him in Plutarch, he has a love of truth and hatred of promise-breaking and dis- simulation, which is his noblest trait.
On the other hand, his honest but narrow political views lose nothing of their hardness ; his indifference to the people's sufferings becomes inhuman, and for their behoof, his incivility, impartially bestowed in Plutarch, is improved to contemptu- ous abuse and gratuitous insult, very liberally inferred from the original character. When he is forced to become a suitor to the people, his ill-concealed mockery is repulsive in face of their good will. The Marcius of Plutarch, who showed his wounds freely and apparently unoffendingly, might con- ceivably have been softened, for the moment at least, by the frank appraisal of the consulship : " The price is to ask it kindly ; " or by the appeal in : " We hope to find you our friend ; and therefore give you our voices heartily." Plutarch makes him choleric, but he does not mark this defect as the deciding factor in his fate. In Plutarch, on his first appearance to answer the articles charged against him, he does, indeed, as the tribunes hoped, use his wonted rough and unpleasant boldness of speech, and even begins to thunder and look grimly, which brings on the death sentence ; but when he is finally called to answer, so far from breaking out into abuse upon an unexpected charge, "that he had not made the common distribution of the spoil he had gotten in the invading the territories of the Antiates," he
xiv INTRODUCTION
is praising the soldiers who served with him in that journey when he is shouted down and condemned to banishment. At Antium he has not even the chance of speaking.
Shakespeare, who often shows how critically the commoner or lesser imperfections of humanity may intervene, makes the catastrophes both at Rome and Antium depend upon his ungovernable tongue, which cannot be stilled. All those who have encouraged his pride endeavour to control its dangerous outbursts Accident does not intervene against him, as in other tragedies of Shakespeare. His own faults and his enemies' knowledge of them are his bane. To the Volscian lords, he declares mistakenly, '"Tis the first time that ever I was forced to scold," though no woman was ever louder or more voluble than he on two previous occasions. " Put not your worthy rage into your tongue," says Menenius in Act III. sc. i. His want of self-knowledge is extreme. He is a man of action and no Hamlet to look inward, and his only soliloquy evades the question that must have agitated his mind. His pride, in Shakespeare, has become monstrous, though to some extent disguised by an outward modesty, " which doth protest too much," and is apt to fail in moments of excitement, even ludicrously, as in " On fair ground I could beat forty of them " (ill. i. 240).
If, then, Shakespeare has given much to Coriolanus, he has also emphasised his faults, greatly imperilled our sympathy, and added excuse to the people's action ; and in another place, intentionally or not, he has left his conduct open to suspicion. Without adopting the charge inferred, I will put the case for it as strongly as I can. In Plutarch, when Coriolanus is banished, he alone is unabashed and not cast down, and " only of all other gentlemen that were angry at his fortunes did outwardly show no manner of passion nor care at all for himself" ; but it is carefully explained that this is not due to any effort of reason or moderation of temper, but because he was so wholly pos- sessed with wrath and desire of revenge " that he had no sense nor feeling of the hard state he was in." He comforts his wife and mother, and persuades them to be content with his chance, leaves the city with three or four friends only, spends a few days in the country at his houses, " turmoiled with sundry sorts and kinds of thoughts," and, in the end, " seeing he could resolve no way to take a profitable or honourable course," resolves to seek the Volsces.
INTRODUCTION xv
As this appears in Shakespeare, it is possible to suspect a dreadful instance of irony, and that the lesson of dis- simulation which he, and not Plutarch, has made Volumnia teach Coriolanus, has first reacted upon herself. In the scene which begins Act IV., without Plutarch's explanations, his statement is expanded. Coriolanus is made to appeal to reason, to preach fortitude, and to allude to precepts "that would make invincible The heart that conn'd them." Nay, he is hopeful ; he will be loved when he is lacked ; he will do well yet ; and he promises that his friends shall hear from him still, and never of him aught but what is like him formerly. Yet he, who, saving only Aufidius, hated most a promise-breaker (l. viii. i, 2), was silent henceforward to mother, wife, and friend, and after the presentation — intro- duced into the narrative by Shakespeare as if to show the species traitor in its most infamous degree — of a Roman traitor upon a lower plane, we meet him next far on his ignoble course and apparently, without hesitation, determined to forget both friends and promises. He soliloquises upon friendship turned to enmity by trifling causes, and foes
Indeared by the like, but has not a word of friends who »el his misfortunes as their own and watch for news of jm. Had he then, already, when he bade farewell, to dopt his own words, surceased his truth, and taught his aind a most inherent baseness? If his pride and conscious- ess of injury, unqualified by any perception of fault in him- elf, could make him a traitor, the very thing that he had been charged with and resented most, could it also first deprive him of his vaunted truth? Mr. E. K. Chambers, annotating Coriolanus' s exclamation " O the gods " in IV. i. 37, when his mother has urged him to " determine on some course," writes, " Coriolanus suddenly realises how the revenge, which is already beginning to shape itself in his mind, must inevitably bring him into conflict with all that he holds most dear" ; and it is possible to read some hint of a change in his character into what we have later from Aufidius in V. vi. 21 et seq.
But even if a reader were confident of his dissimulation on such grounds, that confidence would be severely shaken on reading Mr. A. C. Bradley's view of the probable de- velopment of Coriolanus's purpose.^ Mr. Bradley says : " As I have remarked, Shakespeare does not exhibit to us
^ The British Academy. Second Annual Shakespeare Lecture, July i, 1912. Coriolanus. Oxford University Press.
xvi INTRODUCTION
thj change of mind which issues in this frightful purpose ; jut from what we hear and see later we can tell how he imagined it ; and the key lies in that idea of burning Rome. As time passes, and no suggestion of recall reaches Corio- lanus, and he learns what it is to be a solitary homeless exile, his heart hardens, his pride swells to a mountainous bulk, and the wound in it becomes a fire. The fellow- patricians from whom he parted lovingly now appear to him ingrates and dastards, scarcely better than the loathsome mob. Somehow, he knows not how, even his mother and wife have deserted him. He has become nothing to Rome, and Rome shall hear nothing from him. Here in solitude he can find no relief in a storm of words ; but gradually the blind intolerable chaos of resentment conceives and gives birth to a vision, not merely of battle and indiscriminate slaughter, but of the whole city one tower of flame. To see that with his bodily eye would satisfy his soul ; and the way to the sight is through the Volscians. . . . This is Shakespeare's idea, not Plutarch's. In Plutarch there is not a syllable about the burning of Rome."
In this masterly and convincing analysis there is but one point that seems questionable, and it does not radically affect the main conclusions although it is described as the key to Coriolanus's purpose. The idea that Rome will be burnt appears to me to arise as the probable result of a sack and not as an obsession of Coriolanus himself. If it is not directly mentioned in Plutarch, at any rate we are told of burning as a usual occurrence : " he [Coriolanus] was very careful to keep the noblemen's lands and goods safe from harm and burn- ing, but spoiled all the whole country besides"; and it is probable that the cities which made resistance and were sacked were also burnt. Again: "The people. . . accused the nobility, how they had procured Martius to make these wars to be revenged of them : because it pleased them to see their goods burnt and spoiled before their eyes," etc. In the play the first messenger says only that Marcius " vows revenge as spacious as between The young'st and oldest thing." The second reports what we have already seen in Plutarch, de- struction by fire, and then Cominius enters and predicts the events of a sack, in which burning has its place. Later references, such as that of Menenius, " If he were putting to my house the brand That should consume it," assume it as what is naturally to be expected. On the other hand,
INTRODUCTION xvii
Aufidius (Act IV. sc. vii.) appears to expect the submission of Rome to Coriolanus and says nothing about burning. Coriolanus, indeed, threatens it, but as no one expects less it is difficult to stress the point as remarkable. Indeed it is perhaps rash to stress anything incidental in a story where so much is unaccounted for. Why, in Plutarch, do the Romans breathe fire and sword and then make no defence but humble entreaty ? In Shakespeare they are taken unawares and thus rather more excusable as to defence, but we are left to wonder why offered terms are not better than destruction ? Aufidius (IV, vii.) expects their submission, and the opinion of Coriolanus that they could not now accept the conditions re-offered with slight modification to Menenius, because they refused them at first, has no force. The first Volscian lord, in Act V. sc. v. , says : " making a treaty where There was a yielding." There is nothing, at any rate, to show that Coriolanus would not have been satisfied with humiliation to the extent of accepting his dictated terms, which is the point at issue.
Mr. MacCallum ^ argues against the charge of dissimulation in Coriolanus in well-weighed words, and lays great stress on the genuine sound of what he says at the parting. This, at first sight, is conclusive ; but are the words of Coriolanus quite like him ? Do we not first read them with something of a pleased surprise? To all appearance hot resentment is gone and nobility of nature has triumphed. Shakespeare invents a conversation between a Volscian and a Roman traitor, but ^^dves us no help to reconcile the Coriolanus of parting with the Coriolanus who seeks Aufidius at Antium. It is usual with him to leave something uncertain in the interpretation of his great characters, just as there are always unknown elements of character in real life, and nothing, perhaps, except his genius, more distinguishes him from other writers than this ; but in the present case, the difficulty is more obvious than usual. He was content, perhaps, to let us bridge the gap in purpose for ourselves, as Mr. Bradley has done to admiration. It makes something, however, for the idea of dissimulation that the play is full of irony. Coriolanus wishes for reason to seek Aufidius at Antium, and a monstrous cause begins immediately to take birth. He flames with anger at being called a traitor, and becomes one. He abhorred
^ Shakespeare's Roman Plays and their Background, M. W. MacCallum, igio, p. 6ii et seq. b
xviii INTRODUCTION
dissimulation and perhaps stooped to it. His mother preached it and he perhaps practised it first successfully on her.
The secret of Coriolanus's change Mr. MacCallum finds in the fact that the people, meanly egged on by the tribunes, followed him with insult as he went to banishment, believing that he refers to this in his words to Aufidius in IV. v., and that the nobles were involved in his hatred by their failure to save him from this insult. But the words to Aufidius : —
only that name [Coriolanus] remains ; The cruelty and envy of the people, Permitted by our dastard nobles, who Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest ; And suffer'd me by the voice of slaves to be Hoop'd out of Rome.
could refer as well to the cries for his banishment, and at any rate those nobles who were with him when he left Rome would resent the outcry and try to protect him. Moreover, if one passage is cited, other like passages must not be left out. In the scene of farewell Coriolanus says, "the beast With many heads butts me away." If the people, as Mr. MacCallum supposes, have not yet appeared to carry out the tribunes' orders, then this must refer to the banishment generally ; and so it is with, " We . . . cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters. Who did hoot him out o' the city " (IV. vi. 122-124). They correspond with, " Unshout the noise that banished Marcius," or would do if Shakespeare really took such precise trouble to be consistent.
Again, Mr. MacCallum appeals to the scene which follows the farewell, i.e. Scene ii. of Act IV., for proof that the people have really driven Coriolanus out with insult. It might as well be taken to mean the contrary. Sicinius says, " Bid them all home : he 's gone, and we '11 no further ; " and again : ** Bid them home : say their great enemy is gone," etc. They would know that as well as the tribunes if present, and the tribunes would hardly lead the insulting crowd.
If more is needed than the main process of thought in- dicated by Mr. Bradley, it may perhaps be found in the burning desire of Coriolanus to be quit of his banishers, to satisfy his wounded pride and make good his threat " I banish you." This alone could give him back his lost sense of supremacy. He must be utterly severed from them, of another country, so that he may take vengeance upon them and win a name on them as on Corioles.
INTRODUCTION xix
Pride, the first of the seven deadly sins, is the more over- mastering in Coriolanus from his freedom from the rest, unless wrath be excepted. He is without envy, perhaps because he has no rivals, for, fair opposite as he is, he hardly endures the quality of Aufidius ; but his pride in his valiant manhood, though its praises grieve him, will brook no question, and becomes pitiful when he allows the taunt of " boy," not traitor this time, to make him insult his hosts and brag of his exploits in Antium. To be called traitor he could bear ; he knew his actions might be called in question ; but Aufidius burlesqued his emotion and its effect on others, and called him a "boy of tears." It was too much. He forgets the traitor, even the tears, but " boy ! " The word might almost echo him: "Alone I did it."
In framing the plot from the story in Plutarch, Shakespeare reduced three rebellious commotions to two. The first, which led to the appointment of the tribunes, was apparently pacified by Menenius, who only addresses the least important of two bodies of citizens in Shakespeare. The second, omitted by Shakespeare, was brought about principally by the tribunes by means of false tales, and was augmented by the attempt of the nobility to thin the ranks of the discontented by sending a colony to the plague-stricken town Velitrae, and to levy troops to proceed against the Volscians. The tribunes in- sinuated that the patricians had procured a voluntary war, and the people refused to serve. Marcius compelled them to colonise Velitrae, but proceeded to the wars with volunteers only, and as the result of his foray brought back plenty of corn and booty, which was distributed to the volunteers alone. At this stage, the proposal to confer the consulship was made, and at first favourably received by the people because of Marcius's services; but on second thoughts they refused it. It was after this that by purchase and gift Rome was well provided with corn, and Marcius, embittered by his rejection, and indignant at the people's refusal to serve, and more than ever convinced of the folly of dividing authority, not only declaimed against easy sale or gift of corn but urged the abolition of the tribuneship and carried the majority of the senators with him. Upon this the tribunes flew to the people, "crying out for help," and raised a tumult. They attempted to arrest Coriolanus and proceeded as in Shakespeare. This was the third sedition or tumult.
In altering the facts, Shakespeare does more than improve
I
XX INTRODUCTION
the story from the dramatic point of view. He suppresses some of the machinations of the tribunes, but makes them responsible for the refusal of the consulship, and in creating live characters out of Plutarch's authors of sedition, makes them base, self-seeking and unscrupulous. Yet he sees to it that they put the people's just case forcibly, and makes them utter home-truths to the proud patrician : —
you speak to the people As it yon were a god to punish, not A man of their infirmity.
He gives the people more excuse for their fickleness, by making Marcius refuse to show his wounds and meet their good-will with ungenerous sneers. Their natural kindliness and pathetic readiness to forgive is not forgotten, but, on the other hand, their sufferings and forbearance are less advanced, and justice is hardly done to their provocations, methods and moderation. Their ignorance and self-contradiction, as Shakespeare paints it, help to intensify their fickleness, and their enthusiasm for the victor Coriolanus shows up their ingratitude in the sequel.
Yet it is not strictly true to say, with Dr. Brandes,^ that Shakespeare ignores "every incident which sheds a favourable light upon the Plebeians," and had his sympathy been wholly with Coriolanus he would have stopped short of making any part of his conduct odious. Advocacy of his point of view is not implied in making the people fickle and fusty, nor yet morbid hyper-sensitiveness on the latter score. Shakespeare was far too sensible of the humourous possibilities of the out- raged sense to be turned into a misanthrope, or of being made " incapable of seeing them [the people] as an aggregation of separate individualities," as Dr. Brandes will have it,- by even "the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril." No doubt he preferred a strong, unhampered govern- ment ; no doubt he disliked the mob on its bad, fickle, and dangerous side, and made the most of what was objectionable in it to nice senses, which is no more than what any student of his period ought to expect ; but that he could not or would not see the people's rights, their good side, and even their individual good sense, can only be denied by ignoring probability and reading the evidence of his work, including Coriolanus, all wrong. It would be better to take the opposite
' BraiidcB, op. c'U., p. 534. -Ibid., p. 545.
INTRODUCTION xxi
view with Mr. Stopford Brooke, who says: "We are made to feel, moving like a spirit through the play, the sympathy of Shakespeare with the struggle of the people," and again : "Then, too, the drawing of Coriolanus suggests his sympathy with the popular movement. No one can help seeing that Shakespeare did not love Coriolanus, nor approve his conduct." The mob does not devour aristocracy, the rule of those who are best, or vileness triumph over nobility, as Mr. Barrett Wendell ^ puts it. The people expels by fair and foul means, a declared enemy whom sane aristocracy cannot control, and even Menenius admits that in the event all is well (IV. vi. 1 6). That Coriolanus subverts this condition by resorting to foul means himself does not change the fact.
Cominius and Titus Lartius are scarcely more than brave soldiers, generous comrades, and men of sense and prudence in the State, but Shakespeare has created in Menenius one of the happy old men of Elizabethan or Jacobean drama out of a mere name in Plutarch. Menenius would have been a witty compotator with Justice Clement, or old Merrythought, or Sebastian in Mojisieur Thovias, but has his serious sides in his devotion to Coriolanus and the shrewdness, and — at the lowest estimate — the bonhomie, which creates an impression of good- will and makes the people hear him and endure his plainest ^ speech. He and his fellow patricians share the aristocratic f prejudices of Coriolanus, but not in the exaggerated degree \ which destroys all human feeling ; and as the people credited him with love for them and honesty, it is a fair inference that they remembered instances either of particular kindness or of I political impartiality. Mr. E. K. Chambers denies him dip- \ lomacy save in his own conceit, and will have him foolish md ineffective, but it is he who does all that can be done from the patrician side to control events in the hour of danger, who calls for force against force when nothing else will serve, and who afterwards succeeds in restoring the situation to a pos- sibility of compromise.
He is an altogether happy creation ; and it is only when we come to Aufidius that disappointment in the characterisa- tion is really felt. In Plutarch, Aufidius is not introduced until Coriolanus seeks him at Antium, when he is described as rich, noble, and valiant, honoured among the Volsces as a king, and as hating and envying Marcius because of their many encounters. Yet it is as " a man of great mind " that
' William Shakespeare : A Study in Elizabethan Literature, 1894.
xxii INTRODUCTION
Coriolanus seeks him out, and as one most desirous of the Volscians to have revenge upon the Romans, and Aufidius is *'a marvellous glad man" to hear him, and taking him by the hand, says : '' Stand up, O Marcius, and be of good cheer, for in proffering thyself unto us thou dost us great honour ; and by this means thou mayest hope of greater things at all the Volsces' hands." In Shakespeare, Aufidius appears early in the play, and the two men admire the qualities in one another which they value in themselves, but reciprocally hate and envy because each is too proud to brook a rival. Of the two, only Marcius speaks generously of his competitor, and Shakespeare makes Aufidius, when again defeated, disclaim honour henceforward and vow revenge by base means. Yet when Coriolanus seeks him, a rapturous speech replaces the few words of welcome in Plutarch, and it is impossible to think it insincere. Aufidius is one of those who can feel and obey a noble and generous impulse, but cannot resist reaction when the impulse fades and its consequences begin to be unaccept- able. " Though he had received no private injury or dis- pleasure of Marcius," says Plutarch, ^' yet the common fault I and imperfection of man's nature wrought in him, and it grieved him to see his own reputation blemished through Marcius' great fame and honour, and so himself to be less esteemed of the Volsces than he was before." This is natural even in a true man, and in Shakespeare, if we may trust Aufidius, and the First Conspirator in V. vi., he experienced something too proud in the bearing of Coriolanus towards him, which added to his resentment. But dishonourably and unlike a true man, with a face of friendship to his colleague, he basely plots against him, and declaring himself moved by the appeal of Volumnia, is quite unmoved by that of Coriolanus : " Stand to me in this cause."
In the early rivalry Shakespeare represented his honour as perishing in the gall of repeated defea. ; so now, as in Plutarch also, the honour of a comrade and host withers in the hot resentment of a displaced leader. When he has destroyed his rival, he cries, " My rage is gone And I am struck with sorrow." It is a revulsion of feeling which cannot conciliate, but I do not think it was intended to be insincere. On the whole, Aufidius can be understood as well as despised ; but the delineation of the character does not satisfy, and leaves the impression of an unpleasing task, accomplished with as little trouble as possible. It is in contrast with the careful presentation of the tribunes.
INTRODUCTION xxiii
Of the three noble ladies, the wife is merely mentioned in Plutarch, without description, and it is Shakespeare who has created Coriolanus's " gracious silence," the tender-hearted Virgilia. She is a companion picture to Antony's Octavia, and small as is her part in the play, is well defined in her love and gentleness, in which injury to those she loves can yet awake fierceness, and in her resolution. Valeria, in Plutarch, makes her only appearance as the instigator of the female appeal to the victor, and the lead in that is soon taken by Volumnia ; so that the lively friend and chronicler of the exploits of little Marcius is again the creation of the poet, who receives only from his source her sisterhood to Publicola and high character for modesty and wisdom. He has again greatly developed the character of Volumnia from what he found in Plutarch, where there is no indication of its harsher side and the only reflection upon it is that implied in the evils arising to Coriolanus from the loss of his father. --^
Plutarch's Volumnia is the cause of her son's love of honour, the mother for whose delight he sought always to win the garland of the war, " that she might still embrace him with tears running down her cheeks for joy." There is no hint of the forcefulness of her character and tinge of ferocity in her exultation that we see in the play, nor any of those traits which, as Mr. MacCallum has well pointed out, are not such as a poet would imagine for an ideal portrait of his own mother. Dr. Brandes's notion of such portraiture has been alluded to in this introduction in connection with the question of date. She is not expressly made responsible for the moulding of her son's character, and does not intervene with superior sagacity and prudence to induce him to soothe the people with humble words on his lips, belying the scorn and hatred in his heart. In his misfortune she is coupled with his wife in abandonment to sorrow, weeping and shrieking with her as he bids goodby^, but in the climax of Rome's and her son's fate, she sinks the mother in the Roman and displays an unselfish devotion to her country far above his once lauded patriotism. Shakespeare has but added touches to her noble pleading, and has not broken her still nobler silence. She saves her son from a great crime, and not solely by her sway over him and the inability to resist her which determined his course on a former occasion. Then his heart and judgment were against her, now only his vow and injured pride. The tender side of his nature is stirred to its depths, and his eyes
xxiv INTRODUCTION
" sweat compassion." But if his countrymen have any share in his pity, he neither forgives them nor forsakes his treason. He returns to Antium to enjoy a brief welcome as their enemy, and to glory in their defeat and shame.
Good critics have found in this play signs that the author's creative power was waning, and point to the comparative cold- ness of its tone, the tendency of the characters to make us think of types almost as much as individuals, the preoccupation with theories of government, the feeling that Shakespeare has not dealt so imaginatively or sympathetically with hero or subject as in other cases. All these things might be admitted without accepting the deduction. Something may be al- lowed for reaction both in choice of subject and in treatment of it after such a theme and such daring in its presentment, such rein given to imagination as in Antony and Cleopatra. Once chosen, the subject imposes limits on the dramatist, and we may ask ourselves how far a character drawn with more palpable sympathy, or given more imagination than Coriolanus, would have accorded with it or with Shakespeare's own read- ing of it. It is curious to find coupled with the accusation of monotony, the charge that the play " lacks the relief of such underplot and comedy as enliven the great English chronicle- histories." ^ The natural comparison is with tragedy rather than history, but the comic vein is by no means unimportant in Coriolanus. The people are both consciously and un- consciously humorous ; so too, the servants of Aufidius. Their wit is not always "strongly wedged up in a blockhead." It will as "soon out as another man's will." Valeria is witty, and humour is second nature to Menenius. Coriolanus himself commands a bitter and sarcastic vein, and for a moment is almost playful in a grim way with the servants at Antium. The sudden, totally unexpected outbreak of little Marcius in the midst of the tension of the renunciation scene, which says so much in so little, is worth a whole comic scene.
Editors complain of the corrupt printing of Coriolanus, but as Mr. G. S. Gordon (Clarendon Press ed.) points out, there are very few certainly corrupt passages. There are a large number in which the lines need readjustment to restore them to blank verse ; but in regard to these Mr. Gordon appeals to examples of the irregular arrangements of the folio to show that they read like ** intentional recitative" and are often superior to the revised versions " in every dramatic quality."
' Wendell, op. cit.
INTRODUCTION xxv
We may have much to learn about the delivery of blank verse on the stage, and it is true that a certain abruptness in the lines as printed sometimes adds force to their effect ; but if the arrangement is intentional and due to the poet, why is it sporadic only ? The run of the verse is oftener faultless when the same sort of recitative would have been effective, and, on the other hand, prose is sometimes printed as verse without any conceivable gain.
Mr. M. A. Bayfield in A Study of Shakespeare's Versifica- tion, 1920, contends that Shakespeare's fondness for the re- solved foot and his assumed independence of the use of colloquial contractions and other vulgarisms, ought to make us expand not only 0' th\ a th\ etc., but even such convenient abbreviations as let's^ whafs, shall' s, hat, upon's, tane {ta'en), and discard dialectic forms like wodt, yotist^ etc., which are used somewhat capriciously. The effect is associated with the particular system of prosody which Mr. Bayfield advocates and which cannot be considered here, but apart from results on the verse, acceptable or otherwise, it is impossible to impute collo- quial forms to printers and editors only. In A History of Modern Colloquial English, 1920, p. in, Professor H. C. Wyld has written much to the point on the general question involved : " We shall not assent to the view that certain habits in this politest form of Elizabethan speech, the outcome of natural linguistic tendencies, which are different from those now prevalent among the best speakers, are ' slipshod,' merely because a later age, wishing to be more ' correct,' has discarded them. If the speech of the great men we have been consider- ing was unaffected and natural, it certainly was not vulgar. If it be vulgar to say whot for hot, stap for stop, offen for often, sari)ice for service, venter for venture ; if it be slipshod to say Wensday for Wednesday, beseechin for beseeching, stricly for strictly, sounded for swooned, attemps for attempts, and so on ; then it is certain that the Queen herself, and the greater part of her Court, must plead guilty to these imputations in some or all of the above instances. The absurdity of such a contention is manifest, and it will not be seriously made by those who are properly informed of the facts." In Shakespeare and the Pirates, 1920, Mr. A. W. Pollard has shown the great proba- bility that the author's autograph copies of his plays became the prompt-copies, and that the text of many of the plays, both of those printed in quarto and those which first appeared in the folio, were set up from them. This diminishes the chances of
xxvi IN TRODUCTION
alteration by the elimination at least of a scrivener's copy be- tween author and printers.
Mr. Daniel supposes the action of Coriolanus to occupy eleven days, with intervals after all but the sixth day, the his- toric time being about four years, A.U.C. 262 to A.U.C. 266. He distributes the days to groups of acts and scenes as follows : I. i. ; I. ii. ; I. iii.-x. ; II. i. to line 200 ; II. i. from line 20 1 -IV. ii. ; IV. iii ; IV. iv., v. ; IV. vi. ; IV. vii. ; V. i.-v ; V. vi. The explanation of the division of Act II. sc. i. between two days is that Mr. Daniel believes that the scene is wrongly con- tinued here in the arrangement generally adopted, especially as it makes the arrival of Coriolanus in Rome, his standing for Consul, and banishment, all occur on the same day. See his remarks in The Transactions of the New Shakspere Society^ 1877-1879, pp. 183-188. The sixth day (IV. iii.) he assigns as occupying part of the last interval denoted.
Mr. MacCallum, in the important volume on the Roman plays already cited, has made an interesting comparison of Shakespeare's treatment of the story of Coriolanus with that of his French contemporary Alexandre Hardy, whose Coriolan seems to have been written about the same time or a little earlier, and printed two years later, in 1625. Influence, as Mr. MacCallum points out, is barely possible either way, so that there is interest in the fact that both authors have made much the same selection of episodes, and some of the same additions, to Plutarch, notwithstanding the very different stages they were writing for. The additions, for instance, include Volumnia's persuasion to a false submission and Coriolanus's hardly overcome reluctance. Adaptations of Shakespeare's work were made in England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, and James Thomson's posthumous play of the same name was performed in 1 749 with Lyttleton's prologue, remembered for its genuine pathos and for the verse, " One line which dying he could wish to blot." Thomson's " diffuse and descriptive style," as Johnson says, " produced declamation rather than dialogue," and his fondness of the feminine ending increases the monotony of his fluent verse. A student of catholic taste will read his Coriolanus without enthusiasm, but not without interest in the author's sentiments and the fate of his characters. As a correct play of the period it confines events to the last phase, from the arrival of Coriolanus in Antium, and excludes humour and wide variety of rank and character.
THE LIFE OF CAIUS MARTIUS CORIO- LANUS
{Extracted from North's Plutarch, ed. i, 1579)
The house of the Martians at Rome was of the number of the The familie . Patricians, out of the which hath sprong many noble person- o^ ^^^ Marti-i ages : whereof Ancus Martins was one, king Numaes daughters Sonne, who was king of Rome after Tullus Hostilius. Of the same house were Publius, and Quintus, who brought Rome Pubiius and their best water they had by conducts. Censorinus also came 9"*"!"^ ^V^ of that familie, that was so surnamed, bicause the people had the water by chosen him Censor twise. Through whose persuasion they conducts to made a lawe, that no man from thenceforth might require, or °"^^' enjoye the Censorshippe twise. Caius Martins, whose life we Censorinus intend now to write, being left an orphan by his father, was'^^^- brought up under his mother a widowe, who taught us by ex- perience, that orphanage bringeth many discommodities to a childe, but doth not hinder him to become an honest man, and to excell in vertue above the common sorte : as they are meanely borne, wrongfully doe complayne, that it is the oc- casion of their casting awaye, for that no man in their youth taketh any care of them to see them well brought up, and tauglit that were meete. This man also is a good proofe to confirme some mens opinions. That a rare and excellent witte Coriolanus untaught, doth bring forth many good and evill things together : w'^- like as a fat soile bringeth forth herbes and weedes that lieth unmanured. For this Martins naturall wit and great harte dyd marvelously sturre up his corage, to doe and attempt notable actes. But on the other side for lacke of education, he was so chollericke and impacient, that he would yeld to no living creature: which made him churlishe, uncivill, and altogether unfit for any mans conversation^ Yet men marvel- ing much at his constancy, that he was never overcome with pleasure, nor money, and howe he would endure easely all manner of paynes and travailles : thereupon they well liked
y
xxviii THE LIFE OF
and commended his stowtnes and temperancie. But for all that, they could not be acquainted with him, as one citizen useth to be with another in the citie. His behaviour was so unpleasaunt to them, by reason of a certaine insolent and Sterne manner he had, which because it was to lordly, was he benefit of disliked. And to saye truely, the greatest benefit that learn- iarning. jj^g bringeth men unto, is this : that it teacheth men that be rude and rough of nature, by compasse and rule of reason, to be civill and curteous, and to like better the meane state, then the higher. ' Now in these dayes, valliantnes was honoured in Vhat this Rome aboVe all other vertues : which they called Virtus, by '^'^^fi ^v."^'"^ the name of vertue selfe, as including in that generall name, ^"' ^ * all other speciall vertues besides. So that Virtus in the Latin, was asmuche as valliantnes. But Martius being more inclined to the warres, then any other gentleman of his time : beganne from his Childehood to geve him self to handle weapons, and daylie dyd exercise him selfe therein. And outward he esteemed armour to no purpose, unles one were naturally armed within. Moreover he dyd so exercise his bodie to hardnes, and all kynde of activitie, that he was very swift in running, strong in wrestling, and mightie in griping, so that no man could ever cast him. In so much as those that would trye masteries with him for strength and nimblenes, would saye when they were overcome : that all was by reason of his naturall strength, and hardnes of warde, that never yielded to any payne or toyle he tooke apon him. The first time he oriolanus went to the warres, being but a strippling, was when Tarquine rst going to sumamed the prowde (that had bene king of Rome, and was driven out for his pride, after many attemptes made by sundrie battells to come in againe, wherein he was ever overcome) dyd come to Rome with all the ayde of the Latines, and many other people of Italie : even as it were to set up his whole rest apon a battell by them, who with a great and mightie armie had undertaken to put him into his Kingdome againe, not so much to pleasure him, as to overthrowe the power of the Romaines, whose greatnes they both feared and envied. In this battell, wherein were many hotte and sharpe encounters of either partie, Martius valiantly fought in the sight of the Dictator ; and a Romaine souldier being throwen to the ground even hard by him, Martius straight bestrid him, and slue the enemie with his owne handes that had before overthrowen the Romaine. Hereupon, after the battell was wonne, the Dictator
ICAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xxix dyd not forget so noble an acte, and therefore first of all he ,
crowned Martius with a garland of oken boughs. For who- Coriolanus soever saveth the life a Romaine, it is a manner among them, crowned with to honour him with such a garland. . . . Moreover it is daylie okln^knighes seene, that honour and reputation lighting on young men be- fore their time, and before they have no great corage by nature : the desire to winne more, dieth straight in them, To soden which easely happeneth, the same having no deepe roote in ^°"?h km'} .l them before. Where contrariwise, the first honour that valiant further desier mindes doe come unto, doth quicken up their appetite, hasting of fame. them forward as with force of winde, to enterprise things of highe deserving praise. For they esteeme, not to receave reward for service done, but rather take it for a remembraunce \
and encoragement, to make them doe better in time to come ; and be ashamed also to cast their honour at their heeles not seeking to increase it still by like deserte of worthie valliant dedes. This desire being bred in Martius, he strained still to passe him selfe in manlines: and being desirous to shewe a Coriolanus daylie increase of his valliantnes, his noble service dyd still "°^^^ ^"" advaunce his fame, bringing in spoyles apon spoyles from the tinue well enemie. Whereupon, the captaines that came afterwards (for deserving, envie of them that went before) dyd contend who should most honour him, and who should beare most honourable testimonie
► of his valliantnes. In so much the Romaines having many warres and battells in those days, Coriolanus was at them all : and there was not a battell fought, from whence he returned not without some rewarde of honour. And as for other, the only respect that made them valliant, was they hoped to have honour : but touching Martius, the only thing that made him to love honour, was the joye he sawe his mother dyd take of; him. For he thought nothing made him so happie and honorable, as that his mother might heare every bodie praise and commend him, that she might allwayes see him returne with a crowne upon his head, and that she might still embrace him with teares ronning downe her cheekes for joye. Which desire they saye Epaminondas dyd avowe, and confesse to have Coriolanus bene in him : as to thinke him selfe a most happie and blessed ^"^ Epamm-
, , . r f 1 1 ' 1 • IT S 1 J ondas did
man, that his father and mother m their life time had seene both place the victorie he wanne in the plaine of Leuctres. Now as for their desire oi Epaminondas, he had this good happe, to have his father and ^°"°"^ ^ * ^• mother living, to be partakers of his joye and prosperitie. But Martius thinking all due to his mother, that had bene also
XXX
THE LIFE OF
The obedi- 2nce of Corio- anus to his Tiother.
lixtreniitie oi aserers com- plained of at Rome by the ^oeople.
Counsellers promises make men v^alliant, in lope of just lerformance.
rfngratitude, iind good ;ervice unre- .varded, pro- /oketh rebel- ion.
due to his father if he had lived ; dyd not only content him selfe to rejoyce and honour her, but at her desire tooke a wife also, by whom he had two children, and yet never left his mothers house therefore. Now he being growen to great credit and authoritie in Rome for his valliantnes, it fortuned there grewe sedition in the cittie, because the Senate dyd favour the riche against the people, who dyd complaine of the sore op- pression of userers, of whom they borrowed money. For those that had little, were yet spoyled of that little they had by their creditours, for lacke of abilitie to paye the userie: who offered their goodes to be solde, to them that would geve most. And suche as had nothing left, their bodies were layed holde of, and they were made their bonde men, notwithstanding all the woundes and cuttes they shewed, which they had receyved in many battells, fighting for defence of their countrie and common wealth : of the which, the last warre they made, was against the Sabynes, wherein they fought apon the promise the riche men had made them, that from thenceforth they would intreate them more gently, and also upon the worde of Marcus Valerius chief of the Senate, who by authoritie of the counsell, and in the behalfe of the riche, sayed they should performe that they had promised. But after that they had faithfully served in this last battell of all, where they overcame their enemies, seeing they were never a whit the better, nor more gently in- treated, and that the Senate would geve no care to them, but make as though they had forgotten their former promise, and suffered them to be made slaves and bonde men to their creditours, and besides, to be turned out of all that ever they had : they fell then even to flat rebellion and mutine, and to sturre up daungerous tumultes within the cittie. The Romaines enemies hearing of this rebellion, dyd straight enter the terri- tories of Rome with a marvelous great power, spoyling and burning all as they came. Whereupon the Senate immediately made open proclamation by sounde of trumpet, that all those which were of lawfuU age to carie weapon, should come and enter their names into the muster masters booke, to goe to the warres : but no man obeyed their commaundement. Whereupon their chief magistrates, and many of the Senate, beganne to be of divers opinions emong them selves. For some thought it was reason, they should somewhat yeld to the poore peoples request, and that they should a little qualifie the severitie of the lawe. Other held hard against that
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xxxi
[opinion, and that was Martius for one. For he alleged, Martius that the creditours losing their money they had lent, was not ^°''!°^^""^ [the worst thing that was thereby : but that the lenitie that people, twas favored, was a beginning of disobedience, and that the prowde attempt of the communaltie, was to abolish lawe, ■and to bring all to confusion. Therefore he sayed, if the Senate were wise, they should betimes prevent, and Lquenche this ill favored and worse ment beginning. The Senate met many dayes in consultation about it: but in the end they concluded nothing. The poore common people seeing no redresse, gathered them selves one daye together, and one encoraging another, they all forsooke the The people cittie, and encamped them selves upon a hill, called at this^^^^j*^^^'"]^
^^ 3,nQ 0,06 croc to
daye the holy hill, alongest the river of Tyber, offering no the holy hill, creature any hurte or violence, or making any shewe of actuall rebellion : saving that they cried as they went up and down, that the riche men had driven them out of the cittie, and that all Italie through they should finde ayer, water, and ground to burie them in. Moreover, they sayed, to dwell at Rome was nothing els but to be slaine, or hurte with continuall warres, ind fighting for defence of the riche mens goodes. The Senate >eing 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, Menenius Agrippa was he, iwho was sent for chief man of the message from the Senate. He, after many good persuasions and gentle requestes made to the people, on the behalfe of the Senate : knit up his oration in the ende, with a notable tale, in this manner. That An excellent on a time all the members of mans bodie, dyd rebell against */J^^ ^^^^^ W the bellie, complaining of it, that it only remained in theAgrippito middest of the bodie, without doing anything, neither dyd pacifie the beare any labour to the maintenaunce of the rest : whereas all P^°P^^- other partes and members dyd labour paynefully, and was very carefull to satisfie the appetites and desiers of the bodie. And so the bellie, all this notwithstanding, laughed at their follie, and sayed : It is true, I first receyve all meates that norishe mans bodie : but afterwards I send it againe to the norishe- ment of other partes of the same. Even so (quoth he) O you, my masters, and citizens of Rome: the reason is a like betweene the Senate, and you. For matters being well digested, and their counsells thoroughly examined, touching the benefit of the common wealth : the Senatours are cause of
xxxii THE IJFE OF
1 the common commoditie that commeth unto every one of you.
These persuasions pacified the people, conditionally, that the
1 Senate would graunte there should be yerely chosen five
The first be- magistrates, which they now call Tribuni PlebiSy whose office
ginning of should be to defend the poore people from violence and
Plehh! oppression. So lunius Brutus, and Sicinius Vellutus, were
lunius Brutus, the first Tribunes of the people that were chosen, who had
Esicinius only bene the causers and procurers of this sedition. Here-
[:2 first "ri'- ^ upon the cittie being growen againe to good quiet and unitie,
ibunes. the people immediately went to the warres, shewing that they
f had a good will to doe better than ever they dyd, and to be
very willing to obey the magistrates in that they would
commaund, concerning the warres. Martius also, though it
liked him nothing to see the greatnes of the people thus
increased, considering it was to the prejudice, and imbasing of
the nobilitie, and also sawe that other noble Patricians were
troubled as well as him selfe ; he dyd persuade the Patricians,
to shew them selves no lesse forward and willing to fight for
their countrie, then the common people were ; and to let them
knowe by their dedes and actes, that they dyd not so muche
\ passe the people in power and riches, as they dyd exceede
them in true nobilitie and valliantnes. In the countrie of the
Volsces, against whom the Romaines made warre at that time,
there was a principall cittie and of most fame, that was called
The cittie of Corioles, before the which the Consul Cominius dyd laye siege.
9°"°J^^ ^^ Wherefore all the other Volsces fearing least that cittie should
Consul ^ ^ t)e taken by assault, they came from all partes of the countrie
f Cominius. to save it, entending to geve the Romaines battell before the
cittie, and to geve an onset on them in two several 1 places.
The Consul Cominius understanding this, devided his armie
'^ also in two parts, and taking the one parte with him selfe, he
marched towards them that were drawing to the cittie, out of
the countrie ; and the other parte of his armie he left in the
Titus Lartius,campe with Titus Lartius (one of the valliantest men the
a valhant Romaines had at that time) to resist those that would make
Romaine. , -...'' , o i /^ • i i
any salye out of the cittie upon them. So the Coriolans mak- ing small accompt of them that laye in campe before the cittie, made a salye out apon them, in the which at the first the Coriolans had the better, and drave the Romaines backe againe into the trenches of their campe. But Martius being there at that time, ronning out of the campe with a fewe men with him, he slue the first enemies he met withall, and made
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xxxiii
le rest of them staye upon a sodaine, crying out to the Lomaines that had turned their backes, and calling them ^aine to fight with a lowde voyce. For he was even such lother, as Cato would have a souldier and a captaine to be ; The propertie >t only terrible, and fierce to laye about him, but to make°^* ^°"^^^^^- le enemie afeard with the sounde of his voyce, and grimnes of lis countenaunce. Then there flocked about him immediately, great number of Romaines ; whereat the enemies were so Ifeard, that they gave backe presently. But Martius not lying so, dyd chase and followe them to their owne gates, lat fled for life. And there, perceyving that the Romaines itired backe, for the great number of dartes and arrowes rhich flewe about their eares from the walles of the cittie, and that there was not one man amongst them that durst venter him selfe to followe the flying enemies into the cittie, for that it was full of men of warre, very well armed, and appointed ; he dyd encorage his fellowes with wordes and dedes, crying out to them, that fortune had opened the gates of the cittie, more for the followers, then the flyers. But all this notwith- standing, fewe had the hartes to followe him. Howbeit Martius being in the throng emong the enemies, thrust him selfe into the gates of the cittie, and entred the same emong thern that fled, without that any one of them durst at the first turne their face upon him, or els offer to staye him. But he looking about him, and seeing he was entred the cittie with very fewe men to helpe him, and perceyving he was environned by his enemies that gathered round about to set upon him : dyd things then as it is written, wonderfull and incredible^ aswell for the force of his hande, as also for the agillitie of his bodie, and with a wonderfull corage and valliantnes, he made a lane through the middest of them, and overthrewe also those he layed at : that some he made ronne to the furthest parte of the cittie, and other for feare he made yeld them selves, and to let fall their weapons before him. By this meanes, Lartius that was gotten out, had some leysure to bring the Romaines with more safety into the cittie. The cittie being The cittie of taken in this sorte, the most parte of the souldiers beganne Conoies incontinently to spoyle, to carie awaye, and to looke up the bootie they had wonne. But Martius was marvelous angry with them, and cried out on them, that it was no time now to looke after spoyle, and to ronne straggling here and there to enriche them selves, whilest the other Consul and their fellowe
xxxiv THE LIFE OF
cittizens peradventure were fighting with their enemies : and howe that leaving the spoyle they should seeke to winde them selves out of daunger and perill. Howbeit, crie, and saye to them what he could, very fewe of them would hearken to him. Wherefore taking those that willingly offered them selves to followe him, he went out of the cittie, and tooke his waye } towardes that parte, where he understoode the rest of the
r armie was : exhorting and intreating them by the waye that
ij followed him, not to be fainte harted, and ofte holding up his
I handes to heaven, he besought the goddes to be so gracious
and favorable unto him, that he might come in time to the battell, and in good hower to hazarde his life in defence of his country men. Now the Romaines when they were put in battell raye, and ready to take their targettes on their armes, and to guirde them upon their arming coates, had a custome SouMiers to make their willes at that very instant, without any manner testaments. Qf writing, naming him only whom they would make their heire, in the presence of three or foure witnesses. Martius came just to that reckoning, whilest the souldiers were a doing after that sorte, and that the enemies were approached so neere, as one stoode in viewe of the other. When they sawe him at his first comming, all bloody, and in a swet, and but with a fewe men following him : some thereupon beganne to be afeard. But sone after, when they sawe him ronne with a lively cheere to the Consul and to take him by the hande, declaring howe he had taken the cittie of Corioles, and that they sawe the Consul Cominius also kisse and embrace him ; then there was not a man but tooke harte againe to him, and beganne to be of a good corage, some hearing him reporte from poynte to poynte, the happy successe of this exployte, and other also conjecturing it by seeing their gestures a farre off. Then they all beganne to call upon the Consul to marche forward, and to delaye no lenger, but to geve charge upon the enemie, Martius asked him howe the order of their enemies battell was, and on which side they had placed their best fighting men. The Consul made him aunswer, that he thought the bandes which were in the voward of their battell, were those of the Antiates, whom they esteemed to be the warlikest men, and which for valliant corage would geve no place, to any of the hoste of their enemies. Then prayed Martius, to be set directly against them. The Consul graunted him, greatly praysing his corage. Then Martius, when both
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xxxv
irmies came almost to joyne, advaunced him selfe a good By Coriolanus ipace before his companie, and went so fiercely to geve charge JJ^^"^^' *^^ [on the voward that came right against him, that they could o^^ercome'in ^stande no lenger in his handes : he made suche a lane through battell. :hem, and opened a passage into the battell of the enemies. 'But the two winges of either side turned one to the other, to compasse him in betweene them : which the Consul Cominius [■perceyving, he sent thither straight of the best souldiers he [had about him. So the battell was marvelous bloudie about iMartius, and in a very shorte space many were slaine in the place. But in the ende the Romaines were so strong, that they [distressed the enemies, and brake their arraye ; and scatter- ing them, made them fl\'e. Then they prayed Martius that he would retire to the campe, bicause they sawe he was able to doe no more, he was already so wearied with the great payne he had taken, and so ' .inte with the great woundes he had apon him. But Martius aunswered them, that it was not for conquerours to yeld, nor to be fainte harted : and there- upon beganne a freshe to chase those that fled, until suche time as the armie of the enemies was utterly overthrowen, and numbers of them slaine, and taken prisoners. The next morning betimes, Martius went to the Consul, and the other Romaines with him. There the Consul Cominirs going up to his chayer of state, in the presence of the whole armie, gave thankes to the goddes for so great, glorious, and prosperous a victorie : then he spake to Martius, whose valliantnes he commended beyond the moone, both for that he him selfe sawe him doe with his eyes, as also for that Martius had reported unto him. So in the ende he willed Martius, he should choose out of all the horses they had taken of their The tenth enemies, and of all the goodes they had wonne (whereof there P^'^'^^.o^^^^ was great store) tenne of every sorte which he liked best, before goods offered any distribution should be made to other. Besides this great Martius for re- honorable offer he had made him, he gave him in testimonie^^^j^^^^^^^ that he had wonne that daye the price of prowes above all Cominius the other, a goodly horse with a capparison, and all furniture to^°"^"^- him : which the whole armie beholding, dyd marvelously praise and commend. But Martius stepping forth, tolde the Valiancie re- Consul, he most thanckefully accepted the gifte of his horse, ^'^^^ ^^'^]?
1 11 1 • 1 1 1 ■ -111 1 honour m the
and was a glad man besides, that his service had deserved fieide.
his generalls commendation ; and as for his other offer, which was rather a mercenary reward, then an honorable recom-
xxxvi THE LIFE OF
pence, he would none of it, but was contented to have his Martius noble equall parte with other souldiers. Only, this grace (sayed he) answer and J crave, and beseeche you to graunt me. Among the Volsces there is an olde friende and hoste of mine, an honest wealthie man, and now a prisoner, who living before in great wealth in his owne countrie, liveth now a poore prisoner in the handes of his enemies : and yet notwithstanding all this his miserie and misfortune, it would doe me great pleasure if I could save him from this one daunger : to keepe him from being solde as a slave. The souldiers hearing Martius wordes, made a marvelous great showte among them : and they were moe that wondred at his great contentation and abstinence, when they sawe so little covetousnes in him, then they were that highely praised and extolled his valliantnes. For even they them selves, that dyd somewhat malice and envie his glorie, to see him thus honoured, and passingly praysed, dyd thincke him so muche the more worthy of an honorable recompence for his valliant service, as the more carelesly he refused the great offer made him for his profit : and they esteemed more the vertue that was in him, that made him refuse suche re- wards, then that which made them to be offred him, as unto a worthie persone. For it is farre more commendable, to use riches well, then to be valliant : and yet it is better not to desire them, then to use them well. After this showte and noyse of the assembly was somewhat appeased, the Consul Cominius beganne to speake in this sorte : We cannot compel! Martius to take these giftes we offer him, if he will not receave them : but we will geve him suche a rewarde for the noble Martius sur- service he hath done, as he cannot refuse. Therefore we doe named Cono- Qj-j^gj. ^^^ decree, that henceforth he be called Coriolanus,
lanus by the , , . i,. t , , . . , ^
Consul. onles his valliant acts have wonne him that name before our
nomination. And so ever since, he still bare the third name of Coriolanus. . . . Now when this warre was ended, the flatterers of the people beganne to sturre up sedition againe, without any newe occasion, or just matter offered of com- plainte. For they dyd grounde this seconde insurrection against the Nobilitie and Patricians, apon the peoples miserie and misfortune, that could not but fall out, by reason of the former discorde and sedition betweene them and the Nobilitie. Bicause the most parte of the errable lande within the territorie of Rome, was becofie heathie and barren for lacke of plowing, for that they had no time nor meane to cause corne, to be
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xxxvii
[brought them out of other countries to sowe, by reason of Sedition at leir warres which made the extreme dearth they had emong ^°^^> ^Y them. Now those busie pratlers that sought the peoples good famine. [will, by suche flattering wordes, perceyving great scarsitie of [corne to be within the cittie, and though there had bene plenty [enough, yet the common people had no money to btiye it : they spread abroad false tales and rumours against the iNobilitie, that they in revenge of the people, had practised and procured the extreme dearthe emong them. Further- jmore, in the middest of this sturre, there came ambassadours [to Rome from the cittie of Velitres, that offered up their cittie [to the Romaines, and prayed them they would send newe inhabitants to replenishe the same : bicause the plague had bene so extreme emong them, and had killed such a number of them, as there was not left alive the tenth persone pf the people that had bene there before. So the wise men of Rome beganne to thincke, that the necessitie of the Velitrians fell out in a most happy hower, and howe by this occasion it was very mete in so great a scarsitie of vittailes, to disburden Rome of a great number of cittizens : and by this meanes as well to take awaye this newe sedition, and utterly to ryd it out of the cittie, as also to cleare the same of many mutinous and seditious persones, being the superfluous ill humours that grevously fedde this disease. Hereupon the Consuls prickt Velitres made out all those by a bill, whom they intended to sende to a colome to Velitres, to goe dwell there as in forme of a colonie : and they leavied out of all the rest that remained in the cittie of Rome, a great number to goe against the Volsces, hoping by the meanes of forreine warre, to pacifie their sedition at home. Moreover they imagined, when the poore with the riche, and Two practises the meane sorte with the nobilitie, should by this devise be *° ^^"J^'^V^^
' ^ . . sedition in
abroad in the warres, and in one campe, and m one service, Rome, and in one like daunger : that then they would be more quiet and loving together. But Sicinius and Brutus, two seditious Sicinius and Tribunes, spake against either of these devises, and cried o^t ^^JJ*"^ ^'J'" upon the noble men, that under the gentle name of a colonie, people, they would cloke and culler the most cruell and unnaturall against both facte as might be : bicause they sent their poore cittizens into ^ °^^ evises. a sore infected cittie and pestilent ayer, full of dead bodies unburied, and there also to dwell under the tuytion of a straunge god, that had so cruelly persecuted his people. This were (said they) even as muche, as if the Senate should
xxxviii THE LIFE OF
hedlong cast downe the people into a most bottomles pyt. And are not yet contented to have famished some of the poore cittizens hertofore to death, and to put other of them even to the mercie of the plague : but a freshe, they have procured a voluntarie warre, to the ende they would leave behind no kynde of miserie and ill, wherewith the poore syllie people should not be plagued, and only bicause they are werie to serve the riche. The common people being set on a broyle and braverie with these wordes, would not appeare when the Consuls called their names by a bill, to prest them for the warres, neither would they be sent out to this newe colonie : in so muche as the Senate knewe not well what to saye, or doe in the matter. Martius then, who was now growen to great credit, and a stowte man besides, and of great repu- tation with the noblest men of Rome, rose up, and openly spake against these flattering Tribunes. And for the re- plenishing of the cittie of Velitres,* he dyd compell those that were chosen, to goe thither, and to departe the cittie, apon great penalties to him that should disobey : but to the warres, the people by no meanes would be brought or constrained. Coriolanus of- So Martius taking his friendes and followers with him, and fendeth the g^^^j^ ^^g j^g could by fayer wordes intreate to goe with him, dyd ronne certen forreyes into the dominion of the Antiates, where he met with great plenty of corne, and had a marvelous Coriolanus in- spoyle, aswell of cattell, as of men he had taken prisoners, vadeth the whom he brought awaye with him, and reserved nothing for bringeth'rich him selfe. Afterwardes having brought backe againe all his spoyies home, men that went out with him, safe and sounde to Rome, and every man riche and loden with spoyle : then the hometarriers and housedoves that kept Rome still, beganne to repent them that it was not their happe to goe with him, and so envied both them that had sped so well in this jorney, and also of malice to Martius, they spited to see his credit and estimation increase still more and more, bicause they accompted him to be a great hinderer of the people. Shortely after this, Martius stoode for the Consulshippe : and the common people favored his sute, thinking it would be a shame to them to denie, and refuse, the chiefest noble man of bloude, and most worthie persone of Rome, and specially him that had done so great The manner service and good to the common wealth. For the custome of offic^i"^ ^°' Rome was at that time, that suche as dyd sue for any office, Rome. should for certen dayes before be in the market place, only
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xxxix
with a poore gowne on their backes, and without any coate underneath, to praye the cittizens to remember them at the daye of election : which was thus devised, either to move the Whereupon people the more, by requesting them in suche meane apparell, *^^^ "^.^""^"^
11- 1-111 1- 1 1 1 'ofsuyingwas
or els bicause they might shewe them their woundes they had so devised.
gotten in the warres in the service of the common wealth, as
manifest markes and testimonie of their valliantnes. Now it
is not to be thought that the suters went thus lose in a simple
gowne in the market place, without any coate under it, for feare,
and suspition of the common people : for offices of dignitie in Offices geven
the cittie were not then geven by favour or corruption. . . .then by de-
sert without
Now Martius following this custome, shewed many woundes favour or cor- and cuttes upon his bodie, which he had receyved in seven- ruption. teene yeres service at the warres, and in many sundrie battells, being ever the formest man that dyd set out feete to fight. So that there was not a man emong the people, but was ashamed of him selfe, to refuse so valliant a man : and one of them sayed to another, We must needes chuse him Consul, there is no remedie. But when the daye of election was come, and that Martius came to the market place with great pompe, accompanied with all the Senate, and the whole Nobilitie of the cittie about him, who sought to make him Consul, with the greatest instance and intreatie they could, or ever attempted for any man or matter : then the love and good will of the common people, turned straight to an hate and envie toward See the fickle him, fearing to put this office of soveraine authoritie into his™"^^^°^ handes, being a man somewhat partiall toward the nobilitie, people, and of great credit and authoritie amongest the Patricians, and as one they might doubt would take away altogether the libertie from the people. Whereupon for these considera- tions, they refused Martius in the ende, and made two other that were suters. Consuls. The Senate being marvelously offended with the people, dyd accompt the shame of this refusall, rather to redownd to them selves, then to Martius : but Martius tooke it in farre worse parte then the Senate, and was out of all pacience. For he was a man to full of passion and choller, and to muche geven to over selfe will and opinion, as one of a highe minde and great corage, that lacked the gravity, and affabilitie that is gotten with judgment of learning and reason, which only is to be looked for in a governour of state: and that remembered not how wilfulnes is the thing of the world, which a governour of a common wealth for pleasing
xl
THE LIFE OF
The firuites of
selfe will and obstinacie.
should shonne, being that which Plato called solitarines. As in the ende, all men that are wilfully geven to a selfe opinion and obstinate minde, and who will never yeld to others reason, but to their owne : remaine without companie, and forsaken of all men. For a man that will live in the world, must nedes have patience, which lusty blondes make but a mocke at. So Martins being a stowte man of nature, that never yelded in any respect, as one thincking that to overcome allwayes, and to have the upper hande in all matters, was a token of magnanimitie, and of no base and fainte corage, which spitteth out anger from the most weake and passioned parte of the harte, much like the matter of an impostume : went home to his house, full fraighted with spite and malice against the people, being accompanied with all the lustiest young gentle- men, whose mindes were nobly bent, as those that came of noble race and commonly used for to followe and honour him. But then specially they floct about him, and kept him com- panie, to his muche harme : for they dyd but kyndle and inflame his choller more and more, being sorie with him for the injurie the people offred him, bicause he was their captaine and leader to the warres, that taught them all marshall discipline, and stirred up in them a noble emulation of honour and valliantnes, and yet without envie, praising them that deserved best. In the meane season, there came great plenty of corne to Rome, that had bene bought, parte in Italie, and parte was sent out of Sicile, as geven by Gelon the tyranne of Syracusa : so that many stoode in great hope, that the dearthe of vittells being holpen, the civill dissention would also cease. The Senate sate in counsell upon it immediatly, the common people stoode also about the palice where the counsell was kept, gaping what resolution would fall out : persuading them selves, that the corne they had bought should be solde good cheape, and that which was geven, should be devided by the polle, without paying any pennie, and the rather, bicause certaine of the Senatours amongest them dyd so wishe and persuade the same. But Martins standing up on his feete, dyd somewhat sharpely take up those, who went about to gratifie the people therein : and called them people pleasers, and traitours to the nobilitie. * Moreover he sayed they
* nourrished against them selves, the naughty seede and cockle,
* of insolencie and sedition, which had bene sowed and ' scattered abroade emongest the people, whom they should
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xli
I have cut of, if they had bene wise, and have prevented their greatnes : and not to their owne destruction to have suffered ' the people, to stablishe a magistrate for them selves, of so ' great power and authoritie, as that man had, to whom they 'had graunted it. Who was also to be feared, bicause he ' obtained what he would, and dyd nothing but what he listed, ' neither passed for any obedience to the Consuls, but lived in ' all libertie, acknowledging no superiour to commaund him,
* saving the only heades and authours of their faction, whom 'he called his magistrates. Therefore sayed he, they that ' gave counsell, and persuaded that the corne should be geven ' out to the common people gratis, as they used to doe in ' citties of Graece, where the people had more absolute power : ' dyd but only nourishe their disobedience, which would breake ' out in the ende, to the utter ruine and overthrowe of the ' whole state. For they will not thincke it is done in recom-
• pense of their service past, sithence they know well enough ' they have so ofte refused to goe to the warres, when they ' were commaunded : neither for their mutinies when they ' went with us, whereby they have rebelled and forsaken their 'countrie: neither for their accusations which their flatterers 'have preferred unto them, and they have receyved, and made ' good against the Senate : but they will rather judge we geve ' and graunt them this, as abasing our selves, and standing in ' feare of them, and glad to flatter them every waye. By this ' meanes, their disobedience will still growe worse and worse : ' and they will never leave to practise newe sedition, and ' uprores. Therefore it were a great follie for us, me thinckes ' to doe it : yea, shall I saye more ? we should if we were wise, 'take from them their Tribuneshippe, which most manifestly ' is the embasing of the Consulshippe, and the cause of the 'division of the cittie. The state whereof as it standeth, is ' not now as it was wont to be, but becommeth dismembred in ' two factions, which mainteines allwayes civill dissention and ' discorde betwene us, and will never suffer us againe to be 'united into one bodie.' Martius dilating the matter with many such like reasons wanne all the young men, and almost all the riche men to his opinion : in so much they range it out, that he was the only man, and alone in the cittie, who stoode out against the people, and never flattered them. There were only a fewe olde men that spake against him, fearing least some mischief might fall out upon it, as in dede there followed
xUi THE LIFE OF
no great good afterward. For the Tribunes of the people, being present at this consultation of the Senate, when they sawe that the opinion of Martius was confirmed with the more voyces, they left the Senate, and went downe to the people, crying out for helpe, and that they would assemble to save their Tribunes. Hereupon the people ranne on head in tumult together, before whom the wordes that Martius spake in the Senate were openly reported : which the people so stomaked, that even in that furie they were readie to flye apon the whole Senate. But the Tribunes layed all their faulte and burden wholy upon Martius, and sent their sergeantes forthwith to arrest him, presently to appeare in persone before the people, to answer the wordes he had spoken in the Senate. Martius stowtely withstoode these officers that came to arrest him. Sedition at Then the Tribunes in their owne persones, accompanied with Rome for ^]^q ^diles, went to fetche him by force, and so layed violent hands upon him. Howbeit the noble Patricians gathering together about him, made the Tribunes geve backe, and layed it sore upon the ^diles : so for that time, the night parted them, and the tumult appeased. The next morning betimes, the Consuls seing the people in an uprore, ronning to the market place out of all partes of the cittie, they were affrayed least all the cittie would together by the eares : wherefore assembling the Senate in all hast, they declared how it stoode them upon, to appease the furie of the people, with some gentle wordes, or gratefull decrees in their favour: and more- over, like wise men they should consider, it was now no time to stande at defence and in contention, nor yet to fight for honour against the communaltie : they being fallen to so great an extremitie, and offering such imminent daunger. Where- fore they were to consider temperately of things, and to deliver some present and gentle pacification. The most parte of the Senatours that were present at this counsaill, thought this opinion best, and gave their consents unto it. Whereupon the Consuls rising out of counsaill, went to speake unto the people as gently as they could, and they dyd pacifie their furie and anger, purging the Senate of all the unjust accusa- tions layed upon them, and used great modestie in persuading them, and also in reproving the faultes they had committed. And as for the rest, that touched the sale of corne : they promised there should be no disliking offred them in the price. So the most parte of the people being pacified, and appearing
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xliii
plainely by the great silence and still that was emong them,
yelding to the Consuls, and liking well of their wordes :
le Tribunes then of the people rose out of their seates, and
lyed : Forasmuch as the Senate yelded unto reason, the
iople also for their parte, as became them, dyd likewise geve
lace unto them : but notwithstanding, they would that Martius
lould come in persone to aunswer to the articles they had
ivised. First, whether he had not solicited and procured Articles
le Senate to chaunge the present state of the common weale, !;^^!"f T 1, . ^ , . . r -, 111 Conolanus.
id to take the soverame authontie out of the peoples handes.
Text, when he was sent for by authontie of their officers, why he dyd contemptuously resist and disobey. Lastely, seeing he had driven and beaten the ^diles into the market place before all the worlde : if in doing this, he had not done as muche as in him laye, to raise civille warres, and to set one cittizen against another. • All this was spoken to one of these two endes, either that Martius against his nature should be constrained to humble him selfe, and to abase his hawty and fierce minde : or els if he continued still in his stowtnes, he should incurre the peoples displeasure and ill will so farre, that he should never possibly winne them againe. Which they hoped would rather fall out so, then otherwise; as in deede they gest unhappely, considering Martius nature and disposition. So Martius came, and presented him selfe, to aunswer their accusations against him, and the people held their peace, and gave attentive eare, to heare what he would saye. But where they thought to have heard very humble and lowly wordes come from him, he beganne not only to use his wonted boldnes of speaking (which of it selfe Coriolanus was very rough and unpleasaunt, and dyd more aggravate his stowtness in accusation, then purge his innocencie) but also gave him selfe him selfe. in his wordes to thunder, and looke therewithal! so grimly as though he made no reckoning of the matter. This stirred coales emong the people, who were in wonderfuU furie at it, and their hate and malice grewe so toward him, that they could holde no longer, beare, nor indure his bravery and careles boldnes. Whereupon Sicinius, the cruellest and stowtest ofsiciniusthe the Tribunes, after he had whispered a little with his com-'^'^'^^"\P'^<''
-' , ■ ^ r rill 1 nounccth sen-
panions, dyd openly pronounce m the lace oi all the people, tence of death Martius as condemned by the Tribunes to dye. Then presently upon Martius. he commanded the ^diles to apprehend him, and carie him straight to the rocke Tarpeian, and to cast him hedlong downe
xliv THE LIFE OF
the same. When the ^diles came to laye handes upon Martius to doe that they were commaunded, divers of the people them selves thought it to cruell, and violent a dede. The noble men also being muche troubled to see such force and rigour used, beganne to crie alowde, Helpe Martius : so those that layed handes of him being repulsed, they compassed him in rounde emong them selves, and some of them holding up their handes to the people, besought them not to handle him thus cruelly. But neither their wordes, nor crying out could ought prevaile, the tumulte and hurly burley was so great, untill suche time as the Tribunes owne friendes and kinsemen weying with them selves the impossiblenes to con- vey Martius to execution, without great slaughter and murder of the nobilitie : dyd persuade and advise not to proceede in so violent and extraordinary a sorte, as to put such a man to death, without lawfull processe in lawe, but that they should referre the sentence of his death, to the free voyce of the people. Then Sicinius bethinking him self a little, dyd aske the Patricians, for what cause they tooke Martius out of the officers handes that went to doe execution? The Patricians asked him againe, why they would of them selves, so cruelly and wickedly put to death, so noble and valliant a Romaine, as Martius was, and that without lawe or justice ? Well, then sayed Sicinius, if that be the matter, let there be no more quarrell or dissention against the people : for they doe graunt your demaunde, that his cause shalbe heard according to the law. Therefore sayed he to Martius, We doe will and charge Coriolanus you to appeare before the people, the third daye of our next hath daye sitting and assembly here, to make your purgation for such aunswer the° articles as shalbe objected against you, that by free voyce the people. people maye geve sentence upon you as shall please them.
The noble men were glad then of the adjornment, and were muche pleased they had gotten Martius out of this daunger. In the meane space, before the third day of their next cession came about, the same being kept every nineth daye continually at Rome, whereupon they call it now in Latin, Nundinoe : there fell out warre against the Antiates, which gave some hope to the nobilitie, that this adjornment would come to little effect, thinking that this warre would hold them so longe, as that the furie of the people against him would be well swaged or utterly forgotten, by reason of the trouble of the warres. But contrarie to expectation, the peace was concluded presently
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xlv
rith the Antiates, and the people returned again to Rome, 'hen the Patricians assembled oftentimes together, to consult low they might stande to Martius, and keepe the Tribunes rom occasion to cause the people to mutine againe, and rise gainst the nobilitie. And there Appius Clodius (one that was iken ever as an heavy enemie to the people) dyd avowe and )rotest, that they would utterly abase the authoritie of the >enate, and destroye the common weale, if they would suffer le common people to have authoritie by voyces to geve idgment against the nobilitie. On thother side againe, the 'most auncient Senatours, arid suche as were geven to favour the common people sayed : that when the people should see they had authoritie of life and death in their handes, they would not be so cruell and fierce, but gentle and civill. More also, that it was not for contempt of nobilitie or the Senate, that they sought to have the authoritie of justice in their handes, as a preheminence and prerogative of honour : but bicause they feared, that them selves should be contemned and hated of the nobilitie. So as they were persuaded, that so sone as they gave them authoritie to judge by voyces: so sone would they leave all envie and malice to condemne anye. Martius seeing the Senate in great doubt how to resolve, partely for the love and good will the nobilitie dyd beare him, and partely for the feare they stoode in of the people : asked alowde of the Tribunes, what matter they would burden him with ? The Tribunes answered him, that they would shewe Coriolanus howe he dyd aspire to be King, and would prove that all his ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ actions tended to usurpe tyrannicall power over Rome, be King. Martius with that, rising up on his feete, sayed : that there- upon he dyd willingly offer him self to the people, to be tried apon that accusation. And that if it were proved by him, he had so much as once thought of any suche matter, that he would then refuse no kinde of punishment they would offer him : conditionally (quoth he) that you charge me with nothing els besides, and that ye doe not also abuse the Senate. They promised they would not. Under these conditions the judg- ment was agreed upon, and the people assembled. And first of all the Tribunes would in any case (whatsoever became of it) that the people would proceede to geve their voyces by Tribes, and not by hundreds : for by this meanes the multitude of the poore needy people (and all suche rable as had nothing to lose, and had lesse regard of honestie before their eyes)
xlvi THE LIFE OF
came to be of greater force (bicause their voyces were numbred by the nolle) then the noble honest cittizens, whose persones and purse dyd duetifully serve the common wealth in their warres. And then when the Tribunes sawe they could not prove he went about to make him self King : they beganne to broache a freshe the former wordes that Martins had spoken in the Senate, in hindering the distribution of the corne at meane price unto the common people, and persuading also to take the office of Tribuneshippe from them. And for the third, they charged him a newe, that he had not made the common distribution of the spoyle he had gotten in the invading the territories of the Antiates : but had of his owne authoritie devided it among them, who were with him in that jorney. But this matter was most straunge of all to Martins, looking least to have bene burdened with that, as with any matter of offence. Whereupon being burdened on the sodaine, and having no ready excuse to make even at that instant : he be- ganne to fall a praising of the souldiers that had served with him in that jorney. But those that were not with him, being the greater number, cried out so lowde, and made suche a noyse, that he could not be heard. To conclude, when they came to tell the voyces of the Tribes, there were three voyces Coriolanus odde, which condemned him to be banished for life. After banished for (declaration of the sentence, the people made suche joye, as they never rejoyced more for any battell they had wonne upon their enemies, they were so brave and lively, and went home so jocondly from the assembly, for triumphe of this sentence. The Senate againe in contrary manner were as sad and heavie, repenting them selves beyond measure, that they had not rather determined to have done and suffered any thing what- soever, before the common people should so arrogantly, and outrageously have abused their authoritie. There needed no difference of garments I warrant you, nor outward showes to know a Plebeian from a Patrician, for they were easely de- cerned by their lookes. For he that was on the peoples side, looked cheerely on the matter : but he that was sad, and honge downe his head, he was sure of the noble mens side. Saving Martins alone, who neither in his countenaunce, nor in his gate, dyd ever showe him selfe abashed, or once let fall his great corage ; but he only of all other gentlemen that were angrie at his fortune, dyd outwardly shewe no manner of; passion, nor care at all of him selfe. Not that he dyd paciently
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xlvii
eare and temper his good happe, in respect of any reason he had, or by his quiet condition ; but bicause he was so carried Coriolanus waye with the vehemencie of anger, and desire of revenge, ^^"stant hat he had no sence nor feeling of the hard state he was in, versitie. which the common people judge, not to be sorow, although in dede it be the very same. For when sorow (as you would The force of saye) is set a fyre, then it is converted into spite and malice, ^"S^^. and driveth awaye for that time all faintnes of harte and naturall feare. And this is the cause why the chollericke man is so altered, and mad in his actions, as a man set a fyre with a burning agewe : for when a mans harte is troubled within, his pulse will beate marvelous strongely. Now that Martius was even in that taking, it appeared true sone after by his doinges. For when he was come home to his house againe, and had taken his leave of his mother and wife, finding them weeping, and shreeking out for sorrowe, and had also comforted and persuaded them to be content with his chaunce : he went immediately to the gate of the cittie, accompanied with a great number of Patricians that brought him thither, from whence he went on his waye with three or foure of his friendes only, taking nothing with him, nor requesting any thing of any man. So he remained a fewe dayes in the countrie at his houses, turmoyled with sundry sortes and kynde of thoughtes, suche as the fyer of his choller dyd sturre up. In the ende, seeing he could resolve no waye, to take a profitable or honorable course, but only was pricked forward still to be revenged of the Romaines : he thought to raise up some great warres against them, by their nearest neighbours. Whereupon, he thought it his best waye, first to stirre up the Volsces against them, knowing they were yet able enough in strength and riches to encounter them, notwithstanding their former losses they had receyved not long before, and that their power was not so muche impaired, as their malice and desire was increased, to be revenged of the Romaines. Now in the cittie of Antium, there was one called Tullus Aufidius, who for his riches, as also for his nobilitie TuUus Aufi- and valliantnes, was honoured emong the Volsces as a King. ^"J^' ^ S"^^^^^ Martius knewe very well, that Tullus dyd more malice and emong the envie him, then he dyd all the Romaines besides : bicau.;e Volsces. that many times in battells where they met, they were ever at the encounter one against another, like lustie coragious youthes, striving in all emulation of honour, and had en-
xlviii
THE LIFE OF
Coriolanus disguised, goeth to Antium, a citie of the Volsces.
Coriolanus oration to TuUus Aufi- dius.
countered many times together. In so muche, as besides the common quarrell betweene them, there was bred a marvelous private hate one against another. Yet notwithstanding, con- sidering that Tullus Aufidius was a man of a great minde, and that he above all other of the Volsces, most desired re- venge of the Romaines, for the injuries they had done unto them : he dyd an acte that confirmed the true wordes of an auncient Poet, who sayed :
It is a thing full harde, mans anger to withstand,
If it be stiffely bent to take an enterprise in hande.
For then most men will have, the thing that they desire,
Although it cost their lives therefore, suche force hath wicked ire.
And so dyd he. For he disguised him selfe in suche arraye and attire, as he thought no man could ever have knowen him for the persone he was, seeing him in that ap- parell he had upon his backe : and as Homer sayed of Ulysses,
So dyd he enter into the enemies towne.
It was even twy light when he entred the cittie of Antium, and many people met him in the streetes, but no man knewe him. So he went directly to Tullus Aufidius house, and when he came thither, he got him up straight to the chimney harthe, and sat him downe, and spake not a worde to any man, his face all muffled over. They of the house spying him, wondered what he should be, and yet they durst not byd him rise. For ill favoredly muffled and disguised as he was, yet there appeared a certaine majestie in his countenance, and in his silence : whereupon they went to Tullus who was at supper, to tell him of the straunge disguising of this man. Tullus rose presently from the borde, and comming towards him, asked him what he was, and wherefore he came. Then Martius unmuffled him selfe, and after he had paused a while, making no aunswer, he sayed unto him : ' If thou knowest me ' not yet, Tullus, and seeing me, dost not perhappes beleeve
* me to be the man I am in dede, I must of necessitie bewraye
* my selfe to be that I am. I am Caius Martius, who hath
* done to thy self particularly, and to all the Volsces generally,
* great hurte and mischief, which I cannot denie for my sur-
* name of Coriolanus that I beare. For I never had other 'benefit nor recompence, of all the true and paynefull service ' I have done and the extreme daunger I have bene in, but
I
r
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS xlix
this only surname : a good memorie and vvitnes, of the malice 'and displeasure thou showldest beare me. In deede the
* name only remaineth with me : for the rest, the envie and ' crueltie of the people of Rome have taken from me, by the 'sufferance of the dastardly nobilitie and magistrates, who ' have forsaken me, and let me be banished by the people. 'This extremitie hath now driven me to come as a poore ' suter, to take thy chimney harthe, not of any hope I have ' to save my life thereby. For if I had feared death, I would ' not have come hither to have put my life in hazard : but ' prickt forward with spite and desire I have to be revenged of *them that thus have banished me, whom now I beginne to
* be avenged on, putting my persone betweene thy enemies. 'Wherefore, if thou hast any harte to be wrecked of the ' injuries thy enemies have done thee, speede thee now, and ' let my miserie serve thy turne, and so use it, as my service ' maye be a benefit to the Volsces : promising thee, that I ' will fight with a better good will for all you, then ever I ' dyd when I was against you, knowing that they fight more 'valliantly, who knowe the force of their enemie, then such 'as have never proved it. And if it be so that thou dare not, ' and that thou art wearye to prove fortune any more : then 'am I also weary to live any lenger. And it were no 'wisedome in thee, to save the life of him, who hath bene 'heretofore thy mortal 1 enemie, and whose service now can 'nothing helpe nor pleasure thee.' Tullus hearing what he sayed, was a marvelous glad man, and taking him by the hande, he sayed unto him : Stande up, O Martius, and bee of good chere, for in profering thy selfe unto us, thou dost us great honour : and by this meanes thou mayest hope also of greater things, at all the Volsces handes. So he feasted him for that time, and entertained him in the honorablest manner he could, talking with him in no other matters at that present : but within fewe dayes after, they fell to con- sultation together, in what sorte they should beginne their warres. Now on thother side, the cittie of Rome was in marvelous uprore, and discord, the nobilitie against the com- Great dissen- munaltie, and chiefly for Martius condemnation and banish- *'°" ^^m °ir ^ ment. . . . Now Tullus and Martius had secret conference banishment, with the greatest personages of the cittie of Antium, declaring
unto them, that now they had good time offered them to make warre with the Romaines, while they were in dissention d
1 THE LIFE OF
one with another. They aunswered them, they were ashamed to breake the league, considering that they were sworne to keepe peace for two yeres. Howbeit shortely after, the Romaines gave them great occasion to make warre with them. The Romaines For on a holy daye common playes being kept in Rome, gave the apon some suspition, or false reporte, they made proclamation sion of warres. by sound of trumpet, that all the Volsces should avoyde out of Rome before sunne set. Some thincke this was a crafte and deceipt of Martius, who sent one to Rome to the Consuls, to accuse the Volsces falsely, advertising them howe they had Martius made a conspiracie to set upon them, whilest they were busie
Coriolanus jj-^ seeing these games, and also to set their cittie a fyre. This tionofthe Open proclamation made all the Volsces more offended with Volsces. the Romaines, then ever they were before: and Tullus aggra- vating the matter, dyd so inflame the Volsces against them, that in the ende they sent their ambassadours to Rome, to summone them to deliver their landes and townes againe, which they had taken from them in times past, or to looke for present warres. The Romaines hearing this, were marvel- ously netled : and made no other aunswer but thus : If the Volsces be the first that beginne warre : the Romaines will be the last that will ende it. Incontinently upon returne of the Volsces ambassadours, and deliverie of the Romaines aunswer : Tullus caused an assembly generall to be made of the Volsces, and concluded to make warre upon the Romaines. This done, Tullus dyd counsell them to take Martius into their service, and not to mistrust him for the remembraunce of any thing past, but boldely to trust him in any matter to come : for he would doe them more service in fighting for them, then ever he dyd them displeasure in fighting against them. So Martius was called forth, who spake so excellently in the presence of them all, that he was thought no less eloquent in tongue, then warlike in showe : and declared him Coriolanus selfe both expert in warres, and wise with valliantnes. Thus chosen gener- he was joyned in comrnission with Tullus as generall of the Voisces.with Volsces, having absolute authoritie betwene them to follow Tullus Aufi- and pursue the warres. But Martius fearing least tract of
?j'!!^p!f^'"^^ time to bring this armie togither with all the munition and the Komames. .. /-,iti iiiii- ri i
furniture of the Volsces, would robbe him of the meane he had to execute his purpose and intent : left order with the rulers and chief of the cittie, to assemble the rest of their power, and to prepare all necessary provision for the campe.
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS li
Then he with the lightest souldiers he had, and that were Coriolanus in- willing to followe him, stale awaye upon the sodaine, and^^^P^^.^^^
territories
marched with all speede, and entred the territories of Rome, of the Ro-
before the Romaines heard any newes of his comming. In somaines.
much the Volsces found such spoyle in the fields, as they
had more than they could spend in their campe, and were
wearie to drive and carie awaye that they had. Howbeit the
gayne of the spoyle and the hurte they dyd to the Romaines
in this invasion, was the least parte of his intent. For his
chiefest purpose was, to increase still the malice and dissention A fine devise
between the nobilitie, and the communaltie : and to dra.we^°^^^^^^^.
that on, he was very carefull to keepe the noble mens landes suspect the
and goods safe from harme and burning, but spoyled all the nobilitie.
whole countrie besides, and would suffer no man to take or
hurte any thing of the noble mens. This made greater sturre Great harte
and broyle betweene the nobilitie and people, then was before. {'"I: "^"| ^^"
For the noble men fell out with the people, bicause they had nobilitie and
so unjustly banished a man of so great valure and power, people.
The people on thother side, accused the nobilitie, how they
had procured Martius to make these warres, to be revenged
of them : bicause it pleased them to see their goodes burnt
and spoyled before their eyes, whilest them selves were well
at ease, and dyd behold the peoples losses and misfortunes,
and knowing their owne goodes safe and out of daunger : and
howe the warre was not made against the noble men, that
had the enemie abroad, to keepe that they had in safety.
Now Martius having done this first exploite (which made the
Volsces bolder, and lesse fearefull of the Romaines) brought
home all the armie againe, without losse of any man. After
their whole armie (which was marvelous great, and very
forward to service) was assembled in one campe : they agreed
to leave parte of it for garrison in the countrie about, and the
other parte should goe on, and make the warre upon the
Romaines. So Martius bad Tullus choose, and take which
of the two charges he liked best. Tullus made him aunswer,
he knewe by experience that Martius was no lesse valliant
then him selfe, and howe he ever had better fortune and
good happe in all battells, then him selfe had. Therefore
he thought it best for him to have the leading of those
that should make the warres abroade : and him selfe would
keepe home, to provide for the safety of the citties and of
his countrie, and to furnishe the campe also of all necessary
lii THE LIFE OF
provision abroade. So Martius being stronger then before, went first of all unto the cittie of Circees, inhabited by the Romaines, who willingly yielded them selves, and therefore had no hurte. From thence, he entred the countrie of the Latines, imagining the Romaines would fight with him there, to defend the Latines, who were their confederates, and had many times sent unto the Romaines for their ayde. But on the one side, the people of Rome were very ill willing to goe : and on the other side the Consuls being apon their going out of their office, would not hazard them selves for so small a time : so that the ambassadours of the Latines returned home againe, and dyd no good. Then Martius dyd besiege their citties, and having taken by force the townes of the Tolerinians, Vicanians, Pedanians, and the Bolanians, who made resistance : he sacked all their goodes, and tooke them prisoners. Suche as dyd yeld them selves willingly unto him, he was as carefull as possible might be to defend them from hurte : and bicause they should receyve no damage by his will, he removed his campe as farre from their confines as he could. Afterwards, he tooke the cittie of Boles by assault, being about an hundred furlonge from Rome, where he had a marvelous great spoyle, and put every man to the sword that was able to carie weapon. The other Volsces that were appointed to remaine in garrison for defence of their countrie, hearing this good newes, would tary no lenger at home, but armed them selves, and ranne to Martius campe, saying they dyd acknowledge no other captaine but him. Hereupon his fame ranne through all Italic, and every one praised him for a valliant captaine, for that by chaunge of one man for another, suche and so straunge events fell out in the state. In this while, all went still to wracke at Rome. For, to come into the field to fight with the enemie, they could not abyde to heare of it, they were one so muche against another, and full of seditious wordes, the nobilitie against the people, and the people against the nobilitie. Untill they had intelligence at the length that the enemies had layed seige to the cittie of Lavinium, in the which were all the temples and images of the goddes their protectours, and from whence came first their auncient originall, for that /Eneas at his first arrivall into Italie dyd build that cittie. Then fell there out a marvelous sodain chaunge of minde among the people, and farre more straunge and contrarie in the nobilitie. For the people thought good to repeale the
I
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS liii
L..... ^^
^^f upon it, would in no case yeld to that. Who either dyd it of '* a selfe will to be contrarie to the peoples desire : or bicause Martius should not returne through the grace and favour of the people. Or els, bicause they were thoroughly angrie and offended with him, that he would set apon the whole, being offended but by a fewe, and in his doings would shewe him selfe an open enemie besides unto his countrie : notwithstand- ing the most parte of them tooke the wrong they had done him, in marvelous ill parte, and as if the injurie had bene done unto them selves. Reporte being made of the Senates resolution, the people founde them selves in a straight : for they could authorise and confirme nothing by their voyces, unles it had bene first propounded and ordeined by the Senate. But Martius hearing this sturre about him, was in a greater rage with them then before : in so muche as he raised his seige incontinently before the cittie of Lavinium, and going towardes Rome, lodged his campe within fortie furlonge of the cittie, at the ditches called Cluilia^. His incamping so neere Rome, dyd put all the whole cittie in a wonderfuU feare : how- beit for the present time it appeased the sedition and dissen- tion betwixt the Nobilitie and the people. For there was no Consul, Senatour, nor Magistrate, that durst once contrarie the opinion of the people, for the calling home againe of Martius. When they sawe the women in a marvelous feare, ronning up and downe the cittie : the temples of the goddes full of olde people, weeping bitterly in their prayers to the goddes : and finally, not a man either wise or hardie to provide for their safetie : then they were all of opinion, that the people had reason to call home Martius againe, to reconcile them selves to him, and that the Senate on the contrary parte, were in marvelous great faulte to be angrie and in choller with him, when it stoode them upon rather to have gone out and in- treated him. So they all agreed together to send ambassadours TheRomaines unto him, to let him understand how his countrymen dyd call ^^^^^^^^^^^^' him home againe, and restored him to all his goodes, and coriolanus to besought him to deliver them from this warre. The ambas- treate of sadours that were sent, were Martius familiar friendes, and P®^^®' acquaintaunce, who looked at the least for a curteous welcome of him, as of their familiar friende and kynseman. Howbeit they founde nothing lesse. For at their comming, they were brought through the campe, to the place where he was set in
liv THE LIFE OF
his chayer of state, with a marvelous and an unspeakable majestic, having the chiefest men of the Volsces about him : so he commaunded them to declare openly the cause of their comming. Which they delivered in the most humble and lowly wordes they possiblie could devise, and with all modest countenaunce and behaviour agreable for the same. When they had done their message : for the injurie they had done him, he aunswered them very hottely, and in great choller. But as generall of the Volsces, he willed them to restore unto the Volsces, all their landes and citties they had taken from them in former warres : and moreover, that they should geve them the like honour and freedome of Rome, as they had before geven to the Latines. For otherwise they had no other means to ende this warre, if they dyd not graunte these honest and just conditions of peace. Thereupon he gave them thirtie dayes respit to make him aunswer. So the ambas- sadours returned straight to Rome, and Martius forthwith departed with his armie out of the territories of the Romaines. The first oc- This was the first matter wherewith the Volsces (that most casion of the envied Martius glorie and authoritie) dyd charge Martius with.
Volsces envy .
to (ioriolanus. Among those, Tullus was chief: who though he had receyved no private injurie or displeasure of Martius, yet the common faulte and imperfection of mans nature wrought in him, and it grieved him to see his owne reputation bleamished, through Martius great fame and honour, and so him selfe to be lesse esteemed of the Volsces, then he was before. This fell out the more, bicause every man honoured Martius, and thought he only could doe all, and that all other governours and captaines must be content with suche credit and authoritie, as he would please to countenaunce them with. From hence they derived all their first accusations and secret murmurings against Martius. For private captaines conspiring against him, were very angrie with him : and gave it out, that the removing of the campe was a manifest treason, not of the townes, nor fortes, nor of armes, but of time and occasion, which was a losse of great importaunce, bicause it was that which in treason might both lose and binde all, and preserve the whole. Now Martius having geven the Romaines thirtie dayes respit for their aunswer, and specially bicause the warres have not accustomed to make any great chaunges, in lesse space of time then that : he thought it good yet, not to lye a sleepe idle all the while, but went and destroyed the landes
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS Iv
I .,.
I^Bhabited, and the Romaines durst not once put them selves i into the field, to come to their ayde and helpe : they were so fainte harted, so mistrustfull, and lothe besides to make warres. In so muche as they properly ressembled the bodyes para- lyticke, and losed of their limmes and members : as those which through the palsey have lost all their sence and feeling. Wherefore, the time of peace expired, Martius being returned into the dominions of the Romaines againe with all his armie, they sent another ambassade unto him, to praye peace, and the Another am- remove of the Volsces out of their countrie : that afterwardes ^''^^^^^.^ f ^"^
■ . .... - , - ,, , to Coriolanus
■ they might with better leysure fall to suche agreementes to- B gether, as should be thought most mete and necessarie. For
■ the Romaines were no men that would ever yeld for feare. m But if he thought the Volsces had any grounde to demaunde ■r reasonable articles and conditions, all that they would reason- P ably aske should be graunted unto, by the Romaines, who of
them selves would willingly yeld to reason, conditionally, that they dyd laye downe armes. Martius to that aunswered : that as generall of the Volsces he would replie nothing unto it. But yet as a Romaine cittizen, he would counsell them to let fall their pride, and to be conformable to reason, if they were wise : and that they should returne againe within three dayes, delivering up the articles agreed upon, which he had first delivered them. Or otherwise, that he would no more geve ^ them assuraunce or safe conduite to returne againe into his y campe, with suche vaine and frivolous messages. When the ambassadours were returned to Rome, and had reported Martius aunswer to the Senate : their cittie being in extreme daunger, and as it were in a terrible storme or tempest, they threw out (as the common proverbe sayeth) their holy ancker. For then they appointed all the bishoppes, priestes, ministers The priestes of the goddes, and keepers of holy things, and all the augures g^^e^^senT or soothesayers, which foreshowe things to come by observa- to Coriolanus. tion of the flying of birdes (which is an olde auncient kynde of prophecying and divination amongst the Romaines) to goe to Martius apparelled, as when they doe their sacrifices : and first to intreate him to leave of warre, and then that he would speake to his countrymen, and conclude peace with the Volsces. Martius suffered them to come into his campe, but yet he graunted them nothing the more, neither dyd he entertaine them or speake more curteously to them, then he dyd the
Ivi
THE LIFE OF
first time that they came unto him, saving only that he willed them to take the one of the two : either to accept peace under the first conditions ofTered, or els to receyve vvarre. When all this goodly rable of superstition and priestes were returned, it was determined in counsell that none should goe out of the gates of the cittie, and that they should watche and warde upon the walles, to repulse their enemies if they came to assault them : referring them selves and all their hope to time, and fortunes uncertaine favour, not knowing otherwise howe to remedie the daunger. Now all the cittie was full of tumult, feare, and marvelous doubt what would happen : untill at length there fell out suche a like matter, as Homer oftetimes sayed they would least have thought of. . . .
Now the Romaine Ladies and gentlewomen did visite all the temples and goddes of the same, to make their prayers unto them : but the greatest Ladies (and more parte of them) were continuallie about the aulter of Jupiter Capitolin, emonge which troupe by name, was Valeria, Publicolaes owne sister. The selfe same Publicola, who did suche notable service to the Romaines, both in peace and warres : and was dead also certaine yea res before, as we have declared in his life. His sister Valeria was greatly honoured and reverenced amonge all the Romaines : and did so modestlie and wiselie behave her selfe, that she did not shame nor dishonour the house she came of. So she sodainely fell into such a fansie, as we have rehearsed before, and had (by some god as I thinke) taken holde of a noble devise. Whereuppon she rose, and thother Ladies with her, and they all together went straight to the house of Volumnia, Martius mother : and comming into her, founde her, and Martius wife her daughter in lawe set together, and havinge her husbande Martius young children in her lappe. Now all the traine of these Ladies sittinge in a ringe rounde about her : Valeria first beganne to speake in ^his sorte unto Thewordesofher : 'We Ladies, are come to visite you Ladies (my Ladie Valeria, unto < Volumnia and Virgilia) by no direction from the Senate, nor
Volumnia and , ^ ^^ -^ . . . ....
Virgiiia. * commaundement of other magistrate : but through the mspira- ' tion (as I take it) of some god above. Who havinge taken 'compassion and pitie of our prayers, hath moved us to come
* unto you, to intreate you in a matter, as well beneficiall for ' us, as also for the whole citizens in generall : but to your 'selves in especiall (if it please you to credit me) and shall re-
* dounde to our more fame and glorie, then the daughters of
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOI.ANUS Ivii
the Sabynes obteined in former age, when they procured ' lovinge peace, in stead of hatefull warre, betwene their fathers
* and their husbands. Come on good ladies, and let us goe ' all together unto Martius, to intreate him to take pitie upon ' us, and also to reporte the trothe unto him, how muche you
* are bounde unto the citizens : who notwithstandinge they have
* susteined greate hurte and losses by him, yet they have not
* hetherto sought revenge apon your persons by any discurte- *ous usage, neither ever concey ved any suche thought or intent
* against you, but doe deliver ye safe into his handes, though
* thereby they looke for no better grace or clemency from 'him.' When Valeria had spoken this unto them, all thother ladyes together with one voyce confirmed that she had sayed.
Then Volumnia in this sorte did aunswer her : ' My good The aunswere
* ladies, we are partakers with you of the common miserie and°^^°^"'^"'^ ' calamitie of our countrie, and yet our griefe exceedeth yours Romaine
* the more, by reason of our particular misfortune : to feele the^^^^^^.
* losse of my sonne Martius former valiancie and glorie, and to
* see his persone environned nowe with our enemies in armes,
* rather to see him foorth comminge and safe kept, then of any
* love to defende his persone. But yet the greatest griefe of
* our heaped mishappes is to see our poore countrie brought to
* suche extremitie, that all hope of the safetie and preservation ' thereof, is nowe unfortunately cast uppon us simple women : 'bicause we knowe not what accompt he will make of us,
* sence he hath cast from him all care of his naturall countrie *and common weale, which heretofore he hath holden more
* deere and precious, then either his mother, wife, or children. .'Notwithstandinge, if ye thinke we can doe good, we will
'willingly doe what you will have us : bringe us to him I pray
* you. For if we can not prevaile, we maye yet dye at his *feete, as humble sutors for the safetie of our countrie.' Her aunswere ended, she tooke her daughter in lawe, and Martius children with her, and being accompanied with all the other Romaine ladies, they went in troupe together unto the Volsces campe : whome when they sawe, they of them selves did both pitie and reverence her, and there was not a man amonge them that once durst say a worde unto her. Nowe was Martius set then in his chayer of state, with all the honours of a generall, and when he had spied the women comming a farre of, he marveled what the matter ment : but afterwardes knowing his wife which came formest, he determined at the first to persist
Iviii THE LIFE OF
in his obstinate and inflexible rancker. But overcomen in the ende with naturall affection, and being altogether altered to see them : his harte would not serve him to tarie their comming to his chayer, but comming downe in hast, he went to meete them, and first he kissed his mother, and imbraced her a pretie while, then his wife and little children. And nature so wrought with him, that theteares fell from his eyes, and he coulde not keepe him selfe from making much of them, but yeelded to the affection of his bloode, as if he had bene violently caried with the furie of a most swift running streame. After he had thus lovingly received them, and perceivinge that his mother Volumnia would beginne to speake to him, he called the chiefest of the counsel! of the Volsces to heare what she would The oration say. Then she spake in this sorte : 'If we helde our peace unto°hersorme * ^"^^ sonne) and determined not to speake, the state of our Coriolanus. ' poore bodies, and present sight of our rayment, would easely ' bewray to thee what life we have led at home, since thy exile
* and abode abroad. But thinke now with thy selfe, howe ' much more unfortunatly, then all the women livinge we are ' come hether, considering that the sight which should be most ' pleasaunt to all other to beholde, spiteful! fortune hath made ' most feareful! to us : making my selfe to see my sonne, and ' my daughter here, her husband, besieging the walles of his ' native countrie. So as that which is thonly comforte to all ' other in their adversitie and miserie, to pray unto the goddes,
* and to call to them for aide : is the onely thinge which
* plongeth us into most deepe perplexitie. For we can not ' (alas) together pray, both for victorie, for our countrie, and ' for safety of thy life also : but a worlde of grievous curses, ' yea more than any mortal! enemie can heape uppon us, are
* forcibly wrapt up in our prayers. For the bitter soppe of
* most harde choyce is offered thy wife and children, to forgoe ' the one of the two : either to lose the persone of thy selfe, or ' the nurse of their native contrie. For my selfe (my sonne)
* I am determined not to tarie, till fortune in my life time doe
* make an ende of this warre. For if I cannot persuade thee, ' rather to doe good unto both parties, then to overthrowe and ' destroye the one, preferring love and nature, before the malice ' and calamitie of warres : thou shalt see, my sonne, and trust ' unto it, thou shalt no soner marche forward to assault thy ' countrie, but thy foote shall treade upon thy mothers wombe, 'that brought thee first into this world. And I maye not de-
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS lix
ferre to see the daye, either that my sonne be led prisoner in 'triun:iphe by his naturall country men, or that he him selfe ' doe triumphe of them, and of his naturall countrie. For if it
* were so, that my request tended to save thy countrie, in de-
* stroying the Volsces : I must confesse, thou wouldest hardly
* and doubtfully resolve on that. For as to destroye thy
* naturall countrie, it is altogether unmete and unlawfull : so
* were it not just, and lesse honorable, to betraye those that put
* their trust in thee. But my only demaunde consisteth, to
* make a gayle deliverie of all evills, which delivereth equall
* benefit and safety, both to the one and the other, but most ' honorable for the Volsces. For it shall appeare, that having ' victorie in their handes, they have of special! favour graunted ' us singular graces : peace, and amitie, albeit them selves have *no lesse parte of both, then we ; Of which good, if so it came
* to passe, thy selfe is thonly authour, and so hast thou thonly
* honour. But if it faile, and fall out contrarie : thy selfe alone
* deservedly shall carie the shamefull reproche and burden of
* either partie. So, though the ende of warre be uncertaine, *yet this notwithstanding is most certaine : that if it be thy
* chaunce to conquer, this benefit shalt thou reape of thy goodly 'conquest, to be chronicled the plague and destroyer of thy
* countrie. And if fortune also overthrowe thee, then the world
* will saye, that through desire to revenge thy private injuries, *thou hast for ever undone thy good friendes, who dyd most 'lovingly and curteously receyve thee.' Martins gave good eare unto his mothers wordes, without interrupting her speache at all : and after she had sayed what she would, he held his peace a prety while, and aunswered not a worde. Hereupon she began ne againe to speake unto him, and sayed : ' My ' sonne, why doest thou not aunswer me ? doest thou thinke it
* good altogether to geve place unto thy choller and desire of
* revenge, and thinkest thou it not honestie for thee to graunt ' thy mothers request, in so weighty a cause ? doest thou take ' it honourable for a noble man, to remember the wronges and 'injuries done him: and doest not in like case thinke it an ' honest noble mans parte, to be thankefull for the goodnes that ' parents doe shewe to their children, acknowledging the duety
* and reverence they ought to beare unto them ? No man ' living is more bounde to shewe him selfe thankefull in all ' partes and respects, then thy selfe : who so unnaturally 'sheweth all ingratitude. Moreover (my sonne) thou hast
Ix
THE LIFE OF
* sorely taken of thy countrie, exacting grievous payments apon ' them, in revenge of the injuries offered thee : besides, thou ' has not hitherto shewed thy poore mother any curtesie. And
* therefore, it is not only honest, but due unto me, that without
* compulsion 1 should obtaine my so just and reasonable re- ' quest of thee. But since by reason I cannot persuade thee
* to it, to what purpose doe I deferre my last hope?' And with these wordes, her selfe, his wife and children, fell downe upon their knees before him. Martius seeing that, could re-
Coriolanus fraine no lenger, but went straight and lifte her up, crying h?s'"morher"°^*^"^* ^^ mother, what have you done to me? And holding her hard by the right hande, oh mother, sayed he, you have wonne a happy victorie for your countrie, but mortall and unhappy for your sonne : for I see my self vanquished by you alone. These wordes being spoken openly, he spake a little a parte with his mother and wife, and then let them returne againe to Rome, for so they dyd request him : and so remaining in campe that night, the next morning he dislodged, and marched homewardes into the Volsces countrie againe, who were not all of one minde, nor all alike contented. P"or some misliked him, and that he had done. Other being well pleased that peace should be made, sayed : that neither the one, nor the other, deserved blame nor reproche. Other, though they misliked that was done, dyd not thincke him an ill man for that he dyd, but sayed : he was not to be blamed, though he yelded to suche a forcible extremitie. Howbeit no man contraried his departure, but all obeyed his com- maundement, more for respect of his worthines and valiancie, then for feare of his authoritie. Now the cittizens of Rome plainely shewed, in what feare and daunger their cittie stoode of this warre, when they were delivered. For so sone as the watche upon the walles of the cittie perceyved the Volsces campe to remove, there was not a temple in the cittie but was presently set open, and full of men, wearing garlands of flowers upon their heads, sacrificing to the goddes, as they were wont to doe upon the newes of some great obteined victorie. And this common joye was yet more manifestly shewed, by the honorable curtesies the whole Senate, and people dyd bestowe on their ladyes. For they were all thoroughly persuaded, and dyd certenly beleeve, that the ladyes only were cause of the saving of the cittie, and de- livering them selves from the instant daunger of the warre.
Coriolanus withdraweth his armie from Rome.
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS Ixi
'hereupon the Senate ordeined, that the magistrates to gratifie and honour these ladyes, should graunte them all that they would require. And they only requested that they would build a temple of Fortune of the women, for the The temple of building whereof they offered them selves to defraye the Fortune bmlt whole charge of the sacrifices, and other ceremonies belonging women, to the service of the goddes. Nevertheles, the Senate com- mending their good will and forwardnes, ordeined, that the temple and image should be made at the common charge of the cittie. Notwithstanding that, the ladyes gathered money emong them, and made with the same a second image ofThe image of
Fortune, which the Romaines saye dyd speake as they offred ^^^^J""^ ^P^^^
to the ladyes
her up in the temple, and dyd set her in her place : and they at Rome.
affirme, that she spake these wordes : Ladyes, ye have de-
voutely offered me up. Moreover, that she spake that twise
together, making us to beleeve things that never were, and
are not to be credited. . . . Now when Martius was returned ' '
againe into the cittie of Antium from his voyage, TuUus that
hated and could no lenger abide him for the feare he had of
his authoritie : sought divers meanes to make him out of the Tullus Aufi-
waye, thinking that if he let slippe that present time, he ^*"^.^^^^^'^^
should never recover the like and fit occasion againe. Where- Coriolanus.
fore Tullus having procured many other of his confederacy,
required Martius might be deposed from his estate, to render
up accompt to the Volsces of his charge and government.
Martius fearing to become a private man againe under Tullus
being generall (whose authoritie was greater otherwise, then
any other emong all the Volsces) aunswered : he was willing
to geve up his charge, and would resigne it into the handes
of the lordes of the Volsces, if they dyd all commaund
him, as by all their commaundement he receyved it. And
moreover, that he would not refuse even at that present to
geve up an accompt unto the people, if they would tarie the
hearing of it. The people hereupon called a common counsaill,
in which assembly there were certen oratours appointed, that
stirred up the common people against him : and when they
had tolde their tales, Martius rose up to make them aunswer.
Now, notwithstanding the mutinous people made a marvelous
great noyse, yet when they sawe him, for the reverence they
bare unto his valliantnes, they quieted them selves, and gave
still audience to alledge with leysure what he could for his
purgation. Moreover, the honestest men of the Antiates, and
Ixii
THE LIFE OF
Coriolanus murdered in the cittie of Antium.
Coriolanus funeralles.
The time of mourning ap- pointed by Numa.
Tullus Aufi- dius slaine in battell.
who most rejoyced in peace, shewed by their countenaunce that they would heare him willingly, and judge also according to their conscience. Whereupon Tullus fearing that if he dyd let him speake, he would prove his innocencie to the people, bicause emongest other things he had an eloquent tongue, besides that the first good service he had done to the people of the Volsces, dyd winne him more favour, then these last accusations could purchase him displeasure : and furthermore, the offence they layed to his charge, was a testimonie of the good will they ought him, for they would never have thought he had done them wrong for that they tooke not the cittie of Rome, if they had not bene very neere taking of it, by meanes of his approche and conduction. For these causes Tullus thought he might no lenger delaye his pretence and enterprise, neither to tarie for the mutining and rising of the common people against him : wherefore, those that were of the conspiracie, beganne to crie out that he was not to be heard, nor that they would not suffer a traytour to usurpe tyrannicall power over the tribe of the Volsces, who would not yeld up his estate and authoritie. And in saying these wordes, they all fell upon him, and killed him in the market place, none of the people once offering to rescue him. How- beit it is a clere case, that this murder was not generally con- sented unto, of the most parte of the Volsces : for men came out of all partes to honour his bodie, and dyd honorably burie him, setting out his tombe with great store of armour and spoyles, as the tombe of a worthie persone and great captaine. The Romaines understanding of his death, shewed no other honour or malice, saving that they graunted the ladyes the request they made : that they might mourne tenne moneths for him, and that was the full time they used to weare blackes for the death of their fathers, brethern, or husbands, according to Numa Fompilius order, who stablished the same, as we have enlarged more amplie in the description of his life. Now Martius being dead, the whole state of the Volsces hartely wished him alive againe. For first of all they fell out with the ^ques (who were their friendes and confederates) touching preheminence and place: and this quarrell grewe on so farre betwene them, and frayes and murders fell out apon it one with another. After that, the Romaines overcame them in battell, in which Tullus was slaine in the field, and the flower of all their force was put to the sworde : so that they were
I
CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS Ixiii
compelled to accept most shameful! conditions of peace, in yelding them selves subject unto the conquerers, and promising to be obedient at their commandement
EXTRACT FROM CAMDEN'S ' REMAINES OF A GREATER WORKE, CONCERNING BRITAINE,' ETC., 1605. GRAVE SPEECHES, AND WITTIE APOTHEGMES OF WOORTHIE PERSONAGES OF THIS REALME IN FORMER TIMES, pp. 198, 199.
Pope Adrian the fourth an English man borne, of the familie of Breakespeare in Middlesex, a man commended for converting Norway to Christianity, before his Papacie, but noted in his Papacie, for vsing the Emperour Fredericke the second as his Page, in holding his stirroppe, demaunded oi John of Sarisbury his countryman what opinion the world had of the Church of Rome, and of him, who answered : The Church of Rome which should be a mother, is now a stepmother, wherein sit both Scribes and Pharises ; and as for your selfe, whenas you are a father, why doe you expect pensions from your children ? etc, Adrian smiled, and after some excuses tolde him this tale, which albeit it may seeme long, and is not vnlike that of Menenius Agrippa in Livie, yet give it the reading, and happly you may learne somwhat by it All the members of the body conspired against the stomacke, as against the swallowing gulfe of all their labors ; for whereas the eies beheld, the eares heard, the handes labored, the feete traveled, the tongue spake, and all partes performed their functions, onely the stomacke lay ydle and consumed all. Hereuppon they ioyntly agreed al to forbeare their labors, and to pine away their lasie and publike enemy. One day passed over, the second followed very tedious, but the third day was so grievous to them all, that they called a common Counsel ; The eyes waxed dimme, the feete could not support the body, the armes waxed lasie, the tongue faltered, and could not lay open the matter ; Therefore they all with one accord desired the advise of the Heart. There Reason layd open before them, that hee against ivhome they had proclaimed warres, was the cause of all this their misery : For he as their common steward, when his allowances were withdrawne, of necessitie withdrew theirs fro them, as not receiving that he might allow. Therefore
Ixiv THE LIFE OF CORIOLANUS
// zvere a farre better course to supply him, than that the limbs should faint with hunger. So by the perswasion of Reason, the stouiacke was served, the linibes comforted, and peace re-established. Even so it fareth with the bodies of Common-weales ; for albeit the Princes gather much^ yet not so much for themselves, as for others : So that if they want, they cannot supply the want of others ; therefore do not repine at Princes heerein, but respect the common good of the whole publike estate. {Idem}
M.e. Polycraticon.
\ CORIOLANUS
i
DRAMATIS PERSON^^
Caius Marcius, afterwards Caius Marches Coriola?iits. C TTiq ' r ^^^^^^^^ against the Volscians.
Menenius Ag'B.i^^a, friend to Coriolanus.
SiCINIUS VeLUTUS \ . -y r ^1. J. J.1
T -D „ , \ tribunes of the people.
Junius Brutus j j t r
Young Marcius, son to Coriolanus.
A Ro7nan Herald.
TULLUS AuFiDius, general of the Volscians.
Lieutenant to Aufidius.
Conspirators with Aufidius.
Nicanor, a Roman in the service of the Volscians.
Adrian, a Volscian.
A citizen of Antium.
Two Volscian Guards. /Volumnia, mother to Coriolanus. 1 Virgil I A, wife to Coriolanus. ' Valeria, friend to Virgilia.
Gentlewoman attending on Virgilia.
Romati and Volscian Senators, Patricians, ^Jiles, Lictors, Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers^ Servants to Aufidius, and other Attendants.
Scene : Rome and tfie neighbourhood ; Corioles and the neighbourhood ; Antium.
^ Not in Ff. First given by Rowe, imperfectly.
I
I
CORIOLANUS
ACT I
SCENE I.— -Rome. A Street
Enter a company of mutinous Citizens^ with staves^ clubs^ and other weapons.
First Cit. Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.
All. Speak, speak.
First Cit. You are all resolved rather to die than to
famish ? All. Resolved, resolved. 5
First Cit. First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy
to the people. All. We know 't, we know 't. First Cit. Let us kill him, and we '11 have corn at our own
price. Is 't a verdict ? 10
All. No more talking on 't ; let it be done. Away,
away
Second Cit. One word, good citizens.
Scene i. Act I. Scene /.] Scenes (save Act v. scenes v. and vi.) as in Capell ; acts marked, but no scenes save here, in Ff, scenes first by Rovire ; Pope made nev^r scenes to introduce each new character, Rome. A Street.'] A street in Rome, Pope ;
omitted Ff.
9-10. Let us . . . price] Here Shake- speare departs from the account in North's Plutarch, in which the question of the corn does not arise, nor are there any corn riots, till after the war with the Voices. See Extracts, ante, p. xxxvi et seq.
10. Is H a verdict ?] Are we unani- mous on the point ? Verity notes this
instance of Shakespeare's " partiality for legal figures."
II. on 7] of it, about it. This con- fusion between on and of is very common. See Cymbeline, iv. ii. 198 : " The bird is dead That we have made so much on," and also the Chronicle of Edward Halle, 1542, ed. 1809, P- 439 "■ '• John Lilie fell sick on the gowt."
4
CORIOLANUS
[act
First Cit. We are accounted poor citizens, the patricians, good. What authority surfeits on would relieve us. If they would yield us but the superfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess they relieved us humanely ; but they think we are too dear : the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an inventory to particularize their abundance ; our sufferance is a gain to them. Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes : for the gods know I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge.
15. o»] F 3 ; one F.
15. good\ The commercial sense, wealthy,i8 quibbled with. Compare The Merchant of Venice^ i. iii. 12-17 '• — " Shy. Antonio is a good man. Bass. Have you heard any im- putation to the contrary ? Shy. Ho, no, no, no, no : my meaning in saying he is a. good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient." See also The Woman's Prize, 1647, I. i. ; Weber's Beaumont and Fletcher, V. 260 : —
'* Moroso. I hold him a good man.
Sophocles. Yes, sure, a wealthy." authority] Those in authority, the ruling classes. Compare Measure for Measure, i, ii. 124-125 : —
" Thus can the demi-god Authority Make us pay down for our offence
by weight The word of heaven."
17. guess] think. Schmidt gives two other instances of guess in this sense from 1 Henry VI. 11. i. 29, and Henry VIII. II. i. 47. The New Eng. Diet. gives several early English (no Eliza- bethan) examples : it quotes a 1400 Prymer (Early Eng. Text Soc), 64 : '* Gessist thou not {Vulg. putasne) that a deed man shall live agen ? "
18. they think . . . dear] Johnson explains : " they think that the charge of maintaining us is more than we are worth." Others, however, explain " too precious," referring to what follows.
19. the objcct]ihe spectsicle. Shake- speare uses object in this sense in Troilus and Cressida, ii. ii. 41 : "And reason flies the object of all harm." The New Eng. Diet, gives
15
20
an instance from Chapman, Batra- chomyomachia (1616), 15 : —
'• He advancing . - . past all the rest arose In glorious object.^'
19-20. is . . . abundance] serves as a catalogue of wants emphasising their own plenty. Particularize is only found here in Shakespeare.
21. sufferance] suffering, misery, as often in Shakespeare. Compare jfuliiis Ccssar, 11. i. 115: •• The sufferance of our souls." See also Thomas Lodge, Complaint of Elstred, Hunterian Club ed., p. 77 : " I faynting fell, enfeebled through my sufferance.'*
21-22. Let us . . . rakes] Pike was in early use in the sense of pitch-fork, which suggests the comparison in the text. Among other references, New Eng. Diet, quotes Tusser, Five Hun- dreth Points of Good Husbandry^ 1573, ed. 1878, p. 37 [1812, chap. xvi. p. 14, September] : —
" A rake for to hale up the fitchis that lie, A pike for to pike them up hand- some to drie." The proverbial expression used in Chaucer 's Prologue, line 287 : '• As lene was his hors as is a rake," is common : see Skelton, The Boke of Phyllyp Sparowe [ed. Dyce, i. 79], cited by New Eng. Diet. : " Odyous Enui . . . His bones crake leane as a rake," and Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II. xi. 22 : "His body leane and meagre as a rake." In Stanyhurst's translation of Virgil, 1582 [ed. Arber, p. 89], Sinon is called " A meigre leane rake."
li
I
t
CORIOLANUS
Second Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius 25 Marcius?
All. Against him first : he 's a very dog to the com- monalty.
Second Cit. Consider you what services he has done for
his country ? 30
First Cit. Very well ; and could be content to give him good report for 't, but that he pays himself with being proud.
Second Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously.
First Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, 35 he did it to that end : though soft-conscienced men can be content to say it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud ; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.
Second Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you 40 account a vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous.
First Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusa- tions : he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repeti- tion. \^Shoiits within. 45 What shouts are these ? The other side o' the city is risen : why stay we prating here ? to the Capitol ! 34. S^roMrf Cx7.] Malone ; ^4//. Ff.
27. /4//] Malone thought these words should be put into the mouth of First Citizen, and Hudson so reads.
a very dog to, etc.] The dog is sometimes mentioned with indifference, and generally as the incarnation of bad qualities in Shakespeare's plays. In Kiricr Lear, in. iv. 96, the character- istic of the dog is madness : " hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in madness," the sense of madness here being probably rabies, wild fury. See also 2 Henry IV. iv. v. 131- 133:—
" For the fifth Harry from curb'd license plucks The muzzle of restraint, and the
wild dog Shall flesh his tooth in every inno- cent " ; and, among other writers, Halle, Chronicle, 1542, ed. i8og, p. 21 : " The Gascons now abhorring the English people more than a dog or an Adder." 27. commonalty'] the common people :
46. 0' the'] 0' M' F 4 ; a 'th F ; a Hh' F 3.
in Shakespeare, 170 : '* To gain
as only once again
Henry VIII, I. ii.
the love o' the commonalty.^^ It is
in North's Plutarch ; see the Extracts,
ante, p. xxxi, etc. Also see Nash, Pierce
Penilesse, 1592, ed. McKerrow, i. 222
(last line) : " the brutish Comminaltie."
34. Nay, but, etc.] Malone again would place these words in the First Citizen's mouth.
37-38. he . . . proud] he did it partly to please his mother, and partly for the sake of his pride. It is un- necessary to change the text, as various editors have done.
39. to the altitude] Steevens quotes Henry VIII. i. ii. 214 : " He's traitor to the height," The speaker, of course, means to say : " brave man as he is, he is quite as proud as he is brave."
46. The . . . city] Probably Shakes- peare had in his mind, the fact that the people went out, as Plutarch told him, to " the Holy Hill " (Mons Sacer) where the tribunes were granted them.
6
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
All. Come, come.
First Cit. Soft ! who comes here ?
Enter MenenIUS AGRIPPA.
Second Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa ; one that hath 50 always loved the people.
First Cit. He 's one honest enough : would all the rest were so !
Men. What work 's, my countrymen, in hand ? where go you With bats and clubs? The matter? Spoak, I pray you. 55
First Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate ; they have had inkling this fortnight what we in- tend to do, which now we '11 show 'em in deeds.
54» 55* What . . . pray you^ As Theobald ; three lines ending . . . hand P . . . matter . . . you in Ff. 56. First Cit.'] 1 Cit. Capell (and throughout
the scene) ; 2 Cit. Ff.
49. Soft !] A common expression used to restrain, delay, or give pause : see The Tempest, i. ii. 449 : " Soft sir : one word more," and Mother Bombie, 1598, Fairholt's Lyly, 11. 145, " Nay, soft, take us with you." Sometimes we find " soft, soft" (Tzuelfth Night, 1. v. 312), sometimes " Soft you " {Hamlet, III. i. 88). See also Nash, Have with you to Saffron Walden, 1596, ed. McKerrow, in. iiS, line 29, "But soft you now how is this, or any part of this to be proved ? "
55. bats and clubs] As again i. i. 160 post. Boswell-Stone (Shakespeare's Holinshed, i8g6, p. 221), writes {re Henry VI. Part I.), quoting Fabyan's Chronicles, 15 16, p. 596: •♦ Fabyan says (596) that the Parliament which witnessed the reconciliation of Glou- cester and Winchester 'was clepyd of the Comon people the Parlyam^wt of Battes : the cause was, for Proclama- cyons were made, that men shulde Icue theyr Swerdes and other wepeyns in iheyr Innys, the people toke great battes and stauys in theyr neckes, and so folowed theyr \oxdes and maisters vnto the Parlyament.' " Bat — a stout staff: compare A Lover^s Complaint, 64, •* So slides he down upon his grained bat.'' We read in Wyclif 's Bible, Mathew, xxvi. 47, "a great cumpanye with Kwcrdis and battes'' ("swords
and staves " in the Authorized version), Shakespeare has frequent references to clubs, the weapon of prentices and other citizens. See 1 Henry VI. i. iii, 84, in this series, and the note there. The matter] Often used for •* What's the matter ? " (which occurs in II. i. 255 post. For the present expres- sion, see III. i. 27 post, and Antony and Cleopatra, 11. vii. 63 : "I think thour't mad. The matter? "
56. First CitJ] Capell's correction, adopted here and in the following speeches, is thus advocated by Malone : " This and all the subsequent plebeian speeches in this scene are given in the old copy to the second Citizen. But the dialogue at the opening of the play shows that it must have been a mistake, and that they ought to be attributed to \.\\t first Citizen. The second is rather friendly to Coriolanus."
57. inkling] hint, slight intimation. Only once apjain in Shakespeare, Henry VIII. 11. i. 140: —
♦' I can give you inkling Of an ensuing evil." See North's Plutarch, 1579, ed. 1595, p. 46S : *' But the keeper of the house, having an tnckling of their coming," Lyly, Euphues and his England, 1580 ^ed. Arber, p. 420) : " though loth that Camilla should conce[i]ue any inch- ling."
sc. I ] CORIOLANUS 7
They say poor suitors have strong breaths : they shall know wc have strong arms too. 60
Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neigh- bours, Will you undo yourselves?
First Cit We cannot, sir ; we are undone already.
Men. I tell you, friends, most charitable care
Have the patricians of you. For your wants, 65
Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well
Strike at the heaven with your staves as lift them
Against the Roman state, whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder than can ever 70
Appear in your impediment. For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it, and
Your knees to them, not arms, must help. Alack !
You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you ; and you slander 75
The helms o' the state, who care for you like fathers,
When you curse them as enemies.
61, 62. Why . . . yourselves ?] As Theobald ; Ff divide after hottest. 65. you. For . . . wants,] Johnson ; you : for . . . wants, Rowe ; you for . . . wants. F ; yo^ for ' . . wants, F 3.
59-60. They say . . . too] A quibble. It occurs in North's Plutarch, see Ex- Strong is defined by Johnson (Diet.), tracts, ante, p. xxxvii. in this connection, as " affecting the gg^ ^^ ^„-| Compare Jtilius Ccisar, smell powerfully," and he quotes i„. i. 217: " Or shall we o», and not Hiu/i6ras,[PartII. canto 1, 753-755]:— depend on you," and see Abbott,
" The prmce of Cambay's daily tood shakes. Gram., § 405.
Is asp, and basilisk, and toad, . . , ,. -, •
Which makes him have so s/ro«^ 1]' ^n yo^ir impediment] m any
a breath " etc hindrance you are likely to make :
Compare iv. vi. 99 post, " The breath Malone quotes Othello, v. ii. 263 :—
of garlic-eaters," 11. i. 232, " beg their " I have made my way through more
stinking breaths," in. iii. 120, " whose impediments
breath I hate As reek o' the rotten fens," Than twenty times your stop."
and see also Measure for Measure, in. y^. Thither . . . you] To open
ii. 187-189 (in this edition) : "he would mutiny, which will but increase your
mouth with a beggar, though she troubles.
smelt brown bread and garlic," and c 1 1 1 u \ 1 * . ^«^
Mr. Hart's note there. 76- helms] helmsmen, pilots coni-
66. dearth] famine; its primary P^^^ ^'^'Yw ^7-.- '!'^^^' u ^l'
i -^ t 145-147, in this edition : " the business
meaning is dearness, scarcity of corn, t^^ ,.^'^ ^, t-» 1 \ u ..u 7 7 j ^ „4.
T^ • r J u ou 1 „«.-. he {t.e. the Duke) hath helmed must
t IS often used by Shakespeare : see ^.^ ^ ^)^^^^ proclamation,"
n. 10 post, and Antony and Cleopatra, ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^,^ ^^^^ ^^V^^
II. vii. 21-23 : —
" they know like fathers] '* Patres, i.e.
By the height, the lowness, or the ' fathers,' Was the title of the Senators
mean, if dearth of ancient Rome ; ht.nct patrician = ' of
Or foizon follow." noble birth ' " (Verity).
8
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
First Cit. Care for us ! True, indeed ! They ne'er cared for us yet : suffer us to famish, and their storehouses crammed with grain ; make edicts for usury, to sup- 80
port^ usurers ; repeal daily any ^wliolesome act
established against the rich, and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars ^at. us_n,Qt- up, they will; and there ^ah the Iqye they bear us. 8 5
Men. Either you must
Confess yourselves wondrous malicious.
Or be accus'd of folly. I shall tell you
A pretty tale : it may be you have heard it ;
But, since it sei-ves my purpose, I will venture 90
To scale 't a little more.
78. indeed ! They"} indeed !- Ff, stale H Theobald.
■they Theobald ; indeed, they Ff. 91. scale 7]
78. True indeed!] Ironical. "O yes, very likely."
79-80. suffer . . . graiji] Shakespeare had read in North's Plutarch (see Extracts, ante, p. xl) : " In the meane season there came great plenty of corn to Rome that had been bought, part in Italic, and part was sent out of Sicilie, as geven by Gelon the ^tyranne of Syracusa."
80, 81. make . . . tcsurers] An allu- sion to the subject of the quarrel between the Patricians and Plebeians stated in North's Plutarch : see Ex- tracts, p. XXX ante,
82-83, more piercing statutes] Com- pare " biting laws," Measure for Mea- sure, I. iii. 19.
89. pretty] Perhaps = apt, pat, to the purpose. Shakespeare often uses pretty in the sense of " suitable " : compare Romeo and Juliet, i. iii. 10, " a pretty age," i.e. one suitable for marriage ; Troilus and Cressida, i. ii. 169, " his pretty answer." See also Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621, Part I, Sec. 2, Mem. 4, Subsec. 4 : " Martin Cromerus, in the sixth book of his history, hath a pretty story to this purpose ; " and then follows a rather horrible tale.
91. To scale 't . . . more] scale V is retained here solely in deference to Mr. Craig's intention, as strongly expressed in the following note, after which will
be found a brief statement of my own objections to it. — R. H. C. I retain the folio reading scale 't. Theobald, reading stale H, writes of scale H as follows : " Thus all the editions {i.e, the Ff, Rowe, and Pope), but without any manner of sense that I can make out. The Poet must have wrote, as I have corrected the text." Now this, no doubt, makes very excellent sense, and Shakespeare uses the verb stale in several passages with this identical meaning. Besides, as has been noted, Massinger writes {The Unnatural Com- bat, IV. ii.) : " I'll not stale the jest By my relation." All editors followed Theobald's lead, till the time of George Steevens, who has (see Malone's Shakes., 1790, vol. vii. p. 148), what is, to my mind, a very convincing note in favour of scale. He writes : " To scale is to disperse. The word is still used in the North. The sense is, ' Though some of you haveheard the story, I will spread it wider, and diffuse it among the rest.' ' ' Gifford writes : " I cannot avoid look- ing upon the whole of his [Steeven's] long note, as a feeble attempt to justify a palpable error of the press, at the cost of taste and sense," and nearly all modern editors have continued to read stalest with Theobald. Hudson says: " The forced attempts made to justify scale are, I think, a full condemnation of it." The present editor, in The Ox-
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
First Cit. Well, I '11 hear it, sir ; yet you must not think to fob off our disgrace with a tale ; but, and 't please you, deliver.
Men. There was a time when all the body's members / RebeH'd against the belly ; thus accus'd it :
95
92-94. Prose Capell ; four lines ending Well, . . . thiukc deliver, in Ff.
tale
ford Shakespeare, i8gi, retained the Ff reading, and nothing would induce him to follow Theobald : for though he ad- mits it is not impossible that Shake- speare may have written stalest, it is bad editing to strike out what already makes excellent sense, and to '* re-write Shakespeare." Now with regard to the verb scale, first let us remember that Shakespeare often uses words in a somewhat licentious sense, bending them without scruple to one that pleases him. It is not impossible that the idea m his mind may have been, to ventilate, air, disperse, with a sort of play on the sense " weigh in scales," a sense which the word bears in 11. iii. 247 post. This sort of thing he has done often : see A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1. i. 131, where it is most likely that he uses beteem in the double sense of "pour out" and "allow," "per- mit"; and Lear, iii. vii. 6i, where "stelled" appears to be used in the double senses of " fixed " or " set," and "starry." Steevens gives several ex- amples of scale in the sense of " dis- perse": e.g. Holinshed, Chronicle, vol. ii. p. 499 : " they " (the Welsh- men) " would no longer abide, but scaled and departed away " ; The Hystorie of Clyomon, Knight of the Golden Shield, etc., 1599 (see Peele's Works, Bullen, 11. 164) : —
" Clyo. Ah sirrah, now the hugy
heaps of cares that lodged in
my mind Are scaled from their nestling
place, and pleasures passage
find."— Craig. Mr. Craig pleads for, and acts on, a good principle; but I feel bound to point out that the words "some of" which Steevens slips into his interpre- tation to give it probability have no warrant from Shakespeare : (" Though some of you have heard," etc.). Men- enius speaks to all the citizens present :
" Either you must confess yourselves ... I shall tell you a pretty tale ; it may be you have heard it " : and as- sumes his story to be possibly known to all. Hence to enable him to scale or diffuse it, we should have to assume that in saying : " it may be you have heard it," he suddenly and pointedly addresses the First Citizen only : we cannot turn yon into some of you to please Steevens.
93. fob off . . . tale] to cajole us, to put our wrongs out of our heads by telling us a story. Compare fub off, another form of this word : see 2 Henry IV. II. i. 36-38, " I have borne, and borne, and borne, and have h'm fub' d off, and fuVd off from this day to that day " (here it means put off, deluded by empty words) ; and also compare fobb'd in the sense of cheated, deluded, in 1 Henry IV. i. ii. 68. For fob off see The Chances, in. iv. (Beaumont and Fletcher, 1679 folio, p. 420) :—
" Never fool Was so fobb'd off a.s I am ; " also (in ioimfop off) The London Prodi- gal, 1605, I. i. : " Sblood, what, doth hee thinke to/o/ o/his posteritie with paradoxes ? "
disgrace] " Disgraces are hard- ships, or injuries " (Johnson).
and '^] the spelling of the folios, for which Hanmer and other editors have substituted an H. See Antony and Cleopatra, ii. vii. 98, in this edition, and note there.
94. deliver] out with it : compare Richard II. 111. iii- 33, 34 : —
" Send the breath of parley Into his ruin'd ears, and thus de- liver : " The sense " to relate " is very frequent in Shakespeare.
95. 96. There . . . belly ;] See In- troduction, p. x, and Extracts, ante, pp. xxxi and Ixiii.
10
CORIOLANUS
[act
That only like a gulf it did remain r the midst o' the body, idle and unactive, Still cupboarding the viand, never bearing Like labour with the rest, where the other instru- ments Did see and hear, devise, instruct, walk, feel, And, mutually participate, did minister Unto the appetite and affection common Of the whole body. The belly answer'd, —
First Cit. Well, sir, what answer made the belly ?
Men. Sir, I shall tell you. With a kind of smile,
Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus, —
100
10
98. 0' the\ 0' th' F 4 ; a iA' F ; so in other places, comma Ff.
102. Ayid,^ Malone ; no
97- ^"^/] whirlpool, old French Golfe : see Cotgrave, French Diet., 1611, '* GoZ/<?; a Gulfe, whirle poole, or bottomlesse pit." bee also Richard III. III. vii. 128, Henry V. 11. iv.
10, Hamlet, in. iii. 16, and Fenton's Bandello, 1567, Discourse VII. (Tudor Translations, 11. 24) : " resemblynge a bottomles goolphe, receyvinge all that is putt into it, without castynge anye thinge upp againe"; also Chapman, Homer's Odysseys, Bk. IX, line 412 : "Because the gulf his (the Cyclop's) belly reacht his throat." The word is evidence that Shakespeare knew the version of the Belly and Members table in Camden's Remaines, 1605, p. igg : *' All the members of the body conspired against the stomacke, as against the swallowing gicl/e of all their labours," etc.
98. unactivel The only instance of this word (there is none of its modern equivalent inactive) in Shakespeare. Compare Milton, Paradise Regained,
11. ho-8i : " his life, Private, unactive, calm, contemplative."
99. cupboarding] (spelt cubbording in F), stowing away, as in a cupboard. The New Eng. Diet, gives an earlier instance of this verb : Darius, 1565 (i860), 53 :-
" He . . . With the woman also coberdith his lyfe He regardeth neither father nor mother, and al for his wife." viand] food, elsewhere plural in Shakespeare).
100. where] whereas : see i. x. 13 post ; frequent in Shakespeare. Cova- pase King Lear, i. ii. 89; The Merchant of Venice, iv. i. 22 ; and for examples in other writers, see notes in the editions of these plays in this series.
loi. Did see . . . feel] Referring to the work done by the eye, the ear, the brain, the tongue, the legs, the nerves respectively.
102. mutually participate] Malone explains participate here, as " partici- pant " or "participating." Compare reverberate for reverberating. Twelfth Night, I. v. 291 ; and see New Eng. Diet, under sense "made to share," with reference to the preceding partici- pant, as equivalent.
103. affection] desire. See line 176 post {affections).
106, 107. With . . . lungs] With a disdainful, haughty smile as opposed to a hearty laugh. Compare As You Like It, II. vi. 30: —
" My lungs began to crow like chanticleer, . . . And I did laugh sans intermission. An hour by his dial " ; Phineas Fletcher, The Purple Island, 1633, canto iv. stanza 13, says of "the Diazome or Diaphragma, which we call the midriffe " : —
" Here sportful Laughter dwells, here ever sitting Defies all lumpish griefs, and wrinkled Care."
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
11
For, look you, I may make the belly smile
As well as speak — it tauntingly replied
To the discontented members, the mutinous parts i lo
That envied his receipt ; even so most fitly,
As you malign our senators for that
They are not such as you. "^ First Cit. Your belly's answer ? What !
The kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye.
The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier, 115
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter.
With other muniments and petty helps
In this our fabric, if that they — Men. What then?
'Fore me, this fellow speaks ! What then ? what then? First Cit, Should by the cormorant belly be restrain'd, 120
Who is the sink o' the body, —
109. tauntingly] F 4 ; tantingly F 2 ; taintingly F. 114. kingly -crowned']
Warburton ; Kingly crowh'd Ff. 118, iig. As Capell ; three lines ending
they — . . . speakes . . . then ? in Ff. 121. 0' the] 0' th' F 4 ; a th' F.
Of bird, of flower, or shape, which it doth latch" ; and Mnch Ado about Nothing, ill. ii. 14: "for what his heart thinks, his tongue speaks." Compare the passage from Camden in the note on hne 135 post,
117. muniments] The New Eng. Diet, quotes this passage under the sense : " Things with which a person or place is provided: furnishings," and also cites among other references, Spenser, The Faerie Queene, iv. viii. 6 : "By chance he certain muniments forthdrew, Which yet with him as re- lickes did abide." The frequent sense "defences," " supports " would not be inappropriate here.
119. ^Fore me] (Fore me F). Ex- plained as "by my soul," perhaps a euphemism for " Before God." Dyce explains, " God before me," " in the presenceof God." Com'pa.Te All's Well that Ends Well, 11. iii. 31 : " 'fore me, speak in respect — " ; and Middleton and Rowley, A Fair Quarrell, 1617, i. i. 42 (ed. Bullen, iv. i8r) : '''fore me, and thou look'st half-ill indeed," We have also afore me, as in Romeo and jfuliet. III. iv. 34, and before me several times : see Twelfth Night, 11. iii. 194 : " Before me, she 's a good wench."
108. / may . . . smile] Malonc quotes North's Plutarch, " And so the belly, all this notwithstanding, laughed at their lolly and sayed," etc.
111. his receipt] his prerogative of receiving, or else, what he received, which agrees with a frequent sense. Compare Richard II. i. i. 126 : " Three parts of that receipt I had for Calais." Mr. Deighton quotes Lucrece, 703 : " Drunken desire must vomit his [i.e. its] receipt.''
112. /or /Aaf] because, on the ground that. See The Merchant of Venice, i. iii. 44 :—
" I hate him for he is a Christian, But more for that in low sim- plicity He lends out money gratis," etc.
114. kingly-crowned] The expression " a kingly crown " is in Julius Ccesar, III. ii. loi : " I thrice presented him a kingly crown " ; also in Milton, Para- dise Lost, II. 673 : "The likeness of a kingly crown."
115. The counsellor heart] Malone notes that " the heart was considered by Shakespeare as the seat of the understanding." See, e.g. Sonnet cxiii: —
" For it [my eye] no form delivers to the heart
12
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
Men. Well, what then ?
First Cit. The former agents, if they did complain, What could the belly answer ?
Men. I will tell you ;
If you '11 bestow a small — of what you have little — Patience awhile, you'st hear the belly's answer. 125
First Cit. Y 'are long about it.
Men. Note me this, good friend ;
Your most grave belly was deliberate, Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer' d : " True is it, my incorporate friends," quoth he, " That I receive the general food at first, 1 30
Which you do live upon ; and fit it is. Because I am the store-house and the shop Of the whole body : but, if you do remember, I send it through the rivers of your blood, Even to the court, the heart, to the seat o' the brain ; 135 And, through the cranks and offices of man,
125. you '5^] F ; you 'II Rowe (ed. 2).
125. you 'sf] A provincial corruption or contraction of you shalt, apparently. Schmidt gives it among his examples of shall corrupted to 's ; Romeo and Juliet, I. iii. 9 : " nurse, come back again : I have remember'd me, thou '5 hear our counsell " ; King Lear, iv. vi. 246: " ise try whether your costard or my hallow be the harder " ; etc. Wright refers to Webster and Marston's The Malcontent for examples, e.g. V. 3. (Marston, ed. Halliwell, ii. p. 287) : '• nay, if youle dooes no good, Youst dooes no harme."
126. me] Dativus ethicus : see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 220.
127. Your] Your in line 113 from the First Cit. to Menenius, who was the belly's advocate, might be so used to- day, but the case is different here and comes under the colloquial use oi your, '•to appropriate an object to a person addressed " ; see Abbott, Shakes. Gram. § 221.
grave] a term of respect implying seriousness and importance ; compare Othello, I. iii. 76 : " Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors," and Chapman, Homer's Odysseys, viii. 22-26 : — '• Pallas . . . Enlarged him with a height, and goodliness
128. answered] Rowe ; answered F,
In breast and shoulders, that he
might appear Gracious, and grave, and re- verend." 129. hicorporatc] belonging to one and the same body ; compare Venus and Adonis, 540: ^'Incorporate then they seem."
135. Even . . . fc;'ain;] Malone says brain " is here used for reason or under- standing" and that *' the seat of the brain is put in apposition with the heart, and is descriptive of it." He quotes the story of the Belly and the Members as it appears in Camden's Remaines, 1605, "p. 109," really p. 199, which Shakespeare probably had before him (see on gulf, line 97 ante) : ** . . . Therefore they all with one accord desired the advise of the Heart. There Reason laid open before them," etc. The confusion between two different bodily organs, and awkward- ness of understanding one literally and the other figuratively, disposes one to reject this view, but it certainly re- ceives some support from the use of the two words court and seat, both equivalent to " royal residence."
136. cranks] winding passages ; re- ferring to the meandering ducts of the
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 13
The strongest nerves and small inferior veins From me receive that natural competency Whereby they live. And though that all at once, You, my good friends," — this says the belly, mark
me, — 140
First Cit. Ay, sir ; well, well.
Men. " Though all at once cannot
See what I do deliver out to each, Yet I can make my audit up, that all From me do back receive the flour of all, And leave me but the bran." What say you to 't ? 145
First Cit. It was an answer. How apply you this ?
Men. The senatorsjDf Rome are this good belly, And you tHe mutinous members ; for examine Their counsels and their cares, disgest things rightly Touching the weal o' the common, you shall find 150
No public benefit which you receive But it proceeds or comes from them to you, And no way from yourselves. What do you think, You, the great toe of this assembly ?
First Cit. I the great toe ? Why the great toe ? 155
Men. For that, being one o' the lowest, basest, poorest. Of this most wise rebellion, thou go'st foremost : Thou rascal, that art worst in blood to run,
144. jloxir] Knight ; flowre F ; flowr F 3.
human body. Verity compares North's Elizabethan writers. Compare the
Plutarch, Life of Theseus (Skeat's ed., common expression to-day, *' to strain
p. 283) : " She (Ariadne) ' did give him every nerve," = to exert one's entire
a clue of thread, by the help whereof force ; and see on nervy, ii. i. i^y post.
she taught him, how he might easily 143. audit] Short for " accounts, or
wind out of the turnings and crancks balance sheet prepared for the audit."
of the labyrinth ' " ; and reminds us of Compare Macbeth^ i. vi. 27 : '* To make
the figurative use in WiW.oxi's U Allegro, their audit at your highness' pleasure,
27, " Quips, and cranks, and wanton Still to return your own."
wiles." In Shakespeare only the verb 149. disgest] A common spelling:
is found elsewhere, as in Venus and disgest and disgestion are used passim
Adonis, 682: " He cranks and crosses in the works of Thomas Nash,
with a thousand doubles." 156. For that] See line 112 ante.
136. offices] Thus defined in the New 158. rascal] A rascal is a lean deer, Eng. Diet. : *' The parts of a house or not fit to be hunted ; and hence, as ap- buildings attached to a house, specially plied to men, "one belonging to the devoted to household work or service ; rabble or common herd " (The New the kitchen and rooms connected with E?ig. Diet, which quotes, e.g. Fabyan, it, as pantry, scullery, cellars, larder, Chronicle, vii. 326 : " The personys and the like." See Timoji of ^Athens, whiche entendyd this conspiracy, were 11. ii. 167 : '* When all our offices have but of the rascallys of the cytie," and been oppress'd with riotious feeders." 1561, T. Norton, Calvin's Inst., Table
137. nerves'] sinews, as usually in of Script. Quot. : " Hee . . . made
14
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
Lead'st first to win some vantage.
But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs : i6o
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle ;
The one side must have bale.
Enter Caius MarciuS.
Hail, noble Marcius ! Mar. Thanks. What 's the matter, you dissentious rogues, That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion. Make yourselves scabs ? First Cit. We have ever your good word. 165
Mar. He that will give good words to thee will flatter Beneath abhorring. What would you have, you curs,
162. hale\ Theobald ; haiU F ; hail F 3.
priests of the rascals of the people.") Mr. Verity refers to Mr. Justice Mad- den's Diary of Master William Silence, p. 60, for a useful illustration from Puttenham, The Arte of English Poesie (15.S9) [Book III. Chap. xvi. [i], ed. Arber, p. igi] : *' as one should in re- proch say to a poore man, thou raskall knave, where raskall is properly the hunters terme giuen to young deere, leane and out of season, and not to people." See also next note, and As You Like It, III. iii. 58 : " the noblest deer hath them [i.e. horns) as huge as the rascal.^'
158. in blood] " to be in blood " was a term of forestry, meaning to be in good condition, full of vigour and spirit : see IV. V, 217 post, and 1 Henry VI, iv. ii. 48:-
" If we be English deer, be then in blood ; Not yasca/-like to fall down with
a pinch, But rather moody, mad, and des- perate stags," etc. Also notes on Lovers Labour '5 Lost, IV. ii. 3, and Antony and Cleopatra, III. xiii. 174, both in this series.
159. Lead^st . . . vantage] Takest the lead in this rabble rout solely out of the hope of gaining some personal ad- vantage.
160. stiff bats] stout cudgels. See line 55 and note, ante.
162. bale] though a every common word in earlier and in other Elizabethan
writers, is not found elsewhere in Shakespeare, who, however, has bale- ful, the adjective, pretty often. It is frequently contrasted with bliss : see Gascoyne, Flowers {Works, ed. Hazlitt), I. 40 : " Amid my bale I bathe in blisse " ; Greene, Mammilia (Works, ed. Grosart), 11. 170: "her weale to woe, her bale to bliss."
164-165. That . . . scabs] Menenius contemptuously compares any views the rabble may have to a comparatively harmless and inconsiderable itch which its owner may irritate into a trouble- some sore. The sense of " Make your- selves scabs " could syntactically be, make scabs for yourselves, but is more likely = turn yourselves into scabs, i.e. disgusting and offensive rascals. Com- pare Cartwright, The Ordinary, v. iv. (Hazlitt's Dodsley, xii. 313): "Go, you are a gibing scab " ; and see Twelfth Night, 11. v. 82; Much Ado about Nothing, iii. iii. 107, etc. In Geo. Herbert's collection of proverbs {Jacula Prudentum) occurs : " The itch of disputing is the scab of the Church " : see Works, ed. Grosart, 1874, iii. 371.
167. Beneath abhorring] i.e. in a degree to excite something worse than abhorrence. For the noun compare Antony and Cleopatra, v. ii. 60 : " let the water-flies Blow me into abhorring I" and Isaiah, Ixvi. 24: "and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 15
That like nor peace nor war ? the one affrights you,
The other makes you proud. He that trusts to you,
Where he should find you lions, finds you hares ; 170
Where foxes, geese : you are no surer, no.
Than is the coal of fire upon the ice.
Or hailstone in the sun. Your virtue is
To make him worthy whose offence subdues him,
And curse that Justice did it. Who deserves greatness 1 7 5
Deserves your hate ; and your affections are
A sick man's appetite, who desires most that
Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours swims with fins of lead,
And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye ! Trust
ye? 180
With every minute you do change a mind, And call him noble that was now your hate. Him vilde that was your garland. What 's the matter. That in these several places of the city You cry against the Noble Senate, who, 185
Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else Would feed on one another ? What 's their seeking ? Men. For corn at their own rates : whereof, they say. The city is well stor'd.
171. geese : you are no] Theobald ; geese yon are : No Ff.
172. the . . . ice] In the great frost form. Compare Antony and Cleo- of January, 1607-1608, fires were lighted patra, iv. xiv. 22.
on the frozen Thames ; some suppose that was your garland] whom you
this fact was the origin of this line, were wont to speak of as the high-
The suggestion was made by Professor est, the ornament of all praise. Com-
Hales in The Academy, loth May, pare Antony and Cleopatra, in this
1878. series, iv. xv. 64 : " O, wither'd is t^^e
173-175. Your. . . did it] What ^ar/a»<i of the war,'] and see the note
you excel in is crying up the man there. Also Willobie his Avisa, 1594
whom his own faults have undone, and (ed. 1904, p. 15) : —
exclaiming against that Justice which " In Lavine land though Livie boast
decrees their punishment. The thought There hath beene secne a constant
is similar in Antony and Cleopatra, i. dame:
ii. 192-194 : — Though Rome lament that she
••our slippery people, hath lost
Whose love is never link'd to the The garland of her rarest fame."
deserver 184. several] separate, various : see
Till his deserts are past"; iv. v. 124, "Twelve several times";
and again {ibid, i. iv. 43), •' the ebb'd iv. vi. 39, " two several powers"; also
man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth The Tempest, iii. i. 42: "for several
love." virtues Have I liked several women."
176. affections] desires, inclinations, 186. which] who; the use we retain
as in II. iii. 229 post, and, in the in '• Our father, which art," etc.
singular, line 103 ante. 188-189. For . . . stored] See North,
183. vilde] An old and frequent Extracts, ante, p. xl.
16
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
Mar. Hang 'em ! They say !
They '11 sit by the fire, and presume to know 190
What 's done i' the Capitol ; who 's like to rise, Who thrives, and who declines ; side factions, and
give out Conjectural marriages ; making parties strong. And feebling such as stand not in their liking, Below their cobbled shoes. They say there 's grain
enough! 195
Would the nobility lay aside their ruth, And let me use my sword, I 'd make a quarry
igi-192. who's . . . declhies'} Mr. Verity aptly compares King Lear, v. iii. 11-15:—
" so we'll live, . . . and hear poor rogues Talk of court news : and we'll talk
with them too, Who loses and who wins; who's in, who's out." With declines, compare declined in : — •• I dare him therefore To lay his gay comparisons apart And answer me declined, sword against sword." etc. Antony and Cleopatra, iii. xiii. 27. Hanmer omitted the words " Who thrives " and Steevens agrees, believing that they " destroy the metre." But six foot lines are not uncommon in Shakespeare.
192. side] take the side of. But in view of the whole passage, and especi- ally the making of imaginary matches and the arbitrary estimation of parties, there is excuse for those who prefer to take side factions in some such sense as — invent factions and the composition of these opposite " sides."
193-195. making . . . shoes'] ex- aggerating the strength of some parties, and placing that of those obnoxious to them on a level with the dirt beneath their patched shoes. Shakespeare uses the verb to feeble in King John, v. ii. 146, in the sense of " to weaken " : " Shall this victorious hand ht feeble d here." Compare also Huloet's Die- tionarie, enlarged by John Higgins, 1572 :—
" Feebled for lack of meat or made weak."
196. ruth] pity, compassion. See Troilus and Cressida, v. iii. 48 :
" Spur them to ruthful work, rein them from ruth," and compare Munday, The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington, iv. i., Dodsley's Old Plays (Hazlitt), viii. 171 : —
^* Leicester, But where is Hunting- ton, that noble youth ? Chester. Undone by riot. Leicester. Ah ! the greater ruth.''' 197-199. I'd . . . lance] I would quarter (cut to pieces) thousands of these slaves and make a quarry (a heap of their slaughtered bodies) so high that I could barely pitch my lance over it.
197. quarry] a. heap of dead : usually applied to game, but the New Eng. Diet, gives three instances where it means a heap of dead men, viz. : 1589, R. Robinson, Gold Mirr. (Chetham Soc), p. xxiii. : —
"Till to the quirry [sic] a number out of count, Were brought to reap the iust reward at last " ; 1603, Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 308 : *' All fowly foiled with bloud, and the quarrey of the dead"; 1611, Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit. viii. vii. § 50, 410: " They went in haste to the quarry of the dead, but by no nieanes could finde the body of the King." It is very com- mon in the sense heap of dead game : see Golding's Ovid, Metamorphoses, 1567, iii. 173 (ed. Rowe, p. 66) : — '♦ Our weapons and our toils are moist and stained with blood of Deare, This day hath done enough as by our quarrie may appear " ; and for a figurative use, Macbeth, iv. iii. 206: " on the quarry ol these murder'd deer " (applied by Ross to Macduff's slaughtered household).
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
^H As I could pick my lance.
^^mMen. Nay, these are almost thoroughly persuaded;
^H For though abundantly they lack discretion,
^f Yet are they passing cowardly. But, I beseech you,
^^ What says the other troop ?
Mar. They are dissolv'd : hang 'em !
They said they were an-hungry ; sigh'd forth proverbs : That hunger broke stone walls ; that dogs must eat ; That meat was made for mouths ; that the gods sent
not Corn for the rich men only. With these shreds They vented their complainings ; which being
answer'd, And a petition granted them, a strange one,
17
200
205
igg. pick] pitch. In Henry VIII, V. iv. 94, in a part of the play in all probability not by Shakespeare, we read : " You i' the camlet, get up o' the rail : I Ml peck you o'er the pales else " ; compare Udall, Translation (1542) of the Apophthegmes of Erasmus, ed. 1564 (Roberts, p. 89) : " He taught them to bend a bow and shoot in it, to whirle with a sling, and to picke or cast a dart " ; also Philip Stubbes, Anatomy of Abuses, 1583 (ed. Furnivall, p. 184). Describing football he writes : •'For dooth not every one lye in waight for his Adversarie, seeking to over throwe him and to picke him on his nose, though it be upon hard stones " ; and, lower down on the same page, " for they have the sleights ... to hit him under the short ribbes with their griped fists, and with their knees to catch him upon the hip, and to pick him on his neck, with a hundred such murdering devices." A reference to the Eng. Dial. Diet, will show that both peck and pick in the sense of pitch are alive in English dialects to-day.
202. passing] exceedingly. Com- pare The Taming of the Shrew, 11. i. 113 : *' You are passing welcome."
203. the other troop] those on "the other side o' the city" ; see line 46 of this xene.
dissolv'd] dispersed.
204. an-hungry] unhyphened in Ff. This form is a variant of a-hungry, in
which and in an-hungered, the prefix a represents of, an old intensive prefix. See Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 24 (3).
205,206. That . . . walls ; etc.] For the first of these proverbial sayings, Mr. Hart supplies references to Olde Fortunatus, 1600 (Pearson's Dekker, I. 115): "hunger is made of Gun- powder, or Gun-powder of hunger ; for they both eate through stone walles " ; Marston, Antonio's Revenge, 1602, v. ii. 2 : " They say hunger breakes thorough stone walles"; Eastward Hoe (Ben Jonson, etc.), 1605, v. i. (7th speech) : '• • Hunger,' they say, 'breakes stone wals.' " "Dogs must eat," reminds us of the parable in Matthew, xv. and the woman's answer, '• Truth, Lord : yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table " ; and " meat was made for mouths," contains the same thought as " AH meats to be eaten, and all maids to be wed " (Heywood, Proverbs, pt. ii. chap. ii. Works, ed. Farmer,
ii. 55)-
207. shreds] Shakespeare only uses shreds once again, and in a different connection, Hamlet, iii. iv. 102: "A king of shreds and patches." We might compare the expression odd ends, Richard III. i. iii. 337 - " old odd ends stolen out of holy writ."
208. vented their complainings] aired their grievances.
answered] i.e. not merely replied to, but met, in a way to satisfy them.
18
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
To break the heart of generosity, 2 1 o
And make bold power look pale, they threw their caps As they would hang them on the horns o' the moon, Shouting their emulation.
Men. What is granted them ?
Mar. Five tribunes, to defend their vulgar wisdoms,
Of their own choice : one 's Junius Brutus, 215
Sicinius Velutus, and I know not — 'Sdeath !
The rabble should have first unroof d the city,
Ere so prevail'd with me ; it will in time
Win upon power, and throw forth greater themes
For insurrection's arguing.
Men. This is strange. 220
Mar. Go ; get you home, you fragments 1
213. Shouting'] Pope ; Shooting F. 221. Go; gef] Go get F.
210. generosity'] nobility, the nobles — abstract for concrete and Latinism combined. See Lyly, Euphues, 1579, Certeine Letters, etc. (Arber, p. 190, line 25) : " Nobilitie began in thine auncestors and endeth in thee, and the Generositie that they gayned by vertue thou hast blotted with vice." Shake- speare in Measure for Measure, iv. vi. 13, has " the generous citizens " for the noble citizens, and in Othello, iii. iii. 280 : •' the generous islanders" means the noblemen of the island of Cyprus,
213. Shouting their emulation] "Each of them striving to shout louder than the rest " (Malone). This, or emulat- ing one another in shouts of triumph, is a likely interpretation, for the feeling now uppermost is exultation at success ; but some keep emulation = envious rivalry. Mr. Verity suggests "malici- ous triumph."
214. Five tribunes] See North, Ex- tracts, ante, p. xxxii.
216. 'Sdeath] God's death ; only found here in Shakespeare, but com- pare ** 'Sblood," Othello, i. i. 4, and often ; •* 'Swounds," Hamlet, ii. ii. 604, and V. i. 297.
219. Win upon power] For win upon in the sense of gain upon, get the better of, see Antotiy and Cleopatra, 11. iv. g, and the note in this series, in the example given in which it may even be taken as equivalent to " surpass." An expression of a similar type is grow
217. unroof d^ Theobald ; ujiroo'st F.
upon as used in As You Like It, i. i. 90, *♦ Begin you to grow upon me ? " Power = those in power, the governing class, in line 211 ante. Renderings of our text are : " gradually make an in- road on the power wielded by the nobles " (Deighton). — This represents the usual explanation. — " encroach on the aristocracy (' the powerful class ') " (Verity) ; " get the advantage over au- thority " (Wright, who quotes the Anto7iy and Cleopatra passage). Mr. E. K. Chambers (Warwick Shakespeare) explains " take advantage of the power already won to win more," but without discussion or evidence in support.
throw . . . themes] *' give birth to topics of larger importance." Deighton, who is tempted to read •' throe forth " in imitation of Antony and Cleopatra, in. vii. 81, "With news the time 's with labour, and throes forth Each minute some." Throes in this passage is Steevens' reading for throwes of Ff, a common spelling for throes, as in The Tempest, 11. i. 231: —
" a birth indeed Which throwes thee much to yield."
220. For . . . arguing] For those up in insurrection (abstract for concrete) to urge and maintain.
221. fragments] For fragment as a term of contempt compare Troilus and Cressida, v. i. 9 : —
''Ther. . . . here 's a letter for thee. Achil. From yjhtwct, fragme nt ? "
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 19
Enter a Messenger, hastily.
Mess. Where 's Caius Marcius ?
Mar. Here: what's the matter?
Mess. The news is, sir, the Volsces are in arms.
Mar. I am glad on 't ; then we shall ha' means to vent
Our musty superfluity. See, our best elders. 225
Enter COMINIUS, TiTUS Lartius, and other Senators ; JUNIUS Brutus and Sicinius Velutus.
First Sen. Marcius, 'tis true that you have lately told us ;
The Volsces are in arms. Mar. They have a leader,
Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to 't.
I sin in envying his nobility,
And were 1 any thing but what I am, 230
I would wish me only he. Com. You have fought together.
Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears, and he
Upon my party, I 'd revolt, to make
Only my wars with him : he is a lion
That I am proud to hunt. First Sen. Then, worthy Marcius, 235
Attend upon Cominius to these wars. Com. It is your former promise. Mar. Sir, it is ;
And I am constant. Titus Lartius, thou
Shalt see me once more strike at Tullus' face.
What ! art thou stiff? stand'st out ? Tit. No, Caius Marcius ; 240
225. Enter . . . ] As Malone and Capell, substantially; Enter Sicinius Velutus, Annius Brutus Comifiisn (sic), Titus Lartius, with other Senatours. F. 231. together.] Capell; together ? ¥. 238. Lartius} Rowe; Lucius F (here
and elsewhere).
and the idea is the same as in Pet- 232. by the ears] at variance. See
ruchio's abuse of the tailor, in The All's Well that Ends Well, 1. ii. 1: —
Taming of the Shrew, iv. iii. no: "The Florentines and Senoys are
" Away, thou rag, thou quantity, thou by the ears.''
remnant," save that there the terms A very common expression, and still
have a special application. well alive.
22S. put you to't] give you quite 240. art thou stiff?] Dr. Aldis
enough to do. Compare The Winter's Wright, in the Clarendon Press edition,
Tale, I. ii. 16 : — explains stiff here as obstinate ; but it
•' We are tougher, brother, seems to mean stiff with age.
Than you can /-M^ MS <o '/." stand'st out?] do you take no
20 CORIOLANUS [act i.
I '11 lean upon one crutch and fight with t' other,
Ere stay behind this business. Men. O ! true-bred.
First Sen. Your company to the Capitol ; where I know
Our greatest friends attend us. Tit. [To COMINIUS.] Lead you on :
[To Marcivs.] Follow Cominius ; we must follow you; 245
Right worthy you priority. Com. Noble Marcius !
First Sen. [To the Citizens.'\ Hence ! To your homes !
be gone. Ma7'. Nay, let them follow :
The Volsces have much corn ; take these rats thither
To gnaw their garners. Worshipful mutiners.
Your valour puts well forth; pray, follow. 250
[Exeunt Senators^ Cominius, Marcius, Titus, and Menenius. Citizens steal away. Sic. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius ? Bru. He has no equal.
Sic. When we were chosen tribunes for the people, — Bru. Mark'd you his lip and eyes ?
243, 247. First Sen.l 1 Sen. Rowe ; Sen. F. 244, 245. [To Com.'] . . . [To Mar.] Cambridge edd. (Malone conj.). 244-246. Lead . . . priority'] As Pope ; prose Ff. 247. To the Citizens] Rowe. 251. Exeunt . . .] Exeunt. Citizens steale away. Manet Sicin. and Brutus F.
part in this war? Wright compares again in The Tempest^ iv. i. in :
Twelfth Night, in. iii, 35, "only my- "Barns a.nd garners never empty."
self stood out^' : see also Barnahee's ///7^^j»^r5] Shakespeare has this form
Journall [Braithwaite], First Part, line here only, and mutineer only in The
2 : " Take thy Liquor, doe not stand Tempest, in. ii. 40. Compare the
out " ; and out in next note. (orms pioner (Hamlet, i. v. 163), enginer
242. true-bred] of the right breed, of {ibid. iii. iv. 206), etc. Mr. Verity
the real fighting strain : compare 2 notes that in Paradise Lost, vi. 390,
Henry IV. v. iii. 71 : " 'A will not out; we have the form charioter.
he is true-bred.^'' 250. puts well forth] shows well,
244. attend us] await our coming ; displays itself finely ; metaphorically, see II. ii. 160 post, and compare from the budding of a tree or plant, Antony and Cleopatra, iii. x. 32, Compare 5 /f ^wr;* F/. 11. vi, 48 : —
'• and there I will attend What further " Who not contented that lie lopp'd
comes." the branch
246. Right . . . prior ity]Yoxyhe\ng In hewing Rutland when his
well deserving of the right of preced- leaves put forth, ^' etc.
ence. Mr. Deighton writes: "the 254. //is /t/>] Compare 11. i. 113 /05<,
accusative after ' worthy,' and without and Twelfth Night, in. i. 157, 158 : —
the preposition 'of is frequent in " O, what a deal of scorn looks
Shakespeare." beautiful
248. rats] See line 161 anti. In the contempt and anger of his
249. garners] Shakespeare only uses lip ! "
this old form for granary; and only Drooping of the lips is an indication of
I
CORIOLANUS
Nay, but his taunts.
sc. I.]
Sic.
B7'u. Being mov'd, he will not spare to gird the gods.
Sic. Bemock the modest moon.
Bni. The present wars devour him ; he is grown
Too proud to be so valiant. Sic. Such a nature,
Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow
21
255
257. him;'] him, Ff; him! Hanmer and many edd. Cominius.'} As Pope ; prose Ff.
258-262. Such
contempt in The Winier^s TaU, i. ii. 373 : " he . . . falling A lip of much contempt, speeds from me."
255. Being . . . gods'} Brutus here takes the true measure of the temerity of Coriolanus: see 111. iii. 68 ; v. vi. gg post.
gird] for the usual gird at = scoff at, gibe at, as in 2 Henry IV. i. ii. 7 : " Men of all sorts take a pride to gird at me." The noun also occurs, e.g., in The Taming of the Shrew, v. ii. 58 : •• I thank thee for that gird.'' Both verb and noun were very common : see Gabriel Harvey, Letter Book, Camden Soc. ed., p. 29 : " I have seemed not to disallow of some, whom he hath spitefully girded behind 'their backs " ; North, Plutarch's Lives, 1579, ed. 1612, P- 755 (Phocion) : '* He would as gallantly also gird the Orators his aduersaries " ; id. (Life of Lycurgus), p. 49: "the pretie girds and quippes they gaue to others " ; Drant (transla- tion of Horace, 1567) : " With taunt- ing gy/ds andglikes." The verb is still alive in dialect : see Eng. Dial. Diet.
256. Bemock] Mock at, flout: see The Tempest, in, iii. 63 : —
" or with be-mock'd at stabs Kill tlie still-closing waters," etc. the modest moon] modest, as it represented Diana : compare Love's Labour's Lost, iv. ii. 39: ''Dull. What is Dyctynna? Nath. A title to Phoebe, to Luna, to the moon."
257. 258. The . . . devour him ; he . . . valiant.] Mr. Craig evidently intended to retain this, practically the Ff punctuation, though he had not set down his reasons. The sentence stretches with difficulty to a meaning which is perhaps expressed as well as anywhere else by Perrin {Hard Knots in Shakespeare), cited by Mr. Verity,
thus : *' War is his devouring passion ; he is carried away, he is swallowed up, he is wholly absorbed by the war ; and this is how he has grown too proud." The sense of he . . . valiant = the consciousness of his valour (or being so valiant) has made him too proud, is obtained by regarding to be so valiant as the Infinitive indefinitely employed, as in The Merchant of Venice, i. i. 126 : " make moan to be abridged," i.e. because of being abridged; but the clause would bear another meaning to be noticed presently. The objection to the main interpretation as above, that the present wars would not be given as the cause of a permanent characteristic of Coriolanus, does not seem altogether valid if we consider that it is not the existence of the quality of pride in him, but its excessive mani- festation at the time that has given rise to the dialogue.
After all, most readers will prefer the usual punctuation (Hanmer's) and sense : May . . . devour him ! i.e. May he fall in these wars ! The rest may remain externally as before : " The consciousness of his valour has made him too proud," but the meaning ex- pands to " too proud for endurance " ; or the interpretation may be wholly changed to words given by Mr. Cham- bers : " Such valour coupled with such pride is dangerous," a possible meaning which certainly supports, " May he fall in these wars I "
259. Tickled . . . success] Pleased and excited with the first gleam of success. Compare Troilus and Cressida, Pro- logue, 20-22 : —
" Now expectation tickling skittish spirits, . . . Sets all on hazard." The expression •• good success " would
22 CORIOLANUS [act i.
Which he treads on at noon. But I do wonder 260
His insolence can brook to be commanded
Under Cominius. Bru. Fame, at the which he aims,
In whom already he 's well grac'd, can not
Better he held nor more attain'd than by
A place below the first ; for what miscarries 265
Shall be the general's fault, though he perform
To the utmost of a man ; and giddy censure
Will then cry out of Marcius, " O ! if he
Had borne the business." Sic. Besides, if things go well,
Opinion, that so sticks on Marcius, shall 270
Of his demerits rob Cominius. Bru. Come :
Half all Cominius' honours are to Marcius,
Though Marcius earn'd them not ; and all his faults
To Marcius shall be honours, though indeed
In aught he merit not. Sic. Let's hence and hear 275
How the dispatch is made ; and in what fashion,
263. graced, can not] graced, cannot F ; graced, cannot Some edd. 271, 272. Come : . . . Marcius,'] Theobald ; one line in Ff.
now be regarded as tautological, but in " O place and greatness ! millions of
Shakespeare's day success meant the false eyes
result of an action, good or bad. See Are stuck upon thee."
note to King Lear, v. iii. 195 (in this 271. rf^m^ri^s] merits, deserts, deserv-
edition). ings, as often. See Othello, i. ii. 22 : —
259, 260. disdains . . . noon] The " my demerits
sun being vertical at noon, a man May speak unbonneted to as proud
treads on his own shadow then. a fortune
262-269. Brutus utterly mistakes the As this that I have reach'd."
character of Caius Marcius. But Compare also, Barnabe Barnes, before
he was a man of ignoble soul, and Gabriel Harvey's Piercers Supereroga-
so naturally incHned to believe the tion, 1593 (ed. Grosart, 11. 21): "as
worst. much given to favour . . . such as
263. In whom] In which (Fame is were approved . . . as may be required
personified). in any man of your dement.'" Shake-
267. censure] opinion, judgment ; speare uses the word once in the con-
the original sense. Compare Othello, trary sense in Macbeth, iv. iii. 226: —
II. iii. 193, and Conversations with " Not for their own d^m<:ri75 but for
Drummond, vi. (Gilford's Jonson, ed. mine
Cunningham, iii. 474): "His censure Fell slaughter on their souls,"
of my verses was: That they were all and this sense was also in general
good," etc. use : sec note to the passage cited from
270. sticks on Marcius] Compare Othello in Mr. Hart's edition in this
Measure for Measure, iv. i. 60-61 : — scries.
sc. II.] CORIOLANUS 23
More than his singularity, he goes Upon this present action. Bru. Let 's along. [Exeunt.
SCENE II. — Corioles. The Senate-house. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS with Senators of Corioles.
First Sen. So, your opinion is, Aufidius,
That they of Rome are enter'd in our counsels, And know how we proceed.
Auf. Is it not yours ?
What ever have been thought on in this state. That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome 5
Had circumvention? 'Tis not four days gone Since I heard thence ; these are the words : I think I have the letter here ; yes, here it is. " They have press'd a power, but it is not known
Scene ii.
Corioles] Coriolus, Rowe ; The Senate-house'] Capell. 4. have] F ; hath
Ff 2-4. on] F 3 ; one F. been] bin F ; passim {almost).
277. More than his singularity] cousenage, an entrapping, beguiling, Apart from his usual peculiar bearing, wylie compassing, or fetching over." Singularity has the meaning of gone] ago, since. The New Eng. peculiarness : see Cotgrave, Fr. jDtV^., Diet, provides a parallel for the 1611, ** Singularttie . . . peculiar- abbreviated expression in the text nesse " ; and Puttenham, Arte of from Oliver Cromwell's Speeches, English Poesie, circa 1589, Lib. 3, April 21st, 1657 (in Carlyle) : '• Now Of Ornament (ed. Arber, p. 293) : six years gone " ; and also cites ♦' And all singularities or affected parts Chaucer, Squieres Tale, line 528 : of a man's behaviour seeme un- " But sooth is seyd, goon sithen many decent." a day."
278. Let 's along] an expression like 9. They . . . power] They have " Let 's go together," very useful to impressed, levied, a body of troops, get characters naturally off the stage. For pressed see Richard II. iii. ii. See it again in The Winter's Tale, v. 58 :—
ii. 121. "For every man that Bolingbroke
hath press'd
Scene n. To lift shrewd steel against our
golden crown."
2. are . . . counsels] have got in- Malone quotes North's Plutarch, Life
formation respecting our designs. of Coriolanus, 1579 (p. 227 in 1612 ed.,
4. What] What stands for " What where prest ) : '• The common people
things." . . . would not appeare when the
have] Some editors unnecessarily Consuls called their names by a bill,
read hath, following F 2. to press them for the warres." For
6. circumvention] i.e. warning to power = force, body of men, see line
enable them to circumvent us. See 32 of this scene ; also i. iii. 98 ; i. vi.
Cotgrave, Fr. Diet., i6ii, " Cir- 8; iv. v. 121; iv. vi. 39; iv. vi. 67
convention : Circumvention, deceit, post.
24
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
Whether for east or west : the dearth is great ; lo
The people mutinous ; and it is rumour'd,
Cominius, Marcius your old enemy,
Who is of Rome worse hated than of you,
And Titus Lartius, a most valiant Roman,
These three lead on this preparation i 5
Whither 'tis bent : most likely 'tis for you :
Consider of it."
First Sen. Our army 's in the field :
We never yet made doubt but Rome was ready To answer us.
Auf. Nor did you think it folly
To keep your great pretences veil'd till when 20
They needs must show themselves; which in the
hatching, It seem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the discovery We shall be shorten'd in our aim, which was. To take in many towns ere almost Rome Should know we were afoot.
16. Whither'\ F 3 ; Whether F. 22. seemed] seems Hanmer.
King yohn, v. vii. 60 : •' The Dauphin is preparing hithervvard, Where heaven He knows how we shall ajiswer him," and in Twelfth Night, iii. iv. 273 : of a personal quarrel, "unless you undertake that with me which with as much safety you might answer him."
20. great pretences'] important de- signs. For pretence in the frequent sense of design, see e.g. Macbeth, 11. iii. 137 :—
•'Against the undivulged pretence I fight Of treasonous malice " ; and also compare North's Plutarch, {Extracts, p. Ixii ante), ^^ pretence and enterprise."
21. in the hatching"] while they were still maturing, ere they were fully ripe and *' needs must show themselves." Compare "much is breeding," Antony and Cleopatra, i. ii. iqg.
23. We . . . aim] We shall be com- pelled to be less ambitious in our ag- gressive projects.
24. take in] capture : see 111. ii. 59 post, and Antony and Cleopatra, i. i. 23 : ** Take in that kingdom and en- franchise that " ; III. vii. 24 : " and take in Toryne." See also Epigrams by y, D., Dyce's Marlowe, p. 362 (b) :
10. Whether . . . west] Whether the troops are to be sent east or west. Mr. Deighton rightly, I think, explains " whether they are to be sent against us or against some other enemy." It possibly might mean whether they are to be sent against Corioles or some other Volscian city. Compare what Aufidius says to Coriolanus (iv. v. 140- 144) of the Volscian designs : —
*' set down . . . thine own ways ; Whether to knock against the
gates of Rome, Or rudely visit them in parts remote," etc. dearth] See i. i. 66 ante. 13. of Rome] = by the Roman popu- lace. For of = by, see Abbott {Shakes. Gram., § 170).
15. this preparation] this force which has been got ready. Another example of the use of the abstract for the con- crete, paralleled in Othello, i. iii. 14 : " The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes."
16. Whither 'tis bent] To its destination, whatever that may be. See Hamlet, iii. iii. 47 : "The bark is ready, . . . and everything is bent For England."
19. answer ns] meet our attack. So in
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
25
25
Second Sen. Noble Aufidius,
Take your commission ; hie you to your bands ; Let us alone to guard Corioles : If they set down before 's, for the remove Bring up your army ; but I think you '11 find They 've not prepar'd for us.
Atif. O, doubt not that ;
I speak from certainties. Nay, more ; Some parcels of their power are forth already, And only hitherward. I leave your honours. If we and Caius Marcius chance to meet, 'Tis sworn between us we shall ever strike Till one can do no more.
All. The gods assist you !
Auf. And keep your honours safe !
First Sen. Farewell.
Second Sen. Farewell.
All. Farewell. [Exeunt O nines.
27. Coriolef^ Corioli Pope. 27, 28. Corioles : If . . . before '5,] Pointed
as F 4 ; Corioles If . . . before '5 ; F. 30. They 've^ Rowe ; Th' haue F.
30
35
" He tells how Gronigen is taken in
By the brave conduct of illustrious
Vere."
24, 25. ere almost Rome . . . afoof]
There is nothing of this in Plutarch,
and Shakespeare took it from the after
designs of the Volsces under Corio-
lanus. See North, Extracts, ante, p. li.
27. Let us alone to] Not necessarily in the current sense : you may safely leave it to us to, we are quite sufficient to ; but probably simply, Leave us alone to : compare King John, iv. i. 85 : ♦' Go stand within : let me alone with him."
Corioles'] Usually, with Pope, Corioli is substituted. In the folio the name is found in the play seventeen times : as Corioles nine times, and Carioles four times (i. iii. gg ; 11. i. 129 ; II. i. 175 ; n. ii. 114) ; as Corialus (i. iv. and i. iv. 14 in stage directions) ; and as Coriolus (i. ii.) and Carioles (i. vii.), both also in stage directions. In the Life of Coriolanus, North's Plutarch, it is al- ways Corioles, and the inhabitants are called the Coriolans.
28. set down] sit down, encamp be- fore the city to besiege it. Used ab- solutely here, their host probably being implied : compare i. iii. 99 post : '*your lord and Titus Lartius are set down before their city Corioles," and
V. iii. 2 post : " We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow Set down our host." The use is similar in Macbeth, V. iv. 10 : " We learn no other but the confident tyrant Keeps still in Dunsin- ane, and will endure Our setting down before 't."
for the remove] in order to raise the siege. Wright compares Venus and Adonis, 423: *^ Remove your siege from my unyielding heart," and Romeo and Juliet, v. iii. 237.
32,33. Some . . . hitherward]Some portions of their force are out already, and are marching against us and no other people. Parcel = part or por- tion, or item, is very common in and outside of Shakespeare. See Antony and Cleopatra, iii. xiii. 32, and the note there in this edition ; and compare Earle, M icro-cosmographie, '* A Scep- ticke in Religion " (ed. Arber, p. 68) : "He puts his foot into Heresies ten- derly . . . yet he beares away some parcell of each, and you may sooner picke all Religions out of him then one."
34-36. If . . . more] Aufidius thus alludes to the personal rivalry between himself and Coriolanus, and the hint of the chances of its issue adds to the solemnity of the leave-taking.
26
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
SCENE lil.— Rome. A Room in Marcius'S House.
Enter Volumnia and ViRGILIA, mother and wife to MarciuS. They set thein down on two low stools and sew.
Vol. I pray you, daughter, sing ; or express yourself in a more comfortable sort. If my son were my husband, I should freelier rejoice in that absence wherein he won honour than in the embracements of his bed where he would show most love. When yet he was 5 but tender-bodied and the only son of my womb, when youth with comeliness plucked all gaze his way, when for a day of kings' entreaties a mother should not sell him an hour from her beholding, I, consider- ing how honour would become such a person, that it 10 was no better than picture-like to hang by the wall, if renown made it not stir, was pleased to let him seek danger where he was like to find fame. To a cruel war I sent him ; from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee, daughter, I 15 sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man- child than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man.
Scene III. Rome] Rowe ; A Room . . .] Capell.
Scene III.
7. when . . . way] Compare The Winter's Tale, iv. iv. 385 : " were I the fairest youth That ever made eye swerve"; and Sojinet v. 2: "The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell."
10. such a person] i.e. an outward appearance so comely.
11. picture-like . . . waZ/] We might compare Hamlet, iv. v. 86 : —
" judgement, Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts."
12. if . . . stir] if the desire for renown did not drive it (so noble a person) into action.
13. tike] likely, as often.
13, 14. To a cruel war, etc.] That against theLatins, who assisted Tarquin the Proud. See North, Extracts, p, xxviii ante. The expression is found in North's Plutarch, " Comparison be-
tween Alcibiades and Coriolanus," ed. 1595. ?• 258 : " And hereby it ap- peared he was entred into this cruell warre.^'
14, 15. from . . . oak] See also 11. i. 123 post, and North, Extracts, ante, p. xxix, where the original (see ed. 1595, p. 236) gives an interesting account of the origin of the custom as follows : " This was either because the lawe did this honour to the oke, in favour of the Arcadians, who by the oracle of Apollo were in olde time called the eaters of akornes : or else because the souldiers mighte easily in every place come by oken boughes : or lastly, because they thought it very necessarie to give him that had saved a citizen's life, a crowne of this tree to honour him, being pro- perly dedicated unto Jupiter, the patron and protector of their cittics, andthought amongst other wilde trees to bring forth a profitable frute, and of plantes to be the strongest."
sc. .11] CORIOLANUS 27
Vir. But had he died in the business, madam ; how then ?
Vol. Then his good report should have been my son ; I 20 therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely : had I a dozen sons, each in my love alike, and none less dear than thine and my good Marcius, I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action. 25
Enter a Gentlewoman.
Gent. Madam, the Lady Valeria is come to visit you.
Vir. Beseech you, give me leave to retire myself.
Vol Indeed, you shall not.
Methinks I hear hither your husband's drum, See him pluck Aufidius down by the hair, 30
As children from a bear, the Volsces shunning him : Methinks I see him stamp thus, and call thus : " Come on, you cowards ! you were got in fear. Though you were born in Rome." His bloody brow With his mail'd hand then wiping, forth he goes, 35
Like to a harvest-man that 's task'd to mow Or all or lose his hire.
Vir. His bloody brow ! O Jupiter, no blood.
Vol. Away, you fool ! it more becomes a man
Than gilt his trophy : the breasts of Hecuba, 40
When she did suckle Hector, look'd not lovelier Than Hector's forehead when it spit forth blood
36. thai '5] thats F 2 ; that F.
27. retire myself] Compare Richard sets off his monument. Trophy, liter-
//. IV. i. 96, 97 : — ally a memorial of the enemy's (en-
♦' And toil'd with works of war retired forced) turning, defeat, here apparently
himself signifies the memorial raised above a
To Italy." warrior's tomb, as in Hamlet iv. v. 214 :
29. /«7//<frJ Verbs of motion are often " No trophy, sword, nor hatchment
omitted before hither, forth, etc. See o'er his bones." Gilt is used by
Abbott, Shakes. Gram., %^o; and com- Shakespeare in the ordinary sense, as
pare Beaumont and Fletcher, Beggars here, of gilding, fine show, often meta-
Dush, IV. iii. at end : " Oh these bak'd phorically applied ; and in one passage
meats. Me thinks I smell them hither.'' (quibblingly), in the sense of money, see
33' gof] begotten. Henry V. 11. Chorus, 26. In the sense
3b. task'd\ given the task, com- " gilding," there is an older instance
manded. Compare The Tempest, i. ii. in North's Plutarch, Life of Nicias,
192 : — see ed. 1612, p. 541 : " There yet re-
" to thy strong bidding task maine monuments of his consecrating
Ariel and all his quality " ; unto the goddes : as the image of Pallas
and Sonnet lxxii. i ; etc. in the castel of Athens, the gilt being
40. Than . . . trophy] Than gilding worne off."
28
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
At Grecian sword, contemning. Tell Valeria We are fit to bid her welcome. [Ext^ Gentlewoman.
Vir. Heavens bless my lord from fell Aufidius ! 45
Vol. He '11 beat Aufidius' head below his knee, And tread upon his neck.
Enter VALERIA with an Usher and a Gentlezvornan.
Val. My ladies both, good day to you.
Vol. Sweet madam.
Vir. I am glad to see your ladyship. 50
Val. How do you both ? you are manifest housekeepers.
What are you sewing here? A fine spot, in good
faith. How does your little son ? Vir. I thank your ladyship ; well, good madam. Vol. He had rather see the swords and hear a drum, than 55
look upon his schoolmaster.
43. At . . . sword, contemning. Tell] Leo (but without comma); At . . . swurds, contemning. Tell Collier conj. and MS ; At . . . sw or des Contending : tell F 2; At . . . swords^ contending. — Tell Capell and many edd; At . . . sword. Contenning, tell F.
43. At . . . contemnifig] See Critical Notes, above, for the folio readings. The text, as emended, gives the notion of scorn in Hector's wounded brow, and even in the spirting of its blood when drawn by a Grecian sword.
44. fit] ready, prepared ; or, in the ordinary sense, aimed at Virgilia, who wished to avoid her visitor. Compare Hamlet, v. ii. 229 : " If your mind dis- like anything, obey it : I will forestal their repair hither, and say you are not/f."
47. Usher] One whose duty it is to introduce strangers, and walk before persons of high rank : see 11. i. 155 post, also Antony and Cleopatra, in. vi. 44 :—
*' the wife of Antony Should have an army for an usher.*'
51. housekeepers] stay-zt-homes. The New Eng. Did. exemplifies this sense, but places the passage in the text under the ordinary sense of house-keeper, " A woman engaged in housekeeping and domestic occupations." It may be that Valeria alludes to their industry in this way.
52. A fine spot] A fine pattern in embroidery. Of spot in this exact sense Professor Dowden kindly fur- nished the following instance : William
Teril, A Piece of Friar Bacon'' s Brazen- head's Prophecie, 1604, lines 409, 410 : — *' Now Sempsters few are taught
The fine stich in their spots.*' Compare Othello, iii. iii. 434-435 : — " Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief,
Spotted with strawberries in your wife's hand ? " and Hakluyt's Voyages, ed. MacLehose, iii. 418, Of the Russian Manners, 1588 : "In Sommer they go often with ker- chieffes of white lawne or cambricke, fastned under the chinne, with two long tasels pendent. The kerchiefe spotted and set thicke with rich pearle ". Compare also the expression '* spot- stich." " In crochet-work, a stitch by means of which raised rounded figures are produced at equal intervals, forming a kind of pattern " {Cejitury Diet., quoted by Verity in illustration of the text). Steevens noticed the slang ex- pression, " a fine spot of work,"
55. sec the swords] The Collier MS. would strike out the. It is not im- possible that *• the swords" here may mean the soldiers. Sword is used for sworder, soldier in King Lear, v. iii.
'* to be tender-minded Docs not become a sword.**
SC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
29
Val. O' my word, the father's son ; I '11 swear 'tis a very pretty boy. O' my troth, I looked upon him o' Wensday half an hour together: has such a con- firmed countenance. I saw him run after a gilded 60 butterfly ; and when he caught it, he let it go again ; and after it again ; and over and over he comes, and up again ; catched it again : or whether his fall en- raged him, or how 'twas, he did so set his teeth and tear it ; O, I warrant how he mammocked it ! 65
Vol. One on 's father's moods.
57, 58. O'] Theobald; A. F. 58. 0'] Rowe (ed. 2); a F. 59. Wensday]
F ; Wednesday F 3. has] ha's F ; h'as F 4 ; A* has Steevens {1773).
58, 59. 0' Wensday] a common spell- ing. See Othello, iii. iii. 61, " Wensday morn," and Jonson, The Alchemist, i. iii. 51 : " Yo' were borne upon a Wens- day ? "
59, 60. a confirmed countenance] a resolute determined look or aspect. Wright quotes Much Ado about Noth- ing, V. iv. 17 : " Which I will do with confirmed countenance " ; and also 11. i- 395i of the same play, ''confirmed honesty."
60, 61. a gilded butterfly] We find this expression in King Lear, v, iii. 13 : •' tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies.'^ Compare " green and gilded snake," As You Like It, iv. iii. 109; ''gilded newt," Timon of Athens, IV. iii. 182; *' gilded fly," King Lear, IV. vi. 114.
61-63. and when . . . agai?i :] Mr. Charles Crawford supplies the follow- ing interesting parallel from Lord Bacon, Letter to Fulk Grevil^ 1595 : •' I have been like a piece of stuff be- spoken in a shop : and if her majesty will not take me, it may be the selling by parcels will be more gainful. For to be as I told you, like a child follow- ing a bird, which when he is nearest, flieth away, and lighteth a little before, and then the child after it again, and so in infinitum, I am weary of it."
62. over and over he comes] not ap- parently meaning repeated falls, but one, of the head over heels description.
63. catched] Shakespeare generally uses the strong preterite " caught," but a few times, as here, the weak. Compare Romeo and Juliet, iv. v. 48 : "And cruel death hath catch'd it from
my sight ! " Love's Labour 's Lost, v. ii. 69, etc.
64. set his teeth] clench them tight. See Antony and Cleopatra, iii. xiii. 181 : " but now I '11 set my teeth. And send to darkness all that stop me," and com- pare "fixed teeth" in 2 Henry VI. III. ii. 313.
65. matmnockcd] tore in pieces, re- duced to mammocks. There is no earlier example of the verb in the New Eng. Diet, than this and one remarked many years ago by Mr. Hart, and since cited in the Century Diet. : Milton, Of Reformation (First Part, Works, 1851, III. 17): "The obscene and surfeted Priest scruples not to paw and mammock the sacramentall bread." The word is still alive in English dialects, Warwickshire among the rest : see Eng. Dial. Diet. The noun was very common : e.g. see Skelton, Colin Clout, ed. Dyce, i. 336: "Whan Mammockes was your meate " ; Thomas Hey wood. Dialogue 4 (Pearson's Heywood, vi. 164) : —
*' He shooke me off, as one that did deride me, And into mamocks and small bits divide me."
66. on 's father's moods] of the same sort of passions or furies as his father falls into. For mood in this sense, see The Two Gentleman of Verona, iv. i. 50-51 :—
"a gentleman Who, in my mood, I stabb'd unto the heart." On = "of" is very common in Shake- speare : compare e.g. King Lear, i. v. 20 : " i' the middle on 's face."
30 CORIOLANUS [act i.
Val. Indeed, la, 'tis a noble child.
Vir. A crack, madam.
Val. Come, lay aside your stitchery ; I must have you
play the idle huswife with me this afternoon. 70
Vir. No, good madam ; I will not out of doors.
Val. Not out of doors !
Vol. She shall, she shall.
Vii'. Indeed, no, by your patience; I'll not over the
threshold till my lord return from the wars. 75
Val. Fie ! you confine yourself most unreasonably. Come ; you must go visit the good lady that lies in.
Vir. I will wish her speedy strength, and visit her with my prayers ; but I cannot go thither.
Vol. Why, I pray you ? 80
Vir. 'Tis not to save labour, nor that I want love.
Val. You would be another Penelope ; yet, they say, all the yarn she spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths. Come ; I would your cambric were sensible as your finger, that you might leave 85 pricking it for pity. Come, you shall go with us.
Vir. No, good madam, pardon me ; indeed I will not forth.
83. jam] F 3 ; yearne F. 84. Ithaca] F 3 ; Athica F.
67. la\ " an exclamation formerly " I play the noble huswife with the used to introduce or to accompany a time
conventional phrase or an address, or to To entertain 't so merrily with a
call attention to an emphatic state- fool."
ment," New Eng. Diet. Sometimes In Romeo and Juliet, iv.n. j^-i,CB.^\x\tt
•'la you," and sometimes spelled says: " I *11 />/a)' the huswife for this
"law." See The Merry Wives of once," where huswife = \\uzzy. Com-
Windsor, i. i. 86 : '• and I thank you pare Henry V. v. i. 85 : *' Doth For-
always with my heart, la! with my tune play the huswife whh me now 7 ''
heart"; Twelfth Night, in. iv. iii, 74. by your patience] withy onr good
etc. leave. See i. ix. 55 post.
68. A crack] A forward boy. See 78. speedy strength] quick recovery. 2 Henry IV. iii. ii. 34: "I see him 84. cambric] a kind of fine white break Scogan's head at the court-gate, linen, so called from Cambray in when a' was a crack not thus high " ; Flanders, where it was originally made. Chapman, May Day, 1611, v. i. (ed. 85. sensible] sensitive. Shepherd, p. 303(a)): " 'Tis a notable leave] cease: as in iv. i. i; etc. crack " (spoken of a page). Very common in Shakespeare, see
70. play . . . huswife] The Count- 1 Henry IV. v. v. 44: "Let us not
ess of Rousillon uses practically the leave till all our own be won." Com-
same expression, perhaps proverbial, pare also Marlowe and Nash, Dido,
when she thus addresses Lavache (the Queen of Carthage, u. i. 35 : " Sweete
Clown) in All 's Well that Ends Well, father, leave to weepe, this is not he,"
n. ii. 62-63 : — ^^^ North's Plutarch, Life of Romulus.
'
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 31
Val. In truth, la, go with me ; and I '11 tell you excellent
news of your husband. 90
Vir. O, good madam, there can be none yet.
Val. Verily, I do not jest with you ; there came news from him last night.
Vir. Indeed, madam ?
Val. In earnest, it's true; I heard a senator speak it. 95 Thus it is : the Volsces have an army forth ; against whom Cominius the general is gone, with one part of our Roman power : your lord and Titus Lartius are set down before their city Corioles ; they nothing doubt prevailing and to make it brief wars. This is 100 true, on mine honour ; and so, I pray, go with us.
Vir. Give me excuse, good madam ; I will obey you in every thing hereafter.
Vol. Let her alone, lady ; as she is now, she will but
disease our better mirth. 105
Val. In troth, I think she would. Fare you well then. Come, good sweet lady. Prithee, Virgilia, turn thy solemness out o' door, and go along with us.
Vir. No, at a word, madam ; indeed I must not. I wish
you much mirth. no
Val. Well then, farewell. [Exeunt Ladies.
104-110. Let . . . much mirth'] Ptose SiS Pope; nine lines in Ff. 104. lady; . . now,] Pope; Ladie, . . . now : F. 108. 0'] Theobald; a F.
ed. 1595, p. 37 : " he (Romulus) be- trouble our mirth, which would flow
ganne to grow more strange and freer without her presence. Compare
stately . . . leaving after his old yacob and Esau, i. i. (Hazlitt's
manner to be a curteous and gracious Dodsley, ii. 191): — prince." " Except that we disease our tent
99. are set down] have encamped. and neighbours all
See note on i. ii. 28 ante. With rising over early each day
100. to . . . brief wars] to bring the when ye call."
matter to a speedy conclusion. See 109. at a word] once for all. See
Holland's Livy, p. 337 : " The Tuscans Much Ado about Nothing, 11. i. 125 : — spent the first daie in consulting " Ursula . . . you are he.
whether they would make short warres Antonio. At a word, I am not."
of it by hot assaultes, or temporise It is the French "En un mot": see
and," etc. .Sherwood, English-French Diet., 1632,
105. disease . . . mirth] mar or " At a word, in a word : En un mot."
32 CORIOLANUS [act i.
SCENE W.— Before Corioles.
Enter MarCIUS, TituS Lartius, with drum and colours, with Captains, ayid Soldiers, as before the city Corioles. To them a Messenger.
Mar. Yonder comes news : a wager they have met.
Lart. My horse to yours, no.
Mar. 'Tis done.
Lart. Agreed.
Mar. Say, has our general met the enemy ?
Mess. They lie in view, but have not ^oke as yet.
Lart. So the good horse ismine. ^^
Mar. I '11 buy him of you. 5
Lart, No, I '11 nor sell nor give him : lend you him I will
For half a hundred years. Summon the town. Mar. How far off lie these armies ?
Mess. Within this mile and half.
Mar. Then shall we hear th^rj^rum, and they ours.
Now, Mars, I prithee, make us quick in work, 10
That we with smoking swords may march from hence,
To help our fielded friends ! Come, blow thy blast.
They sound a parley. Enter two Senators with others, on the walls of Corioles.
Tullus Aufidius, is he within your walls ?
Scene IV. Before . . . ] Trenches before Corioli. Capell. i. Yonder . . . met] As
Pope ; two lines in Ff.
Scene IV. " Some trumpet summon hither to
I. they have met] they have come to ^^^ walls
an encounter. For an instance of meet These men of Anglers."
in this sense (not uncommon in Shake- 8. Within this mile and half]
speare), see 1 Henry IV. iv. iv. 12- Steevens wishes to omit the words
13 : — " and half," which he says ' disturb
•' The King with mighty and quick- the metre and contradict ♦ 'Tis not a
raised power mile ' " (i. vi. 16 post) ; but Shakespeare
Meets with Lord Harry." was very careless on such points.
4. but . . . yet] but have not as yet g. Harum] sound or call to arms,
encountered. Compare Antony and Compare "alarum," 11. ii. 76 post,
Cleopatra, ii. ii. 167 : " Would we had and The Taming of the Shrew, i. ii.
spoke together I " and ibid. 11. vi. 25 : — 207 : —
" Thou canst not fear us, Pompey, " Have I not in a pitched battle
with thy sails ; heard
We '11 speak with thee at sea." Loud Harums, neighing steeds, and
7. Summon the town] i.e. by trumpet. trumpets' clang ? "
Compare King John, 11. i. 198 : — 12. fielded] fighting in open field, in
SC. IV.]
CORIOLANUS
33
First Sen. No, nor a man that fears you less than he,
That 's lesser than a little. [Drum afar off.
Hark ! our drums 1 5
Are bringing forth our youth : we '11 break our walls, Rather than they shall pound us up : our gates, Which yet seem shut, we have but pinn'd with
rushes ; They '11 open of themselves. Hark you, far off !
{Alarum afar off. There is Aufidius : list, what work he makes 20
Amongst your cloven army. Mar. O, they are at it.
Lart. Their noise be our instruction. Ladders, ho !
Enter the Army of the Volsces.
14. that fears you less] but . . . less Johnson conj ; that and Capell conj, 19. 0^/] Dyce; off ¥.
more Johnson
contrast with those before the walls of the city.
12, blow thy blast] addressed to the trumpeter.
14, 15. ATo . . . little] Though the meaning is strained a little here, the old text is probably right, and neither the change proposed by Johnson, nor that by Johnson and Capell is neces- sary ; for, as Malone writes, " Our author always entangles himself when he uses ' less ' or * more.' "
15. drums] drummers. Compare All '5 Well that Ends Well, v. iii. 253, " He 's a good drum," and see the note on sivords, i. iii. 55 ante.
i6. we 7/ break our walls] There is a possible, but not very probable, alternative to the ordinary sense here. " Break" may be used in the sense of break cover, escape from, issue out of, which, perhaps, also occurs in Timon of Athens, iv. iii. 354 : " How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city ? " The New Eng. Diet, gives an instance of " break " in the sense of to break cover, from The Returne from Pernassus, 11. 5 [ed. Macray, p. 108] : " the Buck broke gallantly." See also the examples of to break prison or jail, e.g. 1674, J [Brian], Harv. Home, viii. 52 : " Who is himself ; and breaks the jayl, must die."
17. pound US up] confine us as in a pinfold or pound. Compare Drayton, The Legend of Matilda, Spenser Society, Poems, pt. ii. p. 460 : " Little it bootes in walles my selfe to pen.'*
18. we . . . rushes] i.e. we have only loosely secured. A rush, in Shakespeare, is the emblem of weak- ness, as in I. i. iHo ante : "And hews down oaks with rushes.'* See also Othello, V. ii. 270 : —
" Man but a rush against Othello's breast And he retires," and King John, iv. iii. 129, 130; etc.
21. cloven] routed, having its ranks broken. Compare the sense of " pierc- ing " in I. V. II post: "piercing our Romans."
22. Their . . . instruction] Schmidt explains instruction here as informa- tion, citing Antony and Cleopatra, v. i. 54, but Lartius's words signify : Let the sound of their activity teach us to play our own part without delay. Nor is the usual sense of instruction neces- sarily absent from the passage adduced from Antony and Cleopatra: "The queen ... Of thy intents desires in- struction, That she preparedly may frame herself To the way she 's forced to."
34
CORIOLANUS
[act
Mar. They fear us not, but issue forth their city.
Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight With hearts more proof than shields. Advance,
brave Titus : They do disdain us much beyond our thoughts. Which makes me sweat with wrath. Come on, mv
fellows : He that retires, I '11 take him for a Volsce, And he shall feel mine edge.
i
25
Alarum. The Romans are beat back to their trenches. {Re-^ Enter Marcius, cursing.
Mar. All the contagion of the south light on you, You shames of Rome ! you herd of — Biles
plagues Plaster you o'er, that you may be abhorr'd Farther than seen, and one infect another
and
30
31. of — Biles\ of— Boils Johnson ; of Byles F ; of Biles F 3.
23. forth their city] forth as a pre- position is not very common in Shake- speare. See A Midsummer Night's Dreani, i. i. 164 : " Steal forth thy father's house to-morrow night " ; and Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 156.
25. more proof] more impenetrable, more stout. Compare Cymbeline, v. v. 5: " targes of /'^oo/," i.e. "shields of proof (tested and proved impenetrable)," Dowden, note on the passage in this series. See also Venus and Adonis, 626 : *' His brawny sides . . . Are better proof than thy spear's point can enter."
26. much . . . thoughts] much more than we should have thought possible. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, i. ii. 150 : " She is cunning past man's thought,'' and ibid. in. vi. 86, 87 : —
" You are abused Beyond the mark of thought."
27. Which . . . wrath] This effect of wrath occurs in Huon of Burdeux, by John Bourchier, Lord Berners, printed circa 1534 (cap, xcix. E.E.T. Soc, Part II, p. 320) : •' whan themper- our herde the knyght he swet for dis- pleasure."
29. edge] like *• edge o' the sword " {Macbeth iv. i. 151), rhetorically used
for the sword. See v. vi. in post : *' Cut me to pieces Volsces . . . Stain all your edges on me."
30. the south] The south is described nearly always in Shakespeare, not only as a wet, but also as a pestilential quarter. See ii. iii. 31-34 post; also 2 Henry IV. ii. iv. 392 : " the south {i.e. the south wind) Botne with black vapour"; and perhaps Troilus and Cressida, v. 1. 21 (" the rotten diseases of the south '*). See, however, Mr. Deighton's note to the passage in his edition of that play in this series. Compare, also, Golding's Ovid, Meta- morphoses, Book I. line 75 : —
•' And unto Auster doth belong the coast of all the South, Who beareth shoures and rotten mists, continuall in his mouth."
31. Biles] This old form is most likely the word Shakespeare wrote. It is found in his day and long after ; and with bule, etc., was a Middle English form. See Piers the Plowman, B, Passus XX. 83 : •' Byles, and bocches and brennyng agues." In the C version, the word is Bulcs. See also the quotation from Reginald Scot in note on Act 11. i. i post.
SC. IV.]
CORIOLANUS
35
Against the wind a mile! You souls of geese, That bear the shapes of men, how have you run From slaves that apes would beat ! Pluto and hell ! All hurt behind ; backs red, and faces pale With flight and agued fear ! Mend and charge home. Or, by the fires of heaven, I '11 leave the foe And make my wars on you ; look to 't : come on ; If you '11 stand fast, we '11 beat them to their wives. As they us to our trenches follows.
35
40
Another alarum. The fight is renewed. The Volsces retire into Corioles, and Marcius follows them to the gates.
So, now the gates are ope : now prove good seconds :
42. follows] followcs F ; followed F 2. 43. Another . . . gates} Another
Alarum, and Martins . . . gates, and is shnt in. Ff.
34. Against . . . mile] A mile away and when a wind is blowing back the infection. Compare ^4// 's Well that Ends Well, v. ii. 10-15 • '* I'rithee, allow the wind. . . . Prithee, get thee further."
37. All hurt behtjid] This disgrace to a soldier is well illustrated in North's Plutarch, 1579, Life of Pilopidas, ed. 1595, p. 315. After speaking of the in- fluence of love between friends on courage in battle, Plutarch appeals to its force even in absence, and goes on : " As appeareth by the example of him, that being striken down to the ground, his enemie lifting up his sworde to kill him, he prayed him he would give him his deaths wound before, least his friend that loved him, seeing a wound on his backe, should be ashamed of him." See also Macbeth, v. vii. 46, " Siward. Had he [my son] his hurts before ? Ross. Ay, on the front. Si7i'. Why then, God's soldier be he ! " etc.
38. agued fear] fear which operates as an ague fit. Compare Richard II. III. ii. igo : " This ague-tit of fear is overblown."
Mend] Schmidt explains " do better than before " : more probably (though in perhaps needlessly close interpre- tation) " Mend " applies to spirit (= Improve your fear with valour), as •' charge home " applies to action.
charge home] charge into the very heart of your enemies' ranks : compare the sense of home in 11. ii. 103 ("I can- not speak him home ") ; iii. iii. i (*' charge him home ") ; iv. ii. 48 (" You have told them home ") post.
39. fires of heaven] The stars were supposed to be fire. See Hamlet, 11. ii. 116 : *' Doubt thou the stars are fire " ; King Lear, in. vii. 61: "the stelled fires." Mr. Crawford contributes the following note : ** Bacon in his Silvts Silvarum, Century I, No. 31, and else- where, holdij with the Stoics that * the celestial bodies, most of them, are true fires or flames ; that in heaven fire exists in its true place, removed from the as- sault of any contrary body, constant, sustained by itself and things like itself.' " See also v. iv. 46 and note post.
41. we'll . . . wives] in contempt: compare Atitony and Cleopatra, iv. vii. 5, 6:-
'* we had droven them home With clouts about their heads," and ibid, line 9 : " We '11 beat 'em into bench-holes."
42. follows] As the Romans were hardly yet rallied or standing fast, there is no reason why the verb should be put in the past with Ff 2-4. The form follows instead of follow (Collier, ed. i) represents the common plural
36
CORIOLANUS
[act I.
*Tis for the followers fortune widens them, Not for the fliers : mark me, and do the like. 45
[He] entey[s] the gates. First Sol. Foolhardiness ! not I. Second Sol. Nor I.
[Marcius is shut in. Third Sol. See, they have shut him in.
[Alarum continues. All. To the pot, I warrant him.
46. Marcius . . . in] Dyce. 47. Third Sol.] Keightley ; 1 Sol. F.
44. followers'] pursuers. Robert Henryson writes (The Fables ofEsope, "The Wolf and the Wedder," line 122): "Aneflear (flier) gettis a.ne fol- lower commounlie " ; but the word is used in this exact sense in the Life of Coriolamis. See North, Extracts, p. xxxiii ante : " crying out to them, that fortune had opened the gates of the cittie more for the followers, then the flyers."
47. To the pot] a very common ex- pression, meaning " to sure and rapid destruction." In Notes on English Etymology, I90i» Professor Skeat says: "I have [hitherto] adopted Mr. Wright's note to Coriolanus, i. iv. 47, to the eff'ect that • the figure is taken from the melting-pot.' I now believe that the figure was taken from the much more common cooking-pot. Whoever looks at the word pot in Littr6 will see how many F. phrases refer to the cooking-pot, and Dr. Schmidt, in his Shakespeare Lexicon, seems to take the same view ; for he quotes the G. parallel phrase which Fliigel gives as ' in die Pfanne hauen, to put to the sword,' lit. to heave into the pan. The reference is here to the shredding of vegetables before they are thrown into the pot to be cooked. I venture to think this expression is far more graphic, when we thus refer it, in the natural way, to the ordinary cooking- pot." See the book for Dr. Skeat's examples. The majority of the follow- ing seem to confirm his deduction : New Custom, 1573, Hazlitt's Dodsley, III. 35:—
" Avarice. Ha, ha, ha ; no, nor imbrr
and mother, if there were ought to be got, Thou mightest swear, if I could, I would bring them to the pot " ; yack Straw, 1593, ibid. v. 387 : " Let him take heed he brings a wise answer to our worships, or else his pledges goes to the pot " ; Porter, The Two Angry Women of Abington, ibid. vii. 302 : " take heed, as soon goes the young sheep to the pot as the old"; Golding's Ovid, Metamorphoses, 1565- 1567, xiv. 249 (Danter's 1593 ed., sig. A 23) :-
" I trembling like an aspen-leafe stood pale and bloodless quite. And in beholding how he fed and
belked vp againe His bloody vitels at his mouth,
and vttred vp amaine The clotted gobbets mixt with
wine, I thus surmisd : like lot Hangs ouer my head now, and I must also go to pot " ; The Posies of George Gascoigne, Es- quire, 1575, The fruites of Warre, stanza 41 : —
" I list not write (for it becomes me not) The secret wrath which God doth
kindle oft, To see the sucklings put unto th-
pot To heare their giltlesse blood send cries aloft," etc. ; Peele, Edward I. v. 5 (ed. Bullen, i. 129), quoted by Staunton : —
" we will admit no pause, For goes this wretch, this traitor, tn the pot:'
'
SC. IV.]
CORIOLANUS
37
[Re-IEnter TiTUS Lartius.
Lart. What is become of Marcius ?
All. Slain, sir, doubtless.
First Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels.
With them he enters ; who, upon the sudden, 50
Clapp'd-to their gates ; he is himself alone. To answer all the city.
Lart. O noble fellow !
Who sensibly outdares his senseless sword, And, when it bows, stand'st up. Thou art left,
Marcius : A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, 5 5
Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier
54. stand'sf] F ; statids Rowe.
49. Following . . . heels'] Compare Henry V. iv. vii. 179 : " Follow Fluel- len closely at the heels " ; also Julitis Casar, 11. iv. 34.
50. upon the sudden] suddenly. This expression is used by Shakespeare about seven times. See it again in this play, II. i. 217 ; and in Antony and Cleopatra (i. ii. 86, and v. ii. 347). He uses " upon a sudden " The {Merry Wives of Windsor, iv. iv. 51); "on such a sudden " {As You Like It, i. iii. 27) ; "of a sudden " {The Taming of the Shrew, i. i. 152) ; and " on a sudden " occurs in Henry VIII. iii. ii. 114.
51. Clapp^d-to] Compare 1 Henry IV. II. iv. 305 : " Hostess, clap to the doors."
he . . . alone] he is quite alone. This expression is an old one. See Hawes, The Pastime of Pleasure, Cap. 33, Southey's British Poets, p. 116 (a) : '* To and tro he walk'd himselfe all alone ^'-f North's Plutarch, 1579, Life of Timoleon, ed. 1595, p. 287 : " For |)iey willed Timoleon that he should goe himselfe alone (if he thought good) unto Icetes " ; St. John, vi. 15: "he departed again unto a mountain himself alone."
52. answer] sustain the attack of, encounter : see i. ii. 19 attte ; and also King Lear, iii. iv. 106 : " to answer with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies." Dr. Dowden, in his note
to Hamlet, v. ii. 173, in this series, gives an example from The Paston Letters [ed. Gairdner, 1874, ^i- 3^7-31^] • "And the same Sunday my lord the bastard took upon hym to answcre xxiiij knyts and gentylmen with in viii dayes at jostys of pese ; and when that they were answeryd, they xxiiij and hymselve schold torney with othyr XXV," etc.
53, 54. Who . . . sword, . . .And when . . . tip.] Who, though human and subject to feeling, shows himself more careless of it than does his sense- less sword, which sometimes bows, he never. Steevens quotes the following passage from Sidney's Arcadia (ed. 1633, p. 293), which he thinks may have suggested the idea to Shake- speare : " Their very armour by piece - meale fell away from them ; and yet their flesh abode the wounds constantly, as though it were less sensible of smart than the senselesse armour," etc.
54. 55- Thou . . . entire] Malone compares Othello, v. 11. 144-146 : —
" If heaven had made me such another woman, Of one entire and perfect chryso- lite, I 'd not have ta'en it for her," and it does not seem to have been noticed that Malone, apparently quot- ing from memory, has made consider- able changes in the passage.
38
CORIOLANUS
ACT
Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible
Only in strokes ; but, with thy grim looks and
The thunder-like percussion of thy sounds,
Thou mad'st thine enemies shake, as if the world 60
Were feverous and did tremble.
{^Re-IEnter Marcius, bleeding, assaulted by the enemy.
First Sol. Look sir !
Lart. O ! 'tis Marcius :
Let 's fetch him off, or make remain alike.
[They fight, and all e7iter the city.
SCENE Y.—Corioles. A Street.
Enter certain Romans, with spoils.
Fi7'st Rom. This will I carry to Rome. Second Rom. And I this.
57. Cato's] Theobald (from Plutarch) ; Calues F.
Scene V. Corioles . . . ] Within the Town. A Street. Capell.
57. Cato's] So Theobald for Ff, Calues. Monck Mason imagined that Shakespeare purposely put the wish he quotes " into the mouth of a certain Calvus, who might have lived at any time," for the sake of correct chrono- logy, but Shakespeare, who makes Hector quote Aristotle, would not have mindedmaking this sortof anachronism. He falls into it in adapting from North's Plutarch (see Extracts, ante, p. xxxiii) : " For he was even such another, as Cato would have a souldier and a cap- taine to be," etc. In the Life of Marcus Cato in the same book, ed. I595» P- 37o» ^e read : " So when he (Cato) came to fight, he would strike lustely, and never sturre foote nor give back, and would looke cruelly upon his enemy, and threaten him with a fearfull and terrible voice, which he used him- self, and wisely taught other also to use the like : for such countenances, sayed he, many times do feare the enemies more, then the sword yee offer them." The fierce look of the attack- ing soldier is referred to in Henry V.
HI. i. 9 : " Then lend the eye a terrible aspect," etc. ; and to his power of shouting to frighten his foe, Coriolanus refers, in. ii. 112-114 post : " my throat of war be turn'd. Which quired with my drum, into a pipe," etc.
60, 61. as . . . tremble] We find in Macbeth, 11. iii. 66 : " some say, the earth Was feverous, and did shake."
62. fetch him off] rescue him ; as in All '5 Well that Ends Well, iii. vi. 20 : *' Bertram. I would 1 knew in what particular action to try him. First Lord. None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hear him so confidently undertake to do."
make . . . alike] stay there as he stays, share his fate. The New Eng. Diet, does not give the present passage,
since
but cites Macbeth, iv. iii. 148 my here-rejnain in England " Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, 1470, IX. 615 : —
•' I^aynrik was tayn with Thomas oft' Thorn ; So Lundy thair mycht mak langar remayn,"
also circa
yong
sc. v.]
CORIOLANUS
39
Third Rom. A murrain on 't ! I took this for silver.
\Exeunt. [A /arum continues still afar off.
Enter Marcius and TiTUS [Lartius] with a trumpet.
Mar. See here these movers that do prize their hours
At a crack 'd drachm ! Cushions, leaden spoons 5
Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would Bury with those that wore them, these base slaves, Ere yet the fight be done, pack up. Down with them !
3. \exeunt. Ff ; om. Theobald]. 4. houri\ honours Rowe (ed. 2). F 3 ; Drachme F ; drachma Singer (ed. 2), and many edd.
5. drachm]
Scene V.
3. A murrain on't] Compare The Tempest, in. ii. 88 : "A murrain on your monster " ; and Troilus and Cressida, II. i. 20 : "a red murrain u' thy jade's tricks ! " also C. Tourneur, The Re- venger^s Tragedy, in. vi. (ed. Collins, II. 98) : " A murren meete 'em ! " B. Barnes, The Devil's Charter, v. i. (ed. McKerrow, p. 75) : " And take a murren with thee so fare-well." The word (Mid. Eng. morcine, which can be traced to Old French marine, the car- cass of a beast) meant, as now, a disease of cattle, but extended its sense to plague in general. In Golding's Ovid, VII. 786, ed. Rouse, p. 152, it oc- curs in the sense of plague among men: —
•' In fine, so far outragiously this helplesse murren raues, There was not wood inough for fire, nor ground inough for graues." this for silver] this leaden spoon : see line 5.
with a trumpet] preceded by, or in the company of, a trumpeter. See 3 Henry VI. v. i. 16 : '* Go, trumpet, to the walls, and sound a parle " ; King Lear, v. iii. (stage direction before line 118) : '* Enter Edgar . . . armed, with o trumpet before him."
4. movers] shirkers, cowards who will not stand firm. Compare Romeo and Juliet, i. i. 11 : "To move is to stir ; to be valiant is to stand."
prize their hours] value their time. So the old text, but it is not improbable
that Rowe may be right in reading " honours."
5. drach?n] a drachma, a small silver coin in general use among the ancient Greeks ; it consisted of six obols. Its average value was about gfd. See Julius Ccesar, in. ii. 247, and iv. iii. 73 : " drop my blood for drachmas.^^ It is found in North's Plutarch, and this no doubt led Shakespeare to make it in use at Rome.
6, of a doit] worth a doit, i.e. a small Dutch copper coin, value half a far- thing. See IV. iv. 17 post, and The Tempest, 11. ii. 33 ; also Nash, Have with you to Saffron Walden, 1596 (ed. McKerrow, iii. 37) : " He hath vowed to consume it every doyt." The word is in dialect use to-day for the old Scots penny, or one-twelfth of a penny sterling ; and also for a trifle (see Eng. Dial. Diet.).
doublets] The modern coat and waistcoat descend from and replace the doublet, which fitted the body closely and was made both with and without sleeves.
6, 7. that hangman . . . them] The hangman had as his perquisite the gar- ments of those he hanged. Steevens quotes Whetstone, Promos and Cas- sandra, 1578 [11. V. 2], where the hang- man says : —
" Here is nyne and twenty sutes of apparell for my share ; And some, berlady, very good, for
so standeth the case As neyther gentelman nor other lord. Promos sheweth grace.
40
CORIOLANUS
[act 1.
And hark, what noise the general makes ! To him ! There is the man of my soul's hate, Auiidius, Piercing our Romans : then, valiant Titus, take Convenient numbers to make good the city, Whilst I, with those that have the spirit, will haste To help Cominius.
Lart. Worthy sir, thou bleed'st ;
Thy exercise hath been too violent For a second course of fight.
Mar. Sir, praise me not ;
My work hath yet not warm'd me : fare you well : The blood I drop is rather physical Than dangerous to me : to Aufidius thus I will appear, and fight.
10
15
ig, 20. Than
fight] As Capell ; one line Ff.
But I marvell much poore slaves, that they are hanged so soone ;
All the better for the hangman, I
pardons dreaded sore, Would cutters save whose clothes are good, I never fear'd the poore." See also Mr. Hart's note to Measure for Measure, iv. ii. 44, in this series.
9. And . . . makes'] The general, Cominius, is engaged a mile away, and similarly hears the *' noise" that Mar- cius makes : see sc. vi. lines 4-6 and 16 post.
ir. Piercing] Breaking through. 12, make good] hold, keep secure from attack. Dr. Aldis Wright quotes Cymbeline, v. iii. 19-23 : " He, with two striplings . . . Made good the ■ps.s- sage." It is a technical military ex- pression.
16. second course] Mr. Deighton sees
an allusion to the second or principal
course of viands at dinner, explaining
" as though fighting were a feast to
him," and quoting, i. ix. lo-ii : —
" Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this
feast,
Having fully din'd before,"
and Macbeth, 11. ii. 39 : •' great nature's
second course," but it more probably
means bout, encounter of fight : see
The Tragedy of Huffman, 163 1, Act 11.
ad init : '• Well, ile trie OJte course with
thee at the halfe pike," etc. The Ne7v
Eng. Diet, gives Course : The rush to-
gether of two combatants in battle or tournament; charge, onset; a passage at arms, bout, encounter. In King Lear, in. vii. 54, Gloucester says : '• I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course," i.e. I must endure a second relay of dogs set upon me. See note to the passage (in. vii. 57) in the edition in this series.
praise me Jiot] praise is possibly here, as in Twelfth Night, i. v. 268 = estim- ate ; do not thus estimate my powers, do not set yourself as a judge of what I can do. In the passage in Twelfth Night, Olivia says : " I will give out divers schedules of my beauty : . . . Were you sent hither to praise me ? "
18. drop] So in Julius Ccesar, iv. iii. 73, " drop my blood for drachmas " ; Henry V. 1. ii. 19 : —
•• For God doth know how many now in health Shall drop their blood in approba- tion Of what your reverence shall incite us to." physical] health-giving, salutary, medicinal, as in jfulius Ccrsar, 11. i. 261 : " Is Brutus sick ? and is it physical To walk unbraced and suck up the humours Of the dank morning ? " Mr. Hart supplies an illustration from Ben Jonson, News from the Nejv World Discovered in the Moon (Works, ed. Gilford and Cunningham, in. 138a), " And they have their New Wells too, and physical waters, I hope, to visit ail
SC. VI.
CORIOLANUS
41
Lart. Now the fair goddess, Fortune, 20
Fall deep in love with thee ; and her great charms Misguide thy opposers' swords ! Bold gentleman, Prosperity be thy page !
Mar. Thy friend no less
Than those she placeth highest ! So, farewell.
Lart. Thou v/orthiest Marcius ! {Exit Mar cius. 25
1 Go, sound thy trumpet in tJie.jTiarket-place ;
S Call thither all the officers o' the town,
L Where they sliall know our_mind. Away ! [Exeunt.
SCENE VI.— Near the Camp of COMINIUS.
Enter COMINIUS, as it were in reti "e^ with soldiers.
Com. Breathe you, my friends : well fought ; we are come off Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands, Nor cowardly in retire : believe me, sirs, We shall be charg'd again. Whiles we have struck. By interims and conveying gusts we have heard 5
The charges of our friends. The Roman gods,
22. swords ! Bold gentleman,'] swords : bold Gentleman ! Rowe ; swords, Bold Gentleman : Ff. 25. Exit Marcius'] Capell. 26. Go, sound] Theobald (ed. 2) ; no comma in F. 27. 0' thel a' th' F.
Near . . . ] Capell. and most edd.
Scene VI. 4. struck] F 4 ; strooke F.
6. The] F ; Ye Hanmer
time of year ? " On some of the " physical " values of loss of blood, see Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy, part ii. sect. iv. memb. iii., " Chirurgical Remedies," and sect. v. memb. i. sub- sect. 2, " Blood-letting."
Scene vr.
I. we are come off] we quit the fight. The Romans temporarily retire, but this is not necessarily implied in " come off," which can be used by the side which has the advantage. See King yohn, V. V. 4, when Lewis speaks of the English as " In faint Retire," and goes on : —
" O bravely came we off. When with a volley of our needless shot.
After such bloody toil, we bid good
night; And wound our tattering colours
clearly up. Last in the field, and almost lords
of it ! "
4. Whiles . . . struck] As we were fighting. Whiles for while, as con- stantly.
5. 6. By interims . . . friends] At intervals, borne to us on the wings of the wind, we have heard the noise of our charging comrades. Compare, as a parallel, yulius Ccesar, 11. iii. ig : —
" I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray, And the wind brings it from the Capitol."
6. The Roman gods] The reading of the folios. See the critical apparatus, supra.
42 CORIOLANUS [act i.
Lead their successes as we wish our own, That both our powers, with smiling fronts en- countering, May give you thankful sacrifice.
Enter a Messenger.
Thy news ? Mess. The citizens of Corioles have issued, lo
And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle :
I saw our party to their trenches driven.
And then I came away. Com. Though thou speak 'st truth,
Methinks thou speak'st not well. How long is 't since ? Mess. Above an hour, my lord. 1 5
Com. 'Tis not a mile ; briefly we heard their drums :
How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour.
And bring thy news so late ? Mess. Spies of the Volsces
Held me in chase, that I was forc'd to wheel
Three or four miles about ; else had I, sir, 20
Half an hour since brought my report.
Enter MaRCIUS.
Com. Who 's yonder,
That does appear as he were flay'd ? O gods !
8. powers] forces. As often : com- 16. brief y] but a short time ago,
pare Henry V. iii. iii. 46, etc. The commoner meanings are soon,
/row ^5] brows, or faces. See Antony shortly, quickly, iiee Cymbeline, v. \.
and Cleopatra, i. i. 6, " a tawny /row^." 106 ; etc.
g. thankful sacrifice'] Cormpase Antony 17. confound] waste, spend. See
and Cleopatra, i. ii. 167 : *' Why, sir, Antony and Cleopatra, i. i. 45 :
give the gods a thankful sacrifice.^'' " Let 's not confound the time with
10. have issued] have made a sally, conference harsh " ; also ibid. i. iv.
In the Life of Coriolanus, North's 28 : " but to confound such time, That
Plutarch, we read, ed. 1612, p. 224 : drums him from his sport, . . . — 'tis
" So the Coriolans making smal ac- to be chid," etc.
count of them that lay in campe be- 19. Held me in chase] So in Lucrece,
fore the city, made a sally out vpon 1736: "Her blood . . . held it in
them," etc. chase'' -, Sonnet cw.ui.$\ "Whilst her
13, 14. Though . . . well] Compare neglected child holds her in chase,"
Antony and Cleopatra, 11. v. 85, 86: — etc.
" '1 hough it be honest, it is never that] so that. That for so that
good is very frequent. See, e.g. Mcubeth, in
To bring bad news." one speech, i. vii. lines 4, 8, and 25.
sc. VL] CORIOLANUS 43
He has the stamp of Marcius, and I have
Before-time seen him thus. ^^<^^' Come I too late ?
Cofn. The shepherd knows not thunder from a tabor 25
More than I know the sound of Marcius' tongue
From every meaner man. Mar. Come I too late ?
Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others,
But mantled in your own. Mar. O, let me clip ye
In arms as sound as when I woo'd ; in heart 30
As merry as when our nuptial day was done.
And tapers burn'd to bedward. Com. Flower of warriors,
How is 't with Titus Lartius ? Mar. As with a man busied about decrees :
Condemning some to death, and some to exile; 35
Ransoming him, or pitying, threat'ning the other ;
Holding Corioles in the name of Rome,
Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
To let him slip at will. Com. Where is that slave
Which told me they had beat you to your trenches ? 40
Where is he? Call him hither.
30. tvoo'd ; in heart] ThxxXhy con].; woo'd in heart ; F. 32,33. Flower
. . . Larttus ?] As Pope ; one line Ff.
23. stamp] the sum of the char- Plutarch, ante^ p. xxxiv : " When they acteristics impressed on a man by sawe him at his first comming, all nature, as they distinguish him from bloody," and what follows.
other men. 29. mantled] covered as with a
24. Before-time] formerly. The New mantle. Compare the use of sheet as Eng. Diet, quotes Promptorium Par- a verb in Antony and Cleopatra, i. iv. vulontm, 1440, "Before tyme : ante- 65: "when snow the pasture sheets." hoc." Elsewhere Shakespeare uses mantle as
25. tabor] A small drum, used by verb, of the green covering of a stag- morris-dancers and other merry-makers, nant pool, as in The Tempest, iv. i. 182 ; Not a tambourine as sometimes ex- The Merchant of Venice, i.'x.^g. Ford plained : see the print on title-page of and Dekker, The Sun's Darling, iv. i. Kemps nine daies VVonder, 1600 (Cam- 17 (GifEord's Ford, 11. 411), have : — den Soc. Reprint, 1840), apparently " I have smelt perfumes of roses, representing Kemp " attended on by And every flower, with which the Thomas Slye my Taberer." See abo fresh-trimm'd earth
note on tabourines (war-drums) in Is mantled in."
Antony and Cleopatra, iv. viii. 37, in clip] embrace, clasp, as again in
this series. iv. v. iii. A very common word.
28, 29. Ay, if . . . own. O, . . . 36. pitying] remitting his ransom
clip ye] See the Extracts from North's (Johnson).
44 CORIOLANUS [act i.
Mar. Let him alone ;
He did inform the truth : but for our gentlemen,
The common file, — a plague I tribunes for them !
The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat as they did budge
From rascals worse than they. Co7n. But how prevail'd you? 45
Mar. Will the time serve to tell ? I do not think.
Where is the enemy ? are you lords o' the field ?
If not, why cease you till you are so ? Com. Marcius, we have at disadvantage fought,
And did retire to win our purpose. 50
Mar. How lies their battle ? know you on which side
They have plac'd their men of trust ? Com. As I guess, Marcius,
Their bands i' the vaward are the Antiats,
Of their best trust ; o'er them Aufidius,
Their very heart of hope. Mar. I do beseech you, 55
By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By the blood we have shed together, by the vows
We have made to endure friends, that you directly
Set me against Aufidius and his Antiats ;
47. 0' the'] o' th' F 4; a' th F. 48, 50. If . . . purpose.'] As Ff ; Capell
and many edd. divide after Marcius, . . . did . . . purpose. 53. Antiats]
Antiates Pope; Antients F. 57-59. As Pope; four lines in Ff, ending
together, . . . made . . . set me . . . Antiats.
43. The common file] The common suits the scornful colloquialism of herd or pack. Shakespeare uses ^/^ in Marcius.
this or a less opprobrious collective 46. / do not think] so is similarly
sense (see II. i. 22 />05f, where the right- omitted after think m Measure for
ha.nd file = the patricians), and also for Measure, i. ii. 24. See Abbott, Shakes.
list or roll (see Macbeth, iii. i. 95, •' the Gram., § 64.
valued//^"; v. ii. 18, " I have a. file 53. vaward] the van or vanguard.
Of all the gentry "), and in the military Compare Henry V. iv. iii. 130: "My
sense; see -4// '5 Well that Ends Well, lord, most humbly on my knee I beg
IV. iii. 303 : " he had the honour to be The leading of the vaward.''^
the officer at a place there called Mile- 55. heart of hope] Malone notes that
end, to instruct for the doubling of the same expression is in Lust's
files.'^ Dominion [iv. ii., Hazlitt's Dodsley,
44. budge] This word did not express xiv. 151], which he wrongly attributes flight any more than it does to-day in to Marlowe : —
the common asseveration, "I w'ont '* Your desperate arm
budge an inch." Compare Julius Hath almost thrust quite through
CcEsar, IV. iii. 44, "Must I budge? the heart of hope. ^'
Must I observe you ? " and Wilkins, It is not there, however, applied to a
The Miseries of Inforst Marriage, iii. person.
(Hazlitt's Dodsley, ix. 525) : " Boy, 59. Set me against] See North, Ex-
keep the wall: I will not budge for tracts, p. xxxiv ante: "Then prayed
any man, by these thumbs." See also Martius to be set directly against
the noun budger i. viii. 5 post. But it them," i.e. opposite the Antiates.
CORIOLANUS
45
60
And that you not delay the present, but, Filling the air with swords advanc'd and darts, We prove this very hour.
Com. Though I could wish
You were conducted to a gentle bath, And balms applied to you, yet dare I never Deny your asking : take your choice of those 65
That best can aid your action.
Mar. Those are they
That most are willing. If any such be here, As it were sin to doubt, that love this painting Wherein you see me smear'd ; if any fear Lesser his person than an ill report ; 70
If any think brave death outweighs bad life, And that his country 's dearer than himself; Let him, alone, or so many so minded. Wave thus, to express his disposition, And follow Marcius. 75
\They all shout and wave their swords ; take him up in their arms, and cast up their caps. O ! me alone? Make you a sword of me? If these shows be not outward, which of you But is four Volsces ? none of you but is Able to bear against the great Aufidius A shield as hard as his. A certain number,
70. Lesser] F 3 ; Lessen F. of me P] Capell ; 0/ me : F.
60. delay the presenf] make any de- lay now.
61. swords advanced] i.e. swords raised.
76. O I me alone ? ... of me ?"] If we accept this punctuation of the line, or at any rate what is important in it, viz. Capell's note of interrogation at the end, it would appear that the soldiers* answer to " Wave thus " was to uplift Marcius, leading him to say : "What, you wave me only? You make me your sword ? " There is one objection, perhaps, in the fact that the stage direction is old and shows that the stage practice was to wave swords as well as to shout and take up the leader, Mr. Verity thinks that " alone ? " implies " Why not Cominius also?" said in generous deprecation of enthusiasm which excluded the
80
76. 0! me alone?] Oh me alone, Ff.
superior officer ; but it was not Cominius who was calling for volun- teers, nor was he to be associated in the precise action for which they were required. The line in Ff is " Oh me alone, make you a sword of me : " which led to a conjecture (Style, quoted by Cambridge edd.) that it was spoken by the soldiers. This is possible, for Marcius had spoken of " Filling the air with swords advanc'd" (line 61), and had said *' Let him, alone,'^ etc., in line 73. Others, who substantially retain the folio pointing, understand more or less as is vigorously expressed by Prof. Herford (Eversley Shakespeare) : " Yes, make me your weapon indeed ! Follow me up as strenuously as the hand the sword."
77. outward] merely external, in- sincere.
46 CORIOLANUS [act i.
Though thanks to all, must I select from all : the rest Shall bear the business in some other fight, As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march ; And four shall quickly draw out my command, Which men are best inclin'd. Com. March on, my fellows: 85
Make good this ostentation, and you shall Divide in all with us.
{Exeunt.
SCENE Nil.— The Gates of Corioles.
Titus LartiuS, having set a guard upon Corioles, going with drum and trumpet toward COMINIUS and Caius Mar- CIUS, enters with a Lieutenant^ other Soldiers^ and a Scout.
Lart. So ; let the ports be guarded : keep your duties. As I have set them down. If I do send, dispatch Those centuries to our aid ; the rest will serve For a short holding : if we lose the field. We cannot keep the town.
Lieu. Fear not our care, sir. 5
Lart. Hence, and shut your gates upon us.
Our guider, come ; to the Roman camp conduct us.
{Exeunt.
81, 82. As Boswell; Ff divide after /row all.
Scene VI I. The Gates ...]... Corioli. Capell ; Conoli. Pope. 6. upon us] Capell ; upon 's F. 7. Exeunt] Pope (ed. 2) ; Exit F.
82. bear the business] See i. i. 269 word. CompaiTe Antony and Cleopatra, ante. in. vi. 52: "the ostentation of our
83. As cause . . . obey'd] As neces- love," i.e. its open manifestation, sity shall demand. „
84, 85. And four . . . inclin'd] '^'^^"^ ^"'
Capell conj. and Hudson reads "And I i. ports] gates. Still alive in Scot- shall . . .," and many other conjee- land : see Eng. Dial. Diet. It appears tures have been made to replace four, again in v. vi. 6 post; also in Antony It does not appear why Marcius should and Cleopatra, iv. iv. 23, q.v., and note not depute this particular number to in the edition in this series. Mr. Verity make his selection of the most forward notes that Milton uses it in Paradise men. Its employment might be in- Lost, iv, 778 : "And from their ivory fluenced by the indefinite use of four, port the Cherubim Forth issuing," etc. to which Mr. Verity draws attention : 3. centuries] Here unmistakably on this see the note on Hamlet, 11. ii. companies or divisions, originally of a 160, in this series, p. 6g hundred men. See note on King Lear, 86. ostentation] No suspicion is im- iv. iv. 6, in favour ot the word mean- plied as in the modern sense of the ing " sentry " in that passage.
SC. VIII.]
CORIOLANUS
47
SCENE VIII.— ^ Field of Battle between the Roman and the Volscian Camps.
Alarum as in battle. Enter from opposite sides Marcius and
AUFIDIUS.
Mar. I '11 fight with none but thee ; for I do hate thee
Worse than a promise-breaker. Auf We hate alike :
Not Afric owns a serpent I abhor
More than thy fame and envy. Fix thy foot. Mar. Let the first budger die the other's slave, 5
And the gods doom him after ! Auf If I fly, Marcius,
Holloa me like a hare. Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus,
Alone I fought in your Corioles walls,
Scene VIII. A field . . . ] Capell ; The Roman Camp. Pope. Enter . . . ] Capell;
Enter Martins and Anffidins at seueral doores, Ff. 6, y. 1/ . . . hare] As
Theobald ; one line in Ff. 7. Holloa] Most modern edd ; hollow F ; Halloo
Warburton.
Scene VIII.
3. Not . . . serpent] The reason why Africa (Lybya) so teemed with serpents is given in Golding's Ovid, Metam., iv. lines 756-763 (Danter's 1593 ed., sig. H 4) :—
"And Persey bearing in his hand
the monster Gorgons head, . . . Doth beat the aire with wauing
wings. And as he over-flew The Lybicke sandes the drops of
bloud that from the head did
sew Of Gorgon being new cut off,
vpon the ground did fall. Which taking them (and as it were
conceiuing therewithal!), Engendred sundry snakes and
worms : by means whereof that
clime Did swarme with serpents euer
since, to this same present time."
4. envy] malice; but it is also pos- sible, as Steevens suggests, to regard envy as a verb, making Aufidius, as a second thought, express envy of Mar- cius's fame as well as abhorrence. The same commentator also points out
that fame and envy may be hendiadys for detested or odious fame, comparing "death and honour" lor honourable death. Herford, on the same principle, explams " thy envied fame."
Fix thy foot] See Golding's Ovid, Metam., 1612 ed., ix. leaf 109 (a), last line: "Now were we standing /oo^ ^0 foot'' ; North's Plutarch, Life of The- mistocles, ed. 1595, p. 124 : " he would &etfoot before the proudest, he stood at pike with the greatest " ; Nash, Lenten Stuffe, 1599, ed. McKerrow, iir. 195 : '* He set my foot to his and fight it out with him."
5. budger] mover, shirker : see on i, vi. 44 ante.
7. Holloa . . . hare] Aufidius selects the most timorous beast of chase for his comparison. We read in Golding's Ovid, Metam., x. 621 (Danter's 1593 ed., sig. 31) :—
"... she cheerd the hounds with hallowing like a hunt {i.e. huntsman). Pursuing game of hurtlesse sort,
as harts made low before, Or stags with loftie heads, or bucks."
48 CORIOLANUS [act i.
And made what work I pleas'd ; 'tis not my blood Wherein thou seest me mask'd ; for thy revenge lo
Wrench up thy power to the highest. Auf. Wert thou the Hector
That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny, Thou shouldst not 'scape me here.
[^Here they fight, and certain Volsces come in the aid of AUFIDIUS. Marcius/^>^/j till they be driven in breathless. Officious, and not valiant, you have sham'd me In your condemned seconds. 15
\Exeunt.
SCENE \X.—The Roman Camp.
Alarum. A retreat sounded. Flourish. Enter, at one side, COMINIUS and Romans ; at the other side, Marcius, with his arm in a scarf, a7id other Romans.
Com. If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou 't not believe thy deeds : but I '11 report it
15. condemned^ F ; contemned Johnson conj. Excunti Ff omit.
Scene IX.
The Roman Camp] Pope, i.e. continuing the scene (his No. xi.) Alarum. A retreat sounded. Flourish. Enter . . . side, . . . and Romans ; . . . the other side, . . . scarf, and other Romans'] Flourish. Alarum. A Retreat is sounded. Enter . . . Doore, . . . with the Romanes ; . . . another Doore, . . . scarfe. Ff; and other Romans'] added by Capell. 2. Thou't] Ff. 1-3 ;
Thou 'It F 4 and many edd ; Thou Hdst Capell conj. and some edd.
10. masked] Compare scene vi. lines Mr. Verity well urges the improbability
28-29 ante : — of this confusion in the author of the
" Ay, if you come not in the blood earlier Troilus and Cressida, in which
of others, *' all the great figures of the Trojan
But mantled in your own." War, on either side, are introduced,"
12. the whip . . . progeny] pro- or, in fact, in any tolerably educated
geny is race, ancestors, as in 1 Henry Elizabethan. Mr, E. K. Chambers'
VI. III. iii. 61 : " Doubling thy birth argument, in putting the aboye
and lawful progeny," where the word question : " But the taunt would be
is very amply illustrated by Mr. Hart : more effective if Aufidius swore ' by
see his note in this edition. As the him who whipped your ancestors,' "
Romans claimed descent from the Tro- is beside the mark. Aufidius does not
jans through ^neas and his lollowers, swear by anybody ; he says, If you
the sense must be as Johnson put it: were the most famous and formidable
"the whip with which the Irojans warrior of the race you brag of, you
scourged the Greeks," or, the primi- should not escape me now.
tivc weapon of your boasted forefathers. 15. condemned seconds] odious, or even
The difficulty, which Johnson noted, damned seconding. Seconds, usually
that " the whip," etc., at first sight supporters — compare i. iv. 43 ante,
appears to mean the whip that scourged "now prove good seconds'' — = suc-
the Trojans, has led some to ask if cours, aid, here. Hector is not a mistake for Achilles.
I
SC. IX.]
CORIOLANUS
49
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles,
Where great patricians shall attend and shrug,
r the end admire; where ladies shall be frighted, 5
And, gladly quak'd, hear more ; where the dull tribunes.
That, with the fusty plebeians, hate thine honours.
Shall say, against their hearts, " We thank the gods
Our Rome hath such a soldier,"
Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast, 10
Having fully din'd before.
E7iter Titus [Lartius], with his power, from the pursuit.
Lart. O general.
Here is the steed, we the caparison : Hadst thou beheld —
Mar. Pray now, no more : my mother.
Who has a charter to extol her blood. When she does praise me grieves me. I have done 1 5 Asj/ou have done ; that 's what I can ; induced As you have been ; that 's for my country :
^
i
13, 14. my mother. Who . . . blood,] Hanmer ; Ff divide after grieves me inserts also before been in line 17.
Scene IX.
1. Flourish} Naylor, in Shakespeare and Music, 1896, pp. 167-168, observing that •' the principal use of the Flourish . . . was to signify the presence of Royal persons," notes among other uses duly recorded, that it *' 6 times heralds a victorious force."
2. Thou '<] Mr. Gordon points out that thouH is colloquial for "thou wilt " and compares woo H for wilt thou.
4. shrug'] thus expressing incredulity.
5. admire] wonder. Compare The Tempest, v. i. 154 : —
" 1 perceive these lords At this encounter do so much
admire That," etc.
5, 6. where . . . more] This reminds one of Macaulay, Lays of Ancient Rome : —
" And maids who shriek to see the heads. Yet, shrieking, press more nigh."
6. quak d] terrihed. Steevens quotes T. Heywood, The Silver Age, 1613 [Pearson's Heywood, in. 145] : —
4
As Pope; one line Ff. 15-17- As
: . . . / can, . . . Countrey. Hamner
•* wee '1 quake them at that barre Where all soules stand for sen- tence " ; and the New Eng. Diet, quotes the same author, London's Peaceable Estate, ibid. V. 372 : " Cannon . . . Quaking the bellowing Ayre."
7. ftisty] Not only Coriolanus, but also Menenius attributes this charac- teristic of a mouldy smell to the ple- beians.
plebeians] accented on the first syllable.
8. against their hearts] unwillingly.
11. power] force, as in i. vi. 8 ante.
12. we the caparison] We read in Life of Coriolanus, North's Plutarch, 1595, p. 240: "he gave him ... a goodly horse with a capparison." See also Extracts, ante, p. xxxv. As Mr. Verity observes, Shakespeare " took some words . . . from their literal context and applied them here in a figurative sense."
14. her blood] As in Julius Casar, I. i. 56, where *' Pompey's blood'' = the sons of Pompey.
50 CORIOLANUS [act i.
He that has but effected his good will Hath overta'en mine act.
Com. You shall not be
The grave of your deserving ; Rome must know 20
The value of her own : 'twere a concealment
Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement,
To hide your doings ; and to silence that,
Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd,
Would seem but modest. Therefore, I beseech you, 25
In sign of what you are, not to reward
What you have done, before our army hear me.
Mar. I have some wounds upon me, and they smart To hear themselves remember'd.
Coin. Should they not,
Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude, 30
And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses,
Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store, of all
The treasure in this field achiev'd and city, 7
We render.^ou the ^teutJx,;., to be ta'en forth.
Before the common distributTon,^"^' . 35
At^ymTf^ofTly'choicer ---'
Mar. ^^~ " I thank you, general ;
But cannot make my Heart consent to take A bribe to pay my sword : I do refuse it ;
19-22. You . . . traducement,'] As Pope ; Ff divide after deseruing, . . . owne: . . . Theft, . . . Traducement. 32. store, of alt] Rowe; store of
all, F. 35, 36. Before . . . choice] As Ff ; Theobald and many edd. divide
after at.
18. but . . . will] Mr. Deighton appear to do no more than justice,
explains "his good will" as "that The expression is elliptical,
which he determinedly set himself to 29-31. Should . . . death.] If they
do" and quotes aptly, Antony and were not remembered, well might they
Cleopatra, 11. v. 8 : " And when good fester in disgust at the ingratitude
will is show'd, though 't come too shown, and let Death be their remedy,
short, The actor may plead pardon." The tent is a roll of lint used for prob-
22. traducement] a word not used ing, cleaning out and keeping open
again by Shakespeare. Johnson fresh, green wounds in order to prevent
(Dictionary) explains it here as censure, festering or rankling. See Dekker,
obloquy. The verb "traduce" is The Wonder of a Kingdom, 1636
used in Antony and Cleopatra, in. vii. (Pearson, iv. 225) : —
14 : — " Tihaldo. 'Tis a greene wound
" He is already Traduced for levity." indeed.
23-25. and . . . modest] and a sup- Aiphonsina. Tent it, tent it, and
pression of achievements to which any keepe it from ranckling."
testimony, though expressed in the 32. good, and good store] excellent
most exalted language of praise, would ones and plenty of them.
SC. IX.]
CORIOLANUS
51
40
" Marcius !
And stand upon my common part with those That have beheld the doing.
\A long flourish. They all cry,
Marcius ! " cast up their caps and lances : Cominius and Lartius stand bare. May these same instruments, which you profane, Never sound more ! When drums and trumpets
shall r the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be Made all of false-fac'd soothing !
When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk, 45
Let him be made an overture for the wars !
43. conrU ami] Yi {cour% F 2) ; camfs, as Theobald (Warburton). 46, him
. . . an overture] him . . . an Overture Ff; him ... a coverture Steevens (1778); this ... a coverture Tyrwhitt conj. previously; hynms . . . An overture Warburton ; them . . . an overture Knight ; him . . . an armature Deighton.
40. flourish'] See on i. ix. ad init. ante.
44. soothing] flattering. Compare II. ii. 73, and iii. i. 68 post ; also The Passionate Pilgrim, i. 11 : " O, love's best habit is a soothing tongue."
45-46. When steel . . . wars] Mr. Craig wrote nothing on this passage. I retain the folio reading, and explain it by regarding him as referring to *' the parasite ' and as a dative. Staunton alone, if I am not mistaken, has done so, but he rashly thought that overture was either a misprint for ovation or had that sense, and ex- plained : " When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk, let there be made for him a triumph, as for a successful warrior." Overture, besides other meanings = offer, proposal, and this sense is found in Shakespeare, most aptly in All 's Well that Ends Well, v. iii. 99 : •• But when I had ... in- formed her fully I could not answer in that course of honour As she had made the overture, she censed," etc. Had line 46 run : " Let him be made an offer,' etc., the sense would have been unmistakable ; and as it stands, it seems to me (whether the line be correct or a misprint, and whatever its artistic demerits as an expression of thought) to admit readily of the follow- ing meaning : Let him (the parasite) be made a proposal for the wars. The
thought of the passage in this case is : When your drums and trumpets flatter, when the soldier's garb is accommo- dated to the soft limbs of the parasite, why not complete the round and get the man to match ? Overture = pre- lude may be dismissed as an unknown sense at the date of the play ; the earliest example in the New Eng. Diet. is from the version of The Tempest by Davenant and Dryden. It requires also the alteration of him to them or ^em to afford a feeble sense : " Let these [flattering] drums and trumpets be used as a prelude for wars." If coverture is read instead of overture, the only proposal commanding at- tention is that which refers it to silk, or steel soft as silk, without further alteration. Coverture has not been found = armour, but it is used for clothes (see the New Eng. Diet.) and comes pretty near the sense of protec- tive covering in Nash, Summer^s Last Will and Testament (Hazlitt's Dods- ley, VIII. 77) cited by an anonymous MS. annotator of Deighton's edition of Coriolanus : " Will'd that his body, 'spoiled of coverture. Should be cast furth into the open fields, For birds and ravens to devour at will." The objection is that it necessitates im- puting to Shakespeare a lax use of hitn for it (accusative), which he has not elsewhere employed, in a passage
52
CORIOLANUS
ACT I.
No more, I say ! For that I have not wash'd My nose that bled, or foil'd some debile wretch, Which, without note, here 's many else have done. You shout me forth In acclamations hyperbolical ; As if I loved my little should be dieted In praises sauc'd with lies. Com. Too modest are you ;
More cruel to your good report than grateful
50
50, 51. As Knight; one line Ff. saxic'd] F 4 ; prayseSf sawc'st F.
where it especially leads to ambiguity. In the only illustration actually offered from other writers, there can be no doubt of the meaning, and the use otherwise fits in more naturally with the thought. See (as quoted by Wright), Bacon, Advancement of Learnings bk. ii. 22, § 11 (p. 211 ed. Wright) : " Like unto the rowing against the stream, or making a wand straight by bending him contrary to his natural crookedness." Obviously coverture could be read with dative him referring to the parasite, but coverture has not the claims of a folio reading.
47. For that] because ; as twice again in C riolanus : see i. i. 112 ante, and III. iii. g^ post. See also Antony and Cleopatra, iii. vii. 30 : —
'* Can. Why will my lord do so ? A7it. For that he dares us to 't."
48. foil'd] got the better of. Shake- speare uses foil in Troilus and Cres- sida, I. iii. 372, in the sense of to vanquish in single combat : •' if he [Achilles] were foiVd [in his combat with Hector]." It is also a term in wrestling, and for the sense to be vanquished in a wrestling-match, see As You Like It, i. i. 136, etc.
debile'] weak, feeble. See All '5 Well that Ends Well, 11. iii. 38-39 :—
" Lafeu. In a most weak — Parolles. And debile minister." Dr. Aldis Wright quotes Cotgrave, Fr. Diet., 161 1 : Debile : debile, weake, feeble, faint, infirme.
49. without note] without notice taken. Note is often used in Shake- speare in this sense. See iv. ii. 10
50. shout] F 4 ; shoot F.
53. praises
post, " They have ta'en note of us," and Henry VIII. 11. iii. 59-60 : — " and high note's Ta'en of your many virtues."
50. You . . . forth] You shout me out. You loudly extol my merits. Forth is used for out in different senses. See The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 11. iv. 106: "Go on before; I shall enquire you forth " ; The Comedy of Errors, iv. iv. 98 : '* Say, wherefore did'st thou lock me forth to-day ? " See also i. i. 204 ante, " They . . . sigh'd forth proverbs." F®r shoot, for shout in F, Wright com- pares ««sAoo^ for unshout, v. v, ^ post, and shooting for shouting, i. i. 213 ante.
51. /w . . . hyperbolical] Extrava- gantly. Mr. Hart points out that hyperbolical is a very favourite word with Gabriel Harvey who, in his opinion, established if he did not in- troduce it. See Three Proper Letters, 1580 : " The Orator has hyperbolical amplifications, hyperbolical ventures, hyperbolical notes." It is only found once again in Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, IV. ii. 29: see Mr. Luce's note to that passage (in this edition).
52. 53. As if . . . lies] Mr. Deighton compares the sense of diet in Cymbeline, iii. iv. 1S3 ; and thus paraphrases: " As though I were f.nd of having my poor merits fed upon praises seasoned with exaggeration." Dieted occurs again in v. i. 57 post, also in A Lover's Complaint^ 261 : " dieted in grace."
53. sauc'd] seasoned. Compare Cymbeline, iv. ii. 50 : " He . . . sauced {sawc'st F i] our broths as Juno had been sick. And he her dieter."
SC. IX.]
CORIOLANUS
53
To us that give you truly. By your patience, 55
If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we '11 put you, Like one that means his proper harm, in manacles. Then reason safely with you. Therefore, be it
known, As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius Wears this war's garland ; in token of the which, 60
My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him, With all his trim belonging ; and from this time, For what he did before Corioles, call him, With all the applause and clamour of the host, Caius Marcius CORIOLANUS ! Bear 65
The addition nobly ever !
\Flourish. Trumpets sounds and drums,
65, 67. Cains Martins'] Rowe ;
65, 66. As Steevens (1793); one line Ff. Marcus Caius F ; Martins Caius F 3.
55. give] represent, report. The New Eng. Dtct. gives no earlier example of give in this sense, and gives as the next instance, Shirley, The Traitor, 1631, in. iii. : —
" Your brother gave you more Desirous of the sport." Se^ Antony and Cleopatra, i. iv. 40: " and men's reports Give him much wrpng'd," and another example from Shirley in the note in this series on that passage.
By your patience] By your leave, craving your indulgence : see i, iii. 74 ante. This expression is used several times by Shakespeare. See The Tem- pest, ill. iii. 3 ; As You Like It, v. iv. 186; Twelfth Night, 11. i. 3 ; Othello, I. iii. 89 (*' by your gracious patience "), etc. Compare also " with your patience " (by your permission), 1 Henry VI. 11. iii. 78 ; " Under your patience," Titus Andronicus, 11. iii. 66.
57. Like . . . harm] Like one v^'ho has designs against his own life, or to his own hurt. For mean in the sense of intend, propose, see A Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. ii. 447 ("if they mean a fray"). Proper is very common in the sense of own (Latin proprins) : compare " dit my proper cost," Twelfth Night, v. i. 327.
58. reason] talk. See iv. vi. 52 post, and The Merchant of Venice, 11. viii. 27, and Dr. Pooler's note on the passage in this edition.
60. Wears . . . garland] Carries off the honours in this war, wears the victor's wreath for it. See also i. i. 183, and note there. In Holinshed's Chronicle, ed. 2, 1587, iii. 541 {Shak- spere s Holinshcd, Boswell-Stone, p. 158), Prince Hal uses garland in speaking of the crown : " Well," (said the prince), " if you die king, I will haue the garland, and trust to keepe it with the sword against all mine enemies, as you haue doone."
the which] For exemplification and discussion of this usage, see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 270. The Italians use il che for " which," where it refers to a preceding sentence instead of a word.
62. With . . . belonging] With all the trappings which go with him. Trim is used in Antony and Cleopatra, IV. iv, 22, for armour : —
" A thousand, sir, Early though't be, have on their riveted trim,^' etc.
66. addition] title. We read in North's Plutarch, Life of Coriolanus (see ed. 1595, p. 240) : " And thereby it appeareth, that the first name the Romaines have, as Caius, was our Christian name now. The second, as Martius was the name of the house and familie they came of. The third was for some addition given, either for some act of notable service," etc. See also King Lear, 1. i. 136, and note
54 CORIOLANUS [act i.
All. Caius Marcius Coriolanus ! Cor. I will go wash ;
And when my face is fair, you shall perceive
Whether I blush or no : howbeit, I thank you. 70
I mean to stride your steed, and at all times
To undercrest your good addition
To the fairness of my power. Co?n. So, to our tent ;
Where, ere we do repose us, we will write
To Rome of our success. You, Titus Lartius, 75
Must to Corioles back : send us to Rome
The best, with whom we may articulate.
For their own good and ours. Lart. I shall, my lord.
Cor. The gods begin to mock me. I, that now
Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg 80
Of my lord general. Com. Take it : 'tis yours. What is 't ?
Cor. I sometime lay here in Corioles
At a poor man's house ; he us'd me kindly :
He cried to me ; I saw him prisoner ;
But then Aufidius was within my view, 85
67. All] Omnes F. 68, etc., to 90. Cor.'] Steevens; Mar. F. 79-81. The
gods . . . general.] As Hanmer ; Ff divide after me : . . . gifts.
to the passage in this series ; All's articles. See also 1 Henry IV. v. i. J2y
Well that Ends Well, ii. iii. 134 : for past part, in sense, drawn up in
" Where great additions swell's, and articles, specified: "These things
virtue none, It is a dropsied honour, indeed you have articulate " (so Q,
Good alone Is good without a name," articulated, Ff).
et seq. 80. hound] Possibly bound here has
72, 73. To undercrest . . . power] A the sense of about to, going to. The
compressed expression for : To bear original meaning was equipped for,
the title as my crest, and mysell ready to, and the form boun. See
beneath it as becomingly as I can. note on King Lear, iii. vii. 9, in this
77. The best] The men of highest series.
rank in the city : compare '* See, our 82. sometime la}'] once lodged. See
best elders," i. i. 225 ante. iv.iv. 8 post: " Direct me . . . Where
articulate] treat, discuss terms or great Aufidius //«." For sometime
articles of peace. The New Eng. Diet, (formerly, once on a time) see v. i.
explains it here as meaning : '' to come 2 post, SLnd CymbcUne, v. v. 333: "I
to terms, to capitulate." Compare . . . Am that Belarius whom you 5om^-
Nashe's Lenten Stuff e, 1599 (ed. time banish'd."
Hindley, 1871, p. 41): " If you articu- 82-87. I sometime . . . frecdom]See
late with me of the gaine or profit of the Extracts from North's Plutarch,
it [i.e. the red herring] . . . behold it ante, p. xxxvi. Some critics believe that
is every man's money," etc. Cotgrave, Shakespeare's purpose in inventing the
French Diet., 1611, has: Articuler : circumstance of Coriolanus's/orj^<://«/-
to articulate, article, reduce into ness is to represent him as being so
sc. X ] CORIOLANUS 55
And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity : I request you
To give my poor host freedom. Com. O, well begg'd.
Were he the butcher of my son, he should
Be free as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus. Lart. Marcius, his name ? Cor. By Jupiter ! forgot. 90
I am weary ; yea, my memory is tir'd.
Have we no wine here ? Com. Go we to our tent :
The blood upon yoyr visage dries ; 'tis time
It should be look'd to : come. \Exeunt^
SCENE X. — The Camp of the Volsces.
A Flourish. Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, bloody, with two or three Soldiers.
Auf. The town is ta'en !
First Sol. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition.
Auf. Condition !
I would I were a Roman ; for I cannot,
Being a Volsce, be that I am. Condition ! 5
What good condition can a treaty find
r the part that is at mercy ? Five times, Marcius, .
Scene X.
The camp ...]... Volsci. Pope. 2, etc., First Sol.'] 1 S. Capell;
Sould., Soul, or Sol. F.
selfish that he does not care to take Scetic X.
the trouble to remember the name of 2-7, 'Twill . . . mercy?] Shake-
his poor host (in North the latter is a g ^^^^ pj^ys upon condition. The first
rich man) and makes his request /[favourable] terms), when repeated by
"entirely out of a sense of what his Aufidius, suggests state to him and
own magnanimity requires of him accounts for his remark, lines 4, 5 : his
(Deighton). There can, I thmk, be no ggcond repetition suggests quality.
doubt that this, or the like, is too ^he whole passage runs : It will be
ingenious a gloss on one of Shake- restored on good condition (favourable
speare's natural touches, the amnesia ^grms). Auf. Condition 1 A nice
of an exhausted man, which the wine condition we are in ! I would ... for
he asks for probably disperses. His i cannot . . . be an unyielding enemy,
nature can answer the bravery ot the ^ f^^g gpi^it. Condition indeed!
volunteers in Scene vi. with comrade- ^j^^j ^^^^ quality will treaty-granters
ship and respect, and was equally discover in the side that is at their
capable of forgetting its pride in ^^^^^ p p^j j^is last sense of condi-
answer to kindness accepted from a ^^^,^ (manners, quality, disposition)
poor man, ggg jj^ jjj^ g^ p^^f^ jj jg common.
56 CORIOLANUS [act l
1 have fought with thee ; so often hast thou beat
me, And wouldst do so, I think, should we encounter As often as we eat. By the elements, lo
If e'er again I meet him beard to beard. He 's mine, or I am his : mine emulation Hath not that honour in 't it had ; for where I thought to crush him in an equal force, True sword to sword, I '11 potch at him some way 15 Or wrath or craft may get him. First Sol. He 's the divel,
Auf. Bolder, though not so subtle. My valour 's poison'd With only suffering stain by him ; for him Shall fly out of itself. Nor sleep nor sanctuary, Being naked, sick, nor fane nor Capitol, 20
The prayers of priests, nor times of sacrifice, Embarquements all of fury, shall lift up Their rotten privilege and custom 'gainst My hate to Marcius. Where I find him, were it At home, upon my brother's guard, even there, 25
Against the hospitable canon, would I
15. potcK] F 3 ; potche F. 20, fane] Phane Ff.
10. By the elements] Mr. Hart, who Antony and Cleopatra, in. iv. 27 (and
takes this to mean ♦' By the Skies," or note in this series) : " I '11 raise the pre-
" By the Heavens," refers to Captain paration of a war Shall stain your
Smith's Historie of Virginia, Lib. 4 brother."
(ed. Arber, p. 596): "so long they ^9- /^y • • • r7sd/] change its nature,
[ambassadors sent] stayed that the 22. Embarquements'] restraints, im-
King grew doubtfull of their bad pediments. This corresponds with the
vsage, that he swore by the Skyes, that French form of the word, as given in
if they returned not well, he would Cotgrave, French Diet. : " Embarque-
haue warres with Opechankanough ment : an imbarking, taking ship . . .
so long as he had anything." But why also an imbarguing." By imbargu-
should Aufidiu8 not prefer the ele- ing he means a laying on of an em-
ments ? bar go, and imbargment seems to be
13. where] whereas. See i. i. 100 the commonest form of the English
ante. noun. Accompanying the passage
15. potch] thrust, stab : another from Coriolanus the New Eng. Diet.
{oTm of poke 3ind poach : "a purposely gives examples, e.g. "1591 Horsey
mean word, as the context requires " Trav. (1S57, 236) Had made a great
(Verity). The New Eng. Diet, gives imbargment and stay of the English
two examples of the figurative use, the merchants."
present one and 1624 Bacon, War with 25. upon . . . guard] A vague ex-
Spain, Works, 1879, 1.531/1 : "They pression, perhaps = relying upon my
have rather poached and offered at a brother as his defence,
number of enterprises than maintained 26. the hospitable canon] the law of
any constantly." hospitality. Canon is used again in
18. stain] tarnish, eclipse. See iii. i. 89 post.
SC. X.
CORIOLANUS
57
Wash my fierce hand in 's heart. Go you to the city;
Learn how 'tis held, and what they are that must
Be hostages for Rome. First Sol. Will not you go ?
Auf. I am attended at the cypress grove : 1 pray you, 30
'Tis south the city mills, bring me word thither
How the world goes, that to the pace of it
I may spur on my journey. First Sol. I shall, sir. [Exezmt.
Exeunf] Rowe ; om. Ff.
27. Wash . . . heart] In Elizabethan English ferocious expressions of this kind are frequent. See Much Ado about Nothing, iv. i, 309 : " I would eat his heart in the market-place"; Huon of Burdeux, caput xci. ed. Sid- ney Lee, p. 2S8 : *' I wold drawe out his herte out of his body, and ete it for despyte " ; Marlowe, The Massacre of
Paris, III. ii. 6 : " O that his heart were leaping in my hand ! "
30. attended'] waited for : as ante, i. i. 75, 236.
31. 'Tis south . . . mills] Mr. Wright points out that Shakespeare probably fiad in his mind four corn mills, which stood on the Thames near London Bridge, and not far from the Globe Theatre.
ACT II
SCENE \.—Rome. A public Place.
Enter Men EN I US with the two Tribunes of the people, SiCINIUS and BrutuS.
Men. The augurer tells me we shall have news to-night.
Bru. Good or bad ?
Men. Not according to the prayer of the people, for they
love not Marcius. Sic. Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. 5
Men. Pray you, who does the wolf love? Sic. The lamb. Men. Ay, to devour him ; as the hungry plebeians would
the noble Marcius. Bru. He 's a lamb indeed, that baes like a bear. 10
Men. He 's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. You
two are old men : tell me one thing that I shall ask
you. Both. Well, sir. Men. In what enormity is Marcius poor in, that you two 1 5
have not in abundance? Bru. He 's poor in no one fault, but stored with all. Sic. Especially in pride.
Scene /. Rome. A public place.] Rome Pope. i. augurer] Agurer F. 17. with
all] F 3 ; withall F.
I. augurer] the most usual form in (Nicholson, p. 163) : '• Among the
Shakespeare, occurring in y7^Z»<sC^sar, Romans none could be received into
II. i. 200, and ii. ii. 37; Anto7iy and the college of augurors that had a
Cleopatra, v. ii. 337, and iv. xii. 4 (Ff bile, or had beene bitten with a dog,"
AnfJiiries/incoTtectly). Compare Nash, etc.
The Terrors of the Night, 1594 (ed. 15. In what . . . in] Capell's omis-
McKerrow, i. 367) : •' I assure you sion of the first in is unnecessary,
most of our chiefe noted Augur crs and This way of adding a second preposi-
Soothsayers in England at this day, tion is not uncommon in Shakespeare,
by no other Arte but this gaine their See Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 407.
reputation " ; Reginald Scot, The Dis- enormity] The only instance of the
conerie of Witchcraft, 15S4, 11. 13 word in Shakespeare.
58
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
59
Bru. And topping all others in boasting.
Men. This is strange now : do you two know how you 20 are censured here in the city, I mean of us o' the right-hand file ? do you ?
Both. Why, how are we censured ?
Men. Because you talk of pride now, — will you not be
angry? 25
Both. Well, well, sir; well.
Men. Why, 'tis no great matter ; for a very little thief of • occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience : give your dispositions the reins, and be angry at your pleasures ; at the least, if you take it as a pleasure to 30 you in being so. You blan^e Marcius Jorjpeing proud ?
Bru. We do it not alone, sir.
Men. I know you can do very little alone ; for your,helps
are many, or else your actions would grow wondrous 35 single": your abilities are too infant-like for doing much alone. You talk of pride : O ! that you could turn your eyes toward the napes of your necks, and
21. 0' thelo' th' F4; a' th' F.
19. topping^ out-going, surpassing. See Macbeth, iv. iii. 57: "Not . . . can come a devil more damn'd In evils, to top Macbeth."
20, 21. how . . . censured] what is the general opinion as to your char- acters ; censure, noun and verb, com- monly implies opinion, judgment. See Hamlet, 1. iii. 6g : " Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment " ; Marlowe, Hero and Leander, line 174 : " What we behold is censured by our eyes."
21-22. the right-hand fiW] the better classes. See '* The common file,*^ i. vi. 43 ante, and con-pare "the greater file of the subject " (Measure for Measure, iii. ii. 144); "the valued file'' [Macbeth, in. i. 95).
27, 28. thief of occasion] i.e. thief con- sisting of occasion. The use of of is something like that in: "We should have found a bloody day of this" (1 Henry VI. iv. vii. 34) ; " We lost a jewel o/her" (All's Well that Ends Well, V. iii. i).
36. single] weak, contemptible. See 2 Henry IV. i. ii. 207: "is not . . .
32. proud?] Capell ; proud. F.
your wit single? and every part about you blasted with antiquity ? " and compare single-soled in Romeo and ynlict, II. iv. 6g, as well as singlenes: " O single-soled jest, solely singular for the singleness ! "
37-39- O ! that . . . selves] Johnson explains this : " With allusion to the fable, which says, that every man has a bag hanging before him, in which he puts his neighbours faults, and another behind him, in which he stows his own." Dr. Tyrrell kindly provides the follow- ing note: "The original fable of Aesop, reproduced by Phaedrus, iv. 10, was that Jupiter has furnished every man with two wallets, one hanging down on his breast and containing his neighbour's faults, which are always before his eyes, and the other hanging down his back out of sight, and filled with his own faults. This is referred to by Horace (Sat. 11. iii. 299) and by Catullus (xxii. 21), who seems to speak of one wallet with two parts. Persius (iv. 24) .slightly varies the image by giving every one a single wallet to hang behind him, and
60
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
make but an interior survey of your good selves. O ! that you could. 40
Both. What then, sir?
Men. Why, then you should discover a brace of unmerit- ing, proud, violent, testy magistrates, alias fools, as any in Rome. ~"
Sic. Menenius, you are known well enough too. 45
Men. I am known to be a humorous patrician, and one that loves a cup of hot wine with not a drop of allaying Tiber in 't ; said to be something imperfect in favouring the first complaint ; hasty and tinder-like upon too trivial motion ; one that converses more with 50 the buttock of the night than with the forehead of the morning. What 1 think I utter, and spend my malice in my breath. Meeting two such weals-men as you
making each neglect his own, and look exclusively on his neighbour's wallet (variously called />^;'a and manticd).'''
42-43. unmeriting] without merit, having no desert: only used here by Shakespeare. Unmeritablc, which has the same meaning, occurs in Richard
III. III. vii. 155, and in Julius Ccesar,
IV. i. 12.
43. testy'] apt to be angry, heady : a current and useful word still. Old French testii from teste, the head. Cotgrave {French Diet,, 1611) has Testu : testie, headie, headstrong, wil- full, obstinate.
46. hutnorousl capricious, whimsical. Compare King John, iii. i. 119 : " her humorous ladyship."
47. hot wine] ardent, heating wine. Compare The Winter's Tale, iv. iv. 815-^16 : *' recovered again with aqua- vitae, or some other hot infusion " and Hall's Chronicle, Henry VIII. p. 18 : " The Englishemen dranke hote wynes in the hote wether." Spirits were known as hot water : see The Poems, etc., of Richard James, B.D. (1592- 1638), ed. Grosart, i8bo, p. 223 : "An Execration of Hott Water."
48. allaying Tiber] So Lovelace (no doubt remembering this passage, as Stecvens observed), " flowing cups . . . With no allaying Thames " (To Althcea, From Prison., Lucasta, 1649). For allay, to dilute, qualify with water, Matzner, in his Altcn- glische Sprachprobcn, quotes Babees
Book, circa 1450, p. 132, ed. 1868 : " Watur hoot and cold, eche other to alay.'^ See also Horman, Vuloaria, " It is a strong wine and needeth to be allayed (Lat. diluendum)."
48. 49. something . . . complaint] somewhat faulty in taking sides according to the first representations that reach me.
49. tinder-like] ready to take fire. Compare The Merry Wives of Wind- sor, I. iii. 27 : "I am glad 1 am so acquit of this tinder-box"; but there it is Bardolph's fiery nose that suggests the metaphor, not his temper.
50. too trivial motion] too trifling provocation. For motion in the sense of incitement, see The Merry Wives of Windsor, in. ii. 35 : " he gives her folly motion and advantage."
51. the buttock of the night] Malone quotes Love's Labour's Lost, v. i. 92-94: "Sir, it is the king's . . . pleasure ... to congratulate the princess at her pavilion in the posteriors of this day, which the rude multitude call the afternoon." For parallel ex- pressions see also Ji? Henry I V. iv. iv. 91, " the haunch of winter " ; Milton, Lycidas, 171, " the forehead of the morning sky."
52. 53. spend . . . breath] let my ill-will evaporate in words.
53. weals-men] commonwealth's men, legislators. The only instance of this word in Shakespeare.
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
61
are, — I cannot call you Lycurguses — if the drink you give me touch my palate adversely, I make a crooked 5 5 face at it. I cannot say your worships have delivered the matter well when 1 find the ass in compound with the major part of your syllables ; and though I must be content to bear with those that say you are reverend grave men, yet they lie deadly that tell you have good 60
56. cannot] Capell ; can F Pope.
can^t Theobald. 60. tell yoii] F ; tell you, you
54. Lycurguses] Shakespeare no doubt read the life of the Spartan law- giver in North's Plutarch.
55. touch . . . adversely] i.e. is hostile to my palate. Menenius's metaphor comes to this : If I don't like what you say my looks mark my displeasure.
56. cannot] A more probable reading than the usual c'ant (which occurs no- where else in the play), to replace the erroneous can of Ff, and also a better one on other grounds.
56, 57. / cannot . . . delivered . . . well] Menenius continues his theme : I cannot cry "well said!" to your worships' utterances [when, etc. Com- pare, for the frequent use of deliver in place of relate, utter, Twelfth Night, I. V. 222: "Sure, you have some hideous matter to deliver," and The Winter's Tale, v. ii. 4 : " I . . . heard the old shepherd deliver the manner how he found it." It does not seem necessary to understand ♦• the matter " as " the matter concerning Coriolanus," though this is frequently done.
57, 58. when I . . . syllables] when I find foolishness mixed up with most of your \\ ords. Though this is probably the general sense, the language sug- gests some further allusion, a source of which has been vainly sought for by Mr. Beeching and others, in Lilly's Latin Grammar. The string of reasons beginning with As, and equivocally called by Hamlet, " many such like Assis of great charge," suggests the following to Mr. Verity : " Possibly Menenius means that the Tribunes belong to the class of argumentative, self-opinionated people who are always ready to give their reasons (as = ' since, because ') and justify themselves and their actions."
60. deadly] extremely. Compare Much Ado about Nothing, v. i. 178: "an if she did not hate him deadly, she would love him dearly " ; Lyly, Mother Bombie, 11. i. {Works, ed. Fairholt, II. 89) : '*Half. My master hath a fine scholler to his sonne, Prisius a faire lasse to his daughter. Dro. Well I Half. They two love one another deadly."
tell you] So the folios ; and though Pope reads tell you, you, and others tell you you, the text may be correct. Menenius says in substance : I must bear to hear you called reverend grave men ; and he may also say : It is a big lie to report you have good faces.
60, 61. good faces] There are probably two senses here, (i) good faces, honest faces, the indices of good hearts, the denial of which destroys any credit not already ironically subtracted from " reverend, grave," (2) handsome faces. This closes Menenius's speech so far as it relates to his own faults as they may appear to the Tribunes : he loves strong wine; he is hasty; he revels late; he speaks his mind ; he shews it too (here the list leaves what is generally known and becomes an attack on the Tri- bunes) ; he does not applaud their words, for he finds them foolish ; if he must not contradict the titles that belong to age when others bestow them on them, he thinks their looks ugly in both senses. This they may see in him, as he goes on to tell them. I cannot grant the finality of Mr. G. S. Gordon's {Coriolanus, Clar. Press, igii) ingenious view that ass sug- gested ace (helped by similar pronuncia- tion) and that ace suggested faces, " a regular word for ' face cards.' " It entirely ignores the intervening clause,
62
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
faces. If you see this in the map of my microcosm, follows it that I am known well enough too? What harm can your bisson conspectuities glean out of this character, if 1 be known well enough too?
Bru. Come, sir, come, we know you well enough.
Men. You know neither me, yourselves, nor any thing. You are ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs :
63. hhson\ Theobald ; beesome Ff i, 2 ; beesom F 3 ; Besom F 4.
65
•* and though . . . reverend grave men," which sufficiently accounts for what follows, not to say that it is almost inevitable for Menenius to proceed from attack on character to attack on looks. It cannot be said, as Mr. Gordon does, that " ' faces ' is pointless without" the pun he suggests.
61. map of my microcosm] Map is often used in a general sense for repre- sentation in epitome, as in Titus An- dronicus, in. ii. 12, " Thou map of woe " ; but here it is perhaps more natural to think of the use of a map and interpret the whole as " chart of my little world." This map or chart may be Menenius's face, " regarded as a picture of a man's [his] whole char- acter and constitution " (Verity), or, more probably, merely the collective impression of Menenius possessed by the Tribunes and derived from various sources— repute, personal observation of his habits, etc., perception of his opinion of themselves. Microcosm (little world), a name given to man viewed as the universe in little, an epi- tome of the macrocosm, the great world or universe. Florio, in his Italian Diet. Queen Annans New World of Wordes, 1611, has ♦♦ Microcosmo : a little world, used for man," and Minsheu, similarly, '* a Microcosme, or little World, Man " {Ductor in Lingnas, 1617). See also King Lear, III. i. 10, and the note in this edition. This word is sometimes applied to man as being a compendium of all other creatures, his body being compared to the baser parts of the world, and his soul to the blessed angels. See G. Harvey, Pierce's Supererogation {Works, ed. Grosart, 11. 260).
63. bisson] purblind here, probably, as New Eng. Diet, says, citing similar cases : but see the same also for sense
" blind," as obviously in : 1548, Udall Erasm. Par. Mark, viii. 22: "Not poreblynde, or a litell appayred, and decayed in sight, but as by some as was possible to be." Though Theobald is rightly praised for reading bisson, the revelation of variant forms like bysome above gives the folio beesome a strong claim to reappear. Bisson occurs in Hamlet, 11. ii. 529, in sense " blind- ing " ; and byzon'd = blinded in The Blind-Beggar of Bednal Green (Bul- len's Day, Part VI. p. 79) : " Peace ; heaven may give my byzon^d eyes their light," etc.
conspectuities'] The only example in New Eng. Diet., which says : " [Ap- parently a humorous or random for- mation from o. conspectu-s, sight, view]. Faculty, sight, vision."
67. You . . . legs] Your ambition is to see poor knaves take off their caps and bow before you. Compare Mar- ston, 2 Antonio and Mellida, 11. iv. {Works, ed. Halliwell, i. loi): "Here's cap and leg good night," and Earle, Micro-cosmogrophie, A downeright SchoUer (ed. Arber, p. 41) : " He has not humbled his Meditations to the In- dustrie of Complement, nor afflicted his braine in an elaborate legge.'^ As leg = bow, so the phrase for to bow was to make a leg. See Richard II. iii. iii. 175 : '• You make a leg, and Boling- broke says ay," In a note to " three graceful legs" in Hazlitt's Dodsley, XIV. 443 (Killigrew, The Parson^s Wed- ding, II. vii.), " The Wonderful! Yeare, 1603," is cited for : " Janus (that beares two faces under one hood) made a very mannerly lowe legge,'' etc., and : —
" He calls forth one by one, to note their graces ; Whilst they make legs^ he copies out their faces."
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
63
you wear out a good wholesome forenoon in hearing a cause between an orange-wife and a forset-seller, and then rejou rn the controversy of three-pence to a second 70 day of audience. When you are hearing a niatter between party and party, if you chance to be pinched with the colic, you make faces like mummers, set up the bloody flag against all patience, and, in roaring for a chamber-pot, dismiss the controversy bleeding, 75
69. forset] Forset F ; Fauset F 4 ; fosset Rowe (ed. 2), and many edd.
68. forenooii] only once again in Shakespeare. See Antony and Cleo- patra, I. ii. 25-26 : '* Let me be married to three kings in a forenoon."
68, 6g. hearing a cause'] The learned and pedantic Warburton says that " Shakespeare mistook the office of the prcfectus urbis for the tribune's office," but Shakespeare probably knew little of the Roman constitution save what he gleaned from North's Plutarch, and had his eye on the London city-jus- tices. Dr. Wright says that, in mak- ing the tribunes magistrates, Shake- speare only follows Plutarch, and cites the passage beginning " These persua- sions pacified the people," given in Ex- tracts, p. xxxWatite; but "magistrates" is there used in quite a general sense, and nothing to the point in question.
69, orange-wife] woman who sells oranges. Compare Lord Herbert of Cherbury, The Life and Reign of King Henry the Eighth, 1672, p. 537 : " divers of the Queen's . . . servants, and a Butter-wife were indicted," etc. For wife = woman (the original mean- ing, which survives in dialect and in words like housewife) compare iv. iv. 5 post.
forset-seller'] a seller of faucets, i.e. taps for drawing wine from the barrel. Originally faucet had the meaning of the peg or screw, as op- posed to spigot, the tube with which it makes up the tap, and it has still this meaning in the Sheffield dialect. Compare Lyly, Mother Bombie, 11. v. (ed. Fairholt, 11. loi) : —
" Memp. I '11 teach my wag-halter
to know grapes from barley. Pris. And 1 mine to discerne a
spigot from a. faucet. ^^ But fauset, rarely fosset, was early used for the whole tap. See instances
in New Eng. Diet., which include the spelling in the text. Mr. A. P. Paton has shown that forset = a little chest or coffer (cistella, arcella) in Gould- man's Latin Diet., 2iX\d forset (and also forser) occurs much earlier : see Fur- nivall's Earliest English Wills, E. E. T. S., p. 70, 1. 31, and p. 91, 1. 20 and note, ^' Ital.forziere, a chest, a forcet, . . . Florio, 1598." But a seller of taps is more likely to be coupled with an orange-wife than a seller of caskets. 70. rejourn] adjourn. The New Eng. Diet, cites among other examples, Harington's Ariosto : " Rcnaldo wisht . . . And that the combat might be now reiourned, Till Fhebus were about the world returned " (Orlando Fnrioso, 1591, bk. xxxi. St. 21).
72. bettocen . . . party] between two disputants. Party is the regular legal term for one of two litigants.
73. faces . . . juummers] " i.e. the absurdly exaggerated contortion of the performers in a country mumming, or Christmas play " (Chambers). Cot- grave, French Diet., 1611, has " Mom- meur : a Mummer, one who goes a mumming."
73, 74. set up the bloody flag] fly the war-banner. Compare Henry V. i. ii. loi : " Stand for your own ; unwind your bloody flag.''* Perhaps the im- patience of the Tribunes reddens their faces.
75. bleeding] unfinished, unhealed. There is some similarity in the use of the word in A Lover's Complaint, 153 : " Experience for me many bulwarks builded Of proofs new -bleeding,' etc. Mr. G. S. Gordon [Coriolanus, Clar. Press, 191 1) quotes The Buggbears, circa 1564, IV. iii. 37 (see Early Plays from the Italian, Bond, 1911, p. 130) : " Bion . . . Thus far forth I like this geare.
64
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
the more entangled by your hearing : all the peace you make in their cause is, calling both the parties knaves. You are a pair of strange ones.
Bru. Come, come, you are well understood to be a per- fecter giber for the table than a necessary bencher in the Capitol.
Men. Our very priests must ^became mockers if they shall encounter'such ridiculous subjects as you are. When you speak best unto the purpose it is not worth the wagging of your beards ; and your beards deserve not so honourable a grave as to stuff a botcher's cushion, or to be entombed in an ass's pack-saddle. " Yet you must be saying Marcius is proud ; who, in a cheap estimation, is worth all your predecessors since Deucalion, though peradventure some of the best of 'em were hereditary hangmen. God-den to your
80
85
90
Tra. Thou hast sene nothinge yet, to that thou shalt see. for yet it lies and hledesy
79, 80. a . . . tahle] an abler after- dinner jester. Wright quotes Hamlet, V. i. 208-211 : '* Where be your gibes now? your gambols ? your songs ? your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on a roar ? "
80-81. a necessary bencher, etc.] a senator whose presence is indispens- able. We speak of justices on the bench , or collectively of the bench of bishops or the Episcopal bench, but bencher has gone out of use except to denote the governing members in an Inn of Court, the senior barristers of the society. Besides the passage in the text, the New Eng. Diet, cites Bishop Hall, Contempl. N.T. iv. xxx. [The Residue of the Contemplation, etc., 1634, " Christ before Caiaphus." p. 257] : " the grave Benchers of Jerusalem ; the Synode of the choise Rabbies of Israel."
82. Our very . . . mockers'] With the implied change from gravity and solemnity to mockery, Steevens com- pares Much Ado about Nothing, i. i. 123, 124 : '• Courtesy itself must con- vert to disdain, if you come in her presence."
84, 85. not . . . beards'] not worth the effort made to speak it. Mr. Charles Crawford supplies a reference from Cynthia's Revels, v. ii, (Cunning- ham's Gilford's Jonson, i. 186 b) : •• for
the Solemn Address, two lips wagging, and never a wise word." Compare also from the snatch of song quoted by Master Silence, 2 Henry IV. v. iii. 37 : " 'Tis merry in hall when beards wag all," i.e. when all are busy talking; and Drayton, Poems Lyrick and Pas- toral, The Seaventh Eglog (Spenser Soc. ed., p. 78): ^' Batte. Borrill sing on I pray thee let us heare, | that I may laughe to see thee shake thy bearde."
85-87. beards . . . botcher's cushion] A botcher is one who mends or patches old clothes, or boots. Mr. Crawford refers to Lyly, My das, in. iii. {Works, ed. Fairholt, vol. ii. p. 33), Dello (the Barber's Boy) loq. : " You cannot pose my master in a beard. Come to his house you shall sit upon twenty, all his cushions are stuft with beards " ; and ibid. v. ii. p. 63 : "a dozen of beards, to stuflfe two dozen of cushions."
88, 8g. in a cheap estitnation] putting his valuation at the very lowest figure.
8g, 90. since Deucalion] since the great flood. Shakespeare doubtless read the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, which he refers to once again {The Winter's Tale, iv. iv. 442, •' Far [i.e. fixrther] than Deucalion off") in the first book of Golding's Ovid's Meta- morphoses.
91. God-den] Good evening, origin- ally, God give you good even. In Romeo and Juliet, i. ii. 57, the old editions read: " Godden good fellow,"
CORIOLANUS
65
H sc.
^H worships : more of your conversation would infect
^H my brain, being the herdsmen of the beastly ple-
^H beians : I will be bold to take my leave of you. ^^B [Brutus and Sicinius stand aside.
^r Enter VOLUMNIA, ViRGILIA, and VALERIA.
How now, my as fair as noble ladies, and the moon,
were she earthly, no nobler, whither do you follow
your eyes so fast ? Vol. Honourable Menenius, mxJboy Marcius approaches ;
for the love of Juno, let 's go. Men. Ha ! Marcius coming home ? VoL Ay, worthy Menenius ; and with most prosperous
approbation. Men. Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee. Hoo !
Marcius coming home ! Vir., Val. Nay, 'tis true.
95
100
94. Brutus . . . aside} Theobald ; Bru. and Scic. Val.} Capell; 2 ladies Ff; Vol., Vir., Dyce (ed. i).
Aside. F.
105.
105 Vir..
to which the reply is " Godgigoderi" etc. See also 11. iv. 116, of the same play : " Mer. God ye good den, fair gentle woman. Nurse. Is it good den ? "
92. conversation"] probably here = society, as Mr. Verity suggests, noting the one-sidedness of the conversation, ** in the modern sense." The sense society, intercourse, occurs often in Shakespeare, and also that of conduct, behaviour: see note on Antony and Cleopatra, ri. vi. iig, in this series. All these senses survived much later.
93, 94. being . . . plebeians'] i.e. you being, etc.
95. the moon] i.e. Diana, the god- dess, supposed to be identical with the moon, being sometimes called Luna. See V. iii. 65, where Valeria is called, owing to her chastity, " The moon of Rome ; chaste as the icicle That 's . . . And hangs on Dian's temple " ; and also note on i. i. 256 ante.
96-97. whither . . . fast ?] Shake- speare here beautifully refers to the eager glances of the expectant ladies, which were, as one might say, darted out before them towards the place where their warrior was about to ap- pear. We might compare Montano's expression in Othello, 11. i. 35-37 :
" Let 's to the seaside, ho ! As well to see the vessel that's
come in, As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello." In Miss Jackson's Shropshire Word Book, 1867, we find *' Follow your looks boys and come to the fire," quoted from The Shropshire News, Nov. 20th, 1897. loi, 102. with . . . approbation] with the greatest success and honour.
103. Take . . . Jupiter] Menenius suits the action to the word, and throws up his cap to Jupiter, the god of the air, in token of delight. See i. i. 211 ante, and note also iv. vi. 132, 136 post.
Hoo I] a cry expressive of wild delight and acclamation. See Antony and Cleopatra, n. vii. 141, 142 : — ♦' Eno. Hoo ! says a. There 's my cap. Men. Hoo! [Hoa Ff] noble cap- tain, come," and The Masque of Queeyis, Gifford's Jonson, ed. Cun- ningham, III, 54 {b) : —
" Black go in, and blacker come out; At thy going down, we give thee a shout.
Hoo ! . . . . , . Hoo! Har! Harl Hoo!''
66 CORIOLANUS [act n.
Vol. Look, here 's a letter from him : the state hath another, his wife another ; and I think there 's one at home for you.
Men. I will make my very house reel to-night. A letter
for me ! no
Vir. Yes, certain, there 's a letter for you ; I saw 't.
Men. A letter for me ! It gives me an estate of seven years' health; in which time I will make a lip at the physician : the most sovereign prescription in Galen is but empiricutic, and, to this preservative, of no 115 better report than a horse-drench. Is he not wounded ? he was wont to come home wounded.
Vir. O, no, no, no.
Vol. O, he is wounded ; I thank the gods for 't.
Men. So do I too, if it be not too much. Brings a* 120 victory in his pocket ? The wounds become him.
Vol. On 's brows : Menenius, he comes the third time home with the oaken garland.
Men. Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly ?
122. brows: Menenius'] Ff\ brows, Menenius; Theobald.
109. reel} See note on the noun before he was born. Of these things
reels in Antony and Cleopatra, u. vii. Shakespeare was always very careless. 92 (in this edition), and examples of 115. io tins'] compared with this,
the verb there, e.g. : " here 's a giddy Compare Romeo and Juliet, 11. iv. 41 :
and drunken world, it Reeles, it hath " Laura to his lady was but a kitchen
got the staggers," etc. (Pearson's, wench," and Marlowe, y^ze/ o/Ma/^a,
Heywood, V. 16S, Rape 0/ Lucrece). iv. i. i: "There is no music to a
III. certain] certainly. Compare Christian's knell." The Merchant of Venice, 11. vi. 29: 116. report] esteem, repute. Com-
•' Lorenzo, certain, and my love pare Measure for Measure, 11. iii. 10-
indeed," etc. Similarly sure is used; 12 : "a gentlewoman of mine, Who
see Othello, iv. i. 227 : •' Something . . . Hath blister'd her report." from Venice, sure." horse-drench] draught of horse
113. 7nake a lip] move the lip so as medicine. See The Tivo Angry to express contempt, perhaps by pout- Women of Abington (Hazlitt's Dods- ing. Compare Sherwood, French- ley, vii. p. 303) : " we must have some English Diet., ^^ Faire la lippe, to smith to give the butler a rfr<'«r//, . . . pout." The Winter's Tale, i. ii. 373, for he hath got a horse's disease, has " falling A lip of much con- namely the staggers."
tempt." 120. a'] he, as in v. iii. 127 post, and
114, 115. the most . . . empiricutic] frequently in the original editions of Galen's most supremely efficacious Shakespeare, even in the conversation medicine is no better than one given of well-bred persons. In many places by a quack. Empiricutic = emp'iucal; where Qq read "a" Ff read "he," a coinage on the analogy of pharma- and vice versa.
ceutic, according to the New Eng. 122. On 's iro7t's] refers to" victory,"
Diet. Several critics have wasted ink represented by the oak-wreath, in pointing out the anachronism of a 123. oaken garland] See i. iii. 14
reference to Galen more than 600 years 15 ante, and note.
I
SC. I.
CORIOLANUS
67
Vol, Titus Lartius writes they fought together, but Au- 125 fidius got off.
Men. And 'twas time for him too, I '11 warrant hinl that : and he had stayed by him, I would not have been so fidiused for all the chests in Corioles, and the gold that 's in them. Is the senate possessed of this ? 130
Vol. Good ladies, let 's go. Yes, yes, yes ; the senate has letters from the general, wherein he gives m^^ jpn the whole name of the war. He hath in this action outdone his former deeds doubly.
Val. In troth there 's wondrous things spoke of him. 135
Men. Wondrous ! ay, I warrant you, and not without his true purchasing.
Vzr. The gods grant them true !
Vo/. True ! pow, waw.
Men. True! I'll be sworn they are true. Where is he 140 wounded? [To the Tribzmes.'\ God save your good worships ! Marcius is coming home : he has more cause to be proud. Where is he wounded ?
Vol. V the shoulder and i' the left arm : there will be
large cicatrices to show the people when he shall 145
128. and] Ff ; an most edd. Tribunes] Theobald.
139. waw] Ff ; wow Capell. 141. To the
129. 50 fidiused] so Aufidiused. Compare The Merry Wives of Wind- sor, IV. ii, 191-193 (in this edition): —
•• Mrs. Page. Come Mother Pratt . . . Ford. I '11 Prat her " ; and see Mr. Hart's note there.
130. possessed of this] in possession of this intelligence, informed of this. See The Merchant of Venice, i. iii. 64 (in this edition) : " Is he yet possessed How much ye would ? " and, for instances outside Shakespeare, Mr. Pooler's note there.
133. 7iame] credit. So in 1 Henry VI. IV. iv. 9 : —
" York set him on to fight and die
in shame.
That Talbot dead, great York
might bear the name.''^
136, 137. his true purchasing] his
having really earned the report. To
purchase = to earn, procure, acquire, as
well as to buy, in Middle English and
Elizabethan. Compare Nash, The
Vnfortunate Traveller (ed. Gosse,
1892, p. 88) : '• With him we trauelled along, hauing purchast his acquaint- ance a little before."
139. pow, waw] pish, pish. Com- pare Ford, The Lady's Trial, 11. i. {Works of Massinger and Ford, 1875, p. 1526) :—
" Pew waw, all 's one to me I " Webster, The White Devil, i. ii, 78 : " Pew wew, sir ; tell not me Of planets," etc. ; Nash, Lenten Stuffe (ed. McKerrow, in. 212), has : " All this may passe in the Queenes peace, and no ma say bo to it : but baw tvaw, quoth Bagshaw, to that which," etc. ; on which the editor remarks : " Evidently a proverbial expression, but I have not met with it elsewhere. In Misogonns (ed. Brandl in Quellen), IV. i. 57, " Bow wow " seems to be meant as a contemptuous exclama- tion." See the passage : '* Bow wow why shoud we haue lesse then he are not we the nediar,"
68
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
stand for his place. He received in the repulse of
Tarquin seven hurts i' the body. Men. One i' the neck, and two i' the thigh ; there 's nine
that I know. Vol. He had, before this last expedition, twenty-five 150
wounds upon him. Men. Now it 's twenty-seven : every gash was an enemy's
grave. S^A shout and flourish.
Hark ! the trumpets. Fii?// These are the ushers of Marcius : before him he 155
(carries noise, and behind him he leaves tears : Death, that dark spirit, in 's nervy arm doth lie ; Which, being advanc'd, declines, and then men die.
A Sennet. Trumpets sound. Enter COMINIUS the General^ (2«^ Titus Lartius ; between them, CORIOLANUS, crowned with an oaken garland ; with Captains and Soldiers, and a Herald.
Her. Know, Rome, that all alone Marcius did fight
Within Corioles gates : where he hath won, 160
With fame, a name to Caius Marcius ; these
In honour follows Coriolanus.
Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus !
[Sound. Flourish.
153. A shout . . .] After trumpets in Ff. 155, 156. These . . . tears ;] As
Pope ; three lines ending Martins : . . . Noyse ; . . . Teares : in Ff. 161. Caius Marcius] Howe (Martins) ; Martins Caius Ff. 161, 162. these In . . . Corio- lanus,] Steevens ; These . . . Martins Cains Conolanns. Ff (one line).
146. his place"] the consulship.
147. Tarquin] See 11. ii. 88 et seq. post.
148. One V the neck, etc.] The usual explanation is that Menenius silently completes a reckoning of the wounds and arrives at a total of nine. I be- lieve he supplements by opposing neck and thiprh to body, and that then he or the poet hastily claims nine instead of ten.
157. 7iervy] muscular, sinewy. Mr. Crawford has provided an early in- stance : see Chapman, Epistle Dedi- catory, prefixed to his translation of the first twelve books of The Iliad {Poems, etc., ed. Shepherd, 1875, p. i29»:—
" So in our tree of man, whose nervy root Springs in his top," etc. 158. advanc'd] raised, as often : see I. vi. 61 ante, and note.
declines] descends. See Hamlet, 11. ii. 499-501 :—
" for lo ! his sword, Which was declining on the milky
head Of reverend Priam, seem'd i' the air to stick." A Sennet] A particular set of notes (not now known) on the trumpet, differing from a flourish. See note in Antony and Cleopatra, in this series, 11. vii. 16.
161. ^0] in addition to. Frequent, as, e.g. in Macbeth, in. i. 52.
I
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 69
All. Welcome to Rome, renowned Coriolanus !
Cor. No more of this ; it does offend jnj^eart : 165
Pray now, no more. Com. Look, sir, your mother !
Cor. O,
You have, I know, petition'd all the gods
For my prosperity. {Kneels.
Vol. Nay, my^^qod soldier, up ;
JVIy gentle Marcius, worthy Caius, and
By deed-achieving honour newly nam'd, — 170
What is it ? Coriolanus must I call thee ?
But, O, thy wife— Cor. My gracious silence, hail !
Wouldst thou have laugh'd had I come coffin'd home,
That weep'st to see me triumph ? Ah ! my dear.
Such eyes the widows in Corioles wear, 175
And mothers that lack sons. Men. Now, the gods crown thee !
Cor. And live you yet? [To VALERIA.] O my sweet
lady, pardon. '"'" >
Vol I know not where to turn : O, welcome home ;
And welcome, general ; and y' are welcome all. ATen. A hundred thousand welcomes : I could weep, iSo
And I could laugh ; J am light, and heavy. Welcome !
A curse begin at very root on 's heart,
That is not glad to see thee ! You are three
165-168. No . . . prosperity'] As Pope; prose Ff. 169, 170. and By , . .
nam'd] As Theobald ; And begins line 170 in Ff, 177. Cor.] Com. Ff. [To
Valeria] Theobald. 178, 179, I . . . all] As Pope ; three lines in Ff, ending turne. . . . Gencrall, . . . all. 180-188. A . . .folly] As Pope ; twelve lines
in Ff, ending. Welcomes: . . . laugh, . . . welcome: . . . heart, . . . thee . . . on: ... hane . . . home, . . . Rallish . . . Warriors : . . . Nettle; . . .folly. 183. You] F 2 ; Yon F.
170. deed-achieving] won by deeds, the most part of his revelations of the
For this apparently passive use of the Muses and he taught the Romans to
participle in -ing, compare Rape of reverence one of them above all the
Lturecc, 993, " unrecalling crime " = rest, who was called Tacita, as ye
crime past recall, and Antony and would szy Lady Silence."
a- 1 ^iL^hS; Jil^^^"^ f^- S' ""' '^^^^^ "^^"^ ^"'
172. My . . . silence] Abstract for "^^ ^^ '"'"'• concrete is common, though, as given 182. root on's heart] For " the root "
to the mute Virgilia, the title may we should now say "the bottom" of
have been suggested by the following the heart. Compare Chaucer, The
passage in North's Plutarch, Lije of Rojyiaunt of the Rose, 1026 : " Me
Numa, see ed. 1595, p. 72: "He thinketh in myn herte rote''; Antony
Numa, much frequented the Muses in and Cleopatra, v. ii. 105 ; '' grief that
the woddes. For he would say he had smites My very heart at root."
70 CORIOLANUS [act n.
That Rome should dote on ; yet, by the faith of men,
We have some old crab-trees here at home that will not 185
Be grafted to your relish. Yet welcome, warriors !
We call a nettle but a nettle, and
The faults of fools but folly. Com. Ever right.
Cor. Menenius, ever, ever. Her. Give way there, and go on ! Cor. [To VOLUMNIA and ViRGILlA.] Your hand, and
yours : 1 90
Ere in our own house I do shade my head,
The good particians must be visited ;
From whom I have receiv'd not only greetings,
But with them change of honours. Vol. I have liv'd
To see inherited my very wishes, 195
And the buildings of my fancy : only
There 's one thing wanting, which I doubt not but
Our Rome will cast upon thee. Cor. Know, good mother,
I had rather be their servant in my way/
Than sway with them in theirs. Com. On, to the Capitol ! 200
[Flourish. Cornets. Exeunt in state, as before.
igo. \To Volumiiia . . .] Ff omit; io his Wife and Mother. Capell. 194.
change] charge Theobald. 196-198. A}id . . . thee.] As Malone ; four lines
ending Fancie : . . . wanting, . . . Rome . . . thee, in Ff.
185. old crab-trees] the tribunes as inherit is often used by Shakespeare, crabbed, sour-natured old men. So in See The Tempest, iv. i. 154 : — dialect (see Eng. Dial. Diet.), crahstick " the great globe itself, survives for a bad tempered morose Yea, all which it inherit, shall person or child. dissolve," etc. ;
186. grafted to your relish] improved The Ttvo Gentlemen of Verona, in. ii. to your taste. For the same metaphor, 87: "This, or else nothing, will in- but reversed, see iJ Henry VI. in. ii. hcrit her."
212, 213 :" noble stock Was graft with ig6. the buildings . . .fancy] As
crab-tree slip." Dr. Wright points out, there is a
194. change] variety (Warburton). parallel expression in King Lear^ iv. So, in sense of change of fine raiment, ii. 85-87 : —
"change of bravery," The Taming of "But being widow, and my Glou-
the Shrew, iv. iii. 57. cester with her,
195. inherited] realized ; more liter- May all the building in my fancy ally "possessed," or "put into my pluck
possession" from the sense in which Upon my hateful life."
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
71
Brutus and SiciniuS co^ne forward.
Bru. All tongues speak of him, and the bleared sights Are spectacled to see him : your prattling nurse Into a rapture lets her baby cry While she chats him : the kitchen malkin pins Her richest lockram 'bout her reechy neck, Clambering the walls to eye him : stalls, bulks,
windows, Are smother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges hors'd With variable complexions, all agreeing
205
200. Brutus . . . forward] Theobald ; Enter . . ing . . • horsed] As Pope ; three lines ending him
Ff. 206, 207. Clamber- . . up, . . . hors'd in Ff.
202. your] a common colloquial use of your " to appropriate an object to a person addressed." See Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 221.
203. rapture] tit. The New Eng. Diet, says this sense is rare (now dia- lectic) and gives two old examples, the present passage and 1634 Sir T. Her- bert, Trav. 24: "Then in rage and sudden rapture drew out his knife." The Eng. Dial. Diet, gives rapture as alive in Scotland and in Yorkshire in the sense of a fit of temper, a state of violent anger and excitement.
204. chats him] gossips about his exploits.
kitehen malkin] kitchen wench or slut, malkin being a diminution of Malde, Maud, and generally used dis- paragingly.
205. lockram] " a sort of cheap linen, made of different degrees of fineness (' Locram, Linteamen crassius,' Coles's Lat. and Eng. Diet. [1677])," Dyce's Glossary. Compare Dives Pragmaticus, 1563 (John Rylands' Facsimiles, 1910), 8 : —
" fyne Raynes, fine Camericke, I have here to fell, fyne Lawne, fine Holland, of a
marke an ell : fyne Lockeram, fine Canuas, and fustien of Napell," etc. Steevens gives a useful reference to Beaumont and Fletcher, The Spanish Ctirate [iv. v. vol. ii. p. 120: Camb. ed.]:-
*' 1 give [to poor Maidens Marriages] per annum two hundred Ells of Lockram,
That there be no strait dealings
in their Linnens, But the Sails cut according to their Burthens." reechy] dirty, greasy, originally reeky, i.e. smoky. See Much Ado about Nothing, III. iii. 143 ; " like Pharaoh's soldiers in the reechy painting."
206. stalls, bulks] Johnson explains stall as a bench or form where anything is set for sale. Bulks are the project- ing framework in front of shops. A stall and a bulk are much the same thing, only that the former was perhaps movable and temporary. Florio has '• Balco : the bulk or stall of a shop." See also Othello, v. i. i : ♦' Here stand behind this bulk,'' with Mr. Hart's note in this series.
207. leads] roofs, so called to this day when covered with sheets of lead instead of slates. Compare Nash, The Unfortunate Traveller, ed. McKerrow, 11. 282, line 16 : " Why, you should not come into anie manner house of account, but he hadde fish- pondes and little orchardes on the toppe of his leads.'"
207, 208. ridges hors'd With] ridges of roofs bestridden by. The New Eng. Diet, marks horsed as rare in this mean- ing, which Shakespeare also uses in The Winter's Tale, i. ii. 288 : '* horsing foot on foot." For with ~ by, see Antony and Cleopatra, v. ii. 171 ; The Winter's Tale, v. i. 113 ; etc.
208. variable complexions, all agree- ing, etc.] people of varying type, but all alike eager, etc. Complexion is con- stitution, and hence also its results in
72
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
In earnestness to see him : seld-shown flamens Do press among the popular throngs, and puff To win a vulgar station : our veil'd dames Commit the war of white and damask in Their nicely-gawded cheeks, to the wanton spoil
210
212, 213. Commit
spoil] As Pope ; divided after damaske Ff.
temperament and bodily appearance. The sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholy were the four principal complexions, which in turn depended on the prevalenthumour, whether blood, phlegm, choler, or melancholy, and ultimately on the prevalent element, whether air, water, fire or earth. *• Does not our life consist of the four elements? " {Twelfth Night, ii.iii. 10). So Sylvester's Du BartaSj week i, day 2, 1620 ed., p. 21 : —
*• . . . aye some one [element] is most Predominant. The pure red part, amid the Mafs
of Blood, The Sanguine Aire commands :
the clutted mud. Sunk down in Lees, Earths Melan- choly showes : The pale thin humor, that on th'
out-Jide flowes. Is watery Phlegme ; and the light
froathy Jcum, Bubbling aboue, hath Fiery Cholers room. The elements, again, were supposed to combine certain qualities. See the same, p. 24 : —
•* The hot-dry Fire to cold-moist Water turns not ; The cold-dry Earth to hot-moist
Aire returns not, Returns not eas'ly : " etc. ; and Batman upon Bartholome, lib. iv. c. 6, cited by Prof. Skeat on Chaucer's Nonne Preestes Tale, 4118 (108) : " Ther be foure humours, Bloud, Fleame, Cholar, and Melancholy. . . . First, working heate turneth what is coldeand moystintothekindof Fleme, and then what is hot and moyst, into the kinde of Bloud ; and then what is hot and drye into the kinde of Cholera; and then what is colde and drye into the kinde of Melancholia. . . ."
209. seld-shown Jlamens] sacred priests, rarely given to the vulgar gaze. Shakespeare has seld for seldom only
once, in TroiUis and Cressida, iv. v. 150 : •* As seld I have the chance " ; but it occurs in The Passionate Pilgrim, line 175 (in a poem of unknown author- ship) : "5^/<i or never found." In other writers it is pretty common, especially in the compound seld-seen, as for instance in Marlowe, Jew of Malta, I. i. 28: '■^ seld- seen costly stones." Flamens were priests devoted to the service of a particular- deity. See North's Plutarch, 1579, Life of Numa, ed. 1595, p. 71 : " His second act was, that he did adde to the two priests of lupiter and Mars, a third in the honour of Romulus who was called Flamen Quirinalis." The word was also sometimes applied more generally by English writers, as perhaps by Shakes- peare himself in Timon of Athens, iv. iii. 155, "hoar (i.e. make white with disease) the flamen." The New Eng. Diet, gives only one example of the word earlier than that in the text, from Bellenden's Livy, 1553, ed. 1822, p. 34 : " Yit we institute the sacrifice that pertenit to the flamin diall." The form flamin, reflecting the i of the oblique cases and nominative plural of the Latin word, is also Shakespeare's, and common.
210. popular'] of the people, vulgar, as in III. i. 105 ; v. ii. 39 post. In 11. iii. loi, the sense most usual now oc- curs : •♦ I will counterfeit the bewitch- ment of some popular man," etc.
211. a vulgar station] a standing place with the mob.
212. 213. the way . . . cheeks] A common image. See The Rape of Lucrece, 71, 72: "Their silent war of lilies and of roses, ... in her fair face's field," etc. Several other ex- amples are given in the Variorum, ed. 1821, vol. xiv. pp. 71, 72.
213. nicely-gawded] finely adorned; i.e. with the natural tints of the com- plexion ; for an allusion to artificial colouring, though some prefer it,
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
78
Sic.
Bru.
Of Phoebus' burning kisses : such a poother,
As if that whatsoever god who leads him 215
Were sHly crept into his human powers,
And gave him graceful posture.
On the sudden,
I warrant him consul.
Then our office may,
During his power, go sleep. Sic. He cannot temperately transport his honours 220
From where he should begin and end, but will
Lose those he hath won. Bru. In that there 's comfort.
Sic. Doubt not
The commoners, for whom we stand, but they
Upon their ancient malice will forget
214. poother] pother Rowe. 217-219. On . . , sleep] As Pope ; prose in Ff.
would be contradictory to " the war of white and damask," an obvious figure for the fluctuating extent and depth of the natural colour, as many examples witness. Steevens and others supply several in the 1821 Variorum; e.g. Venus and Adonis, 345, 346 : " To note the fighting conflict of her hue, How white and red each other did destroy ! " ; The Taming of the Shrew, IV. V. 30 : *' Such war of white and red within her cheeks ! " ; Massmger, Great Duke of Florence, v, iii. [ed. Cunning- ham, p. 2506]: *' the lilies Contending with the roses in her cheek." From gauds = gewgaws, finery, etc., comes the verb : to furnish with gauds, and so to make fine, adorn.
214. /»oo/Atfr] bustle, confusion. The form is dialectical, and in King Lear, III. ii. 50, the forms pudder (F) and Powther (Q i) appear : —
" the great gods That keep this dreadful pudder o'er our heads." See note on the passage, in this series.
215-217. As if . . . posture] Posture = attitude. The passage contains allu- sions to the old conceptions of a favour- ing divinity or guardian angel, and of gods disguised as men. So in Pope's Homer, Iliad, v. 234-236 : —
'♦ If 'tis a God, he wears that chiefs disguise ; Or if that chief, some guardian of
the skies Involv'd in clouds, protects him in the fray," etc. ; a.nd Antony and Cleopatra, 11. iii. 19: " Thy demon, that 's thy spirit which keeps thee, . . . thy angel," and iv. viii. 24 : "he hath fought to-day As if a god, in hate of mankind, had, Destroy'd in such a shape."
220, 221. He cannot . . . end"] El- liptical and figurative (transport) for " he cannot carry himself with sufficient moderation to keep his honours from beginning to end, i.e. throughout his course." Compare iv. vii. 36, 37 post : "but he could not Carry his honours even." Defending the text from John- son's suggested reading, "transport . . . P'rom . . . fan end," Malonc compares Cymbeline, iii. ii. 63-66; — " and for the gap That we shall make in time, from
our hence-going And our return, to excuse," etc. 223. commoners] the commonalty, " the common file " of i. vi. 43 ante.
'zz^. upon] owing to. Compare Julius Ccesar, iv. iii. 151 : "O insup- portable and touching loss 1 Upon what sickness ? "
74 CORIOLANUS [act n.
With the least cause these his new honours; which 225 That he will give them, make I as little question As he is proud to do 't.
Bru. I heard him swear,
Were he to stand for consul, never would he Appear i' the market-place, nor on him put The napless vesture of humility ; 230
Nor, shewing, as the manner is, his wounds To the people, beg their stinking breaths.
Sic. 'Tis right.
Bru. It was his word. O ! he would miss it rather Than carry it but by the suit o' the gentry to him And the desire of the nobles.
Sic. 1 wish no better 235
Than have him hold that purpose and to put it In execution.
Bru. 'Tis most like he will.
Sic. It shall be to him then as our good wills, A sure destruction.
Bru. So it must fall out
To him or our authorities. For an end, 240
We must suggest the people in what hatred He still hath held them ; that to 's power he would Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and Dispropertied their freedoms ; holding them,
225, 226. With . . . question'] Divided after Honors, in Ff. 230. napless]
Kowe ; Naples Ff. 233-235. It . . . nobles] As Steevens (1778) ; four lines
in Ff ending 7vord : . . . carry it, . . . him, . . . Nobles. 235-237. I . . .
execution] As Pope ; prose in Ff. 238, 239. It . . . destruction] As Rowe ;
prose in Ff. 243, 244. Have . . . them] As Pope; divided after Pleaders
in Ff. 244. Dispropertied] dispropurtioned Ff 2-4.
225. which] which cause, which pro- 240. authorities] power, offices, vocation. For an end] In short. The Neiv
226, 227. make . . . question . . . Eng. Diet, quotes Lambarde, Pcr- proud to do H] Sicinius says he has no ambulation of Kent, 1570-1576, ed. doubt that Coriolanus will give provo- 1826, p. 221 : " For an end therefore I cation, having the pride which will tell you." etc.
urge him to do it. He measures his 241. suggest] here = insinuatingly
own assurance of the action by the un remind, slightly extending the sense of
doubted existence of the quality. insinuating an idea into someone's
230. napless vesture] threadbare gar- mind. The word is frequently used
ment. For the '• poore gowne " of for "tempt," and "seduce from."
North's Plutarch, see Extracts, p. See Henry V. 11. ii. 114; ^4// '5 Well
xxxviii ante, '* For the custome of that Ends Well, iv. v. 47.
Rome . . . at that time," for •' suche 244. D«/»ro/'^r//V<r] No other instance
as dyd sue for any office," etc. of the word is yet known, but propertied
238. as our good wills] as our in- occurs in the sense " possessed of a
tercst would have it. quality or qualities" : see Antony and
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
75
In human action and capacity. 245
Of no more soul nor fitness for the world Than camels in the war ; who have their provand Only for bearing burthens, and sore blows For sinking under them. Sic. This, as you say, suggested
At some time when his soaring insolence 250
Shall touch the people — which time shall not want
If he be put upon 't ; and that 's as easy
As to set dogs on sheep — will be his fire
To kindle their dry stubble ; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.
247. the war] Hanmer; their Warre Ff. reach Theobald.
251. touchl Hanmer; teach Ff ;
Cleopatra, v. ii. 83 (this series), and examples in the text and note there. Hence " dispropertied their freedoms " should mean, taken literally, " took away the qualities or essentials of their liberties," and freely interpreted, "dis- possessed them of their liberties."
247, 248. camels . . . burthens'] Com- pare Holland's Plinie, Natural Historic, VIII. 18: "in thise parts from whence they [Camels] come they serve all to carry packs like labouring horses, and are put to service also in the warres."
247. provand] provender, food. See Reynard the foxe, Caxton's translation, 1481 (ed. Arber, p. 60) : " They [i.e. my chyldren] conne wel also duke in the water after lapwynches and dokys/ I wolde ofte sende them for prouande." The word (which is only found once in Shakespeare) has its use extended to munitions, etc. : so in Jonson's Every Man in his Huvionr, in. i.. Bobadil calls Master Stephen's "Toledo" " A poor provant rapier, no better." Provant is by far the most usual Elizabethan form of the word. See also Nash, The Unfortunate Traveller, 1594, ed. Gosse, 1892, p. 14 : " countie paltaine of clcane strawe and prouant " ; " syder and such like prouanf' (p. 21) : " prouant thrust it selfe into poore souldier's pockets whether they would or no " (p. 25). See, for other ex- amples, the 1821 Variorum, xiv. 75.
249. suggested] insinuated. See line 241 ante.
251. touch] Mr. Craig left in the
text the emendation " reach," which he had recently adopted in The Little Quarto Shakespeare, but his collections for a note show that he had come to prefer " touch," as do many editors. He cites for its meaning (*' sting, hurt "), Cymheline, iv. iii. 4 : " Heavens, How deeply you at once do touch me ! " and concludes : " The reading of Ff is • teach,' which can hardly be right ; Pope, in his second edition, following Theobald, reads ' reach. ' " For this reason, I place " touch " in the text, but record my own opinion strongly against any alteration. Malone opposed any, because he interpreted as follows : " When he, with the insolence of a proud patrician, shall instruct the people in their duty to their rulers " ; but I take the intended meaning to be : " When his insolence shall teach the people their mistake and the danger of putting this present hero in authority." His insolence is to begin their en- lightenment, and the tribunes will continue the instruction and better it by their insinuations.
252. put upon H] provoked to it.
253. his fire] his fire because it will be the kindling effect of his hatred and all the other antecedents comprised in This, line 249.
255. darken him] put out his light. Compare the kindred sense of the word in iv. vii. 5 post, to deprive of lustre or renown, and in Aritony and Cleopatra, iii. i. 24, " gain which darkens him."
76 CORIOLANUS [act n.
Enter a Messenger.
Bru. What 's the matter ? 255
Mess. You are sent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought That Marcius shall be consul. I have seen the dumb men throng to see him, and The blind to hear him speak : matrons flung gloves, Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchers, 260
Upon him as he pass'd ; the nobles bended, As to Jove's statue, and the commons made A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts : I never saw the like.
Bni. Let 's to the Capitol ;
And carry with us ears and eyes for the time, 265
But hearts for the event.
Sic. Have with you. [Exeunt.
SCENE II.— The Same. The Capitol. Enter two Officers^ to lay cushions^ as it were^ in the Capitol.
First Off. Come, come ; they are almost here. How
many stand for consulships? Sec. Off. Three, they say ; but 'tis thought of every
one Coriolanus will carry it.
256-259. You . . . gloves'] As Dyce ; in Ff lines end Capitoll : . . . Consul : . . . see him, . . , gloves,.
Scene II. The same. The Capitol.] The Capitol. Pope (sc. v.).
259-261. matrons . . . pass'd] " Here joy at the news of Marcius's honie-
our author has attributed some of the coming : " Take my cap, Jupiter, and
customs of his own age to a people I thank thee."
who were wholly unacquainted with 266. Have with you] a word to get
them. Few men of fashion in his the characters off the stage, but also a
time appeared at a tournament without ready assent both to go and to co-
a lady's favour upon his arm : and operate. See Othello, i. ii. 53 (this
sometimes when a nobleman had tilted series), and Mr, Hart's note : *' lago.
with uncommon grace and agility, . . . Come, captain, will you go ?
some of the fair t;pectators used to 0th, Have with you.'" fling a scarf ox glove ' upon him as he
pass'd.' " — Malone. Scene //.
263. A shower] i.e. of falling caps,
which they had flung up for joy. 3, 4. of every one] by every one.
Compare Julius Casar, i. ii, 246-248 : Compare Hamlet, i. i. 25 : "Touching
"the rabblement hooted and clapped this dreaded sight, twice seen of us" ;
their chopped hands and threw up and also for this common use of of,
their sweaty night-caps." In line 103 i Corinthians xv. 5 : •* And that he
ante, Menenius throws up his cap for was seen (j,f Cephas."
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
77
First Off. That *s a brave fellow ; but he 's vengeance proud, and loves jiot the common . people.
Sec. Off. Faith, there hath been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them ; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore : so 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 manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition ; and out of his noble carelessness . lets them plainly see 't. First Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good nor harm ; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him, and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice
10
15
20
5. vengeanc€\ exceedingly, desper- ately. This adverbial sense occurs only here in Shakespeare, but com- pare Thersites (Hazlitt's Dodsley's Old English Plays, i. 405), " for they are vengeance heavy." Vengeable (see Eng. Dial. Diet.) is similarly used in some dialects. The word also occurs as an adjective : see Damon and Pithias (Dodsley, iv, 64), " a vengeance knave and rough."
8. who ne^er loved thent] What follows shows that who refers to the people and them to the great men, whom the people never loved notwith- standing this flattery.
9. they] the people.
14. out of] owing to (see Hamlet, 11. ii. 630-631), often used by Shakespeare in this sense.
15. lets] See Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 399. for similar omissions of the nominative when it cannot be mis- taken.
17. he waved] he would have wavered. Either for conciseness, or vividness, or both, the Elizabethans instinctively used the subjunctive in a form, as Abbott, {5 361, puts it, " identical with the indicative, where nothing but the context (in the case of past tenses) shows that it is the sub- junctive." Another example will be found in iv. vi. 113 post, where
" charged " = would charge ; and see The Merchant of Venice, 11. i. 17-20 : " But if my father had not scanted me . . . Yourself, renowned prince, then stood [ = would have stood or would stand] as fair," etc. ig. devotion] ardour.
20, 21. discover . . . opposite] show him to be their adversary. For opposite in this common sense, see Twelfth Night, III. iv. 293 : " He is indeed, sir, the most skilful, bloody and fatal opposite,^' etc. ; King Lear, v. iii. 153 ; etc. ; also Webster, A Cure for a Cuckold, III. i. (ed. Hazlitt, iv. 46) : " Less[ingham]. ... I am come hither with full purpose To kill you. Bon- [vilc]. Ha ! Less. Yes, I have no opposite V th' world but Yourself."
21. seem to] Perhaps it is unneces- sary to look beyond the ordinary mean- ing of seem to here, although, from what we have just been told, there is no doubt about the fact that Coriolanus affects the malice of the people. It is right, however, to note the peculiar use of seem in Shakespeare's time. The New Eng. Diet, cites numerous ex- amples of seem = think, deem, and gives a second meaning, *' think fit " (which would suit the passage under consideration), quoting, e.g. Jonson's Alchemist (1610), i. iii.: "The rest They'll seem to follow," which was
78 CORIOI.ANUS [act ii.
and displeasure of the people is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. Sec. Off. He hath deserved worthily of his country ;
and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those 25 who, having been supple and courteous to the people, "A bonneted, without any further deed to have them at }
(all into their estimation and report ; but he hath so / planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in ( their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and 30 4 not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury ; J to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving itself ^ the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it. First Off. No more of him ; he 's a worthy man : make 35 way, they are coming.
A Sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MeneNIUS, CoriolaNUS, Senators, SiCINIUS and Brutus. The Senators take their places ; the Tribunes take theirs by themselves. CORIOLANUS stands.
Men. Having determin'd of the Volsces, and
A Sennet. Enter . . • ] Substantially in Ff. 37, 38. Having . . . remains,] As Pope ; divided after Volsces in Ff.
understood in practically the same 27. bonneted, without, etc.] merely sense by Whalley: " They'll think it took oft" their caps and nothing more, convenient to follow," and Cunning- Of bonnet (verb intransitive) = "To ham, "Deem it seemly to follow." take off the bonnet in token of Mr. Hathaway, in his edition of The respect ; to ' vail the bonnet,' " the Alchemist (Yale Studies, 1903), after New Eng. Diet, gives only this ex- citing these, adds : " Probably this is ample. See Mr. Hart's note on the the right idea. It may, however, be '* much disputed expression " un- an analogy to the Latin videri, to be bonneted in Othello, i. ii. 23, in this seen, or to seem, i.e. they HI be seen to series, where Cotgrave, French Diet., follow.'' The sense favoured by Mr. 1611, is cited: "■ Bonnet er, to put off Hart in his note on the Jonson pas- his cap unto." As Mr. Hart says, sage, and note, with illustrations, on standing bareheaded as a mark of Othello, III. i. 30, in this series (" if respect was more usual in Shake- she will stir hither, I shall seem to speare's day than now. " You must notify unto her ") is, "put on a seem- thinke in an armie, ..." says Jack ing to, make ready to, or arrange, or Wilton (in Nash's The Unfortunate begin to do a thing." In Shakespeare, Traveller, ed. Gosse, p. 27), "it is a besides the above, he refers to The flat stab once to name a Captaiue Merchant of Venice, ii. iv. ii, and A without cappe in hand." Figurative Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. i. ig : uses naturally arose ; in Lyly's " Write me a prologue ; and let the pro- Euphues (ed. Arber, p. 117), Euphues logue seem to say, we will do no advises Philautus: " Stande thou on harm," etc. thy pantuffles, and she will vayle
21. aj^ecf] aim at. Ho affects \n iii. bonnet; lye thou aloofe and she will
iii. 1, and affecting, iv. vi. 32 post. ceaze on the lure," etc.
25. as those] elliptical, and = as 36. Sennet] See note on 11. i. 158
the ascent of those. ante.
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
79
To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,
As the main point of this our after-meeting,
To gratify his noble service that 40
Hath thus stood for his country : therefore, please
you, Most reverend and grave elders, to desire The present consul, and last general In our well-found successes, to report A little of that worthy work perform'd 45
By Caius Marcius Coriolanus, whom We met here both to thank and to remember With honours like himself.
First Sen. Speak, good Cominius :
Leave nothing out for length, and make us think Rather our state 's defective for requital 50
Than we to stretch it out. [To the Tribunes] Masters
o' the people. We do request your kindest ears, and after, Your loving motion toward the common body, To yield what passes here.
Sic. We are convented
Upon a pleasing treaty, and have hearts 5 5
40, 41. To . . . you] As Pope ; divided after hath in Ff. 46. Caivs Marcius] Rowe (Afarfius) ; Martins Caius Ff. 50. state's] F 4; states F. 51. [To
the ... ] Cambridge edd. 0' the] 0' f/r' F 4 ; a' th' F. 54-66. We are . . . place.] As Pope ; prose Ff.
38. Titus Lartius] Whom Cominius had sent to Corioles : see i. ix. 75-78.
40. gratify] reward. See The Mer- chant of Venice, iv. i. 406 : " Antonio, gratify this gentleman," and the note in this edition giving further examples from other dramatists. Shakespeare has the verb in the same sense in two other passages, viz. Othello, v. ii, 213, and Cymbeline, 11. iv. 7.
44. well-found] Some explain as = " fortunately met with," others, " ap- proved," j.^. found good, or satisfactory. Schmidt extends the meaning to : " found to be as great as they were re- ported."
47, 48. remember . . . himself]ma.Tk our memory of his services by ap- propriate honours. Remember is per- haps a way of saying " reward," and may remind us of a common use of the word to-day and in Shakespeare's time. See Macbeth, 11. iii. 23 : ** I pray you, remember the porter."
51. to stretch it out] " it " probably refers to " our state," in which case the sense is : in straining its resources for fit reward. If "it" refers to "re- quital," we may interpret : in our endeavours to extend reward till it match desert.
52-54. and after . . . here] and that, subsequently, you will move the people to add their grant to ours.
53. the common body] See Antony and Cleopatra, i. iv. 44 : —
" This common body, Like to a vagaband flag upon the
stream, Goes to and back," etc. ; also compare " the common bosom " {King Lear, v. iii. 49).
54. conve7ited] summoned, convened. See Measure for Measure, v. i. 158 : " Whensoever he 's convented.''
55. treaty] a thing to be treated of, a proposal requiring ratification. So in King yohn, 11. i. 481 : —
80 CORTOLANUS [act ii.
Inclinable to honour and advance
The theme of our assembly. Bru. Which the rather
We shall be blest to do, if he remember
A kinder value of the people than
He hath hereto priz'd them at. Men. '" That 's off, that 's off ; 60
I would you rather had been silent. Please you
To hear Cominius speak ? Bru. Most 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 bedfellow. 65
Worthy Cominius, speak.
\Coriolanus rises ^ and offers to go away. Nay, keep your place. First Sen. Sit, Coriolanus ; never shame to hear
What you have nobly done. —^
Cor. Your honours' pardon : (
I had rather have my wounds to heal again
Than hear say how I got them. Bru. Sir, I hope 70
My words disbench'd you not. Cor. No, sir : yet oft,
When blows have made me stay, I fled from words.
You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not. But your people,
I love them as they weigh. Men. Pray now, sit down.
Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i' the sun 75
67. Fir%t Sen.'\ 1 Sen. Rowe ; Senat. Ff. 70, 71. Sir, . . . not] As Pope ; one line Ff. 74. weigh.'] Hanmer ; weigh — in Ff.
"Why answer not the double pare soothing^ i. ix. 44 ante, and see
majesties King John, in. i. 121 : " thou art
This friendly treaty of our perjur'd too, And soothest my great-
threaten'd town ? " ness " ; Grim the Collier of Croydon
58. blest to do] most happy to do, as (Hazlitt's Dodsky, viii. 455) : «' He
in King John, in. i. 251, 252 :- ^ath descried me sure, he sootheth me
" we shall be 6/«/ ' 74. as ^//^v 7t;WW0 according to their
To do your pleasure, and contmue weight, or value. Compare A/mswr*
tnends. y^^ Measure, iv. ii. 31 : " you weigh
73. soo///'d«o/] did not flatter. Com- equally; a feather will turn the acale."
SC. 11.]
CORIOLANUS
81
When the alarum were struck than idly sit
To hear my nothings monster'd. [Exil Coriolanus,
Men, Masters of the people,
Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter, That 's thousand to one good one, when you now see He had rather venture all his limbs for honour 80
Than one on 's ears to hear it ? Proceed, Cominius.
Com, I shall lack voice : the deeds of Coriolanus Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held •i That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
Most dignifies the haver : if it be.
The man I speak of cannot in the world
Be singly counterpois'd. At sixteen 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, saw him fight,
Wh^n with his Amazonian chin he drove
85
90
81. one on '5] F 3 ; on ones V. 84, 85. That
Vertue^ in F. 91. chin] F 3 ; Shinne F.
be,] As F 2 ; divided after
76. When . . . struck] When the signal for battle was sounded. Com- pare Richard III. iv. iv. 148 : " strike alarum drums," and :i Henry VI. 11. iii. 95 : " Sound, trumpets, alarum to the combatants I "
77. monster^d] made into marvels. Compare King Lear, i. i. 223 : —
'• Sure her offence Must be of such unnatural degree That monsters it." Spenser uses the noun with " make " to convey something similar to the thought in King Lear. See The Faerie Queene in. ii. 40 : —
" Daughter, (said she) " what need ye be dismayd ? Or why make ye such Monster of
your minde ? 01 much more uncouth thing I
was affrayd, Of filthy lust, contrary unto kinde," etc. 79. That '5 . . . one] In which for every good man there are a thousand worthless ones.
83-85. Itis . . , /m7;^>'] See North's Plutarch, Extracts, ante, p. xxviii.
87. singly counterpois'd] matched even once.
At sixteen years] As Mr. Verity
6
points out, Plutarch is not so definite. See ante, Extracts, p. xxviii, " being but a stripling."
88. made a head] to make a head = to collect an armed force. Compare "The Goths have gather'd head** {Titus Andronicus, iv. iv. 63), and see
III. 141
I post, and 8 Henry VI.
For in the marches here we heard
you were, Making another head to fight agam."
for Rome] to gain back his power in Rome, or, merely, to attack, for an attempt on, Rome.
89. Beyond the mark] Beyond the reach or power. Perhaps a metaphor from archery, or from the sense of mark = limit, boundary. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, ill. vi. 87 : '* You are abused Beyond the mark of thought."
oiir then dictator] See North, Ex- tracts, ante, p. xxviii. The name of the dictator is not given.
91. Amazonian] i.e. bare and un- razored, like that of an Amazon. The adjective occurs also in 5 Henry VI, I. iv. 114 : " an Amazonian trull."
82
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
Thabristied lips before him. He bestrid
An o'er-press'd Roman, and i' the consul's view
Slew three opposers : Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee : in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He prov'd best man i* the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bouncr'wllh the oak. His pupil age
Man-enter*d thus, he waxed like a sea.
And in the brunt of seventeen battles since
He lurch'd all swords of the garland. For this last,
95
100
92. bestrid] See North's Plutarch, Extracts, ante, p. xxviii, and compare The Comedy of Errors, v. i. 192 : ♦* When 1 bestrid thee in the wars, and took Deep scars to save ihy life."
93. o'er-press^d] borne down by irre- sistible force, overthrown. The New Eng. Diet, quotes 1523 Lord Berners, Froissart, i. ccxxxvii. 338 : " He was closed in amonge his enemyes, and so sore oiierpressed that he was felled down to the erthe."
95. struck . . . knee'] smote him so that he fell on his knees. Compare 1 Henry VI. iv. vii. 5, where Talbot, speaking of his son, Young Talbot, says : —
" When he perceived me shrink and on my knee, His bloody sword he brandish'd over me."
96. When . . . scene] This way of expressing how far the deeds of the youthful Marcius surpassed the promise of his age and "Amazonian chin," gains force from the recollection that the parts of women were represented by boys. More pointed allusions to the fact in Shakespeare are in the epilogue to As You Like It, line 18 et seq., where the performer of Rosa- lind's part declares : " If I were a woman, I would kiss," etc., and in Antony and Cleopatra, v. ii. 219-220 : " and I shall see Some squeaking Cleo- patra boy my greatness," etc.
98. the oak] See i. iii. 15 ante.
98, 99. His pupil age . . . thus] This is usually explained, following Wright, as an allusion to the use of "entered " in connection with initiation into a University or other society, and as conveying the sense : Having been thus initiated into manhood in his
pupilary stage. But as he was now, however remarkably, beginning his apprenticeship to war, it is simpler to understand: Having thus begun his pupil age in a way worthy of a full- grown man. Shakespeare also uses " pupil age " in 1 Henry IV. 11. iv. 106 : " since the old days of goodman Adam to the pupil age of this present twelve o'clock at midnight," and ^^ pupil pen " in Sonnet xvi. Compare also Spenser, The Faerie Quecne, dedicatory sonnet to Lord Grey : —
"Most Noble Lord the pillor of my life, And Patrone of my Muses pupill age.''
100. the brunt] the shock, where the fire of fight raged fiercest ; now famihar in the phrase, '' to bear the brunt of (anything)." See Golding's Ovid, Metamorphoses, xiii. 53, ed. Rouse, p. 253 : " To shun the formost brunts of v^'ar" ; Lyly, Euphues and his Ephoebus, 1581, ed. Arber, p. 123: "hee that hath endured the brunts of fancy."
loi. lurch'd . . . garland] robbed all warriors of the victor's wreath. The New Eng. Diet, puts the passage under lurch, transitive, " To get the start of (a person) so as to prevent him from obtaining a fair share of food, profit, etc. In later use, to defraud, cheat, rob." These senses are well established, but Malone thought he had traced a different origin for the phrase in connection with gaming. " To lurch,'' he says, " in Shakespeare's time, signified to win a maiden set at cards, etc. See Florio's Italian Diet., 1598 : ' Gioco marzo : A maiden set, or lurch, at any game.' See also Coles' Latin Diet., 1679 : • A lurch. Duplex palma, facilis victoria.' 'To
:. II.]
CORIOLANUS
83
Before and in Corioles, let me say,
I cannot speak him home : he stopp'd the fliers,
And by his rare example made the coward
Turn terror into sphrt : as weeds before
A vessel under sail, so men obey d,
And fell below his stem : his sword, death's stamp,
Where it did mark, it took ; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was tim'd with dying cries : alone he enter'd
The' mortal gate of the city, which he painted
105
no
105. weeds] F ; Waves Ff 2-4. tookcfrom . . .foot: Ff.
108. took ; from
foot] Tyrwhitt conj. ;
lurch all swords of the garland,' there- fore, was to gain from all other warriors the wreath of victory, with ease, and incontestable superiority." It will be observed he does not produce an instance of the verb which he postulates. A verb given in the New Bug. Diet., " To beat in various games of skill, sometimes by a specified number or proportion of points " (French lotirche, a game, whereas Itcreh above is con- nected with lurk), scarcely helps his case. For lurch in the senses cited in the beginning of this note, the New Eng. Diet, gives also 1592 Greene, Def. Coimy Catch. (1859), 18 : " Was not this an old Cony catcher . . . that could lurtch a poore Conny of so many thousands at one time?"; 1604 Middleton, Father HubburcVs Tales, Wks. (Bullen), viii. 94 : " where, like villainous cheating bowlers, they lurched me of two of my best limbs, viz. my right arm and right leg," etc. ; and the well-known passage in Jonson's Silent Woman : see Intro- duction, ante, p. x.
103. home] thoroughly, to the extent of his deserts. In i. iv. 38 ante, and iv. i. 8 post, we have the ordinary' use, familiar nowadays, with charge, strike ; in III. iii. i, and iv. ii. 48 post^ other extended uses, to accusation " In this point charge him hotne,^^ and the telling of home-truths, "You have told them home.^^ A nearer parallel with the text is given by The Tempest, v. i. 71 : *' I will pay thy graces Home both in word and deed."
107. his stem] This word for the
prow of a ship, or, strictly speaking, the piece of timber in which both sides of the ship terminate at the bow, is used once again by Shakespeare (not this time in a metaphorical sense) in Pericles, iv. i. 63, 64 : — " they skip From stem to stern." Compare Captain John Smith, An Ac- cidence for Young Sea-Men, 1626, Works ed. Arber, p. 792 : " First lay the Keele, the Stemme, and Starne in a dry docke, or vppon the stockes," etc.
108. took] practically = slew. The mark of his sword was death's imprint, an assurance of certain death.
log-iio. whose . . . cries] " To time " is "To mark or ascertain the time or rate," and Was tim'd with may mean no more here than " was indicated by." The accepted explanation is, however, Johnson's, or a variant of it : " The cries of the slaughter'd regularly followed his motion, as music and a dancer accompany each other." Deigh- ton has : " The cries of the dying kept time with each motion of his ; were an accompaniment to every step he took, as a musical instrument accompanies singing or dancing."
III. mortal gate] Probably mor/a/ is here used in the sense of deadly, fatal to enter, and not as Johnson explains it, " made the scene of death." Com- pare the sense of mortal in in. i. 294 post (" Morial, to cut it off "). Shake- speare has ^^ mortal engines" (Othello, III. iii. 355) ; " mortal drugs " {Romeo and Juliet, v. i. 66).
84
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
With shunless destiny ; aidless came off, And with a sudden reinforcement struck Corioles like a planet. Now all 's his : When by and by the din of war 'gan pierce His ready sense ; then straight his doubled spirit Re-quicken'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 spoil ; and till we calTd
15
120
119, 120. Run
caWd'] F 2 ; divided after 'twere F.
112. shtiuless destiny'] Shunless des- tiny may be simply blood destined to flow, the blood of men for whom there was no escape from their fate at his hands ; but Wright goes further : •' The figure of his sword being death's stamp and marking his victim, is here carried on. Coriolanus set his bloody mark upon the gate, indicating that it was his by an inevitable fate, as plague- stricken houses were painted with a red cross."
aidless] not found again in Shakespeare. Milton has it in Comns, line 574 : " The aidless, innocent lady his wish't prey."
came off] See i. vi. i, 2 ante: •' We are come off Like Romans," and note on that passage.
113, 114. struck . . . planet] The astrologers ascribed to the planets power to '* strike " or blast (see Ham- let, I. i. 161, of the " gracious " time of Christmas, " then no planets strike "), and other malign agencies, as in Ki7ig Lear, 1. ii. 134-136 : " drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedi- ence of planetary influence." Compare Jonson, Every Man in his Humour, IV. V. {Works, ed. Giffordand Cunning- ham, I. 47a) : Bobadill. "... by Heaven ! sure I was struck with a planet thence, for I had no power to touch my weapon. E. Knowell. Ay, like enough ; I have heard of many that have been beaten under a planet." Gifford refers to the use of planet- stricken " for any sudden attack for which the physician could not readily find a proper name," and quotes Ob- servations on the Bills of Mortality, by Captain John Grant ('• printed before the middle of the seventeenth century "), p.
26 : " . . . Again, if one dxcA suddenly , the matter is not great, whether it be reported in the bills, suddenly, apoplexy, or planet-strucken,'' and, a few pages further on, in An Account of the Dis- eases and Casualties of this year, being 1632, " apoplex and meagrim, seven- teen ; Planet-struck, thirteen ; sud- denly, sixty-two."
116. doubled] double, the adjective, is sometimes used in the sense of doubly strengthened or endowed, and hence strong, full : see the note on Othello, I. ii. 14, in this series. But the verb here seems simply to imply that the sound of fighting elsewhere, re- ported by his ready sense, made his courage and energy flame up again and re-establish his physical forces.
117. fatigate] fatigued. See Sher- wood, Eng. French Diet. : " To fati- gate : fatiguer ; fatigated : fatigu€ " ; and Hakluyt's Voyages, ed. Maclehose, II. 354, First Ambassage from Russia, 1556 : " But he, fatigated with daily attendance and charges, departed to- wards England." Not an ordinary omission of the participial termination after t, but direct from the Latin past participle. Abbott regards similar forms " as participial adjectives without the addition of d" The word is still in use in Somerset.
iig. reeking] i.e. reeking with blood.
120. a perpetual spoil] a slaughter without end. Commentators connect spoil with the phraseology of the chase, and compare jfulius Casar, iii. i. 206 : " here thy hunters stand Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe." See Mr. Macmillan's note in Appendix to JhUus Casar in this series, p. 172.
sc. II.] CORIOLANUS 85
Both field and city ours, he never stood
To ease his breast with panting. Men. Worthy man !
First Sen. He cannot but with measure fit the honours
Which we devise him. Cmn. Our spoils he kick'd at,
And look'd upon things precious as they were 125
The common muck of the world : he covets less
Than misery itself would give ; rewards
His deeds with doing them, and is content
To spend the time to end it. Men. He 's right noble :
Let him be call'd for. First Sen. Call Coriolanus. 130
Off. He doth appear.
[Re-IEnter Coriolanus.
Men. The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd
To make thee consul. Cor. I do owe them still
My life and services. Men. It then remains
That you do speak to the people. Cor. I do beseech you, 135
Let me o'erleap that custom, for I cannot
123, 130. First Sen.] 1 Sen. Rowe ; Setiat. Ff. 123, 124. He . . . him] As Rowe ; prose Ff. 126. o/the^F; o'thF2. 127, 128. Than . . . content]
As Pope ; divided after deeds in Ff. 129, 130. He 's . . . for] As Pope ; one line Ff. 132, 135. The senate . . . people] As Rowe {ed. 2); prose Ff.
123. ivith measure] becomingly, with 135. speak . . . people] " Coriolanus
greatness equal to theirs, was banished u.c. 262. But till the
125. as they 7i>ere] as if they were, time of Manilius Torquatus u.c. 393,
See I. vi. 22 ante. the Senate chose both the consuls : And
127, misery] perhaps here used in then the people, assisted by the sedi-
the sense of penuriousness, but penury tious temper of the Tribunes, got the
is forcible enough. choice of one. . . ." So Warburton,
128-129. and is . . . end it] and who handsomely attributed the histori-
whatever expenditure of time it takes cal inaccuracy of the text to " the too
to complete his work, he ungrudgingly powerful blaze of his [Shakespeare's]
gives it (Craig). This interpretation, imagination, which, when once lighted
however, would make it refer to deeds, up, made all acquired knowledge fade
whereas with it referred to time, as and disappear before it," rather than
strict grammar requires, the passage is to ignorance. But, unfortunately for
understood to mean that provided his the critic, the inaccuracy, as Malone
time is used up, Coriolanus is content pointed out, is Plutarch's : see Extracts,
to spend it without reward for himself, p. xxxix ante.
86
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them,
For my wounds' sake, to give their suffrage : please you
That I may pass this doing. Sic. Sir, the people
Must have their voices ; neither will they bate 140
One jot of ceremony. Men. Put them not to 't :
Pray you, go fit you to the custom, and
Take to you^.as your predecessor^ have,
Your honour with your form. Cor. It is a part
That I shall blush in acting, and might well 145
Be taken from the people. Bru. Mark you that?^
Cor. To brag unto them, — thus I did, and thus ; —
Shew them the unaching scars which I should hide,
As if I had receiv'd them for the hire
Of their breath only !
138-143. For . . . have] As Capell ; in Ff lines end sufferage : . . . doing . . . Voyces, . . . Cerenionie . . . tooH: . , . Custome, . . . haue. 144-146. It . . . people] As Pope; two lines divided after acting, in Ff.
137, 138. Put on . . . suffrage] This is from North's Plutarch, see Extracts, p. xxxix ante. See also with regard to the custom and the showing of scars (line 148) Plutarch, Roniane Questions, translated by Philemon Holland, 1603 (Bibl. de Carabas, ed. 1892, pp. 78, 79) : ^* How commeth it to passe, that those who stood for any office and magistracie, were woont by an old custome . . . to present themselves unto the people in a. single robe or loose gowiie, without any coat at all under it ?"..." Or was it because they deemed men woorthy . . . not by their birth . . . , but by their wounds and scarres to be scene upon their bodies. To the end there- fore," etc.
137. naked] often = unarmed, but here, no doubt, the display of wounds and the sinc^le garment suggests the word, as it does in thecontinuation of the passage from Romane Questions cited in the last note : " Or haply, because they would seeme by this nuditie and nakednesse of theirs, in humilitie to de- base themselves, the sooner thereby to curry favor, and win the good grace of
the commons, even as well as by taking them by the right hand, by suppliant craving, and by humble submission on their very knees."
140. voices] votes. Similarly the verb in " voice him consul," 11. iii. 232 post.
141. Put . . . /o'<] Do not test their unwillingness.
142. fit you] adapt yourself, as in A Midsummer Night's Dream, i. i. 117- 118:—
" look you arm yourself To fit your fancies to your father's will."
143. 144. Take . . . Your . . . form] Receive your honour with the neces- sary formalities, according to the ex- ample of your predecessors in office.
T45. and might JvcW] elliptical for : and it is a custom which might well.
149, 150. for the hire . . . breath only] only in order to hire their votes. Breath is very common in Shakespeare to imply spoken words: see, e.g. il. i. 53 ante : m. iii. 120; iv. vi, 99; v. ii. 45 post.
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 87
Men. Do not stand upon 't. 150
We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Our purpose to them ; and to our noble consul Wish we all joy and honour.
Sen, To Coriolanus come all joy and honour !
{Flourish Cornets. Then Exeunt. Mane[n]t,
Sicinius and Brutus.
Bru. You see how he intends to use the people. i 55
Sic. May they perceive 's intent ! He will require them, As if he did contemn what he requested Should be in them to give.
Bru. Come ; we '11 inform them
Of our proceedings here : on the market-place I know they do attend us. [Exeunt. 160
SCENE III. — The Same. The Forum. Enter seven or eight Citizens.
First Cit. Once, if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him.
Sec. Cit. We may, sir, if we will.
Third Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it, but it is
a power that we have no power to do ; for if he 5 show us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into those wounds and speak for them ; so, if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also
160. Exeunt] Rowe.
Scene III. The Same . . .] Capell ; Scene changes to the Forum. Theobald.
150. stand upon 7] insist upon this 156. require them] practically = re- point. Shakespeare uses stand upon quire [i.e. ask for) their voices (cf. sc. in the senseof" attach importance to " iii. line i below), but strictly, ask the in yulins Ca;sar, iii. i. 100: — people, demand of them. Compare
•• That we shall die we know ; 'tis require in Henry VIII. 11. iv. 144 : but the time " I require your Highness That it And drawing days out, that men shall please you to declare," etc. stand upon,''' Scene III and the phrase is common. Com- pare Jonson, Every Man in his i. Onc^] Once for all. So in Pyomos Humour, i. i. 95: '' Serv. Save you, and Cassandra, iii.'w. {Six Old Plays, gentlemen I Step. Nay, we do not 1779, i. p. 33) : *' Once in your handes stand much on our gentility, friend." doth lye my lyfe and death."
151,152. We recommend . . .purpose 5. power . . . no power to do] As
to them] We entrust to your good Johnson points out, the second power
offices, tribunes, the announcement of is used in the sense of •' moral power
our intentions to the people. or right."
88
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude, is monstrous, and for the multitude to be ingrateful ; were to make a monster of the multitude ; of the ^ which we being members, should bring ourselves to be monstrous members.
First Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a littl help will serve ; for once when we stood up about the corn, he himself stuck not to call us the many- headed multitude.
Third Cit. We have been called so of many ; not that our heads are some brown, some black, some abram, some bald, but that our wits are so diversely coloured : and truly I think if all our wits were to issue out of one skull, they would fly east, west, north, south ; and their consent of one direct way should be at once to all the points o' the compass.
lO
15
20
15. oyice when] Rowe ; once Ff. 24. o' the} 0' th' F 4; a' th F.
9, 10. Ingratitude is monstrous'] Com- pare Ki7ig Lear, i. v. 43 : " Monster ingratitude I"
15. for once when] I follow Rowe's suggestion here. I think a word when has dropped out of the text (Craig).
stood up about] made a fight about. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, iv. iii, II : —
" I have an absolute hope Our landsmen will stayid up."
15, 16. we stood . . . corn] Shake- speare here obviously refers to the place in North's Plutarch where it is related that Coriolanus, after he was refused the consulship, and when great store of corn was brought to Rome, made an oration against the insolency of the people and the proposal to distribute corn gratis. See Extracts, p. xl antr. Shakespeare makes this opposition of Coriolanus to the distribution of corn precede his going up for the consulship. See also Act i. sc. i.
16. stuck not] hesitated not. A common expression and not then con- fined to colloquial speech. Compare ^ Henry IV. i. ii. 26: "he will not stick to say his face is a face royal," whh Henry VIII. ii. ii. 127: "They will not stick to say you envied him " ; and see also Lyly, Euphues and his
19. abratn] Abram F; auburn F 4.
England, 1580, To the Gentlemen Readers : " for divers ther are . . . that will not stick to teare Euphues because they do enuie Lyly."
16, 17. the many-headed multitude] Similarly in iii. i. 92 post, Coriolanus calls the people " Hydra," and in iv. i. I, 2, "the beast With many heads." Compare Jonson, " To Mr. John Fletcher upon his Faithful Shepherd- ess " :—
" The wise, and many -headed bench,
that sits Upon the life and death of plays
and wits," etc.
18. of ma?iy] by many.
19. abram] This, the Ff form, and abron are both old forms of auburn. Compare Blurt Master Constable, 11. ii. 213 (Bullen's Middleton, i. 42): " A goodly long thick ^/)/'am -coloured beard." A Glossary of Tudor and Stuart Words (Skeat and Mayhew) illustrates from Hall's Satires, " v. 8." See Singer's edition, 1824, p. 59, Book HI, Satire v. line 8 :—
" A lusty courtier whose curled head With abron locks was fairly fur- nished." 23. consent of] Agxtemenmbout. .For consent compare Lnvt-'s Lahoiir 's Lost. V. ii. 460-462 :-
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 89
Sec. Cit. Think you so? Which way do you judge 25
my wit would fly ? Third Cit. Nay, your wit will not so soon out as another
man's will ; 'tis strongly wedged up in a blockhead ;
but if it were at liberty, 'twould, sure, southward. Sec. Cit. Why that way ? 30
Third Cit. To lose itself in a fog ; where, being three
parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth
would return for conscience sake, to help to get thee
a wife. Sec, Cit. You are never without your tricks : you may, 3 5
you may. Third Cit. Are you all resolved 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 y never a wortBTer man. 1 >^
Enter CORIOLANUS in a gown of humility, 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 stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He 's to make his requests by particu- lars ; wherein every one of us has a single honour, 45
28. wedded] wadg'd F. 38, 39. it. I say, if] Theobald; it, I say. //Ff.
" here was a consent, Let their exhaled unwholesome
Knowing aforehand of our merri- breaths make sick
ment, The life of purity," etc.
To dash Jt like a Christmas 3.^ 3^^ ^.^^^ ,„^^,^ ^,^„ ^„^^,-, g^ ^^^
comedy. ^ ^ „ go on ; you are privileged to have your
29.31. southward ...fog} Com- j^ke. CompzxeTroilus and Cressida,
pare i. iv. 30 aytte, and see the note jjj j 116-118:
there. j r ^ , u " Helen. ... By my troth, sweet
32. rotten-] often used of unhealthy ^^,^ ^^^^ ^a^t a fine forehead,
vapour causing rot. Compare iii. i.i. Pandarus. Ay,you may, you may.^'
121 post: Timon of Athens, iv. ni. -^ ^ -^ ^ -^
1^2: 3g. tnchne to] side with . See King
•• O blessed breeding sun, draw from Lear, in. iii. 14 : " we must incline to
the earth the king." The New Eng. Diet.
Rotten humidity" ; quotes Hall's Chronicle (1548), Henry
The Tempest, 11. i. 45-47 :— VIU- 150 : " to judge to what parte
'' Adr. The air breathes upon us he should most enchnc, and geve
here most sweetly. credence."
Seh. As if it had lungs and rotten 44, 45. by particulars] i.e. to each in
ones. turn. The phrase is ambiguous and
Ant. Or as 'twere perfumed by a might mean " in detail, point by point,"
fen " ; but Coriolanus has only one request to
The Rape of Lucrece, 778-780 : — make, and it is reasonable to distribute
*• With rotten damps ravish the it by repetition as the context distri-
morning air ; butes the answers.
90 CORIOLANUS [act n.
in giving him our own voices with our own tongues :
therefore, follow me, and I '11 direct you how you
shall go by him. AIL Content, content. [Exeunt Citizens.
Men. O sir, you are not right : have you not known 50
The worthiest men have done 't ? Cor. What must I say? —
*'I pray, sir," — Plague upon 't ! I cannot bring
My tongue to such a pace. " Look, sir, my wounds !
I got them in my country's service, when
Some certain of your brethren roar'd and ran 5 5
From the noise of our own drums." Men. O me ! the gods !
You must not speak of that : you must desire them
To think upon you. Co7'. Think upon me ! Hang 'em !
I would they would forget me, like the virtues
Which our divines lose by 'em. Men. You'll mar all : 60
I '11 leave you. Pray you, speak to 'em, I pray you.
In wholesome manner. [Exit.
Cor. Bid them wash their faces,
And keep their teeth clean.
Re-enter two of the Citizens.
So, here comes a brace.
Re-enter a third Citizen.
You know the cause, sir, of my standing here. Third Cit. We do, sir ; tell us what hath brought you to 't. 65 Cor. Mine own desert. Second Cit. Your own desert ! Cor. Ay, but not mine own desire.
49. Exeunt . . .] Capell. 51, 52. What . . . brin^] As Pope ; divided after Sir ? in Ff. say P — " I pray, sir," — ] Theobald ; say, I pray Sir ? F ; say,
I pray, Sir ? F 4. 56-58. O me ! . . . yoii] As Pope ; two lines divided after that, in Ff. 63. Re-enter. . .] Enter . . . Rowe (after manner)', Enter three . . . Ff. (after mantier). 64. Re-enter a third . . .] Cambridge edd. 65, 69, 72, 82. Third Cit.] 1 Cit. Rowe. 68. but not] Cambridge edd. ; but F ; wo F 2 ; not F 3.
53. such a pace] Coriolanus has in to. Which our divines . . . Vwi]
mind the more gentle of the paces to Elliptical in the extreme. Divines
which a horse is trained. lose their labour, not their virtues, but
58. think upon yo%t] think favourably they may be regarded as losing the
of you. For a parallel, see note on i4M- plants of virtue which they vainly
tony and Cleopatra, 1. v. 27-29, in this strive to set and cultivate in base
Keries, and compare also 11. iii. 186 post. minds.
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 91
Third Cit. How ! not your own desire !
Cor. No, sir ; 'twas never my desire yet to trouble the 70
poor with begging. Third Cit. You must think, if we give you any thing, we
hope to gain by you. Cor. Well then, I pray, your price o' the consulship ? First Cit. The price is, to ask it kindly. 75
Cor. Kindly ! Sir, I pray, let me ha't : I have wounds
to shew you, which shall be yours in private. Your
good voice, sir ; what say you ? Second Cit. You shall ha't, worthy sir. Cor. A match, sir. There 's in all two worthy voices 80
begged. I have your alms : adieu. Third Cit. But this is something odd. Second Cit. And 'twere to give again, — but 'tis no matter.
[Exeunt the three Citizens.
[Re-^Enter two other Citizens.
Cor. Pray you now, if it may stand with the tune of your
voices that I may be consul, I have here the custom- 85 ary gown.
Fourth Cit. You have deserved nobly of your country, and you have not deserved nobly.
Cor. Your enigma ?
F'ourth Cit. You have been a scourge to her enemies, you 90 have been a rod to her friends ; you have not indeed loved the common people. \^y^
Cor. You should account me the more virtuous that I j have not been common in my love. I will, sir, flatter i my sworn brother the people, to earn a dearer 95
74. 0' the] a' th' F. 76. Kindly ! Sir,] . . . ? Sir, Capell ; Kindly sir, F. 83. And] An Pope. Exeunt . . ,] Cambridge edd. ; Exeunt. Ff . . . these.
Capell. 87,90,105. Fowri// Ct7.] Cambridge edd. ; i. Ff.
84. stand with] accord with, be in of Shakespeare. See also North's
harmony with. So in As You Like It, Plutarch (1579), ed. 1612, p. 295 : " It
II. iv. 91 : "I pray thee, if it stand is reported also, that lolaus being be-
with honesty, Buy," etc. loved of Hercules, did helpe and ac-
95. sworn brother] "an expression company him in all his labours and originally derived from the fratres quarrels. Whereupon /Ins^of/^writeth, jurati, who in the days of chivalry, that vnto his time, such as loued heartily mutually bound themselves by oath to together, became sivorne brethren, one share each other's fortune." So Dyce, to another, vpon lolaus tombe " ; who refers to Much Ado about Noth- Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supereroga- ing, I. i. 73; " He hath every month a 'tion, 1593, ed. Grosart, 11. 77: "Corn- new sworn brother,"" and other plays pare old and new histories, of far and
92
CORIOLANUS
[act II.
estimation of them ; 'tis a condition they account gentle : and since the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the in- sinuating nod, and be off to them most counterfeitly ; that is, sir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of some popular man, and give it bountiful to the desirers. Therefore, beseech you, I may be consul.
Fifth Cit. We hope to find you our friend, and therefore give you our voices heartily.
Fourth Cit, You have received many wounds for your country.
Cor. I will not seal your knowledge with shewing them. I will make much of your voices, and so trouble you no farther.
Both. The gods give you joy, sir, heartily ! [Exeunt.
Cor. Most sweet voices !
100
105
1 10
103. Fifth CiW] Cambridge edd. ; 2. Ff.
10. Exeunt] Rowe.
near countries : and you shall find the late manner of sworne brctheren to be no new fashion."
95, 96. a dearer estimation of theni] a higher place in their esteem.
96, 97. His . . . gentle] "Condition" is disposition, and also quality, trait. Either sense will serve here, according as we understand Coriolanus to in- sinuate that the flatterer's disposition is gentle in the people's eyes, or that they regard flattery as a gentle trait. Compare Henry V. v. ii. 314: "Our tongue is rough, coz, and my condition is not smooth ; so that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot," etc. See also The Merchant of Venice, i. ii. 143 : " the condition of a saint " ; Bullen's Middle- ton, A Fair Quarrel, n. i. 52-54 : —
" Cap. Ager. You know he 's hasty,
Lady Ager. So are the best coji- ditions ;
Your father was the like." and for some traits, qualities. Much Ado about Nothing, in. ii. 68: "Yes, and his ill conditions "; Fletcher, Mon- sieur Thomas, iv. ii, [Beaumont and Fletcher, Works, Camb., vol. iv. p. 147]. quoted by Mr. Pooler in this series (The Merchant of Venice as above).
97. the wisdom of their choice] their wise choice (ironical).
98. my hat . . . hearty my salute than my love.
gg. he off . . . counterfeitly] doft' my hat to them with sham respect. " Put off," with or without an object, is the common phrase. See Dekker, The Gills Hornbookc, 1609, chap. iiii. : " Sucke this humour vp especially. Put off to none, vnlesse his hatband be of a newer fashion then yours, and three degrees quainter." See on bonneted, 11. ii. 27 ajite.
10 1, popular man] i.e. one who courts the people's favour. Elsewhere in the play, 11. i. 210; in. i. 105, it means " of the people," " plebeian."
bountijul] bountifully, liberally. As Abbott says {Shakes. Gram., § i) : " Adjectives are freely used as Ad- verbs."
107. seal] confirm. See in. i. 14 1 post : —
"What may be sworn by, both divine and human Seal what I end withal." As Johnson says, " The seal is that which gives authenticity to a writing," and this legal allusion was a favourite with Shakespeare.
SC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
93
Better it is to die, better to sterve, Than crave the hire which first we do deserve. Why in this woolvish gown should I stand here, To beg of Hob and Dick, that does appear,
115
113. hire] higher F. 114. woolvish] Wooluish F. ; Woolvish F 2. gown] gowne Ff 2-4; tongue F. 115. does] do F 4.
112. sterve] The folio form, as also in IV. ii. 51 post. See Wyld, A History of Modern Colloquial English, 1920, chap. iv. p. 113, etc., on -er- and -ar- spellings, and the difficulties attending the question of pronunciation. On p. 136 he illustrates the frequency of -ar- spellings in Queen Elizabeth's writings, disarued, desarue, etc., but points out that -er- spellings occur there also, servant, . . . deserued, etc. In the folio, of the spellings sterve and starve, the latter is much the more frequent.
112-123. An example of Shakespeare's surviving use of rhyme for sententious reflection and emotional self-expres- sion, both of which are united in this passage.
113. hire . . . deserve] reward to which we are already entitled, hire is spelt higher in the first folio, on which Malone writes: "this is one of the many proofs that several parts of the original folio edition of these plays were dictated by one ap.d written down by another. "
114. woolvisli go'wn] In wooluish tongue of the first folio tongue is seem- ingly a misprint, and Steevens' con- jecture toge was adopted by Malone and many editors. On the other hand, goivne of the other folios is the natural word, and a reasonable original of the misprint tongue. It has also the ad- vantage of being North's word in his account of the custom of Rome " that such as did sue for any office, should for certain days before be in the market- place, only with a poor gown on their backs, and without any coat under- neath, to pray the citizens to remember them at the day of election. . . . Now it is not to be thought that the suitors went thus loose in a simple gown to the market-place, without any coat under it, for fear and suspicion of the common people," etc. ; and this advan- tage seems to have decided Mr. Craig to retain it. For toge, may be urged that it is a genuine English form of the
Roman word toga which might be ex- pected in this place, and if it were quite certain that toged of the first quarto of Othello, I. i. 25, were the right read- ing and tongued of the folio and later quartos a misprint of it, that would be further strong evidence. As it is, it carries weight. The New Eng. Diet. gives examples of toge from the allitera- tive fourteenth century Morte Arthure: see the edition by Mary M. Banks, igoo, p. 86, line 3189, "In toges of tarsse full richelye attyryde," and Urquhart's Rabelais, a 1693, etc. The force of zvoolvish presents an equal difficulty. It is supposed that the material of the woollen gown is alluded to, in combina- tion with the expression " a wolf in sheep's clothing " (Steevens and Ma- lone). Coriolanus, with pride and hate in his heart wears the gown of humility, and puts the fact with fierce irony. Wright exemplifies the form of the word from Huloet's Abcedariuni, " Woluyshe, or of a wolfe. Lupinus.'" 115. Hob and Dick] Common Eng- lish names (as we say Tom, Dick, and Harry) unconcernedly given to Roman plebeians. For the collocation, see Gascoigne^s Memories (George Gas- coigne, The Posies, Camb. ed., p. 65) : " Hick, [H]obbe, and Dick, with clouts upon their knee." Hob, a corruption of Robert as Hodge is of Roger, ap- pears in the plural form in Richard the Redeless, i. 90 (see Skeat's Langland, vol. i. p. 608): "Other hobbis ye hadden of Hurlewaynes kynne," where the word is contemptuously applied to Richard's youthful advisers. It is often used for a peasant or clown. See Bullen, Lyrics from Elizabethan Song- books, 1891, p. 166 (" From William Byrd's Songs of Sundry Natures,
1589) :-
" Who made thee, Hob forsake the plough And fall in Love ? " and Cotgrave's French and English Diet., 1611 [1660 ed.] : *' Pied-gris : m.
94 CORIOLANUS [act h.
Their needless vouches ? Custom calls me to 't :
What custom wills, in all things should we do 't,
The dust on antique time would lie unswept,
And mountainous error be too highly heap'd
For truth to o'erpeer. Rather than fool it so, 120
Let the high office and the honour go
To one that would do thus. I am half through ;
The one^part suffer'd, the other will I do.
\^Re''\Enter three Citizens more.
Here come moe voices.
Your voices: for your voices I have fought; 125
Watch'd for your voices ; for your voices bear
Of wounds two dozen odd ; battles thrice six
I have seen and heard of; for your voices have
Done many things, some less, some more : your
voices : Indeed, I would be consul. 130
Sixth Cit. He has done nobly, and cannot go without any honest man's voice.
Seventh Cit. Therefore let him be consul. The gods give him joy, and make him good friend to the people !
All. Amen, amen. God save thee, noble consul ! \Exeiint. 135
Cor. Worthy voices 1
\Re-'\Bnter Menenius, with BRUTUS and SiClNlUS. Men. You have stood your limitation ; and the tribunes
117. wilh^ i}i\ Pope; wills in Ff. 128-130. I . . . consul] As Pope;
divided after Voyces, . . . more : in Ff. 131. Sixth Cit.] Cambridge edd. ;
I. Cit. Ff. 133. Seventh Cit.] Cambridge edd. ; 2. Cit. Ff. 135. Bxeiinl]
Rowe. 137-140. You . . . senate] As Pope; divided after Liwt^a/zoM : . . .
VoycCy . . . inuested, in Ff.
A clown, hob, hinde, or boor of the sent yet againe Princes, moe, and more
country." For examples of Dick as a honourable than they."
contemptuous term, see note on " some 127. thrice six] See 11. ii. 100, and
Dick " in Love's Labour 's Lost, v. ii. what precedes.
464, in this series, 137. limitation] the time to which
116. vouches] Sittesta.tionii, the " suf- your probation was limited; just as
frage " of II. ii. 138 a»/t'. Shakespeare the space within which Chaucer's
uses the singular noun in Measure for " limitours " might go " aboute To
Measure, 11. ix. 156, and elsewhere. preche, and eek to begge," was called
124. moe] more in number, while their " limitacioun " : ♦' As he goth in
more referred to degree. Originally an his limitacioun " (The Talc of the Wyf
adverbial comparative. See Numbers, o/J3a^/i^, line2o). There may, however,
xxii. in the Authorised Version, Tudor be a legal reference here, — the prescribed
Trans., vol. i. p. 284 : " And Balak or appointed time. Cowell, The In-
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 95
Endue you with the people's voice : remains
That, in the official marks invested, you
Anon do meet the senate. Cor. Is this done? 140
Sic. The custom of request you have discharg'd :
The people do admit you, and are summon'd
To meet anon, upon your approbation. Cor. Where? at the senate-house ? Sic. There, Coriolanus.
Cor. May I change these garments ?
Sic. You may, sir. 145
Cor. That I'll straight do ; and knowing myself again.
Repair to the senate-house. Men. I'll keep you company. Will you along? Bru. We stay here for the people. Sic. Fare you well.
\Exeunt Coriolanus and Menenius.
He has it now ; and by his looks, methinks, 1 50
'Tis warm at 's heart Bru. With a proud heart he wore
His humble weeds. Will you dismiss the people ?
{Re-'lEnter the Plebeians.
Sic. How now, my masters ! have you chose this man ? First Cit. He has our voices, sir.
Brti. We pray the gods he may deserve your loves. 155
Sec. Cit. Amen, sir. To my poor unworthy notice,
He mock'd us when he begg'd our voices. Third Cit. Certainly,
He flouted us downright.
151, 152. With . . . people?] As Pope; divided after Weeds: Ff. 157,
158. Certainly . . . downright} As Capell ; one line, Ff.
terpreter, 1637, ^^s " Limitation of of it is treated by Abbott in Shakes.
Assise . . . is a certaine time set down Gram., § 404.
by Statute, within the which a man 143. upon . . . approbation'] to con- must alleage himselfe, or his Ancester firm your appointment as consul (lines to have beene seised of lands, sued for 133-134 ante). See " He 's not con- by a writ of Assise." See Mr. Cun- firmed "(line 207 post). In "revoke ningham's note on Macbeth, 11. iii. 53, Your sudden approbation " (lines 248- in this series, on Shakespeare's uses of 249 post), the reference is to the ap- limited. Mr. Verity takes limitation proval already given individually and here as " prescribed duty (not merely severally, but the meaning of approba- 'time')," but this seems unnecessary <io« is the same, and common, and does not accord quite so well with 151. Tw . . . heart] It is cordial to •' You have stood." him. Compare Hamlet, iv. vii. 56: " It 138. remains] The common ellipse warms the very sickness in my heart."
96 CORIOLANUS [act h.
First Cit. No, 'tis his kind of speech ; he did not mock us.
Sec. Cit. Not one amongst us, save yourself, but says i6o
He us'd us scornfully : he should have shevv'd us His marks of merit, wounds receiv'd for 's country.
Sic. Why, so he did, I am sure.
AIL No, no ; no man saw 'em.
Third Cit. He said he had wounds, which he could show in private ; And with his hat, thus waving it in scorn, 165
" I would be consul," says he : " aged custom, But by your voices, will not so permit me ; Your voices therefore." When we granted that, Here was, " I thank you for your voices, thank you ; Your most sweet voices : now you have left your
voices 1 70
I have no further with you." Was not this mockery?
Sic. Why, either were you ignorant to see 't. Or, seeing it, of such childish friendliness To yield your voices ?
Bru. Could you not have told him
As you were lesson'd, when he had no power, 175
But was a petty servant to the state.
He was your enemy, ever spake against
Your liberties and the charters that you bear
r the body of the weal ; and now, arriving
A place of potency and sway o' the state, 1 80
If he should still malignantly remain
Fast foe to the plebeii, your voices might
Be curses to yourselves ? You should have said
That as his worthy deeds did claim no less
Than what he stood for, so his gracious nature 185
164. He . . . private '^ As Pope; two lines, first ending Wowids, in Ff.
166. aged custom'] See note on 11. ii. 11. ii. (Camb., vol. iv. p. 339) : •' Pi[nac'].
135 ante. In any case, as Warburton I am lesson'' d.
points out, the change from regal to lyg. iveal] commonwealth, as in
consular government was recent. Macbeth^ in. iv. 76 ; King Lear, i. iv.
172. rg^noj'an^] without knowledge or 230.
skill. A peculiar use of the word in am wni^] reaching. Compare yw/iwj
relation to the context, to which there Ciesar, i. ii. no: " But ere we could
is no parallel in Shakespeare or in the arrive the point propostd,^^ and 3 Henry
Nezv Eng. Diet. VI. v. iii. 7, 8 : '* those powers . . .
175. lessoned] schooled, instructed, have arrived our coast." Abbott fully
See Titus Andronicus, v. ii. no : " Well illustrates the frequent omission of pre-
hast thou lesson'd us," and Beaumont positions after verbs of motion in
and Fletcher, The Wild-Goose Chase, Shakes. Gram., § 198.
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 97
Would think upon you for your voices and Translate his malice towards you into love, Standing your friendly lord.
Sic. Thus to have said,
As you were fore-advis'd, had touch'd his spirit And tried his inclination ; from him pluck'd 190
Either his gracious promise, which you might, As cause had call'd you up, have held him to ; Or else it would have gall'd his surly nature, Which easily endures not article
Tying him to aught; so, putting him to rage, 195
You should have ta'en the advantage of his choler, And pass'd him unelected.
Bru. Did you perceive
He did solicit you in free contempt When he did need your loves, and do you think That his contempt shall not be bruising to you 200
When he hath power to crush? Why, had your
bodies No heart among you ? or had you tongues to cry Against the rectorship of judgment ?
Sic. Have you
Ere now denied the asker ? and now again
186, 187. Would . . . love,'] As F 2 ; divided after Voyces, in F. 195. aught] Theobald (ed. 2) ; ought Ff. 203-206. Have yon . . . tongues?] As Pope ;
divided after asker : . . . mock, in Ff.
186. think upon you] remember you 202. hearf] Mr, Verity, no doubt be-
with kindness. Compare 11. iii. 58 cause " or had you tongues," etc.,
ante. seems to imply opposition to what
i8g. touch'd] tested, as gold and precedes, says: ''heart; here with
silver are tested by the touchstone, the idea of ' mind,' ' intelligence,'
Wright quotes /^rno^yo/jn, III. i. 100: — rather than 'courage.'" It is more
'• You have beguiled me with a likely that, though the expression is
counterfeit condensed, spirit, action in speech,
Resembling majesty, which being judgment are all involved : Were you
touch'd and tried, quite spiritless ? Had you judgment
Proves valueless." and yet voted against its dictates ? The
See also Florio's Montaigne, 11. xii. New Eng. Diet, cites this passage
(Temple Classics ed., vol. iv. p. 32), under sense "The seat of courage:
where the sense extends to = ascertain : hence Courage, spirit " and not under
" If by uncontroled experience we pal- •' Mind," where in. i. 255 post, is given.
pably ^o«c//, that the forme of our being It cannot be repeated too often that
depends of the aire, of the climate, and precise correspondence in thought must
of the soile," etc. not be demanded from Elizabethans
194. article] stipulation, condition, when they do not appear to give it.
See on articulate, i. ix. 77 ante, 202, 203. to cry . . . judgmenf] to
198. free] frank, vote in opposition to common sense,
98 CORIOLANUS [act n.
Of him that did not ask, but mock, bestow 205
Your sued-for tongues ?
Third Cit. He's not confirm'd ; we may deny him yet.
Sec. Cit. And will deny him :
I'll have five hundred voices of that sound.
First Cit. 1 twice five hundred and their friends to piece
'em. 210
Bru. Get you hence instantly, and tell those friends,
They have chose a consul that will from them take Their liberties ; make them of no more voice Than dogs that are as often beat for barking As therefore kept to do so.
Sic. Let them assemble ; 215
And, on a safer judgment, all revoke Your ignorant election. Enforce his pride. And his old hate unto you ; besides, forget not With what contempt he wore the humble weed ; How in his suit he scorn'd you ; but your loves, 220
Thinking upon his services, took from you The apprehension of his present portance. Which most gibingly, ungravely, he did fashion After the inveterate hate he bears you.
Bru. Lay
A fault on us, your tribunes; that we labour'd, 225
No impediment between, but that you must Cast your election on him.
215-217. Let . . . pride,] As Theobald; divided after ludgement, in Ff. 224-230. Lay . . , do] As Capell ; six lines ending Tribunes, . . . between) . . . on him . . . commandment, . . . that . . . do, in Ff.
205. Of him] On him. See Abbott, might please you, to enforce no further
Shakes. Gram., § 175, for the uses of 0/ The griefs between ye."
foron, otherwise and with 6«/ow, ^.^. in 221, 222. took . . . portance] kept
Twelfth Night, in. iv. 2 : '• How shall you from taking proper cognizance of
I feast him ? What bestow of him ? " his carriage (demeanour) at the present
207. confirm'd] i.e. by the "appro- time. For portance, see Othello,' J. in.
bation " of line 143 ante. 139 ; Spenser, The Faerie Queenc, 11. iii.
210. piece 'em] add to them. See st. 5 (and elsewhere) : —
notes and examples on Antony and " But for in court gay portaunce he
Cleopatra, i. v. 45, and King Lear, in. perceiv'd,
vi. 2, in this series ; compare also Lyly, And gallant shew to be in greatest
Mydas, IV. ii. (cd. Fairholt, ii. p. 46) : gree," etc.
*' I say he is no lyon, but a monster ; 223. ungravely] without due gravity
petc'd with the craftinesse of the fox, or seriousness,
the crucltie of the tyger," etc. 223, 224. fashion After] frame in ac-
217. Enforce] iZmphasize. So in cordance with. Compare the use of
Atttotiy and Cleopatra, n. ii. 99 : •• If it after in line 228 below.
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 99
Sic. Say you chose him
More after our commandment than as guided By your own true affections ; and that your minds, Pre-occupied with what you rather must do 230
Than what you should, made you against the grain To voice him consul : lay the fault on us.
Brti. Ay, spare us not. Say we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to serve his country, How long continued, and what stock he springs of, 235 The noble house o' the Marcians, from whence came That Ancus Marcius, Numa's daughter's son, Who, after great Hostilius, here was king ; Of the same house Publius and Quintus were. That our best water brought by conduits hither ; 240 [And Censorinus that was so surnam'd,] And nobly named so, twice being censor, Was his great ancestor.
Sic. One thus descended,
That hath beside well in his person wrought To be set high in place, we did commend 245
To your remembrances : but you have found, Scaling his present bearing with his past,
241. [And . . . surnam'd,] Delius inserts (see note below); Pope inserts : And Censorinus darling of the people ; Singer, One of that family named Censorinus; Globe edd. read : And [Censorinus] nobly named so, Twice being [by the people chosen] censor, etc. 242. Pope inserts /(:;r before <7t'fVd; Singer inserts cAw^m
before censor.
234. youngly] occurs also in Sonnet The corresponding passage in North's
XI. 3. Plutarch has : " Censorinus also came of
c^ KT t- T7 .. i •• that familie, that was so surnamed, be-
236-242 See North, Extracts, p. xxvn ^^^^^ ^j^^ j^ ,^^^ ^j^^^^^ j^i^ Censor
an/.', for the passage in which Plutarch ^^^j^^ „ Delius consequently inserted recites famous names in " The noble ^j^^ bracketed line in the text, and what house o'th' Marcians throughout its ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ -^ ^ difficulty like this course, while Shakespeare, by putting ^j^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ Shakespeare's own the historian s facts into the mouth of ^^^^^ ^^ ^^- ^^^^^^ .^jt,, the mini- Brutus, makes sad havoc of chrono- ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ile at the same logy, and ancestors for Coriolanus of ^j^^ ^^ conserve his own text so far as persons who lived long after him. The ^^^ j^^^^ j^ ^^^ ^^^^j. suggestions see datesare Ancus Marcius (640-616 B.C.), ^^^^ . above
Coriolanus {c. 490 B.C.), Censorinus 247. Scaling] weighing. Compare
(censor 265 bc), acqueduct of Pubhus Meliurefor Measure, lu. i. 266^ "and
and Quintus Marcius (b.c. 139). ^ere, by this, is your poor brother saved,
241. [And Censorinus . . . surnam'd:] your honour untainted, the poor Mar-
¥ reads :— iana advantaged, and the corrupt
" hither deputy scaled.'' Both passages are
And Nobly nam'd, so twice being given in the New Eng. Diet, under
Censor, "To weigh as in scales; hence to
Was his great Ancestor." compare, estimate,"
100 CORIOLANUS [act ii.
That he's your fixed enemy, and revoke
Your sudden approbation. Bru. Say you ne'er had done 't —
Harp on that still — but by our putting on ; 250
And presently, when you have drawn your number,
Repair to the Capitol. All. We will so : almost all
Repent in their election. {Exeunt Plebeians.
Bru. Let them go on ;
This mutiny were better put in hazard
Than stay, past doubt, for greater. 255
If, as his nature is, he fall in rage
With their refusal, both observe and answer
The vantage of his anger. Sic. To the Capitol, come :
We will be there before the stream o' the people ;
And this shall seem, as^partly 'tis, their own, 260
Which we have goaded onward. {Exeunt.
252, 253. We . . . election'] As Hanmer ; one line Ff.
249. sudden approbation'] hasty sane- the advantage his rage will give you. tion. See on line 143 ante. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, iv. i.
250. putting on] incitement : hid ... 9, 10 : " Make boot of his distraction : putting on = if we had not put you up never anger Made good guard for it- to it. Compare Measure for Measure, self." For answer in this sense of IV. ii. 120 ; 0^/i<r//o, II. i. 313. being prompt to take opportunities,
251. drawn . . . number] collected corcv^2iV& AlVs Well that Ends Well, i. or drawn together enough supporters, i. 168 : " answer the time of request," See the promises in lines 209, 210 ante. i.e. meet the demand while it lasts,
257. 258. answer . . . anger] seize don't miss your market.
ACT III
SCENE l.—Rome. A Street.
Cornets. Enter CORIOLANUS, MeneniuS, all the Gentry. COMINIUS, Titus Lartius, and other Senators.
Cor. Tullus Aufidius then had made new head ? Lart. He had, my lord ; and that it was which caus'd
Our swifter composition. Cor. So then the Volsces stand but as at first,
Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road 5
Upon's again. Com. \ They are worn, lord consul, so,
That we shall hardly in our ages see
Their banners wave again. Cor. Saw you Aufidius ?
Lart. On safe-guard he came to me ; and did curse
Against the Volsces, for they had so vildly 10
Yielded the town : he is retir'd to Antium. Cor. Spoke he of me ? Lart. He did, my lord.
Cor. How ? what ?
Lart. How often he had met you, sword to sword ;
That of all things upon the earth he hated
Rome] Rowe. A streef] A ptiblick . . . Theobald. 10. vildly'] F ;
vilely F 4.
I. made new head] raised a fresh ii. 138: "Against the Scot, who will
force. See 11. ii. 88 ante, and note. make road upon us," etc. Road =
3. Our . . . composition] Our com- raid, foray, as in North's Plutarch, 1579
ing to terms sooner than we had in- (ed. 1595, p. 218) : " Alcibiades . . .
tended. Compare Macbeth, i. ii. 59: went to spoile and destroy Pharnabazus
" Sweno, the Norway's king, craves countrey. ... In this rode there were
composition,'''' and Antony and Cleo- taken prisoners," etc.
patra 11 vi. 59 The latter play (11. ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^^
11. 15) also yields an instance of the ■' -^
verb : " If we compose well here, to vildly] To modernize the word
Parthia." here as most editors do, makes the line
5. make road] Compare Henry V. 1. offend the ear. See i. i. 183 ante.
lOI
102
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
Your person most ; that he would pawn his fortunes i 5
To hopeless restitution, so he might
Be call'd your vanquisher. Cor. At Antium lives he?
Lart, At Antium. Cor. I wish I had a cause to seek him there,
To oppose his hatred fully. Welcome home. 20
Enter SiciNius and Brutus.
Behold, these are the tribunes of the people,
The tongues o' the common mouth : I do despise them;
For they do prank them in authority
Against all noble sufferance. Sic. Pass no further.
Cor. Ha! what is that? 25
Bru. It will be dangerous to go on : no further. Cor. What makes this change ? Men. The matter ?
Com. Hath he not pass'd the noble and the common ? Bru. Cominius, no.
Cor. Have I had children's voices ?
First Sen. Tribunes, give way ; he shall to the market- place. 30 Bric. The people are incens'd against him. Sic. Stop,
Or all will fall in broil.
30, 62, 74. First Sen.'] 1 S. Capcll As Pope ; one line in Ff.
Senat. Ff.
31, 32. Stop . . . broil]
19, 20. / zvisli . . . fully] Dramatic irony. The cause was at hand for seeking him with a different purpose.
23. prank Hum . . . authority] dress themselves up (or ostentatiously) in authority. Compare Measure for Measure, ii. ii. i8 : *• Drest in a little brief authority.^'' Prank is used con- temptuously here, but not so always. Compare Ttvelfth NinrlU, ii. iv, 8g, and VVilv Beguilde (Hazlitt's Dodsley, IX. .^31): "111 prank myself with flowers of the prime." The adjective Pranker appears in Tomkis's Lingua {ibid. 431) :" If I do not seem pranker now than I did in those days, I'll be
hanged," and, as cited there, pranking
up (particip.) in Middleton, A Chast
Maydin Chcapcsidc [in. iii. 92-95]: —
" I hope to see thee, wench, . . .
Circled with chWAxe^n, pranking up
a girl, And putting jewels in their little ears." 24. Against . . . sufferance] In a way that no noble can possibly brook. 29. children's voices] such as are given and taken away again. Compare jfulius Ciesar, iii. i. 38, 39 : *' And turn pre-ordi nance and first decree Into the law of children,'' where Ff ob- viously misprint " lane of children."
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 108
Cor. Are these your herd ?
Must these have voices, that can yield them now, And straight disclaim their tongues? What are
your offices ? You being their mouths, why rule you not their
teeth? 35
Have yoy not set them on ?
Men. \ Be calm, be calm.
Cor. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot, To curb the will of the nobility : Suffer 't, and live with such as cannot rule Nor ever will be rul'd.
Bru. Call 't not a plot : 40
The people cry you mock'd them, and of late, When corn was given them gratis, you repin'd ; Scandal'd the suppliants for the people, call'd them Time-pleasers, flatterers, foes to nobleness.
Cor. Why, this was known before.
Bru. Not to them all. 45
Cor. Have you inform'd them sithence ?
Brti. How ! I inform them !
Com. You are like to do such business.
Bru. Not unlike,
Each way, to better yours.
Cor. Why then should I be consul ? By yond clouds,
47. Com,'] F ; Cor, Theobald. 47, 48. Not . . . yours] As Johnson ; one
line in Ff.
37, o purposed thing] a got-up phrase is " people-pleasers, and traitors
business. to the nobility."
41,42. of late . . . gratis] In Act i. 4^. sithence] Since in this form is
sc i. Coriolanus scorns the idea of on^y once again found m Shakespeare,
giving the people corn at their oten All's Well that Ends Well, i.ni. 124,
rates, but there has been nothing but is common in North s Plutarch.
about giving corn gratis so far. The It occurs on p. xli a«^^.
occasion referred to occurred after the 47, 48. Not unlike . . yours] " i.e.
people had refused Marcius for Consul, cicely to provide better for the security
and is antedated by Shakespeare. See of the commonwealth than you (whose
North, Extracts, ante, p. xli. business it is) will do. lo which the
„ J Mjn ij-1 J J e- reply IS pertinent. Why then should 1
43. '5>^a«rfa/ d] Slandered. See i^J Consul ? '^ {Waxhnrion). This note
ynltus Caesar, I. u. 76:- ^^^^ ^^-^ ^^ ^^^^^^ assumed that
" if you know Coriolanus and not Cominius had said
That 1 do fawn on men and hug «« you are like . . . business," but its
them hard conclusion is quite pertinent enough in
And after scandal them," etc. any case,
43, 44. calVd . . . nobleness] See 49- By . . . clouds] See i. x. 10,
North, Extracts, p. xl ante, where the " By the elements," and note.
104
CORIOLANUS
ACT III.
Let me deserve so ill as you, and make me 50
Your fellow tribune. Sic. You shew too much of that
For which the people stir : if you will pags
To where you are bound, you must inquire your way,
Which you are out of, with a gentler spirit ;
Or never be so noble as a consul, 55
Nor yoke with him for tribune. Men. Let's be calm.
Com. The people are abus'd ; set on. This paltering
Becomes not Rome, nor has Coriolanus
Deserv'd this so dishonour'd rub, laid falsely
r the plain way of his merit. Cor. Tell me of corn ! 60
This was my speech, and I will speak 't again — Men. Not now, not now.
Firs^ Sen. Not in this heat, sir, now.
Cor. Now, as I live, I will. My nobler friends,
I crave their pardons :
60,61. Tell . . . again — ] As Pope ; divided after speech, in Ff. 61. again — ] Rowe ; againe. F. 63-67. Now . . . again,'] As Capell ; lines end will . . . pardons ; . . . Meynie, . . . flatter^ . . . againe, in Ff.
•* We doubt not now But every rub is smoothed on our way " ; Southwell, Saint Peter^s Complaint, ciii. 5 : "In woman's tongue our runner found a n<6."
falsely'] treacherously, say the editors. Brutus, in lines 41-44, passes lightly over the mockery of the people, and revives an old grievance. Corio- lanus responds to this only and admits it. Cominius, then, in saying that he had not deserved the rub, could not consistently mean to deny the charge which constituted it and to urge that it was therefore untruly made ; but he could say that this base and undeserved opposition was a mere pretext and false or untrue in that sense. This may be called hair-spHtting, but it illustrates the difficulties that confront the com- mentator, and after all even the pres- ence or absence of consistency is not a conclusive test.
63. as I live] This, in form " as true as I live," is one of the "protests of pepper-gingerbread" which Hotspur attributes to his wife Kate. Sec 1 Henry IV, iii. i. 252-361.
57. abus'd] deceived, told the wrong story, as commonly. See Much Ado about Nothing, v. ii. 100 : " it is proved my Lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused.''
set on] See line 36 above.
paltering] shuffling. Compare jfulius Ccesar, 11. i. 126 : —
" what other bond Than secret Romans, that have
spoke the word. And will not palter ? "
The New Eng. Diet, quotes Holland's Livie, 1600, xxxviii. xiv, ggi : " I can no longer endure this paltering and mockerie."
59. dishonour'd rub] base impedi- ment, dishonour'd = dishonourable, as, e.g. unavoided — unavoidable in Richard II. ii. ii. 268 (see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 375) ; and rub (the term for any inequality of ground that impedes a bowl on the green) is com- monly used for obstacle. Sec Henry V. II. ii. 187.188:—
sc.
CORIOLANUS
105
For the mutable, rank-scented meynie, let them 65
Regard me as I do not flatter, and
Therein behold themselves : I say again,
In soothing^them we nourish 'gainst our senate
The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition,
Which we ourselves have plough'd for, sow'd and
scatter'd, 70
By mingling them with us, the honour'd number ; Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that Which they have given to beggars.
Men. Well, no more.
First Sen. No more words, we beseech you.
Cor. How ! no more !
As for my country I have shed my blood, 75
Not fearing outward force, so shall my lungs
65. meynie\ Meynie F ; many F 4.
65. mutable] The only instance of the word in Shakespeare. Compare 2 Henry IV. Induction, 19: "The still discordant, wavering multitude."
rank-:>cented] This adjective occurs in Golding's Ovid, where Shakespeare perhaps found it ; see Banter's 1593 ed. sig. S 4, last lines of Book X. : —
" Hadst thou the powre, Per- sephonee rankesented mints to make Of women's limmes; . . . ? "
meynie] Most editors succumb to the temptation to print many with F 4, and, for example, Mr. Verity says it does not appear that meiny = house- hold, retinue, as in King Lear, 11. iv. 53, " was ever used = ' multitude,' the sense required here." He also compares 2 Henry IV. 1. iii. 91 : " Oh thou fond many," and suggests that meynie in CorioLaniis was " sub- stituted in the folio for many in the same way as higher for hire (11. iii. 113)." But meiny or its variants, does occur in the sense of " multitude " or the like. Compare The Testament of Love, I. I. vi. 145 (Chaucer Supple- ment ed., Skeat, p. 29), " notwithstand- ing that in the contrary helden moche comune meyyiy, that have no considera- cion but only to voluntary lustes with- outen reson " ; ibid. I. i. vii. 104 : •' And if thou liste say the sothe, al that meyny that in this brige [trouble] thee broughten, lokeden rather after
thyne helpes than thee to have re- leued"; The World and the Child (Hazlitt's Dodsley, i. 262), "On all this meyne [audience] I will me vouch That standeth here about." From the New Eng. Diet, comes the following excellent later example, i6og Day, Festivals (1615), Ep. Ded. : •' If we account them not more Religious, then the Meyny, or Multitude are."
65-67. let them . . . themselves] •* Let them look in the mirror which I hold up to them, a mirror which does not flatter, and see themselves " (Johnson).
68. soothing] flattering. See i. ix. 44 and II. ii. 73 ante, and notes.
68, 69. we nourish . . . rebellion] Here Shakespeare follows North's Plutarch very closely : see Extracts, p. xl ante. Cockle — see Lovers Labour 's Lost, IV. iii. 380, in this series : " Sow'd cockle reap'd no corn," and Mr. Hart's note there — is not to be con- founded with the cockle or corn-cockle of the present day {Lychnis Agros- temma), which is quite a harmless plant in corn. Mr. Hart first pointed out that Turner in his The Names of Herbes, 1548, early draws attention to the confusion of cockle with lolium, •' in english Darnel," which is a noxious weed. '* Cockle " is often used by Elizabethan writers as here, and in Plutarch.
106
CORIOLANUS
III.
Coin words till their decay against those measles,
Which we disdain should tetter us, yet sought
The very way to catch them. Bru. You speak o' the people
As if you were a god to punish, not 80
A man of their infirmity. Sic, ~ - 'Twere well
We let the people know 't. Men. What, what ? his choler ?
Cor. Choler !
Were I as patient as the midnight sleep.
By Jove, 'twould be my mind. Sic. It is a mind 85
That shall remain a poison where it is.
Not poison any further. Cor. Shall remain !
Hear you this Triton of the minnows ? mark you
His absolute ;* shall" ?
79-84. You . . . sleep,] As Capell ; lines end God, . . . Infirmity. . . . know H. . . . His Choller ? . . . sleep, in Ff. 79. 0' the] 0' th' F 4 ; a' th' F. 85-87. It is . . . further.] As Pope ; two lines divided after poison in Fi.
77. measles] Confusion naturally arose between measle, a little spot, and mescl (noun and adj.), leper and leprous. Skeat (see his Etymological Diet.) contended that these words being in origin quite distinct, we must take measles in the present sense here, thus excluding leprosy or lepers, a fre- quent explanation ; but spelling, where there is confusion (the word is Meazels in Ff), can hardly decide what the author intended. He thinks, at any rate, of measles as a nasty skin disease and at the same time, probably, of mesels = foul wretches (into which sense the Middle English sense " leper " had passed), as in The London Prodigal, to which Steevens refers. See The Shake- speare Apocrypha (Tucker Brooke), p. 201 : '• what, doe you thinke, chil be abaffelled vp and downe the towne for a messcll and a scoundrel ? " (London Prodigal, 11. iv. 73), and p. 211 : " and sec if I can heare any tale or tydings of her, and take her away from thick a messell, vor cbam assured, heele but bring her to the spoile " (ibid. iv. i. 78). While tetter (line 78) would suit either interpretation, it something supports the claims of )iLcs.fl Lliai the word is
used in Hamlet, i. v. 63-73, in connec- tion with "leperous" and "lazar- Uke " :—
" And in the porches of my ears did pour The leperous distilment ; whose
effect . , . And a most instant tetter bark'd
about, Most lazar-like, with vile and
loathsome crust, All my smooth body." 78. tetter us] affect us as with a tetter or skin eruption. This is the only example of the verb (" To affect with, or as with, a tetter ") in the New Eng. Diet. Tetter, the noun, is met with in Troilus and Cressida, v. i. 27, and in Hamlet, i. v. 71 : see last note. See Turner's Herbal, Part II. p. 140: " It is good against tetters " ; Tourneur, The Atheist's Tragedy, iii. ii. (Plays and Poems, ed. Collins, i. 85) : —
'* Goe, th' art the base corruption of
my blood ;
And like a tetter, grow'st into my
flesh."
88. Triton . . . minno7vs] God oitht
little flshes. Sicinius assumes and is
mocked for an authority like Triton's,
sc.
I.]
CORIOLANUS
107
Com. 'Twas from the canon.
Cor. "Shall!"
O good, but most unwise patricians ! why, 90
You grave but reckless senators, have you thus Given Hydra here to choose an officer, That with his peremptory "shall," being but The horn and noise o' the monster's, wants not spirit To say he'll turn your current in a ditch, 95
And make your channel his ? If he have power. Then vail your ignorance ; if none, awake
89, 90. " Shall / " . . . why,'] As Pope ; one line in Ff. Theobald ; O God ! F. 91. reckless] Hanmer ; wreaklesse F.
F 4 ; vale F. ignorance] impotence Collier MS.
go. O goody] 97. vail]
Neptune's son and trumpeter, whose •' wreathed horn " stirred up and quieted the waves.
89. ^Twas . . . canon] Johnson says: " Was contrary to the established rule ; it was a form of speech to which he has no right." Mason demurs, and ex- plains : " * according to the rule,' alluding to the absolute veto of the Tribunes, the power of putting a stop to every proceeding," but Johnson's explanation is accepted by most, taking from in sense " apart from," " at variance with " (as, e.g. in Julius Casar, i. iii. 35:—
" But men may construe things after
their fashion, Clean from the purpose of the
things themselves.") ; and regarding Sicinius's pronouncement as unauthorized, as being not yet a decision of the people. Compare in. iii. 8 et seq. post.
91. reckless] Hanmer's reading for wreaklesse, a spelling which also occurs in Measure for Measure, iv. ii. 150, and in 3 Henry VI. v. vi. 7.
92. Given] permitted.
Hydra] /Eneas (Virgil's Mneid, Bk. VI., 576, 577) sees a Hydra with fifty heads keeping the entrance to the judgment hall of Rhadamanthus ; but the common allusion, to signify the many-headed multitude, is no doubt to the Lernean Hydra destroyed by Hercules, the water-serpent of Argos with nine heads and the power of producing two new ones for each that was struck off. Other uses in simile
Alludini
II. in. enry V.
or metaphor occur in Ot 308 ; ti Henry IV. iv. ii.
I. i. 35-
94. horn and noise] " Alluding to his having called him Triton before " (V^arburton) : see on line 88 ante. The horn and noise appears to be a hendiadys for " the noisy horn " (compare " fame and envy" in i. viii. 4 ante).
monster^s] marks the double genitive (still sometimes used) like " this dotage of our general's " in Antony and Cleopatra, i. i. i. As Mr. Chambers (Warwick Shakespeare) says, " The * monster ' is of course the people, the Hydra, whose representa- tive and spokesman ('horn and noise ') Sicinius is."
97. vail . . . ignorance] Johnson's " let the ignorante that gave it him vail or bow down before him," gives a sufficient, if not an exact, sense for this elliptical expression. Ignorance of consequences has betrayed the '* good but most unwise patricians," and it is therefore more cutting to say they must stoop their ignorance than their pride, whether we take the act to signify sub- mission or shame. Vail (from the M.E. verb avalen. Old Fr. avaler) is used both transitively and intransitively by Shakespeare. See The Taming of the Shrerv, v. 11. 176 : " Then vail your stomacks {i.e. pride) " ; Pericles, iV. Prol. 29 : " She would . . . Vail to her mistress Dian." The Prayer Book (Litany) uses ignorance for a fault ignorantly committed : " to for- give us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances.''''
108
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
Your dangerous lenity. If you are learn 'd,
Be not as common fools ; if you are not,
Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians
If they be senators ; and they are no less,
When, both your voices blended, the great'st taste
Most palates theirs. They choose their magistrate,
And such a one as he, who puts his "shall,"
His popular " shall," against a graver bench
Than ever frown'd in Greece. By Jove himself.
It makes the consuls base ; and my soul aches
To know, when two authorities are up,
Neither supreme, how soon confusion
May enter 'twixt the gap of both and take
The one by the other.
Com. Well, on to the market-place.
Cor. Whoever gave that counsel, to give forth
The corn o' the storehouse gratis, as 'twas us'd Sometime in Greece, —
100
05
1 10
103. Most palates] Must palate Johnson conj. a' M' F.
113. 0' the'] 0' ^A' F 4;
100. Let . . . you] See iv. vii. 43, and note, and stage direction before 11. ii : •♦ Enter two Officers, to lay Cushions^ as it were, in the Capitoll " (Ff).
101-103. and they . . . most palates theirs] and they are no less than sena- tors if, when they and you mix voices in coming to a decision, the prevailing taste of the blend is theirs, i.e. the "popular 'shall'" prevails. In this explanation — first given (in other words)— by Malone, palates = savours of (of which meaning no other instance has been brought forward), and theirs refers to taste and not to voices. If palates means relishes, and theirs refers to voices^ the sense may be : and they arc no less than senators if, when they and you mix voices in coming to a de- cision, the taste of the majority prefers their view. In the fact that the meta- phor involving taste seems to begin in blended, there is an inducement to ac- cept Malone's view, although in the only other instances oi palate the verb in Shakespeare {Antony and Cleopatra, y. ii. 7, and Troilus and Cressida, iv. i. 5g) the meanings come under those given in the Netv Eng. Diet. (•' To per-
ceive or try with the palate, to taste ; to gratify the palate with, to enjoy the taste of, relish "), which does not give the sense "savour of" or quote the passage in the text.
105. popular] See notes on 11. i. 210 ; II. iii. loi ante.
105, 106. graver . . . Greece] In Plutarch (see North, Extracts, ante, p. xli), Coriolanus, speaking against giving corn gratis, refers to " The cities of Greece, where the people had more absolute power." Hence, probably, the comparison.
107. aches] akes in F, the old spelling and pronunciation of the verb. The substantive was ache, pronounced like the letter H, with dissyllabic plural.
108. up] astir.
no. III. take . . . other] seize the one by means of the other. The com- mentators say "destroy," but their authority to go so far is questionable. Seizure is an idea which naturally fol- lows that of entry through a gap. Compare iv. iv. 20 post.
112-114. Whoever . . . Greece] See North, Extracts, ante, p. xli, for this and what follows.
I
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 109
Men. Well, well ; no more of that.
Cor. Though there the people had more absolute power, 1 1 5 I say, they nourish 'd disobedience, fed The ruin of the state.
Bru. Why, shall the people give
One that speaks thus their voice ?
Cor. I'll give my reasons,
More worthier than their voices. They know the
com Was not our recompense, resting well assur'd 120
They ne^er^did service for 't. Being press'd to the
war. Even when the navel of the state was touch'd. They would not thread the gates : this kind of service Did not deserve corn gratis. Being i' the war, Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they show'd 125
Most valour, spoke not for them. The accusation Which they have often made against the senate, All cause unborn, could never be the motive Of our so frank donation. Well, what then ? How shall this bosom multiplied digest 1 30
116, 117. I say . . . state.] As Pope ; one line in Ff. 119. worthier} F. ;
worthie F 2. 128. motive] Johnson and Heath conj. native F. 130. bosom multiplied] Bosome-multiplied F; heson -multitude Collier MS. ; bissom multitude Singer (ed. 2) ; bisson multitude, Dyce.
1 19-129. They know . . . donation] sense being that of native place, or
This is drawn largely from North, country, of which the New Eng. Diet.
See Extracts, p. xli. gives examples, e.g. 1615, Chapman,
120. Was . . . recompense] Was Odyssey, ix. 66 : —
not intended by us as a reward for " Though roofs far richer we far off
their services. possess,
121. press'd] impressed, as in i. ii. 9 Yet, from our native, all our more ante. See for the people's refusals to is less."
go to the wars when commanded. The intention of the passage is clear, North, Extracts, p. xxxviii, and also and is much better expressed by m 0/7' t;^, earlier, p. xxx ; and for Coriolanus's re- Johnson's and Heath's conjectural em- minder of it, p. xli. endation.
123. thread] Compare, for the meta- 130. this bosom multiplied] this mul-
phor, Richard II. v. v. 15, 16 : — titudinous bosom (Malone) — the
" It is as hard to come as for a camel bosoms, breasts, minds of the herd.
To thread the postern of a small Several editors compare Kitig Lear, v.
needle's eye." iii. 4»-49: "the old and miserable
128. All cause unborn] For which king . . . Whose age has charms in it,
there was no cause in existence. whose title more. To pluck the common
motive] The folios read natiue, bosom on his side"; and Mr. Verity
which some retain, explainmg as refers to ** The multitudinous tongue,"
" natural source," " origin." There is, line 155 post. Collier's MS. gave
however, no authority for the use of the beson-multitude, which Singer, ed. 2,
word in this sense, the nearest recorded adopted (reading bissom multitude), and
110
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
The senate's courtesy ? Let deeds express
What 's like to be their words : " We did request it ;
We are the greater poll, and in true fear
They gave us our demands." Thus we debase
The nature of our seats, and make the rabble 1 3 5
Call our cares fears ; which will in time
Break ope the locks o' the senate, and bring in
The crows to peck the eagles.
Men. Come, enough.
Bru. Enough, with over-measure.
Cor. No, take more :
What may be sworn by, both divine and human, i/\^ Seal what I end withal ! This double worship. Where one part does disdain with cause, the other
136-138. Call . . . eagles.] As Ff; Pope divided after o/»^ and crows. 136. cares] caresses Anon conj. 137. 0' the] o' //j' F 4 ; a' th^ F. 142. Where
one] Rowe ; Whereon F.
Dyce also adopted (reading bissoti mul- titude). It must not be forgotten that this word, in form beesome, is in the foHo edition of this very play, in " bee- some conspectuities," changed by Theobald to " bisson conspectuities" (see II. i. 63 ante) ; and that the ad- jective bisson (" bisson rheum ") occurs in Hamlet. But though some editors read bisson multitude, such a violent change is out of the question in view of the sense yielded by the old reading and the support it receives from the above references, and the many uses of bosom by Shakespeare. See especially 2 Henry IV. i. iii. gi et seq. : " O thou fond many . . . So, so, thou common dog, didst thou disgorge Thy glutton bosom of the royal Richard." See also next note.
130. digest] interpret, understand, as (disgest) in i. i. 149 ante. Upon the passage at the close of the preceding note, Mr. Verity says : " Beeching aptly remarks : ' if a bosom could disgorge, it could digest.' " This is a fallacious argument, for in reality there is no if about it : rejected food must pass through the breast, which can therefore disgorge, but not digest. Figuratively, however, the bosom, i.e. the heart or mind, can digest in the sense of think- ing out, reaching understanding by a slow process resembling digestion, and
*' understand " is the ultimate sense required here. The same would follow from Mr. G. S. Gordon's different reasoning (Clar. Press, 1912) in an in- teresting note on this bosom multiplied : "... it is the bosom that first feels the load of repletion and indigestion. Had Shakespeare's idea been simply digestion he would have used ' belly.' It is because the courtesy-crammed multitude cannot digest, can, indeed, do nothing more than gorge what the senate gives it, that he uses ' bosom.'" This he regards as confirmed by the passage from 2 Henry IV. and that in Macbeth, v. iii. 44 : " Cleanse the stuflTd bosom,'' etc., in both of which he says : " the bosom suffers from reple- tion, and is the seat not of digestion, but of indigestion." But it may be doubted whether Shakespeare distin- guished as carefully as the commen- tator.
136. our cares] The cares of the Senate for the people's welfare are set forth by Menenius in Act i. sc. i.
141. Seal] Confirm : see on 11. iii. 107 atite.
withal] with, as very frequently in Elizabethan writers.
double xoorship] twofold source of authority, two sets of authorities.
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
111
Insult without all reason ; where gentry, title, wisdom,
Cannot conclude but by the yea and no
Of general ignorance, — it must omit 145
Real necessities, and give way the while
To unstable slightness : purpose so barr'd, it follows
Nothing is done to purpose. Therefore, beseech
you,— You that will be less fearful than discreet, That love the fundamental part of state 150
More than you doubt the change on 't, that prefer A noble life before a long, and wish To jump a body with a dangerous physic
143. reason] F; season, Ff2-4.
143. without all reaso7i'] i.e. beyond all reason. Compare Macbeth, iir. ii. II : " Things without all remedy should be without regard."
144. conclude] decide.
145. general ignorance] the ignorant crowd. Compare the sense of " the general " in Measure for Measure, 11. ii. 27 ; and elsewhere.
145-147. it . . . slightness] it (i.f. this double worship) must neglect what is really urgent, and meanwhile yield to irresolute trifling.
147, 148. purpose . . . purpose] with the result that as no firm line of policy can be pursued, nothing effectual is done.
i4g. You . . . discreet] "You whose zeal predominates over your terrors," says Johnson ; but zeal is not discre- tion. You that will show less fear than prudence (or foresight), or that will rather be prudent {or foreseeing) than afraid.
150. 151, That love . . . on '/] "you who do not so much fear the danger of violent measures, as wish the good to which they are necessary, the preserva- tion of the original constitution of our government" (Johnson). "Violent measures," as advocated in lines 154 et seq., may affect "the state," as Corio- lanus wishes, by their success, or " the fundamental part of state," as he does not wish, by their failure. In the one case, change is the action of the senators (and = changing) and on't refers to state only; in the other, change is the result of the failure of
that action and on H refers to " the fundamental part of state." The two senses (which, after all, are involved in Johnson's expression, " the danger of violent measures ") could be put in this way : (a) You that fear not to change the constitution in order to preserve its foundations; (6) You that so love the fundamental part of state that you will risk it to make it sure. The funda- mental part of state is of course affected in Coriolanus's eyes already, but there is room for greater loss, so that this cannot be urged against (6), which has also a correspondence with the alterna- tives that follow, in lines 151-153.
153. y7<m/>] risk, hazard. So, with a slight difference in meaning, iii Mac- beth, I. vii. 7, " We 'Id jump the life to come," and in Cymbeline, v. iv. 188. In both of these places, jump (risk) = take the risk of; here it = expose to risk. The noun jump = hazard occurs once in Shakespeare (in Antotiy and Cleopatra, in. viii. 6), and is used very conveniently for the whole of the present passage in a citation first made by Steevens from Philemon Holland's translation of Plinie's Natural Historic, 1601, see ed. 1634, book xxv. chap. v. : " If we looke for good successe in our cure by ministring of Ellebore, in any wise wee must take heed and be care- full how we give it in close weather, and upon a dark and cloudie day ; for certainly it putteth the patient to a jumpe or great hazard." Steevens's explanation of the verb was neverthe- less as follows: "-To jump anciently
112
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
That 's sure of death without it, — at once pluck out The multitudinous tongue ; let them not lick 155
The sweet which is their poison. Your dishonour Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state Of that integrity which should become 't. Not having the power to do the good it would, For the ill which doth control 't. Bru. Has said enough. 160
Sic. Has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer
As traitors do. Cor. Thou wretch ! despite o'erwhem thee !
What should the people do with these bald tribunes ? On whom depending, their obedience fails To the greater bench. In a rebellion, 165
When what's not meet, but what must be, was law. Then were they chosen : in a better hour,
165. bench. In a rebellion,'^ Pope ; Bench, in a Rebellion : F.
signified to jolt, to give a rude con- cussion to anything. To jump a body may therefore mean to put it into a violent agitation or commotion "; and it was left to Malone to make the right deduction from the Pliny passage. Mr. E. K. Chambers (Warwick Shake- speare) seems to favour Steevens by explaining jump, " to apply a violent stimulus that may galvanise it back to life," but "risk" besides being more probable suits the whole context better.
155. The multitudinous tongue"] Com- pare "the many-headed multitude" (11. iii. 16-17, ante) and "this bosom multiplied " (line 130 ante) ; and ex- pressly here, " the yea and no Of general ignorance " (lines 144, 145 ante).
i55i 156. lick The sweet] In this change of metaphor from the tongue as an organ of speech to the tongue as an organ of taste, this is probably equi- valent to "enjoy the power." Mr. Verity, however, has " The sweet, i.e. flattery."
158. integrity] unity of action; literally " wholeness."
i6i. answer] suffer the consequences, receive punishment. Compare Richard III. IV. ii. 95-96: —
" Stanley, look to your wife: if she convey Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it." Compare also the use = encounter, in i. iv. 52, and that of the noun in line 175 below.
163. bald] With more respect Cominius calls Sicinius " Ag'd sir," in line 176 below, but possibly bald is more than a mere taunt against age on the part of Coriolanus, and figuratively implies "contemptible" or " bald- witted." The figurative use of " bald " was common then as now: see The Comedy of Errors, 11. ii. no, " I knew 'twould be a bald conclusion " ; J Henry IV. I. iii. 65, " This bald unjointed chat of his." References to the use of barren by Shakespeare and others (as in A Midsummer N igkt's Dream, in. ii. 13, " The shallowest thick-skin of that bar- ren sort") do not seem much to the point, as there is no difficulty in the application of an adjective meaning unproductive or sterile, and very little metaphor.
165. greater bench] Compare " graver bench," line 105 ante.
165-167. In a . . . chosen] See i. i. 213-220, and North, Extracts, ante, p. xxxii.
sc. l]
CORIOLANUS
113
Let what is meet be said it must be meet,
And throw their power i' the dust. Bru. Manifest treason !
Sic. This a consul ! no. 170
Bru. The sediles, ho !
Enter an j^dile.
Let him be apprehended. Sic. Go, call the people ; \Exit ^dile.
in whose name myself
Attach thee as a traitorous innovator,
A foe to the public weal : obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer. Cor. Hence, old goat ! 175
All Senators^ etc. We '11 surety him. Com. Ag'd sir, hands off.
Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones
Out of thy garments. Sic. Help, ye citizens !
171. Enter . . .] Ff after line 170. 172. Exit . . .] Collier. 176. All
Senators, etc.} AH. F ; Sen. and Pat. Malone. Ag'd] F ; Aged Rowe.
i68. Let what . . . meet] A brief and emphatic equivalent for : '• Let the people be told that what is fitting must be found fitting."
171. The cEdiUs] The JEdiles Plebeii (as distinguished from the yEdilcs Curnlcs, of later origin) were instituted at the same time as the tribunes, and probably at first merely as their as- sistants or executive officers. See, however. North, Extracts, ante, p. xlii, for the slower course of events which Shakespeare has hastened. The tri- bunes, leaving the Senate, sent their Serjeants to arrest Marcius, and on his resistance, came themselves "accom- panied with the ^diles."
173. Attach] Arrest ; as in Romeo and Juliet, V. iii. 173 : " whoe'er you find attach.'' Skeat quotes Piers Plow- man, B text, iii igg : ''Attache tho tyrauntz " ; see also T. Heywood, 'J Edward IV. (Works, Pearson, i. 174): " Lay hold on him. Attach him, officers ! "
175. answer] See on the verb in line 161 above. The noun = trial, de- fence, or even punishment. See Nash, Pierce Penilcssc, etc., 1592, ed. Mc- 8
Kerrow, i. 241, lines 3 and 4: "a fellon neuer comes to his answere be- fore the offence be committed " ; and Henry V. 11. iv. 120 et seq. : —
"an if your father's highness Do not . . . Sweeten the bitter
mock you sent his majesty, He '11 call you to so hot an answer
of it, That caves and womby vaultages
of France
Shall chide your trespass," etc.
old goat] Coriolanus, resenting the
touch of Sicinius, probably means to
imply that he smells offensively. So,
just below, he calls him " rotten thing."
176. surety] be sureties for. Dr. Wright quotes All's Well that Ends Well, V. iii. 298: —
*' The jeweller that owes the ring is sent for, And he shall surety me."
177, 178. rotten . . . shake . . . garments] Steevens compares King yohnin. i. 455-457]:—
'* Here 's a stay That shakes the rotten carcass of
old Death Out of his rags ! "
114 CORIOLANLS [act m.
Enter a rabble of Plebeians with the ^Ediles.
Men. On both sides more respect
Sic. Here 's he that would take from you all your power. i8o
Bru. Seize him, aediles !
All Pleb. Down with him ! d o^n with him !
^enatorsy etc. Weapons ! weapons ! weapons !
[They all bustle about Coriolanus.
Tribunes ! Patricians ! Citizens ! What, ho !
Sicinius ! Brutus! Coriolanus! Citizens! 185
Peace, peace, peace ! Stay ! hold ! peace ! Men. What is about to be ? I am out of breath ;
Confusion 's near ; I cannot speak. You, tribunes
To the people ! Coriolanus, patience !
Speak, good Sicinius. Sic. Hear me, people ; peace ! 190
All Pleb. Let 's hear our tribune : peace ! — Speak, speak,
speak. Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties :
Marcius would have all from you ; Marcius,
Whom late you have nam'd for consul. Men. Fie, fie, fie I
This is the way to kindle, not to quench. 195
First Sen. To unbuild the city and to lay all flat. Sic. What is the city but the people ? All Pleb, True,
The people are the city. Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd
The people's magistrates. All Pleb. You so remain. 200
Men. And so are like to do. Com. That is the way to lay the city flat ;
To bring the roof to the foundation,
182, 191, 197, 200. All Pleb.'] All, F. 183. Senators, etc.] Cambridge edd. ; 2. Sen. Ff. i86. Given to Senators, etc., by Cambridge edd. All. Peace, . . . in Ff. 189, 190. To . . . Sicinius.] As Capell ; one line in Ff. 194, 195.
Fie . . . quench.] As Pope; prose Ff. 196. First Sen.] 1. S. Capell ; Sena. Ff. 197, 198. True . . . city.] As Capell ; one line Ff. 199, 200. By . . . tfiagis- trates.] As Pope ; prose Ff.
192. o< /o»»^ /o] about to. See V. IV. 194. 7mm'rf] nominated. See Ma^:- 62 post; also King Lear, in. i. 33: 6^^//, 11. iv. 31 : — •' arc at point To show their open •' He is already named, and gone to banner," and note in this edition. Scone
To be invested."
sc. I.J CORIOLANUS 115
And bury all, which yet distinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin. Sic. This deserves death. 205
Bru. Or let us stand to our authority.
Or let us lose it. We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy
Of present death. Sic. Therefore lay hold of him ; 210
Bear him to the rock Tarpeian, and from thence
Into destruction cast him. Bru. ^diles, seize him !
A// Pleb. Yield, Marcius, yield ! Men. Hear me one word ;
Beseech you, tribunes, hear me but a word. ^d. Peace, peace ! 215
Men. Be that you seem, truly your country's friend.
And temperately proceed to what you would
Thus violently redress. Bm. Sir, those cold ways, ~^^
That seem like prudent helps, are very poisonous
Where the disease is violent. Lay hands upon him, 220
And bear him to the rock.
\Corio. draws his sword. Cor. No ; I'll die here.
There's some among you have beheld me fighting :
Come, try upon yourselves what you have seen me. Men, Down with that sword ! Tribunes, withdraw awhile. Bru. Lay hands upon him. Men. Help Marcius, help, 225
You that be noble ; help him, young and old ! Citizens. Down with him ! down with him !
[/w tliis mutiny, the Tribunes ^ the Aidiles, and the
People, are beat in,
213, 214. Hear ... a word.'] As Johnson ; prose Ff. 213. All Pleb.] All
Pie. F ; at. Capell. 214. Beseech] 'beseech F. 225, 226. Help . . . old /]
Verse first Hanmer, reading, Help, help Martins, help,. 227. [In . . . ]
Exeunt. In . . . Ff.
204. distinctly ranges] "Vo range is to " Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the
stretch out, run in a Hne, extend, and wide arch
'♦to distinctly range" is to extend in Of the rang'^i empire fall."
lines of separate houses. The follow- See the note there in this edition. For
ing passage from Antony and Cleo- distinctly = sepa.ia.te\y, see The Tempest,
patra, 1. i. 33-34, has been often quoted i. ii. 199: " on the top-mast . . . would
in illustration of the text : — I flame distinctly, Then meet and join."
110 CORIOLANUS [ACT m.
Men. Go, get you to your house ; be gone, away !
All will be nauf^ht else. Sec. Sen. Get you gone.
Com. Stand fast ;
We have as many friends as enemies. 230
Men. Shall it be put to that ? First Sen. The gods forbid !
I prithee, noble friend, home to thy house ;
Leave us to cure this cause. Men. For 'tis a sore upon us
You cannot tent yourself: be gone, beseech you. Com. Come, sir, along with us. 235
Cor. I would they were barbarians, as they are,
Though in Rome litter'd ; not Romans, as they are not,
Though calv'd i' the porch o' the Capitol, — Men. Be gone ;
Put not your worthy rage into your tongue ;
One time will owe another. Cor. On fair ground 240
I could beat forty of them. Men. I could myself
Take up a brace o' the best of them ; yea, the two tribunes. Com. But now 'tis odds beyond arithmetic ;
And manhood is call'd foolery when it stands
228. yoxiY'\ Rowe; our F. 229, 230. StMtd . . . enemies.] As Capell ; one line Ff. 231. First Sett.] 1. S. Capell; Sena. Ff, 234. beseech'] 'beseech F. 235. Com.] F 2; Corio. F. 238, 239. Be gone . . . tongue;] As Capell; one line Ff. 240, 241, On . . . them.] As Capell; one line, prose Ff. 241, 242. I . . . tribunes.] As Capell, omitting of them ; prose Ff.
229. naught] lost, as in Antony and various senses, and here appears to Cleopatra, III. X. 1: '^ Naught, tiaught, mean encounter successfully. For aW naught ! 1 can behold no longer." "encounter," Dr. Wright quotes
233. this cause] i.e. according to ^ Henry IV. i. iii. 73 : —
Deighton, -the cause of the present " one power against the French,
commotion And one against Glcndower ; pcr-
. 234. tent] treat, doctor, "lo tent" fo^ce a third ^
18 literally, to apply a roll of Imt or Must take us «^"
linen to a wound or sore, which must ,^ . , . .
be kept open. See i. ix. 31 ante, and -43- odds . . . arithmetic] incalcul-
note. In Hamlet, 11. ii. 626, it is used ^^'^ ^^^^' Compare Massinger, The
figuratively for "to probe": "I'll ^y'"«« Actor, i. 111. (Works, G'xfioxd
tent him to the quick." ^"^ Cunningham, 1986) : " Or, when a
240. One . . . owe another] Your coyetous man's exprcss'd, whose wealth
turn will come, Fortune will owe you a Arithmetic cannot number."
good turn for a bad one. 244, 245. And . . . fabric] Compare
24'.*. Take up] This phrase is used in iv. vi. 10^- lob post.
sc. ..] CORIOLANUS 117
Against a falling fabric. Will you hence, 245
Before the tag return? whose rage doth rend
Like interrupted waters and o'erbear
What they are us'd to bear. Men. Pray you, be gone.
I'll try whether my old wit be in request
With those that have but little: this must be patch'd 250
With cloth of any colour. Com. Nay, come away.
[Exeunt Coriolmius, Cominius^ and others. First Pat. This man has marr'd his fortune. Men. His nature is too noble for the world :
He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,
Or Jove for 's power to thunder. His heart 's his mouth : 2 5 $
What his breast forges, that his tongue must vent ;
And, being angry, does forget that ever
He heard the name of death. \A noise within.
Here's goodly work ! Sec. Pat. I would they were a-bed !
Me7i, I would they were in Tiber ! What the vengeance ! 260
Could he not speak 'em fair ?
Enter BrUTUS and SiCINIUS, with the rabble, again.
Sic. Where is this viper
That would depopulate the city and
Be every man himself? Men. You worthy tribunes —
251. Cotninius and aihers] Capell ; a7id Cominius Ff. 252. First Pat.} 1. P. Capell ; Patri. Ff. 259. Sec. Pat.] 2. Pat. Malone; Patri. Ff. 260, 261.
What . . . fair?} As Pope ; one line Ff. 262, 263. That . . . himself?} As
Pope ; one line Ff. 263. tribunes — ] Rowe ; Tribunes. F.
246. the tag} another name for the To aid us herein, Wat ; how
rabble. In Julius Casar, i. ii. 260, thinkest thou ?
261, we have " the tag-rag people," Par. Tag and rag, thou needst
and tag and rag, the lull form, ** every not doubt."
appendage and shred," as Skeat puts 246, 247. whose rage . . . wafers}
it, is also common. See Capt. John Compare The Two Gentlemen of
Smith, Works, ed. Arber, p. 432 : Verona, 11. vii. 25, 26.
•' Away went their bowes and arrowes, 249. 7vhether} Probably contracted to
and tagge and ragge came with their 7vh'er, as frequently. See Sonnet lix.
baskets" ; Jack Strait; i. 1593, (Haz- 11, in this series, and note there.
litt's Dodsley, v. 383) ;— 261. Where is this viper} The ancient
"J.S. I hope we shall have men and widespread belief that vipers act
cnou', an unnatural part at their birth (see
118 CORIOLANUS [ACT m.
Sic. He shall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock
With rigorous hands: he hath resisted law, 265
And therefore law shall scorn him further trial
Than the severity of the public power,
Which he so sets at naught. ~A \l^
First Cit. He shall well know \ /\
The noble tribunes are the people's mouths, J
And we their hands. J
All Pleb. He shall, sure on 't. "^-^
Me7i. Sir, sir, — 270
Sic. Peace ! Men. Do not cry havoc, where you should but hunt
With modest warrant. Sic. Sir, how comes 't that you
Have holp to make this rescue? Men. Hear me speak :
As I do know the consul's worthiness, 275
So can I name his faults. Sic. Consul ! what consul ?
Men. The Consul Coriolanus. Bru. He consul !
All Pleb. No, no, no, no, no. Men. If, by the tribunes' leave, and yours, good people,
I may be heard, I would crave a word or two, 280
268-270. He shall . . . hands.] As Johnson ; two linSS divided after are in Ff. 270. All Pleb.] All F. shall, sure on '/.] shall sure ont. F ; . . . ont. Ff 2-4.
273, 274. Sir . . . rescue ?] As Pope ; line 273 ends at holpe in Ff. 274-276.
Hear . . . faults.] As Pope ; two lines divided after know in Ff. 277. He"] F; HetheU2iX\mtx\ i/^a Steevens (1793). 278. All Pleb.] All. F. 279. // . . . people,] One line, Pope ; two in Ff. divided after leaue.
lower, line 284, " This viperous traitor ') ed. Gifford and Cunningham, i. 258a) :
is a common source of metaphor, which "Out, viper! thou that eat'st thy
is fully treated by Mr. Deighton in his parents, hence ! "
note on Pericles, i. i. 64, 65, in this 272. cry havoc] The form which Old
series, q.v. There are countless refer- French crier havot assumes in English,
ences to it in Elizabethan writers ; see Originally the signal to plunder, it
Sidney, An Apolof,ne for Poetrie, near appears in Shakespeare as a general
the beginning : " and will they now incentive to battle and slaughter. See
play the Hedg-hog, that being received King John, 11. i. 357 : " Cry ^ havoc ' /
into the den, draue out his host? or kings; back to the stained field," etc. ;
rather the Vipers, that with theyr birth Julius Ccesar, in. i. 273. In Hamlet,
kill their Parents ? " Mydas^ iii. i. v. ii. 375, cries on havoc may have the
(Fairholt's Lilly, 11. 26) : " like moaths same meaning.
that eate the cloth in which they were 274. holp] short for the old strong
bred, like vipers that gnaw the bowels past participle holpen. See Abbott,
of which they were borne"; Ben S//a/r«. Gram., §343, and compare TAf
Jonson, The Poetaster, v. t. (Works, Tempest, i. ii. 63.
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 119
The which shall turn you to no further harm
Than so much loss of time. Sic. Speak briefly then ;
For we are peremptory to dispatch
This viperous traitor. To eject him hence
Were but one danger, and to keep him here 285
Our certain death ; therefore it is decreed
He dies to-night. Men. Now the good gods forbid
That our renowned Rome, whose gratitude
Towards her deserved children is enroll'd
In Jove's own book, like an unnatural dam 290
Should now eat up her own ! Sic. He's a disease that must be cut away. Men. O ! he's a limb that has but a disease ;
Mortal to cut it off ; to cure it easy.
What has he done to Rome that's worthy death? 295
Killing our enemies, the blood he hath lost, —
Which, I dare vouch, is more than that he hath,
By many an ounce, — he dropp'd it for his country ;
And what is left, to lose it by his country,
Wgre^to us all, that do 't and suffer it, 300
A brand to the end o' the world. Sic. " This is clean kam.
301. 0' the'] 0' th' F 4 ; a' /A F.
290. Jove's own book] i.e. the Book 294. Mortal] Certain death. See 11.
of God, Compsire 2 Henry IV. iv. ii. ii. iii ante, and note; also v. iii. 189
17: "How deep you were within the post.
books of God"; ii. ii. 49: "as far in 301. clean kam] quite perverse or
the devil's book as thou." Herford contrary. Compare Hooker, Works,
says, "A Jewish not a Roman idea." Oxford ed. 1841, 11. 6g8 {A Learned
On the other hand, Gordon (Clar. Press) Sermon on the Nature of Pride) :
compares Julins Ccusar, in. i. 39-41: "Where is then the obliquity of the
" The question of his death is enrolled mind of man ? His mind is perverse,
in the Capitol; the glory not extenu- ^am, and crooked, not when it bendeth
ated, wherein he was worthy," etc., itself unto any of these things, but when
and explains thus: *' Jove's own book it bendeth so, that it swerveth . . .
probably means the rolls and registers from that exact rule whereby human
of the Capitol, which was Jove's actions are measured " ; Cotgrave,
Temple," French Diet., 1611, " Contrefoil, The
like an unnatural dam] the sow, wrong way, cleane contrarie, quite
for instance. See Holland's Plinie, kammc.'" The word is Celtic =
Bk. viii, chap. Hii : " That a sow crooked, bent, and still survives in
should eat her own pigs it is no pro- dialect, both in the simple and figura-
digious wonder." tive senses, and in place-names.
120
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
Bru. Merely ^wry ; When he did love his country, It honoured hfm.
Men, The service of the foot
Being once gangren'd, is not then respected For what before it was.
Bru. We'll hear no more.
Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence, Lest his infection, being of catching nature, Spread further.
Men, One word more, one word.
This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness, will, too late. Tie leaden pounds to 's heels. Proceed by process
305
310
302, 303. when
hi7n.] As Pope ; one line Ff.
302. Merely'] Not in the present sense only, but quite, entirely, as in Hamlet, 1. ii. 135-137: "'tis an un- weeded garden, . . . things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely."
303-305. The service . . . was] Ellipse confuses the grammar and the precise sense, but whether it is the foot or the service of the foot that is no longer regarded when the disease of the one terminates the other, signifies little. Hanmer, at the suggestion of Warbur- ton, gives the speech to Sicinius, Lettsom would continue it to Brutus ; and either is possible, for Brutus in effect says : when he loved his country it honoured him, not now ; and he or Sicinius would then continue : when the foot serves it is regarded, not when mortification has set in, inferring that it must then be cut away, as Sicinius said in line 292. In Menenius's mouth the speech is bitterly ironical and recurs to line 293, but there is this inconsistency in the metaphor, that •' a limb that has but a disease ; Mortal to cut it off" is now a limb that has a disease ; mortal not to cut it off.
309. tiger-footed] Ancient belief ex- aggerated the swiftness of the tiger. See Holland's Plinie, Book viii. chap, xviii., ed. 1634, Parti, pp. 204 and 205 : •' This beast (the Tyger) is most dreadful for incomparable swift- nesse, and most of all seen it is in the taking of her young," etc. ; Mediaval Lore from Bartholoynew Auglicus, 1905 [from Dc Proprietatibus Rerum (13th
century), ed. 1535 in English], " The tiger is the swiftest beast in flight, as it were an arrow, for the Persees call an arrow Tigris, and is a beast distin- guished with divers specks, and is wonderly strong and swift. And Pliny saith that they be beasts of dreadful swiftness," etc. In spite of a good start and a swift horse, the hunter who purloins tiger- whelps only escapes, first by throwing down one of the whelps, which the tigress restores to her den, and then by taking ship. In Holland's Plinie, we read, " for very anger she rageth on the shore and the sands," and the passage was possibly in Shakespeare's mind when he wrote " This tiger-footed rage." See also The Voiage arid Travaile of Sir John Manndevile, Kt. (Halliwell Reprint, 1883, pp. 304-305) : " The thridde Rjrvere, that is clept Tigris, is as moche for to seye as faste rennynge : for he rennethe more faste than onv of the tother. And also there is a Best, that is cleped Tigris, that is faste rennynge." 310. unscann'd swiftness] wild, in- considerate speed ; '• unheedy haste," as in A Midsummer Night's Dream, i. i. 237 : " Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste."
31 T. leaden . . . heels] Compare
Peele, The Tale of Troy (Dyce's
Greene and Peele, 1861 ed.. p. 353) : —
" But hardy Love, that hath no
leaden heels. Tied wings belike unto the Trojans
keels."
sc. I] CORIOLANUS 121
Lest parties, as he is belov'd, break out,
And sack great Rome with Romans. Bru. If it were so —
Sic. What do ye talk ?
Have we not had a taste of his obedience ? 315
Our aediles smote ? ourselves resisted ? Come ! Men. Consider this : he has been bred i' the wars
Since 'a could draw a sword, and is ill school'd
In bolted language; meal and bran together
He throws without distinction. Give me leave, 320
I '11 go to him, and undertake to bring him
Where he shall answer, by a lawful form.
In peace, to his utmost peril. First Sen. Noble tribunes,
It is the humane way : the other course
Will prove too bloody, and the end of it 325
Unknown to the beginning. Sic, Noble Menenius,
Be you then as the people's officer.
Masters, lay down your weapons. Bru. Go not home.
313. so — ] F3; 50? F. 316. smote?'] sniot ? Capell ; smot : F; smote,
F 4. 318. 'a] a Ff. 321. bring him] Pope ; bring him in peace, F.
326, 327. Noble . . . officer.] As Pope ; one line Ff.
311. by proitss] i.e. by deliberate pro- 319. bolted language] refined, choice
procedure, as some explain it ; or, more phraseology. " To bolt," is to sift.and
probably, as indicated by lines 321-323 the figurative use is common. Compare
post, "legal process" (Warwick Chzuccr, The Nonne Preestes Tale, ^20:
Shakespeare). Process (see Cowell, " But I ne can not 6«//^ittothebren " ;
The Interpreter, 1637, s.v.) "is the Henry V. ii. ii. 137: "Such and so
manner of proceeding in euery cause, finely fco/^^ff didst thou seem " ; Troilus
be it personall, or reall, civill, or and Cressida, i. i. 18-20.
cnminall, even from the original writ ,22, 323. answer . . . peril] meet
to the end," and so also, writ (see The accusation under the peaceful forms of
Winter's Tale, iv. ui. 102 : " a process- ^^^^ ^t whatever danger to himself.
server, a bailiff"), and generally, A7iswcr is frequent in the sense of
summons, mandate, as in Antony and ^neet a charge, answer for or render an
Cleopatra, i. i. 28. See note there in account of an action. So in Hamlet,
this series. jjj j^ j^g^ «< and will answer well The
315. taste] specimen : not quite the ^^^^^i I gave him." The noun occurs same as taste = trial, in King Lear, i. ii. ^j^fg jjj j j»c.
47 : " he wrote this but as an essay or ' * ^ ,^ , . j •
taste of my virtue." See the note in ^324- humam] So always accented in
this edition. Shakespeare.
316. cediles smote] See North, Ex- 325, 326. the end . . . beginning] tracts, ante, p. . Steevens quotes The Tempest, 11. i. 158 :
317-319. hehas . . . language] Com- "The latter end of his commonwealth pare Othello, i. iii. 83-85. forgets the beginning.''
122
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
/
Sic. Meet on the market-place. We '11 attend you there :
Where, if you bring not Marcius, we '11 proceed 330
In our first way. Men. I'll bring him to you.
[To the Senators. ^ Let me desire your company.
He must come, Or what is worst will follow. First Sen. Pray you, let 's to him.
Exeunt Omnes.
SCENE U.—The Same. A Room in CORIOLANUS'S House.
Enter CORIOLANUS with Nobles.
Cor. Let them pull all about mine ears ; present me Death on the wheel, or at wild horses' heels ;
332. To the ... 1 Hanmer. 333. First Sen.'] Rowe; Sena. F.
Scene II. The Same. A Room . . .] A Room . . . Malone.
Scene u.
2. the wheel] an instrument of torture and death, to which criminals were bound and their limbs broken with iron rods. It was unknown to the Romans. Southey {Common-Place Book, Third Series, p. 230) says : " The punishment of breaking on the wheel was introduced into the criminal code of France by the Chancellor Antoine de Bourg, in 1539, simple hanging was in use before." The wheel is referred to again in The Winter's Tale, in. ii. 177 : —
" What wheels ? racks ? fires ? what flaying ? boiling ? In leads or oils ? " See also next note, and Beard, The Theatre of Gods ludgments, 1597, p. 277, of a parricide in 1560 : " instead of possessing his goods which he aimed at, hee possessed a vile and shamefull death : for he was drawne through the streets, burnt with hot irons, and tormented nine houres in a wheele, till his life forsooke him " ; Beaumont and Fletcher, Thierry and Thcodoret, v. (Cambridge ed., x. 68) : —
" Go carry her without wink of sleep, or quiet, Where her strong knave Protaldye '8 broke o' th' wheeL
And let his cries and roars be music to her," etc.
at . . . heels'] Compare Dekker, The Comedie of Olde Fortunatns, 1600 (Pearson's ed., i. 170) : —
" Faire Empresse of the world,
since you resigne Your power to me, this sentence
shall be mine, Thou shalt be torturd on a wheele
to death, Thou with wild horses shalt be
quartered." Malone cites the cases, in Shakespeare's lifetime, of Nicholas de Salvedo, who conspired to take the life of William the Silent, Prince of Orange, of Bal- thazar de Gerrard, who assassinated the prince not long afterwards, in 1584, and of John Chastel, who attempted to assassinate Henry IV. of France in 1594, all of whom were torn to pieces by wild horses ; and to these could be added the case of Ravaillac, who murdered Henry on May 14, 1610, the latest year which has been thought possible for this play. See Howell, Lustra Ludovici, or the Life of . . . Lewis the XIIL, 1646, p. 7 : "That his body should be torn afterwards by horses, all his members burn'd, reduc'd
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
123
Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock, That the precipitation might down stretch Below the beam of sight ; yet will I still Be thus to them.
A Noble. You do the nobler.
Cor. I muse my mother
Does not approve me further, who was wont
6. A Noble.-] Noble. Ff.
to cinders, and thrown into the aire," and p. 8 : " and for his body, when it was torn by the horses, happy was he that could get any piece of it, so that he was burnt in more than twenty places up and down the Citie in severall fires." In Giovanni Boccaccio, by Edward Hutton, igio, p. 250, is repro- duced an illustration from a French MS. of the late fifteenth century, in the background of which is represented a woman to whose neck and each arm horses are attached and driven apart by men. The feet are outside the picture, but appear to be drawn together for the same treatment. The MS. gives Laurent de Premierfait's version of Boc- caccio's De Casibus Virorum. Steevens suggests the old romances as a source of Shakespeare's knowledge, and cites The Sowdone of Babylone, p. 55 : — " Thou venemouse serpente.
With wilde horses thou shalt be drawe to morrowe.
And on this hille be brente.' The punishment by Tullus Hostilius, in Roman times, of the faithless Alban dictator, Mettius Fuffetius, who was torn to pieces by chariots driven op- posite ways, is referred to by Malone as probably unknown to Shakespeare ; and he cites Livj', I. 28, to show that " this cruel capital punishment was never inflicted from the beginning to the end of the Republick, except in this single instance." It has not been observed that the expression •' at wild horses' heels " (notwithstanding the plural horses') would apply equally well or better to the different punishment inflicted, for example, upon Brunhault (or Brunhilda) in 613, under Clotaire II. ; who was put to death by being dragged at the heels of a wild horse. See Beard, The Theatre of God's hidge- ments, 1597, Chap, xiiii.. Of Queenes that were Murderers, p. 281 (sic, really
293) : " shee was adjudged to be tyed by the haire of her head, one arme and one foot to the taile of a wild and vn- tamed horse, and so to bee left to his mercy to bee drawen miserably to her destruction ; which was no sooner executed, but her miserable carkasse (the instrument of so many mischiefes) was with mens feet spurned, bruised, trampled, and wounded after a most strange fashion ; and this was the wofull end of miserable Brunchild.'^ See also ibid, xxviii. p. 349 : " some he tied to the tailes of wild horses, to bee drawne ouer hedges, ditches, thornes and briers."
4. the precipitation} not, apparently, as Schmidt explains it, " the throwing or being thrown headlong," but the precipitousness, the precipice. The whole expression means : so that no man, standing at the top, however keen-eyed, could see the bottom.
5. beam of sight} ray of vision : beavi is ray, gleam. The New Eng. Diet. quotes Gosson, The Schoole of Abuse, 1579, ed. Arber, p. 33 : " Basiliskes . . . that poyson, as well with the bea7ne of their sighte, as with the breath of their mouth."
7. / ?nuse} I am astonished, I wonder ; as often. See Richard III. i. iii. 305 : ** / mtise why she's at liberty " (so Ff: "I wonder why," etc., Qq) ; All '5 Well that Ends Well, 11. v. 70 : " And rather muse than ask why I en- treat you." Skeat quotes Florio, Italian Diet., ^^ musare : to nmse, to think, to surmise; also to muzle, to muffle, to mocke, to jest, to gape idlie about, to hould ones muzle or snout in the aire," and explains : " The image is that of a dog scenting the air when in doubt as to the scent."
8. approve ine further} more approve of my conduct. Further probably marks degree rather than continuance.
124 CORIOLANUS [act hi.
To call them woollen vassals, things created
To buy and sell with groats, to shew bare heads lo
In congregations, to yawn, be still, and wonder,
When one but of my ordinance stood up
To speak of peace or war.
Enter VOLUMNIA.
I talk of you : Why did you wish me milder ? Would you have me False to my nature ? Rather say I play 15
The man I am.
Vol. O sir, sir, sir,
I would have had you put your power well on Before you had worn it out.
Cor. Let go.
Vol. You might have been enough the man you are
With striving less to be so : lesser had been 20
The thwartings of your dispositions if
You had not shew'd them how ye were dispos'd.
Ere they lack'd power to cross you.
Cor. Let them hang.
Vol. Ay, and burn too.
Enter Menenius with the Senators.
Men. Come, come ; you have been too rough, something
too rough ; 25
You must return and mend it.
g. woollen] Rowe; Wollen F. 13. Enter . . .] As in Collier MS.; after
them line 6 : Ff. 21. thwartings] Theobald ; things F. 25, 26. Cotne . . . mend it,] As Pope ; prose Ff,
For aZ/roz;^ = approve of, compare No other instance of this sense appears
Antony and Cleopatra, v. ii. 149 : " I to be known.
approve Your wisdom in the deed." 18. Let go] Enough ! The phrase
9. woollen vassals] coarsely clad seems to correspond with modern col- slaves. Compare "this woolvish loquialisms like Have done, Give over, gown," II. iii. 114 a«<^, and note. For Drop it.
vassal = •' a base or abject person, a 21. thwartings] Theobald's correc-
slave," New Eng. Diet, cites Greene, tion of the folio reading, things.
Minaphon, ed. Arber, p. 37 : — 23. Ere they lack'd . . . you] i.e.
" Vassaile auant or with my wings Before the opportunity for their inter-
you die, ference was gone ; before you were
1st fit an Eagle seate him with a irrevocably made consul.
Flie ? " 24. Ay . . . too] It is clear that the
10. groats] fourpenny pieces, well strange feeling of hatred and scorn known to Shakespeare's poor neigh- which the noble Coriolanus nourished hours though not to those of Volumnia. for the commons of Rome had been
I/, of my ordinance] of my rank, sucked in with his very milk. In
35
I
sc. II.] CORIOLANUS 125
First Sen. There 's no remedy ;
Unless, by not so doing, our good city
Cleave in the midst, and perish. Vol. Pray be counsell'd.
I have a heart as little apt as yours,
But yet a brain that leads my use of anger 30
To better vantage. Men. Well said, noble woman !
Before he should thus stoop to the herd, but that
The violent fit o' the time craves it as physic
For the whole state, I would put mine armour on.
Which I can scarcely bear. Cor. What must I do ?
Men. Return to the tribunes. Cor. Well, what then ? what then ?
Men. Repent what you have spoke. Cor. For them ! I cannot do it to the gods ;
Must I then do 't to them ? Vol. You are too absolute ;
Though therein you can never be too noble, 40
But when extremities speak. I have heard you say.
Honour and policy, like unsever'd friends,
26. First &>«.] 1. S. Capell ; Seii. F. 29. as little apf] as little soft Singer conj. ; of mettle apt Staunton conj. 32. to the herd] Warburton ; to th' heart
F ; a' th' heart Collier MS. 33. 0' thel 0' th' F ^■, a' th' F.
North's Plutarch we get nothing of (Hamlet, 1. v. 31 : "I find thee apt ; this side of the character of Volumnia. And duller should'st thou be," etc.), or See also lines 29-31 of this scene and with extension (King Lear, ii. iv. 309, what follows. 310 : *' And what they may incense 29. as little apt] Desdemona, ac- him to, being apt To have his ear cording to lago {Othello, 11. iii. 326) abused," etc.). No commentator has " is of so free, so kind, so apt, so objected to the word in Othello, but the blessed a disposition, she holds it a vice text has been tampered with here : see in her goodness not to do more than the Critical Notes above. Mr. Craig she is requested," Volumnia has as seems to have felt a difficulty in inter- little apt a disposition (heart) as Corio- preting apt, and believing that anger in lanus. The use of apt is essentially line 30 pointed to Staunton's reading the same in both plays, and the context mettle, intended to suggest " to mettle in Coriolamts makes its meaning as apt as yours," = as prone to anger as plain within certain limits as if Volum- yours.
nia had proceeded to define it exten- 39. absolute] positive, as in iii. i. 89
sively. We may take it as impressible, ante ; or rather, inflexible. or flexible (as little apt = inflexible), or 41. extremities speak] a crisis says :
compliant, or docile, or (with closer " give ground," " concede something." reference to the context demanded) 42. policy] prudent or dexterous, or
ready, willing (to return and mend a crafty management, or stratagem,
roughness, or eat humble- pie). Shake- See 1 Henry VI. iii. ii. 2 : "the gates
speare uses the word many times for of Rouen, Through which our policy
receptive, teachable, prone, either alone must make a breach."
126 CORIOLANUS [act m.
r the war do grow together : grant that, and tell me, In peace what each of them by the other lose, That they combine not there.
Cor. Tush, tush !
Men. A good demand. 45
Vol. If it be honour in your wars to seem
The same you are not, which, for your best ends,
You adopt your policy, how is it less or worse,
That it shall hold companionship in peace
With honour, as in war, since that to both 50
It stands in like request?
Cor. Why force you this ?
Vol. Because that now it lies you on to speak To the people ; not by your own instruction, Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you, But with such words that are but roted in 55
Your tongue, though but bastards and syllables Of no allowance to your bosom's truth. Now, this no more dishonours you at all
52-56. Because . . . syllables'] As Malone ; six lines divided after that . . . people : . . . matter . . . words . . . Tongue ; in Ff. 55. rotcd i)i] Malone ; roated in F ; rooted in Johnson.
46-51. If it ... request"] Volumnia *' I to my Bottle straight, and soundly
is neither concise nor lucid here, but baste my Throat,
she says in effect : If your use of false Which done, some Country Song
appearances to serve your purpose in or Roundelay I roate
war is reconcilable with honour, what So merrily."
makes it less so in peace, when it is 56. bastards] i.e. not the true issue
just as necessary ? of the heart.
51. force] enforce, urge. See Henry 57. Of no allowance to . . . truth]
VJII. III. ii. 2 : "If you will now Of no acceptance to your heart's truth,
unite in your complaints, And force i.e. to your real feelings. Allowance is
them with a constancy," etc, used with various shades of meaning by
55. roted in] F roated is sometimes Shakespeare, such as acknowledgment,
read (with Johnson) as rooted, which approbation, etc. ; but acceptance (as
gets rid of any difficulty about the pre- in Isaiah, Ix. 7, "they shall come up
position, and gives the sense that the with acceptance on mine altar ") best
words suggested go no deeper than the accounts for the use of the preposition
tongue. Reading roted we must in- to, in which a difficulty is sometimes
terpret memorized, learnt by rote, and found. Capell (adopting Thirlby's con-
(rccollecting also the freer use of pre- jecture) avoided it by reading alliance,
positions in Shakespeare's time) explain and Malone by regarding •' and syl-
in as due to preoccupation with place, lables Of no allowance " as *' in ap-
the thought of words which are in or position with bastards" and ''as it
on the tongue with nothing to prompt were parenthetical." The meaning is
them in the heart. Roat is used = to much the same as it is usually freely
repeat or sing (Skeat and Mayhew's rendered : not acknowledged or recog-
Tudor and Stuart Glossary) by Dray- nized by the true feelings in your breast,
ton, e.g. in The Muses Eliziufu, or " not allowed as true in your secret
Nymphal vi. (Melanthus, 8) :— heart " (Warwick Shakespeare).
sc. II.] CORIOLANUS 127
Than to take in a town with gentle words,
Which else would put you to your fortune and 60
The hazard of much blood.
I would dissemble with my nature where
My fortunes and my friends at stake requir'd
I should do so in honour : I am in this,
Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles ; 65
And you will rather show our general louts
How you can frown than spend a fawn upon 'em,
For the inheritance of their loves and safeguard
Of what that want might ruin.
Men. Noble lady !
Come, go with us ; speak fair ; you may salve so, 70
Not what is dangerous present, but the loss Of what is past.
Vol I prithee now, my son,
Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand ; And thus far having stretch'd it, here be with them,
65,66. sofi, these . . . nobles; And you] Warburton, substantially; Sonne: These . . . nobles, And you, F. 69. lady!] Rowe; Lady, F.
59, take in] capture, occupy. See i. Julius CcBsar, iii. ii. 94 : " the general
W. 2^ ante. coffers"; Hamlet, ii. ii. 589: "the
84. in honour] The interpretation general ear."
occasionally found, '* as far as I could 68. inheritance] acquisition ; or pos-
without sacrificing my honour," is less session merely, as often. See the verb,
appropriate to the context than the 11. i. 195 ante.
obvious one. It could hardly have 69. that want] the lack of that
been suggested if the text had read " I acquisition.
should in honour do so," and Volumnia 'jo. salve] remedy, make good: an
has already said that dissembling does extension of the original sense
not dishonour. "anoint."
64, 65. / am in this, Your wife, etc.] 71. Not . . . but] Here and in in.
Johnson and Malone explain this dif- iii. 97 />os^, this appears to be equivalent
ferently, and so others. Johnson has: to " Not only . . . but also." Speak-
" I am in their condition, I am at ing fair will not only obviate present
stake, together with your wife, your danger, but preserve the consulship for
son " ; Malone comments : " I think Coriolanus.
the meaning is, In this advice, in ex- 73. bonnet] cap or hat, as in As You
horting you to act thus, I speak not Like It, iii. ii. 398, " your bonnet un-
only as your mother, but as your wife, banded," Richard IL i. iv. 31 : " Off
your son, etc., all of whom are at goes his bonnet to an oyster- wench."
Stake." Probably every one at first Compzre bonneted, 11. ii. 27 ante.
reading, understands as Malone, for it 74. And thus . . . stretch'd it] No
is natural to read putting stress on this, douljt Volumnia is intended to act her
But if / is stressed, the strong proba- advice, taking or at least pointing to
bility of Johnson's interpretation and her son's cap (" this bonnet"), and indi-
of a successive naming of the friends eating how far it should be advanced
at stake at once appears. ("stretch'd") or lowered in a bow;
66. our general louts] the vulgar bending her knee (line 75) and waving
clowns of our community. Compare her head (line 77), which perhaps means
128
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
Thy knee bussing the stones, for in such business Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant More learned than the ears, waving thy head, Which often, thus, correcting thy stout heart,
75
bowing from side to side. But see Hamlet, ii. i. 93 : •' And thrice his head thus waving up and down," which vSteevens quotes. It may be, however, that stretch'd it is impersonal, and " And thus . . . it " = And having bent thus low ; or = And having managed to stretch your complaisance so far. This last alternative of making strctcWd it refer to the disposition of Coriolanus (as Grant White understood it) is not untempting.
74. here be with them} This phrase varies in meaning according to cir- cumstances. Here it approximately = get at them this way. Deighton says : " at this point salute them with a courteous gesture, a sweeping bow," relying on Staunton's comparison of the following passage from The yoviall Cre7v, 11. i. (Pearson's Brome, iii. 380) :—
'* I did accost him with a Good your
Worship The Guift of one smale penny to a
Creeple ; (For here I was with him) and the
good Lord Halts [ = limps.
To bless you, and restore it you in
Heaven.'''' but the stage direction does not deter- mine the sense there, which is: For thus I got at him, got on his weak side. Brome also uses the phrase in The Sparagus Garden, i. i. {ibid. iii. iig) : '• Gil. And the cause or ground of your quarrel [i.e. the quarrel 'be- twixt you and old Mr. Striker your neighbour '] . . . may be as triviall, as that which was derided in our fathers. Touch. Are you there with me ? " [= Is that what you are at ? Is that where you think you have me ?] and in The Queen and Concubine, sc. viii. p. 39 {ibid. vol. ii.) : —
" nay, he that keeps me 'Till now he call'd me forth, never
spake a word : If I ask'd him, what News ? here
he was with me : Or when he heaiu from Court ?
then there again : Or why I was committed ? still
the same answer."
Here the meaning is more or less de- fined by what precedes, viz. : " never spake a word," and = that was his way with me, or that's how he had me. Shakespeare also uses the phrase or a similar one in King Lear, iv. vi. 149 (see the edition in this series, note, p. 201), in As You Like It, v. ii. 32, and in The Winter's Tale, 1. ii. 217, simi- larly with slightly variable meanings, but always indicating that the speaker, as the case may be, is conscious of making a good move against another, or of being taken, or sought to be taken, at a slight disadvantage.
75. bussing'] kissing. This is a vulgar word now, and would not be used in a serious passage; but in Shakespeare's day it was otherwise. See King John, in. iv. 35 : •' Const. Death, . . . Come grin on me, and I will think thou smilest, And buss thee as thy wife," and Golding's Ovid, x. 647, ed. Rouse, p. 213 ; " She thus began : and in her tale she bussed him among." Herrick, however, makes a distinction in degree in 1648, Hes- perides (Poems, ed. Grosart, 1876, ii. 145), Kissing and bussing : —
" Kissing and bussing differ both in this; We busse our Wantons, but our Wives we kisse."
76, 77. Action .... ears] Compare Bacon, " Of Boldnesse" {The Essayes, 1625, No. 12) : " Question was asked of Demosthenes ; What was the Chiefe Part of an Oratour ? He answered, Action ; what next ? Action ; what next again ? Action. He said it, that knew it best ; . . . A strange thing . . . But the reason is plaine. There is in Humane Nature, generally, more of the Foole then of the Wise " ; etc.
78. Which often, thus] It is simplest to take Which often as elliptical for "And do it often," or "Which do often " (Grant White). If Volumnia acts her advice, the words " Which often, thus " could be mistaken for nothing else than " And wave it often, in this way." The dilemma of the commentators betweeti supposing an anacoluthon and making humble an
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
129
Now humble as the ripest mulberry That will not hold the handling : or say to them, Thou art their soldier, and being bred in broils Hast not the soft way which, thou dost confess, Were fit for thee to use as they to claim. In asking their good loves ; but thou wilt frame Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far As thou hast power and person. Men. This but done,
Even as she speaks, why, their hearts were yours ; For'they have pardons, being ask'd, as free As words to little purpose.
Prithee now, Go, and be rul'd ; although I know thou hadst
rather Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf Than flatter him in a bower.
Enter COMINIUS.
Here is Cominius.
80
85
Vol.
90
92. Than . . . Cominitis.} As Capell ; two lines Ff.
imperative verb with Which as its object seems needless.
78. corrc tiuff . . . heart] It has seemed preferable to separate thus from correct I tig (see last, note), not regarding the waving of the head as causing a sympathetic subdual of the heart, but looking upon correcling as an inde- pendent charge. Lp to this point Volumnia has suggested ou ward actions ; now she reminds her son of what must go along with them to make them ertective, namely, the subduing of his stubborn heart to a politic humility. Of course, lines 122, 123 post, might be urged against this view
79. humble . . . mulberry'] The ripeness of the mulberry has always been used to illustrate similar human characteristics. See the Adages of Erasmus under " Proclivitas " : " Ma- ttirior moro. UeiraiTepos fi6pov. Dici potest vel in hominem miti ingenio praeditum, vel in mollem, vel in vehementer propensum ad aliquid, velut in virginem nupturientem." Musgrave cites a fragment of yEschylus preserved by Athenaeus, lib. ii., in which ihe poet *• says of Hector, that he was softer
than mulberries: hv^p 8' iKetvos ^v neiraiTepos /iSpcov."
So. hold tue handling] Compare Timon of Athens, I ii. 159 : '• would not hold taking,'" and Hamlet, > . i. 183 : '•as we have many pocky corses now- a-days, that will scarce hold the laying in."
or say] Deighton says this reading " spoils alike ihe rhythm and the sense. It is not an alterna;ive that Volumnia is suggesting, but in the earlier part of her speech the action which is to pre- lude the words, and then the words themselves." Similarly, Mr. E. K. Chalmers (Warwick Shakespeare) : " She is not suggesting two alternative modes of procedure, but one only." Elizabethan characters, however, must never be made to speak by the card, nor must we lose sight of the fact that " or say to them " is not thought of precisely as an alternative mode of procedure, but in contrast with '* Action is eloquence."
81. Thou art . . . soldier, etc.] Com- pare III. i. 317-320 aiite.
gi. in a fiery gulf] into (most prob- ably) "an abyss full of flame" {New Eng. Diet.).
180 CORIOLANUS [act m.
Co7n. I have been i' the market-place ; and, sir, 'tis fit You make strong party, or defend yourself By calmness or by absence : all 's in anger. 95
Men. Only fair speech.
Com. I think 'twill serve if he
Can thereto frame his spirit.
Vol. He must, and will.
Prithee now, say you will, and go about it.
Cor. Must 1 go shew them my unbarb'd sconce ? must I
With my base tongue give to my noble heart 100
A lie that it must bear? Well, I will do 't : Yet were there but this single plot to lose, This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it And throw 't against the wind. To the market- place ! You have put me now to such a part which never 105 I shall discharge to the life.
Com. Come, come, we '11 prompt you.
Vol. I prithee now, sweet son, as thou hast said My praises made thee first a soldier, so. To have my praise for this, perform a part Thou hast not done before.
Cor. Well, I must do 't. no
Away, my disposition, and possess me
96, 97. / think . . . spirit,'] As Rowe (ed. 2); prose Ff. 99, too. must I
With . . . heart] As Capell; one line in Ff ; Globe edd. (Keightley conj.) read Must . . . unbarbed sconce (line 99), Must . . . heart (line 100), omitting my before base and also to. loi. bear.^ Well] Pope ; beare well? F.
99. unbarbed sconce] unarmed, un- 103. mould] form, frame is the corn- protected head. For barbed, properly mon interpretation ; but why not the of armoured horses, see Richard III. 1. metaphor continued with ;«o»/(f = earth, i. 10, and full note in this series, unless grind is thought to require some- Sconce {abscondo to conceal) is a fort in thing firmer ? Compare Southwell, Henry V. iii. iii. 76, a helmet in The The Author to the Reader, Vine 4 {Poems, Comedy of Errors, 11. ii. 37, and a head ed. Grosart, p. g) : •' They once were in the same play, i. ii. 79 : '• Or I shall brittle mould that now are saints."
break that merry 5co»ctf of yours." See , , ,- i-^r- tl
oioo. T n,,..,. 6 All ,, • /u- io5» *"^« • • • which] K^omvizxt The
also L. Barry, Ram Alley, ii. i. (Haz- tj/- "1 > 'n / • c .. u a-
litt's Dodsley, x. 300) : M say no Winter^ s Tae. ix. 2t,^^s^.zh ^nj^^ec-
more ; But 'tis within this sconce to go '»?" ^^'^^^ T'\ ''^ °"'
beyond them." ^ ^^'**"- ^''«^- § ^^^'
102. this single plot] only this body, 106. discharge] \^tx^otm. See A Mid-
or as Deighton puts it, "this small summer Night's Dream, 1. ii. 95; and
portion of earth ; the body being m ide also iv. ii. 8 : •* you have not a man in
of earth." Shakespeare uses plot, a all Athens able to discharge Pyramus
piece of ground (see Hamlet, iv. iii. 60 ; but he." The reference to the stage is
Richard II. 11. i. 50), for a person here seconded in Cominius's answer, •• Come,
pnly, come, we '11 prompt you."
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
181
Some harlot's spirit ! my throat of war be turn'd, Which quired with my drum, into a pipe Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice That babies lulls asleep ! the smiles of knaves Tent in my cheeks, and school-boys' tears take up The glasses of my sight ! a beggar's tongue Make motion through my lips, and my arm'd knees, Who bow'd but in my stirrup, bend like his That hath receiv'd an alms ! I will not do 't. Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,
113. quired] quier'd F. 115. lulls] Rowe ; lull F.
115
120
112. harlot's] Harlot, i.e. rascal, knave, ribald, is a strong term of oppro- brium, and is used of both sexes. Com- pare The Comedy of Errors, v. i. 205 : " While she with harlots feasted in my house," and the epithet bestowed by Leontes on Polixenes in The Winter s Tale, II. iii. 4 : " the harlot king."
throat of war] warrior's throat or warrior's voice, for both throat and voice are in mind. For "throat" in- ferring voice, also compare As You Like It, II. V. 4 : " the sweet bird's throat.'" •* To lay (set) out the throat," to raise a great outcry, is common. See Nashe, PasquiVs Apology, 1590, Parti. {Works, ed. McKerrow, vol. i., p. log) : " shall I not lay out my throate to keepe them (Church-robbers) off ? " Tomkis. Alhu- marar (Hazlitt'sZ)orfs/<y/,xi. 356) : " lay out a lion's throat ; A little louder " ; Middleton, Blurt Master Constable, 11. i. 66 : "I should cut your throat now, . . . but that I know you would set out a throat " ; Brome (Pearson's ed., vol. ii.), The Covent Garden Weeded, 11. ii. p. 34 : " Yea I will set out a throat even as the beast that belloweth."
113. Which . . . drum] Which sounded in unison with my drum, which the sound of my drum could not drown. This verb "to quire" (choir) occurs also in The Merchant of Venice, V, i. 62 : " Still quiring to the young- ey'd cherubins."
113, 114. pipe Small] pipe used like throat above. Compare Twelfth Night, I. Jv. 32, 33 :—
" thy small pipe Is as the maiden's organ, shrill and sound," etc. The New Eng. Diet., quotes Lyly ; see Euphues and his England, 1580, ed.
Arber, p. 278: " hee also stray ned his olde pipe, and thus beganne." Small is often applied directly to the voice, as in Chaucer, Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, line 688 : •• A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot " ; i Kings, xix. 12 : '* and after the fire a still small voice"; Holland's Plinie, Book xi., chap, Ii., ed 1634, Part I. 353 : " Kine only of females have a bigger voice than Buls: for in every kind else the female hath a smaller voice than the males."
114. as an etmnch] as that of an enunch. Compare a similar abbrevia- tion in I. vi. 26, 27 ante.
ii6. Tent] Camp, lodge.
take up] take possession of. Com- pare The Winter's Tale, in. iii. go " how it [the sea] tak(S up the shore ! "
117. The glasses of my sight] Compare Richard II. 1. iii. 208-209 : —
" Uncle, even in the glasses of thine eyes I see thy grieved heart," and The Winter's Tale, i. ii. 268, 269 : " or your eye-glass Is thicker than a cuckold's horn." See also the use of " crystals," Henry V. ii. iii. 57: " Go, clear thy crystals."
119. Who] often used of inanimate antecedents. See Abbott {Shakes. Gram. § 264).
121. siircease] cease. Shakespeare uses this verb only twice elsewhere ; in Romeo and Juliet, iv. i. 97: " for no pulse Shall keep his native progress, but surcease," and in Lucrece, 1766. The substantive is found in Macbeth, i. vii. 4. See also The Misfortunes of Arthur, iv. Chorus 2, line 13 (Hazlitt's Dodsley, iv. 327) : *' These wars and civil sins had soon surceas'd," etc.
182
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
And by my body's action teach my mind A most inherent baseness.
Vol, At thy choice then :
To beg of thee it is my more dishonour Than thou of them. Come all to ruin ; let Thy mother rather feel thy pride than fear Thy dangerous stoutness, for I mock at death With as big heart as thou. Do~'as thou list. Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me. But owe thy pride thyself
Cor. Pray, be content :
Mother, I am going to the market-place ; Chide me no more. I '11 mountebank their loves, Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd
129. suck'dsf] Rowe (ed. 2) ; snck'st F. 130. owe] F ; owne F 2.
125
130
123. inherenf] ineradicable, abiding.
124, 125. To beg . . . them] Elliptical. To beg of thee more dishonours me than to beg of them would dishonour thee.
125-127. let . . . stoutness] This is very ambiguous. Mr. E, K. Chambers (Warwick Shakespeare) says : '* Vol- umnia gives up her cause, and resigns herself to the sympathy with Coriolanus's pric'e, which has throughout been com- peting with her alarm at his obstin- acy." But his pride is just what she cannot sympathize with, and disowns in him : " owe thy pride thyself." Johnson says: "Perhaps she means, ' Go, do thy worst ; let me rather feel the utmost extremity that thy pride can bring upon me, than live thus in fear of thy dangerous obstinacy ' ; " but this, though accepted by recent editors, as- sumes too much, and practically identi- fies " pride" with " stoutness," which more nearly corresponds with *' valiant- ness," line 129. The fact seems to be that Volumnia, in her resentment, ex- horts herself not Coriolanus, saying in effect : " now let the sense of thy pride rather concern thy mother than fear of danger from thy valiant obstinacy."
130. owe] own, as often.
132. mountebank . . . loves] wheedle their loves from them, as a mountebank gets pence from the gaping crowd. See Jonson, Voiponc, 11. i., wh( re Pere- grine and Sir Politick discuss the Italian mountebanks, " quacksalvers, Fellows
that live by venting oil and drugs," and Volpone personates one, in disguise.
133- (^og . . . them] The New Eng. Diet., followed by the annotators on this passage, deduces the various figura- tive senses of to^, to cheat, to employ feigned flattery, to wheedle, etc., irom the word (of uncertain origin) as it signifies " to practice certain tricks m throwing dice," and cites the passage in the text under " To wheedle a person out of or into a thing, or (a thing) from a person," quoting Milton, 1645, Colas- terifm {Works, 1851), 365 : " Jesting and friskmg to cog a laughter from us." There is reason, however, to attribute some uses, and perhaps, indeed, the origin of all, to the functions of the cogs or projections on the circumference of a wheel. In Hazlitt's Dodsley's Old English Plays, out of five indexed ex- amples of the word (noun or verb) three refer to a mill or miller : see vol. viii. 134, The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington^ ii. ii., " Mat\ilda]. Much, I confess thou lov'st me very much, And I will more reward it than with words. Much. Nay, I know that ; but we miller's children love xh^cogz little, and the fair speaking " ; ibid. IS7, iii. ii., " yin\7iy]. You cog. Tuck. Tut, girl, I am no miller " ; ibid. 416, Grim the Collier of Croydon, 11. i. "Miller . . . you may . . . knock your cogs into your own mill ; you shall not cog with her." The idea of wheedling seems de- rivable from the action of the cogs or
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 188
Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going :
Commend me to my wife. I '11 return consul, 135
Or never trust to what my tongue can do
r the way of flattery further. Vol. Do your will.
[^Exit Volumnia, Com. Away ! the tribunes do attend you : arm yourself
To answer mildly ; for they are prepar'd
With accusations, as I hjear, more strong 140
Than are upon you yet. Cor. The word is "mildly." Pray you, let us go :
Let them accuse me by invention, I
Will answer in mine honour. Me7i. Ay, but mildly.
Cor. Well, mildly be it then. Mildly! {Exeunt. 145
SCENE \\\.— The Same. The Forum.
Enter SiCINIUS and Brutus.
Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affects Tyrannical power : if he evade us there,
Sune III. The Same. The ForutH.] The Forum. Pope.
teeth of a wheel in moving another the side, and to direct it in the way it
wheel or body. In Skeat's Notes on should go." Cog is often used by
English Etymology, igoi, p. 43, he Shakespeare for to cheat, fawn, flatter,
has ; '* Cog, as in ' to cog dice.' It is etc. ; see Lovers Labour '5 Lost, v. ii.
shown in the New Eng. Diet, that the 235 ; Richard IIL i. iii. 48 ; The Merry
phrase to cog dice seems to have meant Wives of Windsor, iii. iii. 50, 76, and
originally, so to handle the dice-box the notes in this series. Compare also
and dice as to control, in some degree, Bullen's Middleton, i. 27, Blurt Master
the fall of the dice. But no etymology Constable, 11. i. 37 : " O, sir, a page
is suggested. When we notice that must have a cat's eye, a spaniel's leg, a
the usual sb. cog, ' a tooth on the whore's tongue (a little tasting of the
rim of a wheel,' is of Scandinavian cog),'' ttz.; dind. ibid. iv. 10^, The Roar-
origin, being precisely the Mid. Dan. ing Girl, iv. ii. 61: '* Mis. O. Then
^ogge, ' a cog ' . . . ; and when we they write letters . Mis. G. Then
further observe that the Norwegian they cog. ."
^ogga means ' to dupe,' whilst in 142. word] watchword, as in The
Swedish we find the word kiigga, ' to Merchant of Venice, m. v. 58 ; " only
cheat,' corresponding to the Swedish ' cover ' is the word.'"
^^ffg^i *a cog'; it becomes probable 113, 144. Let them . . . honour] Lei
that there is a real connection between them invent accusations against me, I
the verb and the substantive. I suggest will answer them in accordance with
that the method of cogging was per- mine honour.
formed in the only possible way, liz.
by making use of the little finger as a ^^^*^^ ^'^^•
cog, projecting a little into the dice- i. home]SeG on i. iv. 38; 11. ii. 103
box so as just to hitch the die against ante ; and iv. ii. 48 post.
134 CORIOLANUS [act hi.
Enforce him with his envy to the people,
And that the spoil, got on the Antiats,
Was ne'er distributed. 5
Enter an ufEdile.
What, will he come ? ^d. He 's coming.
Bru. How accompanied ?
^d. With old Menenius, and those senators
That always favour'd him. Sic. Have you a catalogue
Of all the voices that we have procur'd,
Set down by the poll ? ^d. I have; 'tis ready. 10
Sic, Have you collected them by tribes ? Aid. I have.
Sic. Assemble presently the people hither ;
And when they hear me say, '' It shall be so
r the right and strength o' the commons," be it either
For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them, 15
If I say fine, cry " fine " ; if death, cry ** death " ;
Insisting on the old prerogative
And power i' the truth o' the cause. Aid. I shall inform them.
Bru. And when such time they have begun to cry,
Let them not cease, but with a din confus'd 20
Enforce the present execution
Of what we chance to sentence. ^d. Very well.
Sic. Make them be strong and ready for this hint,
When we shall hap to give 't them.
5, 6. Was . . . come ?] As Capell ; one line, Ff. 6. Enter . , .] As Capell ;
after come? in Ff. 9, 10. Of . . . poll ?] As Pope ; one line Ff. 14. 0' the] 0' /A' F 4 ; a' tfr F. 18. 0' the] 0' M F 4 ; a' th F.
3. Enforce him . . . envy] Fresshim ii. Have . . . tribes?] Ihis is il-
hard (i.e. Charge him home) with his lustrated by North's Plutarch, see Ex-
hatred. We have had a different con- tracts, p. xlv ante. struction in 11. iii. 217, 218 ante: ''En- 13. presently] at once. force his pride, And his old hate unto you "
18. power . . . cause] the authority
4, 5. And. . . distributed] See North, residmg in a true cause.
Extracts, ante, p. xxxviii, for the foray 21. Enforce . . . present execution]
against the Antiates, and p. xlvi, for the Urge on, insist upon: another use of
proposed accusations. enforce (see on line 3 ante).
I
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 135
Bru, Go ; about it. {Exit ^dile.
Put him to choler straight. He hath been us'd 25
Ever to conquer, and to have his worth Of contradiction : being once chaf d, he cannot Be rein'd again to temperance ; then he speaks What 's in his heart ; and that is there which looks With us to break his neck.
-^^^- Well, here he comes. 30
Enter CORIOLANUS, Menenius, and COMINIUS, with others.
Men. Calmly, I do beseech you.
Cor. Ay, as an hostler, that for the poorest piece
Will bear the knave by the volume. The honour'd
gods Keep Rome in safety, and the chairs of justice Supplied with worthy men ! plant, love among 's ! 35
24. Exit . . .] Pope. 31. Enter . . .] Placed after necke in Ff. 32. for the] F 3 ; forth F 2 ; fourth F. 33. Will . . . gods] As Pope ; two lines
divided after Volume: in Ff. 35. among 's] Dyce ; amongs F; amongst you,
Ff 2-4.
26, 27. to have . . . contradiction] to break his neck " ; Steevens, with to indulge to the full in contradiction, more exactness, comments : " The tri- Worth = iu\l value: compare the sense bune rather seems to mean ' The senti- of pennyworth in Romeo and yuliet, IV. ments of Coriolanus's heart are our V. 4 : " You take your pennyworths [of coadjutors, and look to have their share sleep] now." in promoting his destruction.' " Both
27, 28. being once . . . temperance] obviously connect With us with to Compare, for the source of the imagery, break, etc., but if it is connected with Richard II. 11. i, 70 : " For hot young looks, the sentiments are not coadjutors colts being raged [chafd Jervis conj.] but merely coincide in expectation or do rage the more." tendency.
29, 30. which looks . . . neck] The 32. hostler] a stable-man. Hanmer
New Eng. Diet, places this passage unnecessarily modernized the word by
under look S b. To tend to, promise to, printing ostler.
as sole example, following upon 8 [a]. piece] coin. See Pericles, iv. vi.
To show a tendency ; to tend, point (in 124 : " I beseech your honour, one
a particular direction), illustrated by piece for me," The New Eng. Diet.
several examples, beginning with quotes Moryson, Itinerary, 1617, i.
" 1647, Power of Kings, iv. 84 : The 289 : " they coyne any peece of which
context looketh wholly that way." they can make gayne."
The older commentators explained it 33. Will . . . volume] Will brook
in reference to look = expect or hope, being called knave to any extent,
especially when followed by an infini- 34. chairs of justice] See chair in
tive, as here : compare The Tempest, iv. vii. 52, and for chairs compare
V. i. 292, '• as you look To have my North's Plutarch, Life of Brutus, ed.
pardon." Johnson, a little extending 1595, p. 1057 : " His tribunal (or
this meaning, interprets : " What he chaire) where he gave audience during
has in heart is waiting there to help us the time he was Praetor."
136 CORIOLANUS [act m.
Throng our large temples with the shows of peace,
And not our streets with war ! First Sen. Amen, amen.
Men. A noble wish.
\Re-'\Enter the ^dile, with the Plebeians,
Sic. Draw near, ye people.
JEd. List to your tribunes. Audience ! peace, I say ! 40
Cor. First, hear me speak.
Both Tri. Well, say. Peace, ho !
Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this present ?
Must all determine here ? Sic, I do demand.
If you submit you to the people's voices.
Allow their officers, and are content 45
To suffer lawful censure for such faults
As shall be prov'd upon you ? Cor. I am content.
Men. Lo ! citizens, he says he is content :
The war-like service he has done, consider ; think
Upon the wounds his body bears, which shew 50
Like graves i' the holy churchyard.
36. Throng'] Theobald and Warburton ; Through F. 40. List . . . say /]
As Steevens ; two lines divided after A udience : in Ff.
36. Throng] replacing Ff Through. Diet, is the following : " 1615, G.
See above. Sandys, Trav. 73, His life was to de-
40. Audience] i.e. give audience. termine with his fathers.''
42. <Ai5 /ir^^w^] at this present time, 45. Allow] Acknowledge. Corio- now. Some take it as meaning the lanus's crime was the repudiation of present charge, referring to the events these officers, but the recantation im- in 1.1. i., and the attempt to attach him plied in his answer nowise softens the " as a traitorous innovator, A foe to th' impendmg charge. With allow corn- public weal " (lines 173, 174). On the pare allow of. Twelfth l^'ight, iv. ii. whole, however, time or occasion seems 63 : " thou shalt hold the opinion of to be intended, Coriolanus had been Pythagoras ere I will allow of thy prepared by Cominius for new and wits." The New Eng. Diet., illustrat- stronger accusations (in. ii. 139-141), ing allow "with cow pi. {inf. formerly and had agreed to answer *• mildly," omitted or expressed by for) " cites al ho.igh, in fact, his patience breaks •* 1624, Hey wood, Gunaikeion. in. 144, down as soon as he hears the old charge Not allowing Porsenna a lawful judge repeated. As Sicinius says (line 77 post i, in regard, ' etc.
there was no need to " put new matter 51. Like graves . . . churchyard]
to his char^je." An anachronism, as has been pointed
43. d tvrmine] be finished, conclude, out. We are left at liberty to think of Compare v. iii. 120 post ; Antony and the size, or the number of the wounds, CUopdtra, I.I. xi. 161 ; iv. iii, 2. or of the sanctity of the hero's person, Among illustrations in the New Eng. in the comparison.
SC. III.]
Cor.
CORIOLANUS
137
Scratches with briers ;
Scars to move laughter only. Men. Consider further,
That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a soldier : do not take
His rougher accents for malicious sounds, 55
But, as I say, such as become a soldier,
Rather than envy you. Com. Well, well ; no more.
Cor. What is the matter
That being pass'd for consul with full voice,
I am so dishonour'd that the very hour 60
You take it off again ? Sic. Answer to us.
Cor. Say then : 'tis true, I ought so. Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take
From Rome all season'd office, and to wind
51, 52. Scratches . . . only'] As Capell ; two lines divided after tnoue in Ff. 55. accetits] Theobald ; Actions F.
55. rougher] The comparative may be merely intensive and signify over rough or rather rough, or may distin- guish between Coriolanus's harsh and mild forms of speech.
57. envy yoii] evince malice to you. Compare " Envied against," line gs post.
63. contriv'd] plotted, conspired, as often; e.g. in As You Like It, iv. iii. 135 : " Was 't you that did so oft con- trive to kill him ? "
64. all season'd office] " All office established and settled by time, and made familiar to the people by long use" (Johnson). The fact that the office of tribune was not season'd in this sense would not hinder Sicinius from so describing it; but some, with Schmidt {Shakespeare-Lexicon, s.v.), make season'd office = qualified, tempered office, opposing it to power tyrannical, and It is true that by far the majority of the cases in which the verb season occurs arise unmistakably from the idea of flavouring and the related ideas of preserving and of qualifying or temper- ing, while the few which are usually put down under "mature," "ripen," may quite well have the same origin. The strongest case for "mature,"
"ripen," is Hamlet, i. iii. 8i, where Polonius says : " my blessing season this in thee!" but even here it is possible to regard the blessing as the preservative, or as the ingredient mak- ing all palatable. In the same play, III. ii. 2ig, as ripening or preparing takes time, " And who in want a hollow friend doth try Directly seasons him his enemy " is better explained by flavours, qualifies; and similarly in in. iii. 86: " When he is fit and seasoned for his passage," there can be no question of maturing and ripening, but only of being tempered and qualified at a particular time by the seasoning of rei entance. In Timon of Athens, iv. iii. 85, the context, with salt and tubs, the con- comitants of pickling, not of ripening, surely fix the metaphor. The New Eng. Diet., however, places the passage in the text under the figurative use of seasoned in sense "fitted for use, matured, brought to a state of perfec- tion," etc.
64, 65. wind . . . tyrannical] work yourself tortuously into the position of a tyrant. See King Lear, i. ii. 107, in this edition, " wind me into him," and the note there.
138 CORIOLANUS [act m.
Yourself into a power tyrannical ; 65
For which you are a traitor to the people.
Cor, How ! traitor !
Men. Nay, temperately ; your promise.
Cor. The fires i' the lowest hell fold-in the people ! Call me their traitor ! Thou injurious tribune ! Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths, 70
In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in Thy lying tongue both numbers, 1 would say " Thou liest " unto thee with a voice as free As I do pray the gods.
Sic. Mark you this, people ?
All Pleb. To the rock, to the rock with him ! 75
Sic. Peace !
We need not put new matter to his charge :
What you have seen him do, and heard him speak,
Beating your officers, cursing yourselves.
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying 80
Those whose great power must try him ; even this,
So criminal and in such capital kind,
Deserves the extremest death.
Bru. But since he hath
Serv'd well for Rome, —
Cor. What do you prate of service ?
Bru. I talk of that, that know it.
Cor. You ! 85
Men. Is this the promise that you made your mother ?
Com. Know, I pray you, —
Cor. 1 '11 know no further :
Let them pronounce the steep Tarpeian death, Vagabond exile, flaying, pent to linger But with a grain a day, I would not buy 90
Their mercy at the price of one fair word,
68. hell fold-in] hell fold in Pope; hill. Fould in I'. 70,71. dtaihs, . . . clutched as] deaths . . . clutcht : as F. 71, 72. millions^ in . . . tongue]
Millions in . . . tongue, F. 75, 106, iig, 142. All Pleb.] All. F. 81, 82.
evfn this, . . . kind,] As Pope ; one line Ff. 83, 84. But . . . Rome, — ] As
Pope ; one line Ff.
68. fold-in] enclose, encircle. Com- injurious thief, Hear but my name and
pare the kindred sense in, v. vi. 123 tremble."
t^ost. 8g, go. pent . . . day] i.e. confine-
6g. iiijurious] insulting, calumnious, ment {lit. being confined) and death b>
as in Cymbeline, iv. ii. 86 ; •' Thou starvation.
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 139
Nor check my courage for what they can give, To have 't with saying, " Good morrow."
Sic. For that he has.
As much as in him lies, from time to time Envied against the people, seeking means 95
To pluck away their power, as now at last Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers That doth distribute it ; in the name o' the people. And in the power of us the tribunes, we, lOO
Even from this instant, banish him our city, In peril of precipitation From off the rock Tarpeian, never more To enter our Rome gates : i' the people's name, I say it shall be so. 1 05
All Pleb. It shall be so, it shall be so. — Let him away. — He 's banish'd, and it shall be so.
Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common friends, —
Sic. He 's sentenc'd ; no more hearing.
Com. Let me speak :
I have been consul, and can shew for Rome no
Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love
My country's good with a respect more tender,
More holy and profound, than mine own life.
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins ; then if I would 1 1 5
Speak tjiat —
Sic. We know your drift : speak what ?
Bru. There 's no more to be said, but he is banish'd. As enemy to the people and his country : It shall be so.
All Pleb. It shall be so, it shall be so.
Cor. You common cry of curs ! whose breath I hate 1 20
99. dot}i\ F ; rfo<5 F 2 ; rfo F 3 ; o' the\ a' tW F. no. for\ Theobald ; from F.
95. Envied] Showed malice. Com- 114. estimate] repute, fair fame. See
pare envy, line 57 ante. Richard II. ii. iii. 55, 56: "the Lords
^ . T ^ , . o •• of York, Berkeley, and Seymour ; None
97. jwt tn] not only m. See iii. 11. ^j^^ ^^ ^^^^ and noble estimate.^'
71 ante, for a similar omission. ^^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ p^^j. ^^ ^^^^^ gee
104. Rome gates] So in i. viii. 8 also iv. vi. 148 post; A Midsummer
ante, '* C orioles Walls,'' 11. i. 160, Night's Dream, iv. i. 129: "A cry
•' Within Corioles gates." Abbott, more tuneable Was never hoUa'd to,
Shakes. Gram., § 22, gives many ex- nor cheer'd with horn," and Hamlet,
amples of this license of using proper iii. ii. 289: "get me a fellowship in a
names as adjectives. cry of players."
140
CORIOLANUS
[act III.
As reek o' the rotten fens, whose loves I prize As the dead carcasses of unburied men That do corrupt my air, I banish you; And here remain with your uncertainty ! Let every feeble rumour shake your hearts ! Your enem.ies, with nodding of their plumes, Fan you into despair ! Have the power still To banish your defenders ; till at length Your ignorance, which finds not till it feels, Making but. reservation of yourselves, Still your own foes, deliver you as most Abated captives to some nation That won you without blows ! Despising,
125
130
121. 0' the] o' th' F. 130.
nation] As Capell ; one line Ff.
bufjF; »o^ Capell. 131, 132. as most
120, 121. breath . . . fens] Steevens compares The Tempest, 11. i. 47, 48 : " Seb. As if it [the air] had lungs and rotten ones. Ant. Or as twere per- fumed by zfen.''^
121. prize] estimate, rate, as in i. v. 4 ante.
123. / banish you] Malone pointed out corresponding passages in Richard II. I. iii. 279, 280: "Think not the king did banish thee, But thou the king," and in Lyly's Etiphues, The Anatomy of Wit (see Arber's reprint, Euphues to Botonio, to take his exile patiently, pp. 187, 188) : " when it was cast in Diogenes teeth, yat the Sino- ponetes had banished him Pontus, yea, said he, I them of Diogenes.^' It is likely that Shakespeare owed the thought to this source on both the oc- casions on which he used it.
127. Fan you into despair] So in Macbeth, i. ii. 49, 50, " the Norweyan banners . . . fan our people cold."
130. Making but . . . yourselves] So F, and editors are divided between this reading and Capell's emendation of not for but. Retaining but, the sense of the whole passage (lines 127-131) is: keep the power to banish those who would defend you, until your ignorant policy (which never perceives conse- quences till it undergoes them), reserv-
ing only yourselves from banishment, and in so doing making you still your own enemies, hand you over, etc. Malone argues inconsistency with the purport of the speech, " which is to show that the folly of the people was such as was likely to destroy the whole of the republick without any reservation, not only others, but themselves.^' But the reservation in this case is from banishment, not from destruction, a distinction which also puts out of court his further argument: " If . . . the people have the prudence to make reservation of themselves, while they are destroying their country, they can- not with any propriety be said to be in that respect 'still their own foes'." This being so, the text is retained above, but if Capell's reading had been sub- stituted, it must have appealed for support, not to Malone's argument, but to its giving a sense supposed s mplest and most readily perceptible, viz. : not even safeguarding yourselves (for you are always your own enemies), deliver you, etc.
132. Abated] Humbled, discouraged. Steevens, who compares with Fr. abattu, ches "Croesus, 1604, by Lord Sterline : To advance the humble, and abate the proud," which in the 1637 folio, Recreations with the Muses by William Earle Htcrline, p. 22, Act in.
IBc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 141
I For you, the city, thus I turn my back : There is a world elsewhere. 135
[Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius^ Menenius, Senators, and Patricians. yEd. The people's enemy is gone, is gone ! All Pleb. Our enemy is banish'd ! He is gone ! Hoo ! hoo ! \T^^hey all shout ^ and throw up their caps.
Sic. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him, As he hath follow'd you, with all despite ; Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard 140
Attend us through the city. All Pleb. Come, come ! — Let 's see him out at gates ! come ! The gods preserve our noble tribunes ! Come !
[Exeunt.
136. Exeunt . . .] Substantially as Capell ; Exeunt Coriolanus, Cominius, with Cumalijs Ff i, 2 ; . . . Cominius, cum aliis Ff 3, 4. 137. Hoo ! hoo!]
Hoo, hoo. F 3 ; Hoo, 00. F. [They all . . .] Ff. after Exeunt, etc. 139, 140.
you, . . . despite ; Give] Capell ; you, . . . despight Giue F ; you, . . . despight. Give F 3.
sc. ii., has become: "To spare the 137. Hoo! . . . caps] See 11. . 103 humble, and to plague the proud." ante.
ACT IV
SCENE I. — Rome. Before a Gate of the City.
Enter CORIOLANUS, Volumnia, Virgilia, Menenius, COMINIUS, with the young nobility of Rome.
Cor. Come, leave your tears : a brief farewell : the beast With many heads butts me away. Nay, mother, Where is your ancient courage ? you were us'd To say extremities was the trier of spirits ; That common chances common men could bear ; 5
That when the sea was calm all boats alike
Rome. Before . . . ] Malone ; The Gates of Rome. Pope. ■was\ Extreamities was F ; Extreamity was F 2.
4. extremities
I. leave'] cease, leave off, as in Hamlet^ in. iv. 34 : " Leave wringing of your hands"; used both as here with an accusative, and absolutely, as in Venus and Adonis, 715 : " Where did I leave ? " Leave off is used three times only.
I, 2. the beast . . . heads'] Compare the " many-headed multitude," 11. iii. 16, 17 ante, also *' Hydra " (the many- headed snake of Lerna), Coriolanus's name for the mob in in. i. 92. Steevens points out that Horace had said of the multitude of Rome, " Bellua multorum est capitum." The term, or its like, was, from first to last, a constant re- source to Elizabethans in contemptuous moods. Compare The Life and Death of Jack Straw, i. (Hazlitt's Dodsley, V. 384): "The Multitude, a beast of many heads, Of misconceiving and mis- construing minds " ; Jonson, Under- woods, XIV., "To Mr. Fletcher, upon his Faithful Shepherdess " ; —
" The wise, and many-headed bench, that sits Upon the life and death of plays and wits," etc.
3. you were us'd] it was your cus-
tom, your habit. See iii. i. 113, and note, also in. i. 248 ante.
4. extremities was] The second Folio needlessly changed the text to ex- tremity, a reading which some editors adopt ; but Malone properly insisted on the correctness of the old text. On the grammatical point, see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., §§ 333-337. and the Preface to the third edition of Antony and Cleo- patra, in this series. Extremities has already occurred in in. ii. 41 ante.
6, 7. That . . . floating] Steevens
noted the following interesting parallel
in Troilus and Cressida, i. iii. 33, etc : —
"In the reproof of chance
Lies the true proof of men : the
sea being smooth, How many shallow bauble boats
dare sail Upon her patient breast, making
their way With those of nobler bulk ! " So far Steevens, but the remainder of the passage is worth referring to, as it further illustrates what was m Shake- speare's mind when he wrote the pas- sage in the text.
142
:.]
CORIOLANUS
148
'Vir. Cor. Vol.
Cor.
Shew'd mastership in floating ; fortune's blows, When most struck home, being gentle, wounded,
craves A noble cunning : you were us'd to load me With precepts that would make invincible lo
The heart that conn'd them.
0 heavens ! O heavens !
Nay, I prithee, woman, — Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome, And occupations perish !
What, what, what !
1 shall be lov'd when I am lack'd. Nay, mother, 1 5
8. gentle,'] gentle Ff.
7. fortune's blows] Presumably we must supply : " you were us'd to say."
8. home] Compare the figurative uses in II. ii. 103; III. iii. i ante; and in iv. ii. 48 post.
8, 9. being gentle, . . . craves . . . cunnuig.] fortune's blows might have been nominative to craves (see note, line 3 above) but is apparently not so, Abbott, § 333, would regard the words as nominative absolute, and When as redundant (" Fortune's blows [being] struck home, to be gentle then, requires a noble wisdom "), but it seems simpler to assume a temporal clause with Johnson, who explains : " When For- tune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded, and yet continue calm, re- quires a generous policy." Perhaps, instead of making gentle — " calm," we should regard it, with Mr. Chambers (Warwick Shakespeare), as in anti- thesis to common, and " being gentle, wounded," as = " to bear your wounds as a gentleman." Cunning in the better sense of knowledge, skill, etc., is frequent. Compare Pericles, iii. ii. 27:—
• I hold it ever, Virtue and cunning were endow- ments greater Than nobleness and riches."
13. the red feAilence] So, in The Tempest, i. ii. 364, Caliban says : *' The red plague rid you." Halliwell says : '• In the General Practise of Physicke, 1605, p. 675, three different kinds of the plague-sore are mentioned — ' some- times it is red, otherwiles yellow, and
sometimes blacke, which is the very worst and most venimous'." We may remember also, that red spots on a plague-stncken patient were regarded as " God's tokens " of death. See Antony and Cleopatra, in. x. 9: "the tokened pestilence," and the note and illustrations appended in this series.
14. occupations'] handicrafts, trades. The Neiv Eng. Diet, quotes " Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 364 : Take away learn- ing from among men, and how shall trades mechanical, occupations (I meane) be maintained." See also iv. vi. 98 post, where the word is used in con- tempt as often in Elizabethan literature. See the present passage, and Lyly, Endimion, i. iii. {Works, Gd. Fairholt, I, 13) : " Top. Of what occupation are your masters ? Dar. Occupation, you clowne, why they are honourable, and warriers." It is dignified, how- ever, in Antony and Cleopatra, iv. iv.
17:—
" 0 love, That thou couldst see my wars to- day, and knew'st The royal occupation ! " What, what, what!] Dr. Wright points out that these are " exclamations of impatience, deprecating any further lamentation," and quotes Antony and Cleopatra, iv. xv. 83 : —
'• How do you, women ? What, what ! good cheer ! "
15. J . . . lack'd] Compare Antony and Cleopatra, i. iv. 43, 44 : —
" And the ebb'd man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love. Comes dear'd by being lack'd " ;
144
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say,
If you had been the wife of Hercules,
Six of his labours you 'd have done, and sav'd
Your husband so much sweat. Cominius,
Droop not ; adieu. Farewell, my wife, my mother :
I '11 do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are Salter than a younger man's,
And venomous to thine eyes. My sometime general,
I have seen thee stern, and thou~hast ofTbdield
Heart-hardening spectacles ; tell these sad women
*Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes
As 'tis to laugh at 'em. My mother, you wot well
My hazards still have been your solace ; and
20
25
and, for the same thought applied to things, Much Ado about Nothing, iv. i. 219-222 : —
" for it so falls out
That what we have we prize not to the worth
Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and lost,
Why, then we rack the value," etc. The New Eng. Diet places the passage in the text under lack = To perceive the absence ol ; to miss ; together with Othello, III. iii. 318 : " poor lady she'll run mad When she shall lack it," and Macbeth, in. iv. 84 : " My worthy lord, Your noble friends do Icuk you," thus illustrating from Shakespeare only.
22, 23. Thy tears . . . tyts] Shake- speare refers to the effect of tears on the eyes in Troilus and Cressida, v. iii.
54. 55 :—
•' Who should with-hold me ? . . . Not Priamus and Hecuba on knees, Their eyes o'ergalled with recourse of tears," and in Hamlet, i. ii. 154, 155 : —
" Ere yet the salt of most unright- eous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes." 26, 27. 'Tis . . . Vm] fond = as fond = as foolish. With the idea in these lines, compare Antotiy and Cleo- patra, III. vi. 84, 85 : " But let de- termined things to destiny Hold un- bewail'd their way." Something like it, the refusal to deplore calamity, is a mark of greatness in extremes. So Antony, ibid. iv. xiv. 135 et seq. : —
•' Nay, good my fellows, do not please sharp fate To grace it with your sorrows " ; etc. and IV. XV. =,1 et seq., his last words : — "The miserable change now at my end Lament nor sorrow at ; but please
your thoughts In feeding them with those my
former fortunes Wherein I lived, the greatest prince
o' the world, The noblest ; " etc. It is with such thoughts that Jonson has ennobled his villainous hero Sejanus, when in a magnificent solilo- quy, as dangers thicken round him, he recounts his achievements, and goes on : —
" If you will Destinies, that after all, I faint now ere I touch my period, You are but cruel ; and I already
have done Things great enough . . . Rome, senate, people, all the world
have seen Jove but my equal ; Caesar but my second." {Works, ed. Gifford and Cunningham, i. 319, Sejanus, v. iv.)
27, 28. My mother . . . solace"] Com- pare I. iii. 5-25 ante.
27. wof] know ; common in Shake- speare. See IV. V. 166 post; A Mid- summer Night's Dream, iv. i. 169; etc.
28. stiir] always. See in. ii. 5, ante.
fsc. I.]
CORIOLANUS
145
Believe *t not lightly, though I go alone,
Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen 30
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,
Whither wilt thou go ? Take good Cominius With thee awhile : determine on some course, 35
34. Whither wilt thou] Capell ; Whether will thou F ; Whither will you
F2.
I
29. Believe H not lightly} Be con- fident of this, give serious belief to this, lit. beheve it not slightly, or in- differently. See Richard III. i. iii. 45 : —
" By Holy Paul, they love his grace but lightly That fill his ears with such dis- sentious rumours."
30, 31. that his fen . . . s^^n] whose remote lurking place makes him, etc. ~n IV. vii. 23 post, Aufidius says that Coriolanus fights dragon-like. The dragons of legend haunt groves and caves, and Spenser's dragon {The Faerie Quecne, I. xi. iv.) is first seen : —
" Where stretcht he lay upon the sunny side Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill."
Shakespeare has " Fillet of a fenny snake" in Macbeth, iv. i. 12, and though he does not mean dragon there, since he mentions " Scale of dragon " a few lines further on, Topsell, in his History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents, ed. 1658, p. 705, quoted by Wright, says : " Of Indian Dragons there are also said to be two ki;ides, one of ihem fenny and living in the marishes, which are slow of pace and without combes on their heads like females; the other in the Mountains, which are more sharp and great," etc. Compare also Milton, in allusion to Python, Paradise Lost, x. 529 : —
" Now dragon grown, larger than whom the sun
Engender'd in the Pythian vale on slime.
Huge Python."
Topsell devotes more than fourteen large folio pages to the dragon.
33. cautelous] Here = artful, wily, but commoner in good sense, cautious, wary, as in Field, A Woman is a Weathercock, i. i. (Hazlitt's Dodsley, XI. 15) : " Yet warn you, be as cautel- ous not to wound My integrity," etc. See Skeat and Mayhew's Tudor and Stuart Glossary, for other examples, and for the noun cautel = wariness, caution, in Elyot, The Governour, i. 4, in contrast with cautel — crafty device, etc., in Hamlet, i. iii. 15. Compare also Cotgrave, French and English Dictionary (cited in Dyce's Glossary), " Cautelle : A wile, cautell, sleight . . . ; also, craft, subtiltie, trumperie, deceit, cousenage,^^ and cautility in The Trial of Treasure (Hazlitt's Dodsley, III. 284) : —
" The treasure of this world we may well compare To Circes the witch with her crafty cautility,^' etc.
practice] treacherous contrivance. See Henry VIII. i. i. 204 : *' I shall perish Under device and practice''; King Lear, 11. i. 75 ; etc.
first] Warburton explains first here as " noblest, and most eminent of men." We have no intimation that Volumnia had other children, yet as in v. iii. 162 post, she calls herself meta- phorically, " poor hen, fond of no second brood," she may here, too, be thinking of priority and singleness; together, and we may perhaps, as Mr. Verity suggests, take first as = first and last, or first and only.
146
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
More than a wild exposture to each chance That starts i' the way before thee.
Cor. O the gods !
Com. I '11 follow thee a month, devise with thee
Where thou shalt rest, that thou may'st hear of us. And we of thee : so if the time thrust forth 40
A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send O'er the vast world to seek a single man, And lose advantage, which doth ever cool r the absence of the needer.
Cor. Fare ye well :
Thou hast years upon thee ; and thou art too full 45
Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one
That 's yet unbruis'd : bring me but out at gate.
Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and
My friends of noble touch, when I am forth.
Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come. 50
36. exposture] exposure Rowe.
36. exposture] exposure. There seems no reason to follow Rowe in reading exposure, though we have as yet no other example of exposture, a word formed on the analogy of composture, which was in fairly common use, and occurs in Timon of Athens, iv. iii. 444.
38. I 'II . . . month] Shakespeare makes Coriolanus go alone into exile. In North's Plutarch, he goes "on his waye with three or foure of his friendes only." See Extracts, p. xlvii ante. We hear no more of these friends, but that he remained a few days at his house in the country and then de- termined to go and stir up the Volsces.
41. repeal] recall from exile. Seeiv. vii. 32 post, and the verb in v. v. 5, and also The Two Gentlemen of Verona, iii. i. 234 : •• When she lor thy repeal was suppliant." Cotgrave, French and Eng- lish Dictionary, has " Rappel : a repeal, revocation, recaling.'^
43. advantage . . . cool] advantage is favourable opportunity, as often, and cool reminds us of the proverb : " Strike while the iron s hot."
45. Thou . . . thee] Compare King Lear, i. iv. 42 : " I have years on my back forty-eight," ai.d North's Plut- arch, ed. 1612, p. 845, Demosthenes :
" those . . . that haue yong yeares on their backes to follow such pleasure."
47. bring me] conduct me, go with me, as often. Compare Henry V. 11. iii. 2 : *' Prithee, honey-sweet husband, let me bring thee to Staines " ; and see the page from North's Plutarch cited in the note to line 38 ante.
at gate] Dr. Wright quotes King Lear, in. vii. 17 : " Some five or six and thirty of his knights, . . . met him at gate.'' See also 111. iii. 138 ante. 49. friends . . . touch] Compare this with what he says about the Patricians to Aufidius, IV. v. 76-78 post : —
" The cruelty and envy of the people. Permitted by our dastard nobles,
who Have all forsook me," etc. Friends of noble touch are true, proved, unalloyed friends, by metaphor from the practice of trying or testing gold by the touchstone. See 11. iii. 189 ante, '* had touch'd his spirit, And tried his inclina- tion " ; and compare also Henry IV. iv. iv. 10 (" M ust bide the touch ") ; Richard 111. IV. ii. 8 :—
•' O Buckingham, now do I play the touch. To try if thou be current gold in- deed."
5c. II.] CORIOLANUS 147
While I remain above the ground you shall
Hear from me still ; and never of me ought
But what is like me formerly. \Men. That 's worthily
As any ear can hear. Come ; let 's not weep.
If I could shake off but one seven years 5 5
From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,
I 'd with thee every foot. Cor. Give me thy hand.
Come. [Exeunt.
SCENE IL—Tke Same. A Street near the Gate. Enter the two Tribunes, SICINIUS and Brutus, with the jEdile.
Sic. Bid them all home ; he 's gone, and we '11 no further.
The nobility are vex'd, whom we see have sided
In his behalf Bru. Now we have shewn our power,
Let us seem humbler after it is done
Than when it was a-doing. Sic. Bid them home ; 5
Say their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient strength. [Bru. Dismiss them home.
{Exit Mdile.
Enter VOLUMNIA, ViRGILIA, and- MeneniuS.
Here comes his mother.
57, 58. Give . . . Come.\ As Steevens (1793) ; one line Ff.
Scene 11.
The Hame. A . . .] The Satne. Street leading from the Gate. Capell. 5-8. Bid . . . mother.] As Pope ; three lines ending gone, . . . strength . . . Mother, in Ff. 7. Exit . . .] Capell.
51-53. Has Coriolanus at last learnt should at least be observed that Corio-
the lesson of dissimulation so thor- lanus has just said : " and [you shall]
oughly as to practise it upon his never [hear] of me ought But," etc. It
friends ? or is his revengeful design of would be natural for Menenius to reply :
later growth ? Then we shall hear of you [or from you]
52. stiW] constantly, as often. See as worthy reports as can possibly be. III. ii. 5 ante. e
53. That '5 worthily] That's excel- ^^'^^^^ ^^^
lently (spoken). We read in Antony 2. sided} taken a side, strongly en- and Cleopatra, ii. ii. 102, " Worthily gaged themselves. See also the ex- spoken." This is Mr. Craig's interpre- pression " side factions " in i. i. 192 ution, and also Mr. Verity's, but it ante.
148
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
Sic. Let 's not meet her.
Bru. Why?
Sic. They say she 's mad.
Bru. They have ta'en note of us : keep on your way.
Vol. O ! ya 're well met. The hoarded plague o' the gods
Requite your love ! Men. Peace, peace ! be not so loud.
Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear —
Nay, and you shall hear some. [To Brutus.] Will you be gone? Vir. [To SICINIUS.] You shall stay too. 1 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 foxship
15
II, 12. The . . . love /] As Capell ; one line Ff. 12. Requite] F 3 ; reqtdt F. 14. {To Brutus'] Johnson.
Johnson.
9. mad} i.e. in all probability, furious, in a state of wild uncontrollable rage, a sense of mad not uncommon in Shakespeare's day, and still used col- loquially.
II. hoarded] kept in store, treasured up. Compare King Lear, 11. iv. 164 : " All the stored vengeances of heaven fall On her ingrateful top," and Richard III. I. iii. 217-221 : •' If heaven have any grievous plague in store," etc.
16. Are you mankind] Are you a masculine woman, a virago ? or else, perhaps, Are you infuriated, fierce, mad ? Johnson, noting Volumnia's answer, says : " The word mankind is used maliciously by the first speaker, and taken perversely by the second. A mankind woman is a woman with the roughness of a man, and, in an aggra- vated sense, a woman ferocious, vio- lent, and eager to shed blood. In this sense, Sicinius asks Volumnia, if she be mankind. She takes mankind for a human creature,'^ etc. The New Eng. Diet, treats this word in sense infuri- ated, etc., as possibly a perversion of mankeen (used chiefly of animals), fierce, savage, keen to attack men, citing for this form (which has not, however, been found as early as mankind), 1568, Hist. Jacob and Esau, 11. ii., •' What ?
15
the] o' th' F. [To Sicinius]
are you mankene now ? " Of mankind it gives an example as early as 1519, from Horman, Vulgaria, p. 127 : '* He set dogges, that were mankynde [Latin, canibus effcratis] vpon the man," etc. See also (for examples of both senses), Cotgrave, Fr. and Ettg. Diet., 1611 : " Manticore, A rauenons and mankind Indian beast " ; Higgins' translation of The Nomcnclator, 1585 : " Virago : a manly woman, or mankind woman " ; Lyly, The Woman in the Moone, 1596, n. i. (stage direction) : " She snatcheth the speare out ofStesias^ hand, and laves about her''; then Gunophilus (log.), " What ? is my mistress mankinde on the sudden ? " ; Porter, The Tivo Angry Women of Abington, 1599 (Hazlitt's Dodsley, vii. 319): "Why, she is mankind; therefore thou mayest strike her." As the Nciv Eng. Diet, points out, mankind = masculine, and man- kind = fierce, etc. (possibly the same word as mankeen) are sometimes indis- tinguishable.
18. foxship] craft, cunning. In- gratitude is also implied, according to Verity, taking fox as the type of in- gratitude in King Lear, 111. vi. 24 (" Now, you ^ht foxes ! ''), and pointing out that Gloucester is called " Ingrate- ful/o^ / " in the same play, iii, vii. 28.
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
149
To banish him that struck more blows for Rome
Than thou hast spoken words ? Sic. O blessed heavens ! 20
Vol. Moe noble blows than ever thou wise words ;
And for Rome's good, I '11 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 'Id 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 35
Will not have earth to know. Bru. ^" " Pray, let us go.
19. struck'] F 4 ; strooke F. 21. Moe] F ; More F 3. 25, 26. What
then ! . . . posterity.] As Hanmer ; one line Ff. 36. let 7is] Pope ; let 's F.
25
30
There is possibly a twofold contrast here of the natures of man (in Volumnia) and fox (in Sicinius, implying baseness and ingratitude as well as cunning), and of the fool and fox in Sicinius.
21. Moe] See 11. iii. 124, and note.
23. Nay . . . too ;] No doubt Vol- umnia addresses these words to Sicinius, meaning first to smother her words, but changing her mind. Delius thinks they are spoken to Brutus.
23, 24. / . . . Arabia] Compare
Macbeth, in. iv. 104: 'And dare me
to the desert with thy sword," Richard
II. IV. i. 74 : "I dare meet Surrey in a
wilderness" ; also Cymhcline, 1. 1. 167 : —
" O brave sir !
I would they were in Afric both
together ; ' ' etc.
31, 32. tinknit . . . ^Mo/] This meta- phor for the forming or dissolving some bond or tie occurs frequently. Compare Romeo and Juliet, iv. ii. 24: "I'll
have this knot knit up to-morrow morn- ing " ; 1 Henry IV. v. i. 15, 16 : "will you again unknit This churlish knot of all-abhorred war ? " and the editors' citations thereon in this series, includ- ing: " Whan thus I saw the knot of love unknit " from Gorboduc, iv. ii. See also The Mei'ry Wives of Windsor, in. ii. 76, and Mr. Hart's note in this series.
34. Cats] So, perhaps, because of their sneaking, stealthy ways. Bertram in All 's Well that Ends Well, iv. iii. 267, 295, 307, is cited as using cat as a contemptuous epithet for the treacher- ous Parolles. He, however, has a natural antipathy to the animal : " I could endure anything before but a cat, and now he's a cat to me."
35, 36. mysteries . . . know] Com- pa.Te Ki?ig Lear, v. iii. 16, 17: "And take upon's the mystery of things. As if we were God's spies " ; and see note to the passage in this edition.
150 CORIOLANUS [act iv.
Vol. Now, pray, sir, get you gone :
You have done a brave deed. Ere you go, hear this :
As far as doth the Capitol exceed
The meanest house in Rome, so far my son, 40
This lady's husband here, this, do you see ?
Whom you have banish'd, does exceed you all. Bru. Well, well ; we '11 leave you. Sic. Why stay we to be baited
With one that wants her wits ? \Exeu7it Tribunes.
Vol. Take my prayers with you.
I would the gods had nothing else to do 45
But to confirmjnyj:urses ! Could I meet 'em
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 '11 sup with me? Vol, Anger 's my meat ; I sup upon myself, 50
And so shall sterve with feeding. Come, let 's go.
Leave this faint puling and lament as I do.
In anger, Juno-like. Come, come, come.
[Exeunt Vol. and Vir. Men. Fie, fie, fie ! [Exit.
43. stay we] F ; stay you Ff 2-4. 44. Exeunt . . .] F 4 ; Exit . . . F.
52. faint puling] Hyphened in Ff. 53. Exeunt . . .] Exeunt. Ff.
43, baited] harassed; bitten and Pericles, v. i. ii^^ 114: '' VJho starves worried, as bulls, bears, etc., are by the ear she feeds, and makes them dogs. hungry, The more she gives them
44. With] by, as frequently. See speech," but it is sufficiently similar to Antony and Cleopatra, iii. x. 6, 7 : be illustrative. On the form sterve, see "The greater cantle of the world is note on 11. iii. 112 ante.
lost With very ignorance." 52. Leave] Cease. See iv. i. i, and
47, 48. unclog . . . heavy to H] Com- note. Virgilia is exhorted.
pare Richard II. i. iii. 200 : " The faint] feeble, spiritless, as in
clogging burthen oi a guilty souV Timon of Athens, in. i. 57: "Has
48. told them home] told them the friendship such a faint and milky truth in plain forcible words. Compare heart," etc.
II. ii. 103 ; III. iii. i ante, and Hamlet, puling] In Romeo and Juliet, in.
III. iii. 29 :'• I '11 warrant she '11 tax him v. 185, Capulet calls his daughter: home." •• a wretched puling fool, A whining
51. sterve with feeding] Supping upon mammet." Puling is an imitative
anger, Volumnia sups upon herself (for word : see Cotgrave, Fr. and Etig.
all passions waste the strength) and so DzV^, i( 11, " Ptar^/^r, topeepeorcheepe
will sterve {i.e. starve) with feeding, as a young bird, also, to^j</f or howle
Sterve may or may not = •' die " here, as a young whelpe,"
for though that was the chief sense, 53. In . . . Juno-like] This is pos-
the modern one "to suffer extremely sibly a reminiscence of Virgil, -/E««rf, i.
from hunger (or cold) " also existed. 4 : " saevae memorem Junonis ob
The thought is not quite the same in iram."
sc. Ill] CORIOLANUS 151
SCENE III. — A Highway between Rome and Antium, Enter a Roman and a Volsce, meeting.
Rom. I know you well, sir, and you know me : your name I think is Adrian.
Vols. It is so, sir : truly, I have forgot you.
Rom.. I am a Roman ; and my services are, as you are,
against 'em. Know you me yet ? 5
Vols. Nicanor ? No.
Rom. The same, sir.
Vols. You had more beard when I last saw you ; but your favour is well appear'd by your tongue. What 's the news in Rome ? I have a note from the Volscian 10 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. 1 5
Vols. Hath been ! Is it ended then ? Our state thinks not so ; they are in a most war-like 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 20 would make it flame again. For the nobles receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus,
Scene III.
A Highway . . .] Malone; i4n<tMm. Rowe ; Volscian territories. A Highway, Capell. meeting''] Capell adds. 9. appeared ] approved Steevens conj.,
Collier (ed. 2), and other editors.
Scene III. seen him : His favour is familiar to
/■ Ai »j me."
9. ynur favour . . appear d . ^^^^^ ^ „^^^ . . . to fnd] a. paper
/o«^t/^]" your favour IS fully man /«^^|f directing me to find. Compare Cym-
OT rendered apparent by your tongue j^^^- f -^ : " he . . . left these
(Malone). The peculiar use of a^/>mr^^ ^^^^^ Of what commands I should be
has caused some editors to accept gubig^t to."
emendations (see above), but the known , ,!, • , i. u^ „ „„
freedom of Elizabethan language for- . 13- Aa//.] smgular perhaps here, as
bids change. Abbott, Shakes Gram., ^t precedes the p ural subject, but very
§2,6, uses the case to support a plea co^n^on as a plural. See preface to
for recognizing a reflexive use of ./>- Antnny and Cleopatra m this series.
pear (which, however, is not needed) in third edition.
Much Ado about ^oth^ng, i.ii. 22, and 17. preparation] In i. 11. 15 ante,
Ci mbeline, iii. iv. 148. Shakespeare uses the word for the result
favour] appearance or face, as in of preparation, the force that has been
Cymbeline, v. v. 93 ; " I have surely assembled.
152 CORIOLANUS [act iv.
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 25 mature for the violent breaking out.
Vols. Coriolanus banished !
Rom. Banished, sir.
Vo/s. You will be welcome with this intelligence,
Nicanor. 30
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 3 5 of his country.
Vo/s. He cannot choose. I am most fortunate thus ac- cidentally 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 40 strange things from Rome ; all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?
Vo/s. A most royal one : the centurions and their charges
distinctly billeted, already in the entertainment, and 45 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.
34. wiir] well F.
31. The day . . . ii07if] Now is their billeted] enrolled ; according to the
{i.e. the Volscians') opportunity. New Eng. Diet., which distinguishes
36. 0/] either possessive or = from, this sense of the verb from that of as, often, /w would sound more familiar "To assign quarters to (soldiers) by a to us. note or ticket," etc. ; and quotes, be-
37. He cannot choose] He is bound to sides the present passage, " 1618, Select ''appear well," to display himself on Harl. Misc. {iyg^),2iii, He billeted the the stage of action to advantage, his said pioneers for several ships" ;" 1629, rival being absent. R. Hill, Pathw. Piety, I. Pref. ii,
44. their charges] Dr. Wright ex- Blessed and billeted up be they in plains : ** the men under their com- Heaven."
mand," and quotes jfnlius Ccvsar, iv. in the entertainment] engaged to
ii. 48: "Bid our commanders lead serve, under pay. Compare /}// 'j IV^;//
their charges off A little from this that Ends Hell, iv. i. 17 : "He must
ground." think us some band of strangers i' the
45. distinctly] separately, i.e. com- adversary's entertainment " ; Othello, pany by company. Distinctly = in. iii. 250 : "Note if your lady strain separately has already occurred in 111. his entertainniint With any strong or i. 204 ante, q.v. vehement importunity."
[SC. IV.]
CORIOLANUS
153
So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company. 50
Vols. You take my part from me, sir ; I have the most cause to be glad of yours.
Rom. Well, let us go together. [Exeunt.
SCENE IV. — Antium. Before AUFIDIUS'S House.
Enter CORIOLANUS, in mean apparel^ disguised aud 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,
Lest that thy wives with spits and boys with stones 5
In puny battle slay me.
Enter a Citizen.
Save you, sir. \Cit, And you. \Cor. Direct me, if it be your will,
Where great Aufidius lies. Is he in Antium ? \Cit. He is, and feasts the nobles of the state
At his house this night. Cor. Which is his house, beseech you? 10
Cit. This, here before you. Cor. Thank you, sir. Farewell.
\Exit Citizen.
O world, thy slippery turns ! Friends now fast sworn.
Whose double bosoms seems to wear one heart.
Antium . . .] Capell. night.} As Capell ; prose Ff.
Scene IV. 6. Enter . . .] After sir. in Ff. 7-10. Direct
51. You . . . me'] You anticipate me in saying to me what I ought rather to say to you.
Scaie IV.
3. Yore my wars} *' facing my at- tacks" (the words being connected with what follows) rather than *' before my wars intervened " (connected with what precedes).
6. Save you} God save you, a com- mon salutation, as in King Lear, 11. i.
I : " Edm. Save thee, Curan. Cur. And you, sir."
8. lies} dwells. In i. ix. 82 ante, the verb is used in the kindred sense of temporarily resided, lodged. See The Two Gentlemen of Verona, iv. ii. 137, 138 : " yzdia. Pray you, where lies sir Proteus ? Host. Marry, at my house."
12. slippery turns} instability, sudden changes. So in Troilus and Cressida, III. iii. 85, 86, a man's honours, " as place, riches, favour," are called
154
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
Whose hours, whose bed, whose meal and exercise,
Are still together, who twin, as 'twere, in love 1 5
Unseparable, shall within this hour.
On a dissension of a doit, break out
To bitterest enmity : so, fellest foes.
Whose passions and whose plots have broke their
sleep To take the one the other, by some chance, 20
Some trick not worth an egg, shall grow dear friends And interjoin their issues. So with me : My birth-place hate I, and my love 's upon
15. twin] F ; Twine F 2. 23. haie'] Capell ; haue F.
" slippery slanders," and the love (popu- larity) they bring, " as slippery too."
14-16. Whose . . . unseparable] Ma- lone compares A Midsummer Night's Dream, iii. ii. 203-214 ; and see also As You Like It, i. iii. 75-78, and a closely parallel passage in Painter's The Palace of Pleasure, 1575 (The Fifty- ninth Nouell) ed. Jacobs, 11. 104 : '* Be- sides the countrie of Perche, there were two Gentlemen, which from the tyme of theyr youthe lyued in sutche great and perfect amitie, as there was betwene them but one harte, one bed, one house, one table and one purse." Aubrey says that Beaumont and Fletcher shared not only house and bed but even clothes, and in The Chances, 11. ii., written long after Beaumont's death, this passage occurs : —
"He 's of a noble strain, my kins- man. Lady,
My countryman, and fellow traveller.
One bed contains us ever, one purse feeds us,
And one faith free between us;" etc.
16. Unseparable] the only instance of this form in Shakespeare. Inseparable occurs twice, in As You Like It, i. iii. 78, and Kijifr John, iii. iv. 66, and itiseparate once, in Troilus and Crcssida. V. ii. 148.
17. On a . , . doit] For some paltry dispute {lit. a dispute worth a doit). See I. V. 6, *• Irons of a doit,''' and note.
19, ao. Whose . . . other] Sec iv. V. 123-128^05/.
20. take] In view of " plots," line 19, surprise or entrap seems the likeliest sense for take here. Compare iii. i. no ante.
21. trick] trifle. This extended sense occurs also in The Taming of the Shrew, iv. iii. 67 : —
" Why 'tis a cockle or a walnut- shell, A knack, a toy, a trick, a baby's cap " ;
and elsewhere in Shakespeare. The New Eng. Diet, has : ♦' 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. i. 64, The women of this countrey weare aboue an hundreth tricks and trifles about them." The sense *• accident," " unexpected event," though sometimes given, needs con- firmation.
22. Atid . . . issues] And make their children intermarry. For issues com- pare Henry VIII. 111. ii. 291 : " our issues Who. if he live, will scarce be gentlemen." This illustrates, probably, the commonest sense of issue, but be- sides the obvious one of " consequence " and the like, the word is used for " An action, a deed (in relation to the doer) " ; see New Eng. Diet., which cites Julius Ccpsar, III. i, 294 : " there shall I try, . . . how the people take The cruel issue of these bloody men," and Cymbeline, ii. i. 51 Mr. Chambers explains: "unite their designs," and similarly, Mr. Gordon (Clarendon Press, 1912), " interjoin their destinies, throw in their lot with each other, join fortunes."
sc. v.]
CORIOLANUS
155
This enemy town. I '11 enter : if he slay me,
He does fair justice ; if he give me way, 25
I '11 do his country service. \Exit.
SCENE v.— The Same. A Hall in Aufidius's House.
Music plays. Enter a Servingman.
First Serv. Wine, wine, wine ! What service is here ! I
think our fellows are asleep. [Exit.
Enter another Servingman.
Second Serv. Where 's Cotus ? my master calls for him.
Cotus ! [Exit.
Enter CORIOLANUS.
Cor. A goodly house : the feast smells well ; but I 5
Appear not like a guest.
\Re-'\Enter the First Servingman.
First Serv. What would you have, friend ? Whence are you ? Here 's no place for you : pray, go to the door. {Exit.
Cor. I have deserv'd no better entertainment, 10
In being Coriolanus.
Scene V. A Hall . . .] Rowe. 2. Exit.] Rowe. 3. master] F4; M. F. 5,6, A . . . fruest.] As Pope ; two lines divided after House : in Ff. 10, 11. / . . .
Coriolanus] As Capell ; prose Ff.
24. enemy town] Steevens, citing North's Plutarch (see Extracts, p. xlviii ante) : " . . . and as Homer sayed of Vlysses: So dyd he enter into the enemies touune," suggests that we should perhaps read ettctny^s or enemies^ town here ; but noun for adjective is common. See e.g. Hamlet, 11. ii. 607, " The region kites," and King Lear, v. iii. 220: " Follow'd his enemy king."
25. give me way] Compare the speech of Aufidius to the conspirators, when the death of Coriolanus is determined on, in V. vi. 30-32 post : " I took him ; . . . gave him way In all his own desires."
Scene v.
2. fellows] fellow-servants, as in line iSjpost ."we axe fellows and friends."
3. Cotus] Mr. Verity remarks that this does not seem to be a classical name and does not occur in Smith's Classical Dictionary. It was, how- ever, the name of several Thracian princes (see references in Lewis and Short, Latiji Diet.), whatever may have been its origin for Shakespeare.
8, 9. ^0 . . . door] The New Eng. Diet, has : " To (the) door out of the house or room (0&5.)"; and quotes Winzet, Last Blast, 1562, Works, 1888, I. 45: "Repellit and schot to the dure " ; and as late as 1794, Wolcott (Peter Pindar), Works, 11. 378 (Rowland for Oliver) : " Kick the Arts and Sciences lo door.'' We still speak of "showing anyone the door," for unceremonious dismissal.
156 CORIOLANUS Fact iv
[Re']En^gr Second Servingmati.
Second Serv. Whence are you, sir ? Has the porter his
eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to such
companions ? Pray, get you out. Cor. Away ! i 5
Second Serv. Away ! Get you away. Cor. Now th' art troublesome. Second Serv. Are you so brave ? I '11 have you talked
with anon.
Enter a Third Servingman. The First meets him. Third Serv. What fellow 's this ? 20
First Serv. A strange one as ever I looked on : I cannot
get him out o' the house : prithee, call my master to
him. Third Serv. What have you to do here, fellow ? Pray
you, avoid the house. 25
Cor. Let me but stand ; I will not hurt your hearth. Third Serv. What are you ? Cor. A gentleman. Third Serv. A marvellous poor one. Cor, True, so I am. 30
12. Servingmanli Servant, Ff.
14. companions] low fellows, rascals. Demetrius and Chiron braving," and
Often used by Shakespeare in this ibid, lines 29-30 : — sense ; as again in v. ii. 59 post, and .« Demetrius thou dost overween in
Cymbeline, ii. i. 28-30 : " It is not fit all •
your lordship should undertake every And so in this, to bear me down
companion that you give offence to." with braves.''
iice also Cotgrzwe, Eng. and Fr. Did., o«^ „i„^ /n 1 j i? • ir^ ^
1611 : " Chilrd : . ..a scoundereu\ "^l^. ^1° 2''^"^1' f "'^'f ' J,594 (Gre^e
scurvie companion.'' Steevens notes ^"i,^"" fWh 'f.of ' /^^' ^1 I
that it is found as late as Foote, The I'Z^J' '' ^^^1 , ^^^^' %' *^°" "^^
Mayor of Garratt, 1763; see Works, u^P t'-i A'. '.C .V T' ''"
ed. Jon Bee, 1830, vol. ii. (Act i.) p. ^^^ ' I will not brook these iraz;«. 196 : " Insolent companion ! had I been ^8, 19. I'll . . . talked with anon]
here, I would have mittimused the ^^^ this common phrase, of obvious
rascal at once." meaning, compare Bartholomew Fair,
17. Now . . . troublesome] Compare "• '• (Cunningham's Gifford's Jonson,
Henry VIII. v. iii. 94; "you are ''• i59, 160): "Go to. old Joan,/'//
strangely troublesome." '^^^ with you anon ; and take you down
i^. brave] impudent, saucy, as in too, afore Justice Overdo." a Henry VI. iv. i. 96 : *' Is Lewis so 25, 33. avoid] leave, quit, as in
brave? belike he thinks me Henry." Henry VIII. v. i.S6: ** King. Avoid the
Compare " to brave " = to bluster, be gallery " ; and (used absolutely) The
insolent, or insolent to, to defy, and the IVinter's Tale, i. ii 462: "let us
noun "brave" = bluster, boasting ar- avoid," and Nashe, The Terrors 0/ the
rogance, defiance, in Titus Afidronicus, Night, 1594 {Works, ed. McKerrow, i.
e.g. II. i. 25 (stage direction), ^^ Enter 380, lines 6-8): " Hauing vttered these
sc. v.]
CORIOLANUS
157
Third Serv. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up some other station ; here 's no place for you ; pray you, avoid : come.
Cor, Follow your function ; go, and batten on cold bits.
[Pushes him away from him.
Third Serv. What, you will not? Prithee, tell my 35 master what a strange guest he has here.
Second Serv. And I shall. {Exit Second Servingman.
Third Serv. Where dwell'st thou ?
Cor. Under the canopy.
Third Serv. Under the canopy ? 40
Cor. Ay.
Third Serv. Where 's that ?
Cor. V the city of kites and crows.
Third Serv. V the city of kites and crows ! What
an ass it is ! Then thou dwell'st with daws 45 too?
35. you will] will you Pope.
words, all the whole traine of them in- uisibly auoyded, and hee never set eye on them after."
34. Follow your function] A con- temptuous reflection on the meaner sides of service, elucidated by what follows. Mr. Deighton puts it well : '* Follow your usual avocation, that of feasting on scraps from your master's table." So in Othello, iv. ii. 27, Othello says to Emilia, with bitter in- sinuation as to the offices of female attendants: "Some of your function, mistress."
batten on cold bits] gorge your- self on cold leavings. Compare Cym- heline^ n, iii. ng, 120: "One bred of alms and foster 'd with cold dishes. With scraps o' the court " ; and for batten (which is still alive, especially in dialect), to feed gluttonously, to thrive or grow fat with feeding, Hamlet, in. iv. 66-67 • " Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed. And batten on this moor ? " and Jonson. Bartholomew Fair, 1614, 11. i. (Cunningham's Gifford's ed., 11. 163a): "it makes her fat, you see; she battens with it."
39. Under the canopy] Coriolanus quibbles here, playing on the sense of canopy as a covering above thrones or carried over a royal person walking or borne in procession (as in the famous
picture of Queen Elizabeth going to Hunsdon, by M. Garrard), and the sense of the overhanging firmament. See, for the first, Lambarde, Perambu- lation of Kent, 1576, ed. 1826, p. 113 (quoted New Eng. Diet.): "They beare the foure staves of the Canapie over the king's head at the time of his coronation " ; Nashe, Lenten Stuff e, 1599 {Works, ed. McKerrow, iii. 208, 28) : " like a great king ... I will vse hym ; . . . and my Cardinells shall fetch hym in with dirge and processions vnder my canopy " ; and for the second, Hamlet, 11. ii. 311: "this most excel- lent canopy the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire," etc. ; Nashe, Christ's Teares over Jerusalem, 1593 {Works, ed. McKerrow, 11. 121) : " Hath the vast azur'd Canopy nothing aboue it ? " and Peele, The Honour of the Garter [1593], line 6: " Under the starry canopy of heaven I laid me down." Cope is often used in a similar way, as in Pericles, iv. vi. 132 : " in the cheapest country under the cope.''''
45. daws] jackdaws, which, like woodcocks, were supposed to be par- ticularly foolish birds, whence daw is often used to typify foolishness: so Jonson's talking fool in The Silent Woman is Sir John Daw. Thus the
158 CORIOLANUS [act iv.
Cor. No ; I serve not thy master.
Third Serv. How, sir ! Do you meddle with my master ?
Cor. Ay ; 'tis an honester service than to meddle with thy
mistress. 50
Thou prat'st, and prat'st : serve with thy trencher : hence ! "^
[Beats him away. Exit Third Servingman.
Enter AUFIDIUS with the [Second] Servingman.
Auf. Where is this fellow ?
Second Serv. Here, sir : I 'd have beaten him like a dog,
but for disturbing the lords within. Auf. Whence com'st thou? what wouldst thou? thy
name? 55
Why speak'st not ? speak, man : what 's thy name ? Cor. Unmuffling. If, Tullus,
Not yet thou know'st me, and, seeing me, dost not
Think me for the man I am, necessity
Commands me name myself. Auf. What is thy name?
[Servants retire. Cor. A name unmusical to the Volscians' ears, 60
And harsh in sound to thine. Auf Say, what 's thy name ?
Thou hast a grim appearance, and thy face
Bears a command in 't ; though thy tackle 's torn,
Thou shew'st a noble vessel. What's thy name?
50. Thou . . . hence /] Verse Capell ; prose Ff. Beats . . . Exit . . .]
Beats . . . away. Ff. 56. Unmuffling} Capell. 56-59. If . . . myself.']
As Steevens ; prose Ff. 59. [Servants retire] Capell. 62. appearance]
apparance F.
remark is offensive, and Coriolanus, in 53. / 'rf . . . dog] a very common
reply, probably does not insinuate that expression. Compare 1 Henry IV. in.
Aufidius is a daw, but those who serve iii. loi : '* I would cudgel him like a
him, including his interlocutor. For dog, if he would say so," and Nashe,
other examples, see Skelton, Why come An Almond for a Parrat {Works^ ed.
ye nat to Coiirtc ? line 312 : — McKerrow, in. 349) : " your Bookes
•' Juges of the kynges lawes, must be lookt ouer, and you beaten lyke
He countys them foles and dazves " ; a dogge for your lying."
Golding's Ovid, Metamorphosis, Bk. 62. appearance] The folio spelling,
vi. line 47 : — apparance, is not unusual. It occurs in
*' I am not such a da7v, Stanyhurst's Virgil, Bk. 2, ed. Arber,
But that without thy teaching I p. 68 : ''her elfish aparancc." Sec
can well enough advise the New Eng. Diet, for many examples
My selfe." with different shades of meaning.
sc. v.]
CORIOLANUS
159
70
Cor. Prepare thy brow to frown. Know'st thou me yet? 65
\Auf. I know thee not. Thy name?
\Cor. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done To thee particularly, and to all the Volsces, Great hurt and mischief; thereto witness may My surname, Coriolanus : the painful service. The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood Shed for my thankless country, are requited But with that surname ; a good memory. And witness of the malice and displeasure Which thou shouldst bear me : only that name re- mains ; 75 The cruelty and envy of the people, Permitted by our dastard nobles, who Have all forsook me, hath devour'd the rest ; And sufifer'd me by the voice of slaves to be Hoop'd out of Rome. Now this extremity 80 Hath brought me to thy hearth ; not out of hope. Mistake me not, to save my life ; for if I had fear'd death, of all the men i' the world I would have voided thee ; but in mere spite. To be full quit of those my banishers, 85 Stand I before thee here. Then if thou hast A heart of wreak in thee, that wilt revenge Thine own particular wrongs and stop those maims
72. requited] F 3 ; requitted F.
87. wiW] F ; will Hanmer.
67-103. In this speech Shakespeare very closely follows North's Plutarch, see Extracts, ante, p. xlviii.
71. extreme'] accented on the first syllable, as in 1 Henry IV. i. iii. 31 : " When I was dry with rage and extreme toil."
73-75. °- good memory . . . bear me] the very words of North's Plutarch, see Extracts, p. xlix ante. Memory — reminder, memorial, as in As You Like It, II. iii. 3 : *' O you memory Of old Sir Rowland."
76. envy] malice. Compare the verb III. iii. 57 ante.
84. voided] avoided. Compare The Four Elements (Hazlitt's Dodsley, i. 34) : •' For voiding of strife."
84, 85. in mere spite . . . banishers] The intense pride of Coriolanus cannot
endure the consciousness of being a living monument to the triumph of his banishers. He will escape it by death and be " full quit " of them that way, if he cannot have revenge. Some, how- ever, take quit of as equivalent to revenged upon, as we say " quits with," and as Hortensio says " quit with " in The Taming of the Shrew, iii. i. 92 : '* if once I find thee ranging Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing."
87. A heart of wreak] A desire for vengeance. North has (see p. xlix. ante) : " if thou hast any harte to be wreck'd," etc. Wreak, i.e. revenge, vengeance, occurs in Titus Andronicus, iv. iii. 33 : " Take wreak on Rome for this ingrati- tude," and see Peele, The Battle of Alcazar, i. i. 109 : " Of death, of blood, of wreak, and deep revenge Shall Rubin Archis frame her tragic songs.
160
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
Of shame seen through thy country, speed thee
straight, And make my misery serve thy turn : so use it, 90
That my revengeful services may prove As benefits to thee, for I will fight Against my canker'd country with the spleen Of all the under fiends. But if so be Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more
fortunes 95
Tha 'rt tir'd, then, in a word, I also am
88, 89. those maims Of shame] those ignominious, dishonouring mutilations, or disablements (possibly territory annexed or cities occupied or, it may be, tribute. The verb stop implies inflic- tions that continue, such as these would be, rather than the mere marks of inva- sion). See 1 Henry IV. iv. i. 42 : ♦* Your father's sickness is a maim to us," and Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 1599 {Works, ed. McKerrow, iii, 153), " as great a maime to any man's happinesse as can be feared from the hands of miserie."
89. seen through thy country'] Not usually explained. It may be, as Deighton puts it, " which your country shews from one end to the other." Or, just possibly, Coriolanus intends to con- trast the ** particular wrongs " of Aufidius (his personal beatings) with the shames which he apprehends through his country, and which affect him as being hers.
93. cankered] seems (in view of what precedes) to be used here in the sense of malignant, spiteful. Compare Mar- lowe, 2 Tamburlaine the Great, iv. ii. {Works, ed. Cunningham, 486) : — " And now ye cankered curs of Asia, That will not see the strength of Tamburlaine " ; King John, 11. i. 194, " a canker'd grandam's will " ; 1 Henry IV. i. iii. 137 : •• this ingrate and canker'd BoUng- broke." The literal sense of the verb canker, to cause ulceration, gangrene, decay.etc, or to become ulcerous, etc., is easily extended to express the corruption of a nature soured by age, envy, etc. see The Tempest, iv. i. 191, 192 : — •' And as with age his body uglier grows, So his mind cankers " ;
North's Plutarch, 1579, Maritis, ed. I595» P* 472 : " And where he spake but litle, and went very demurely and soberly, that shew'd rather a canker'd courage [i.e. a spiteful heart] within him then a mind humbled by his banishment." Some editors take views more or less different : " canker-bit " (Rolfe) ; " corrupted, eaten with the canker of ingratitude " (Wright) ; ** un- sound at heart, and so ill-conditioned" (Whitelaw) ; " corrupted with the canker of democracy " (Verity).
spleen] fury bred of spite. Com- pare " fierce dragon's spleens " (King John, II. i. 68); ''the spleen of fiery dragons " [Richard III. v. iii. 350).
94. the under Jiends] fiends of the under world, infernal fiends. Compare I Henry VI. v. iii. 11 : —
" Now ye familiar spirits, that are
cull'd Out of the powerful regions under
earth " (quoted by Malone), and ^ Henry VI. I. ii. 79 : "A spirit raised from depth of under- ground." Marlowe's Bajazet in J Tamburlaine the Great, iv. ii. 26, 27, when forced to stoop as footstool, says : " When as I look down to the damned fiends," etc. Steevens was tenacious of a notion that "under fiends " meant subordinate and there- fore more malicious fiends, and credits Shakespeare with insinuating that " malice ofrevenge is more predominant in the lower than the upper classes of society."
95. to prove . . . fortunes] to prove = to try, as in Cymhcline, i. v. 3S : '• Which [drugs] first, perchance, she '11 prove on cats and dogs " ; Much Ado about Nothing, i. iii. 75 : " Shall we go prove what 's to be done ? "
sc. v.]
CORIOLANUS
161
Longer to live most weary, and present My throat to thee and to thy ancient mab'ce ; Which not to cut would show thee but a fool, Since I have ever follow'd thee with hate, Drawn tuns of blood out of thy country's breast, And cannot live but to thy shame, unless It be to do thee service. Auf. O Marcius, Marcius !
Each word thou hast spoke hath weeded from my
heart A root of ancient envy. If Jupiter Should from yond cloud speak divine things, And say '* 'Tis true," I 'd not believe them more Than thee, all noble Marcius. Let me twine Mine arms about that body, where against My grained ash an hundred times hath broke. And scarr'd the moon with splinters : here I clip The anvil of my sword, and do contest
100
105
no
III. clip] Pope ; deep F.
102, 103. And cannot . . service] These words both add to and alter the sense of the original, which has merely : •' and whose service now can no hing help nor pleasure thee " (see Extracts, p. xlix ante).
103 I g. For the two fine speeches of Aufidius (really only one), we look in vain in North's Plutarch. See his brief but cordial acceptance in Extracts, p xlix ante.
105-107. If jfnpiter, etc.] Verity : " The classical conception of thunder as an omen of assent from Jupiter ' the Thunderer' {Tonans or Tonitrnalis).''
106. Should . . . thiyigs] Eight syllables only but of such weight as to have the erlect of ten. The effect is spoilt by accenting " divine " with Gordon.
no. gained asJi] stout ashen-shafted spear. The grain of the wood is visible and may be supposed to show its quality and strength. The New Eng. Diet., presumably because the bearer is graz- ing cattle, explains ^raiw^rf in A Lover^s Complaint, 64 (" So slides he down upon his grained bat "), as " Having tines or prongs ; forked," an authentic- ated meaning of the word, H
111. scarred] scared (for which the spelling scarred occurs) was adop ed by Rowe (ed. 2), wi hou any advantage from exchanging one hyperbole for another. Both have been paralleled. Malone cites Rtchnrd III. v. iii. 341: *' Amaze the welkin with your broken staves," but prefers scarrd here; and Delius refers to The Wint>r's Tale. m. iii. 92, •' the ship boring the moon with her mainmast." The heavens or heavenly bodies are often in danger in Marlowe's Tambiirlaine the Great (both parts), see, for example, Pt. II. 11. iv. {Works, ed. Cunningham, 396) : —
'• And with the cannon break the frame of heaven ;
Batter the shining palace of the sun,
And shiver all the starry firma- ment."
clip"] clasp, embrace. See i. vi. 29 ante, and note.
112. The anvil . . . sword] Steevens writes : " Aufidius styles Coriolanus the ' anvil of his sword ' because he had formerly laid as heavy blows on him, as a smith strikes on his anvil." So, in Hamlet [11. ii. 511, 512] :—
162 CORIOLANUS [act iv
As hotly and as nobly with thy love
As ever in ambitious strength I did
Contend against thy valour. Know thou first, 1 1 5
I lov'd the maid I married ; never man
Sigh'd truer breath ; but that I see thee here.
Thou noble thing, more dances my rapt heart
Than when I first my wedded mistress saw
Bestride my threshold. Why, thou Mars ! I tell
thee, 1 20
We have a power on foot ; and I had purpose Once more to hew thy target from thy brawn, Or lose mine arm for't. Thou hast beat me out Twelve several times, and I have nightly since Dreamt of encounters 'twixt thyself and me ; 125
We have been down together in my sleep, Unbuckling helms, fisting each other's throat, And wak'd half dead with nothing. Worthy
Marcius, Had we no quarrel else to Rome, but that
129. no quarrel else] F 3 ; «o other quarrel else F.
" And never did the Cyclops' ham- that a Roman bride was always lifted
mers fall over her husband's threshold.
On Mars's armour . . . 121. a power on f oof] a force in the
With less remorse than Pyrrhus' field ; for power see i. ii. 9, and note
bleeding sword ante.
Now falls on Priam." 122. thy target . . . brawn] The
117. Sigh'd . . . breath] '♦ The same target, a small round shield or buckler, expression is found in our author's was worn on the arm (see Extracts, p. Venus and Adonis [line 189]: — xxxiv ante) : " they were put in battle
' I '11 sigh celestial breathy whose ray, and ready to take their targets on
gentle wind their armes." Hence brawn, the part
Shall cool the heat of this descend- for the whole, the muscle of the arm for
ing sun.' the arm. The New Eng. Diet, gives:
Again, in The Two Noble Kinsmen, "1382, WycUf, Job, xxii. 9: The
by Shakesf)eare and Fletcher, 1634 [v. 6mwn^i [i388schuldres ; Vulg. /a <r/o5;
i. 131, 132]: ['And vow that] Lover 1611 arms] of moderles childer thou to-
never yet made sigh Truer than I.' " brosedist."
(Malone). 123. o?//] completely, outright, hollow.
118. dances] Leontes in The Winter''s Compare The Tempest, i. ii. 41 : " Out Tale,i.\\. no, in, say s :*' my heart three years old," and iv. i. loi : dances; But not for joy ; not joy." "Swears he will shoot no more, but
120. Bestride] Compare the sense of play with sparrows, And be a boy right
bestrid in 11. ii. 92 ante. The sense o«^"
here " to step over or across " seems a 126. down together] fighting on the
very rare one, but the New Eng. Diet, ground, as in Henry V. iv. vii. 162 :
gives an instance circa 1600, Robin "when Alengon and myself were rfowx
Hood iRitson), ii. x. 62 : " Deepe water together, I plucked this glove from his
he did bestride J" Stccvens points out helm."
[sc. v.]
CORIOLANUS
163
130
35
140
Thou art thence banish'd, we would muster all From twelve to seventy, and pouring war Into the bowels of ungrateful Rome, Like a bold flood o'er-beat. O, come ; go in. And take our friendly senators by the hands, Who now are here, taking their leaves of me. Who am prepar'd against your territories, Though not for Rome itself.
Cor. You bless me, gods !
^Atif. Therefore, most absolute sir, if thou wilt have The leading of thine own revenges, take The one half of my commission ; and set down, As best thou art experienc'd, since thou know'st Thy country's strength and weakness, thine own
ways ; Whether to knock against the gates of Rome, Or rudely visit them in parts remote. To fright them, ere destroy. But come in : Let me commend thee first to those that shall Say yea to thy desires. A thousand welcomes ! And more a friend than e'er an enemy ; Yet, Marcius, that was much. Your hand : most welcomed
{Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius.
First Serv. \_Adva?icing], Here 's a strange alteration ! I 50
Second Serv. [Advancing]. By my hand, I had thought to
145
133. o'er-beat] ore-beate F; oWebeat F 3; o'er-bear Rowe; o'er-bearH Becket coni. 149. Exeunt . . .] Capell ; Exeunt. Ff. 150. [Advancingl Capell ;
Enter two of the Servingmen. Ff. 150, 151, etc. First . . . Second . . .]
1. 2. Ff; 8. S. fori. Capell.
132. bowels] Compare Richard III. V. ii. 3,4: " Thus far into the bowels of the land " ; also Edwaru Haie's account of Gilbert's Voyage, 1583 (Hakluyt, ed. MacLehose, viii. 34) : " ^Iany voyages have been pretended, yet hitherto never any thorowly acccmplished . . . into the bowels of those maine ample and vast countries."
T38. absnlute] i.e. without defect, in whom nothing is wanting to perfection, perfect. Compr^re Antony and Cleo- patra, I. ii. 2 : '' almost most absolute Alexas"; also Wilson, Art of Rhetori- que, 1553, p. 63 : '* one such as none of your countrie hath knowne any to be
more absolute in al things," and Chap- man, The Revenge of Bussy D^Ambois, III. i. {Works, ed. Shepherd, Plays, 197 (a)) :—
" a great and famous earl Of England, the most goodly- fash ion 'd man I ever saw ; from head to foot in
form Rare and most absolute.'^ 151. By my hand] See Much Ado about Nothing, iv. i. 327: "By this hand, I love thee," and All '5 Well that Ends Well, in. vi. 76 : " By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake
164
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
have strucken him with a cudgel ; and yet my mind
gave me his clothes made a false report of him. First Serv. What an arm he has ! He turned me about
with his finger and his thumb, as one would set up 1^5
a top. Second Serv. Nay, I knew by his face that there was
something in him : he had, sir, a kind of face, me-
thought, — I cannot tell how to term it. First Serv. He had so; looking as it were, — would I 160
were hanged but I thought there was more in him
than I could think. Second Serv. So did I, I' 11 be sworn. He is simply the
rarest man i' the world. First Serv. I think he is ; but a greater soldier than he, 165
you wot one. Second Serv. Who ? my master ? First Serv. Nay, it 's no matter for that. Second Serv. Worth six on him.
165, 166. he, you wot one.] F, reading You wot one as a separate line; he you wot on. Dyce.
152, 153. my mind gave me] my mind told me, I strongly suspected. This expression is found once again in Shakespeare. See Henry VIII. v. iii. 109 : —
" My mind gave me, In seeking tales and informations Against this man, . . . Ye blew the fire that burns ye." Compare Gascoyne, The Glasse of Government (Works, ed. Hazlitt, i. 72) : " My mind giveth me that he hath abused me."
155. set up] set spinning.
163-175. He is simply . . . assault too] This is an ambiguous passage. The reading in the text in line 165, that of the folios, gives the adversative but in "but a greater soldier than he " a more natural effect, and makes the first soldier unmistakably mean Aufidius as the greater soldier in his first speech. "What follows is ambiguously expressed, and throws doubt on the reading by creating a strong probability that Corio- lanus is intended, but yet it is not in- consistent with a preference of Aufidius as the profession by both servants up to
the intervention of the third. On the other hand, Dyce's text, if adopted — and it has very strong claims — extends the verbal ambiguity by not distinguishing which — in " but a greater soldier than he you wot on " (Dyce) — is the greater soldier, as well as which, in line i6g, is worth six of the others. But looking at the whole, including what follows after the entry of the Third Serving- man, the first impression on reading Dyce's text, namely that Coriolanus is intended in both cases, is confirmed. The ambiguity in lines 165, 166 arises from the fact that the words " but a greater soldier than he you wot on " (Dyce) may m«?an a qualification of assent to the ra/e excellence of Corio- lanus in this parti -^ular sense, " but you know of a greater soldier than he is " (the sense of the fcho text), instead of "but [also he's] a greater soldier than one you knov/ of." " You wot on (or of) " is a form of expression used to avoid an impiudent or indecent reference. See The Two Gentlemen of Verona, iv. iv. 30, " 'twas I did the thing you wot of^'- Measure for Measure, 11. i. 115.
»
to
sc. v.] CORIOLANUS 165
First Serv. Nay, not so neither ; but I take him to be the 170 greater soldier.
Second Serv. Faith, look you, one cannot tell how to say that : for the defence of a town our general is ex- cellent.
First Serv. Ay, and for an assault too. 175
\^Re-'\Enter the Third Servingman.
Third Serv. O slaves, I can tell you news ; news, you
rascals. Both. What, what, what ? let's partake. Third Serv. I would not be a Roman, of all nations ; J
had as lieve be a condemn'd man. 180
Both. Wherefore ? wherefore ? Third Serv. Why, here 's he that was wont to thwack
our general, Caius Marcius. First Serv. Why do you say *' thwack our general " ? Third Serv. I do not say " thwack our general " ; but he 185
was always good enough for him. Second Serv. Come, we are fellows and friends : he was
ever too hard for him ; I have heard him say so
himself First Serv. He was too hard for him directly, to say the 190
truth on 't : before Corioles he scotch'd him and
notch'd him like a carbinado. Second Serv. And he had been cannibally given, he might
have boil'd and eaten him too.
176, etc Third . . .] 5. Ff; 1. S. Capell. i8o. lieve\ F 4; Hue F.
192. carbinado] F ; carbonado F 4. 193. And^ F ; An Capell. 194. boil'd] boyld F ; broiled Pope.
180. lievc] another form of lief carbonado^ a piece of meat scored by
(gladly, willingly). the cook for broiling on the coals. See
igo. directly] plainly, candidly. 1 Henry IV. v. iii. 61 : " If I come in
Compare Cymbeline, i. iv. 171 : " if his (way) willingly, let him make a car-
you make your voyage upon her and bonado of me," and Lyly, Sapho and
give me directly to understand you Phao, 11. iii. {Works, ed. Fairholt, i.
have prevailed, I am no further your 175): " If I venture upon a full stomack
enemy." to eate a rasher on the coales, a car-
igi. 5C(;^cA'<i] slashed, scored. Com- bonado'' etc. The word was borrowed
pare Macbeth, iii. ii. 13 : " We have from Spanish (carbonada).
scotch'd the snake (Theobald's emenda- 194. boil'd] *' There is no necessity
tion for scorch'd of Ff; not kill'd it." to change boiled to broiled with Pope,
We find the substantive in Antony and as is usually done. The Second Servant
Cleopatra, iv. vii. 10 : — wants to vary the metaphor a little : he
" I have yet means he was at his mercy " (Craig).
Room for six scotches more." All the same, broiling naturally follows
192. carbinado'\ So in Ff 1-3 for scotching^ and boiling does not.
166
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
First Sew. But, more of thy news? 195
Third Serv. Why, he is so made on here within, as if he were son and heir to Mars ; set at upper end o' the table ; no question asked him by any of the senators, but they stand bald before him. Our general him- self makes a mistress of him ; sanctifies himself 200 with 's hand, and turns up the white o' the eye to his discourse. But the bottom of the news is, our general is cut i' the middle, and but one half of what he was yesterday, for the other has half, by the en- treaty and grant of the whole table. He '11 go, he 205 says, and sowl the porter of Rome gates by the ears. He will mow all down before him, and leave his passage poll'd.
206. so'U)l]sowle Rowe; sole F. poWd] Rowe ; pouVd F.
207. all down] down all Rowe. 208.
196. made o»] made of, made much of.
ig8, igg. jw question asked ... be- fore him'} i.e. as to precedency ; no one objected (Craig) ; but, a. conjunction, "unless'" (E. K. Chambers); so far from venturing to show any doubt in their welcome by putting questions to him, the senators stand bareheaded in his presence (Deighton). Here are three interpretations, of which, in all probability, the last and simplest is the right one.
200-201. sanctifies . . . hand] "con- siders the touch of his hand as holy ; clasps it with the same reverence as a lover would clasp the hand of his mis- tress " (Malone). Compare As You Like It, III. iv. 14, 15 : " Andhiskissing is as full of sanctity as the touch of holy bread,"
201. turns up . . . eye] as an expres- sion of piety (E. K. Chambers).
202. bottom] Obviously, what comes last ; as Deighton says, " the conclu- sion and most important part." Com- pare Antony and Cleopatra, i. iii. 61 : *' read . . . at the last, best : See when and where she died " : and 1 Henry IV. IV. i. 49-52 : —
" for therein should we read The very bottom and the snul of hope,
The very list, the very utmost bound
Of all our fortunes." 206. sowl] drag. Steevens quotes Thomas Heywood, Loves Mistris [iv. i.] : see Pearson's Heywood, v. 136, " Venus will sole mee by the eares for this." Tyrwhitt says : " Lord Straf- ford's correspondent, Mr. Garrard, uses it as Shakespeare does," Straff. Lett., vol. ii. p. 149 : " A lieutenant 5o/<'cf him well by the ears, and drew him by the hair about the room." Malone refers to Coles, Latin Diet., 1679 : '* To sowle by the ears, Aures summa vi vellere.'" In dialect the word is still used, in various forms.
208. polVd] bared, cle^ired (Johnson). Polled is used in various senses, as lopped or cropped (of trees), having the hair or the head cut off (of men). See Damon and Pythias (Hazlitt's Dodslcv, IV. 81): ''Jack. Will you sing after your shaving ? Grim. Mass, content ; but chill be poll'd first, ere I sing. jfack. Nay, that shall not need ; you are polled near enough for this time " ; also Queen Elizabeth's verses in Har- ington's Nnga Antiques, 1769, i. 59: — " My rustic sworde through reste, Shall firste his edge imploy ; To poll the toppes that seek such change, Or gape for such like joyc' '
sc V CORIOLANUS 1(J7
Secotid Sew. And he 's as like to do 't as any man I can
imagine. 210
Third Serv, Do 't ! he will do't; for, look you, sir, he has as many friends as enemies ; which friends, sir, as it were, durst not, look you, sir, show themselves, as we term it, his friends, whilst he 's in directitude.
First Serv. " Directitude " ! what 's that ? 215
Third Serv. But when they shall see, sir, his crest up again, and the man in blood, they will out of their burrows, like conies after rain, and revel all with him.
First Serv. But when goes this forward?
Third Serv. To-morrow ; to-day ; presently : you shall 220 have the drum struck up this afternoon. 'Tis, as it were, a parcel of their feast, and to be executed ere they wipe their lips.
Second Serv. Why, then we shall have a stirring world
again. This peace is nothing but to rust iron, in- 225 crease tailors, and breed ballad-makers.
First Serv. Let me have war, say I : it exceeds peace as far as day does n-ght ; it 's spritely, waking, audible, and full of vent. Peace is a very apoplexy, lethargy ;
214. directitude] discrcditude Malone conj.; dejectitude Collier MS. 221.
struck] F 4; strooke F. 228. spritely, waking] Pope (sprightly); sprightly
walking F.
214. directitude] Malone conjectured battle. See i. i. 158, and the references
discredit ude as Shakespeare's word, " a given there.
made word insead of rffjcr^rfj^" This 220. presently] now; as in King
probably gives the servant's meaning, Lear, i. ii. 109 : *' I will seek him, %\r,
but no doubt he was meant to blunder, presently " ; and very commonly.
For another suggestion, see above. 222. a parcel] a part, as in i. ii. 32
216,217. his crest . . . a^ain] Simi- ante. See note there.
lar metaphors from combative animal 228. audible] perhaps active in sense
life arc used in 1 Henry IV. i. i. 98, and = keen of hearing, as contemptible
99 : — in Much Ado about Nothing, i;. iii. 18S,
•* Which makes him prune himself, = contemptuous. If, however, we
and bristle up make it passive, with some of those
The crest of youth against your who see here a metaphor from the
dignity " ; chase, the sense will be something like
and /C/n^ yo'/M, IV. iii. 148, i4q ; — " deep- voiced," or "with a cleare
" Now for the bare-pick'd bone of voyce." an expression from Doctor
majesty Caius's book Of Englishe Dogges, 1576
Doth dogged war bristle his angry (reprint, p. 9).
crest,'' etc. 229. jfull of vent] As war is spritely,
Co»grave, Fr. Diet., 161 r, has : wide awake, keen of ear, so, possibly,
'* Huper : to raise, or set up his cr^sf ; it is also full of utterance, vents much:
to become proud, lof.ie, stately." compare " What his heart forges, that
217. in blood] in full vigour and his tongue must u^n^ " (iii. i. 256 a«f<).
spirit, and more than that, athirst for From the sense " outlet " proceeds the
168
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
mulled, deaf, sleepy, insensible ; a getter of morq,, 230
bastard children than war's a destroyer of men. /
Second Serv. Tis so : and as war, in some sort, may be'''
said to be a ravisher, so it cannot be denied but peace);
is a great maker of cuckolds. J
First Serv. Ay, and it makes men hate one another. 235
Third Serv. Reason : because they then less need one
230. %leepy'\ F 3 ; zleepe F. 232. war\ Rowe (ed, 2) ; warrei F.
common one of vent — *' utterance," or " expression." It also gives " dis- charge," for which (though in his notes on the passage in the text he gives the sense " full of outlets of energy ") Mr. E. K, Chambers (Warwick ShScespeare) quotes in glossary, Antony and Cleo- patra, V. ii. 352 : '* Here, on her breast, There is a vent of blood and something blown " Instead of referring to speech (corresponding with Johnson's " rumour ") full of vent may therefore mean full of outcome, happenings. Others are confident of allusion to hunt- ing in the technical term vent = scent (hence " full of the scent," and so ♦' keenly scented "), and some trace a personification of war as a trained hound through the series of expressions '• spritely walking (the folios' reading), audible, and full of vent." It is true that Shakespeare makes war a dog elsewhere, as in King John, iv. iii. 148-150, but in plain language. Mr. Craig, in the Little Quarto Shake- speare, combating the idea, thinks that " ' full of vent ' may mean very effica- cious to clear the country of its surplus populatio.'," and refers to i. i. 224, 225 ante. This is given here, as his only recorded interpretation of the passage, but wi:h emphatic dissent. Mr. Wright, on the other hand, sees an ap- position in the epithets given to war and pe ice respectively, taken in reverse order, insensible with sprightly, sleepy with waking, deaf with audible, and mulled with full of vent ; and connects the last pair wi h wine— wine that is mulled with wine that is •• effervescent, working, ready to burst the cask." A correspondence may exist, but it may also be only apparent or accidental. Such exactitude is in strong contrast with what follows. That which is sprightly, waking, etc., may indeed de-
stroy men, but apoplexy, lethargy, or anything sleepy and insensible, may be acquitted of any activity in getting bastards.
229. apoplexy, lethargy] Compare ^ Hejiry IV. I. ii. 126, 127 : " This apoplexy is, as I take it, a kind of lethargy, an 't please your lordship."
230. mulled'] softened, drowsified, like mulled wine, which is heated, spiced, and sweetened. So, perhaps, especially if contrasted with full of vent, but the New Eng. Diet, cites this passage under a rare obsolete verb *' of obscure origin," meaning To dull, stupefy, together with another from Cotton's Poems, i68g, p. 96 : •* Till Ale, which crowns all such pretences, MulVd them again into their senses." It is difficult, however, to give this sense of dull, stupefy to Cotton's word, even ironically. It occurs in a Bur- lesque upon I he Great Frost and refers to two sides at football who were literally frozen stiff, " With a good handsome space between 'em." This points rather to the sense "softened." The New Eng. Diet., in discussing the origin of mull (to mull ale ex.) says : " Another unsupported con- jecture is that the original sense may have been * to soften,' ' render mild ' (compare Dutch mul, soft) of which Mull v^ \i.e. To dull, stupefy] might be another appHca ion." The Cotton pas- sage seems to favour that conjecture.
236. Reason] For similar brevity, compare Love's Labour 's Lost, v. ii. 28:—
" Kath. You weigh me not ? O, that's you care not for me. Ros. Great reason : for ' past cure is still past care ' " ;
also The Merry Wives of Windsor, 11. ii. 16 ; —
Isc. VI.] CORIOLANUS
169
I
^H another. The wars for my money. I hope to see ^1 Romans as cheap as Volscians. They are rising, ^H they are rising. ^MBoth First and Second Serv. In, in, in, in ! [Exeunt. 240
SCENE Wl,—Rome. A public Place. Enter the two Tribunes SICINIUS and Brutus.
Sic. We hear not of him, neither need we fear him ; His remedies are tame i' the present peace And quietness o' the people, which before Were in wild hurry. Here do we make his friends Blush that the world goes well, who rather had, 5
Though they themselves did suffer by 't, behold Dissentious numbers pestring streets than see Our tradesmen singing in their shops and going About their functions friendly.
Bru. We stood to 't in good time.
Enter Menenius.
Is this Menenius? 10
ic. Tis he, 'tis he. O ! he is grown most kind
Of late. Hail, sir ! en. Hail to you both !
240. Both . . . Serv] Both. Ff.
Scene VI.
Rome.] Rowe; A pubVc Place.] Theobald. 2. tame V the] Theobald; tame, the F ; ta'en the Johnson conj. ; lame t' the Mason conj. ; tamed by the Collier MS. 10. Enter Menenius] After line 9 in Ff. 11, 12. Tis . . . late.] As
Capell ; one line Ff.
" Pist. Didst thou not share ? hadst emendation, lame, he observes: "the
thou not fifteenpence ? epithets tame and wild were, I believe,
Fal. Reason, you rogue, reason : " designedly opposed to each other."
etc. 7. pestring] incumbering, incon-
„ veniently crowding. See North's
^"^^^ ^^- Plutarch, ed. 1595, P- 278 {Paulus
2. His remedies are tame i' . . . Aemiliiis) : "and there were set
peace] See the critical app. above, through all quarters of the city numbers
Steevens explains " ineffectual in times of serjaunts and other officers ... to
of peace like these," meaning that any order the straggling people and to keep
counier-measures which Coriolanus or them up in corners and lanes endes, that
his friends might meditate were they should not pester the streets."
rendered harmless by the altered state Pester is short for impestgr (Old French
of affairs. In opposition to Mason's empestrer).
170 CORIOLANUS -act iv
Stc. Your Coriolanus is not much miss'd
But with his friends : the commonwealth doth stand,
And so would do, were he more angry at it. i 5
Men. All 's well ; and might have been much better, if
He could have temporiz'd. Szc. Where is he, hear you ?
Men. Nay, I hear nothing : his mother and his wife
Hear nothing from him.
Enter three or four Citizens.
All. The gods preserve you both !
Sic. Good den, our neighbours. 20
Bru. Good den to you all, good den to you all. First Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees,
Are bound to pray for you both. Sic. Live, and thrive !
Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours : we wish'd Coriolanus
Had lov'd you as we did. All. Now the gods keep you ! 25
Both Tri. Farewell, farewell. {Exeunt Citizens.
Sic. This is a happier and more comely time
Than when these fellows ran about the streets
Crying confusion. Bru Caius Marcius was - .
A worthy officer i' the war ; but insolent, i 30
O'ercome with pride, ambitious, past all thinking 1
Self-loving. Ji
Sic. And affecting one sole throne,
Without assistance.
13-17. Your l"'^"." temporized.'] As Capell, who reads Coriolanus, sir ; prose Ff. 18, 19. his mother . . . from him.] As Capell; one lire Ff. 20, 21. Good den] Collier ; Gooden Ff 1-3 ; Goode'en F 4 ; God-den Dyce. 22. First Cit.] 1 Ff. 24, 25. we wished . . . did.] As Hanmer; one line Ff. 31. ambitious^
. . . thinking] F; ambitious . . . thinking, F 4 and many edd. 32. Self-
U>vine.] F {selfe) ; Self -loving, — Capell. 32, 33. And . . . a%%islance?. As
Theobald ; one line Ff.
20. Good den] See on 11. i. 91 ante. haps not very material and has not
29. Crying confusion] disorder, ruin, attracted discussion.
as in "Confusion's near" (in. i, 188 32. affecting] with his eye on,
ante). Whether we should understand anxious for.
confusion as the inevitable result of the 33. Without assistance] Ruling
wild and various cries of the crowd, or irresponsibly, having no assistants;
as the actual word it used— compare but it seems unnecessary to regard
King Lear, 11. iv. 96, "Vengeance! a5Sf5/an<:c as an instance of the abstract
plague ! death ! confusion ! " — is per- for the concrete.
\
ISC. VI.] CORI^JLANUS 171
Me?t. I think not so.
Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth consul, found it so. 35
Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits safe and still without him.
Enter an ^dile.
■ ^^' ^ Worthy tribunes,
There is a slave, whom we have put in prison. Reports, the Vol sees with two several powers Are enter'd in the Roman territories, 40
And with the deepest malice of the war Destroy what lies before 'em.
Men, 'Tis Aufidius,
Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment, Thrusts forth his horns again into the world ; Which were inshell'd when Marcius stood for Rome, 45 And durst not once peep out.
Sic. Come, what talk you of Marcius ?
Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd. It cannot be
I The Volsces dare break with us. Men. Cannot be !
We have record that very well it can, 50
And three examples of the like hath been Within my age. But reason with the fellow, : Before you punish him, where he heard this, Lest you shall chance to whip your information, 34. lamentation] Lamention F. 35. found] have . . . Malone conj.
51. hath] F ; have F 4. 35. found] have is harshly omitted. The alteration to have in modern 39. powers] armies, as commonly. editions is regrettable. See Intro-
44. 45. Thrusts . . . horns . . . duction to Antony and Cleopatra in inshelVd] A favourite image. So this series, ad init., and especially Nash, The First Part of PasqiiiVs the Preface to the third edition. A polo gie, I ^go {Works, ed. McKerrow, 52. r^^ason ze^if/i] have some talk with. I. 131): "1 wonder how these seehe Compare The Merchant of Venice, 11. snayles, creeping but yesterdaie out of viii. 27: 'I reasoned with a French- shoppes and Grammer-schooles, dare man yesterday, Who told me," etc. ; thrust out theyr feeble homes, against Kyd, The Householder's Philosophie so tough and mighty adversaries " {Works, ed. Boas, p. 242, line 6) :
50. record] The accent is on the last " Thus, as we were reasoning, there syllable as in Hamlet, i, v, 99 : *♦ I '11 mette vs another youth," etc.
wipe away all trivial fond records.'" 54. Lest] As usual, the word in F is
51. hath] An example of the sur* printed Least. Perhaps this indicates viving plurals in -th, very common in the pronunciation still pretty common the words hath and doth especially, in the North of Ireland.
172 CORIOLANUS [act iv.
And beat the messenger who bids beware 55
Of what is to be dreaded. Sic. Tell not me :
I know this cannot be. Bru. Not possible.
Enter a Messenger.
Mess. The nobles in great earnestness are going
All to the senate-house : some news is come
That turns their countenances. Sic. 'Tis this slave. 60
Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes : his raising ;
Nothing but his report. Mess. Yes, worthy sir,
The slave's report is seconded ; and more,
More fearful, is deliver 'd. Sic. What more fearful ?
Mess. It is spoke freely out of many mouths, 65
How probable I do not know, that Marcius,
Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome,
And vows revenge as spacious as between
The young'st and oldest thing. Sic. This is most likely !
Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker sort may wish 70
Good Marcius home again. Sic. The very trick on 't.
Men. This is unlikely :
He and Aufidius can no more atone
That violentst contrariety.
56, 57. Tell . . . he."] As Pope ; one line Ff. 59. cornel Rowe ; camming F ; coming F 4; come in Malone. 73. atone] F 4 ; attone F.
60. <»yw5] Malone explained turns sls i. vi. 11: "Change you, madam?
" that renders their aspect sour,^^ The worthy Leonatus is in safety," etc.
quoting Timon of Athens^ in. i. 57, 73. atone'] become at one, agree, as
58 : — in As You Like It, v. iv. ii6 : —
"Has friendship such a faint and ^^ Hymen. Then there is mirth in
milky heart, heaven,
It turns in less than two nights ? " When earthly things made
but, as Steevens objected, only a even
change of countenance is implied. Atone together."
Compare Hamlet, ii. ii. 542 : " Look, The active sense to make at one, re-
whether he has not turned his colour concile is more common. See Antony
and has tears in 's eyes"; Othello, and Cleopatra, n. ii. 102; Cymheline,
IV. ii. 62: ''Turn thy complexion i. iv. 42 ; /JtcAarc/ //. i. i. 202 ; Bullen's
there." Steevens compares Cjmi^/tW, Middleton (in. 103); Tht Familie of
sc. VI.] CORIOLANUS 173
Enter another Messenger,
Mess. You are sent for to the senate : 75
A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius, Associated with Aufidius, rages Upon our territories ; and have already O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire, and took What lay before them. 80
Enter COMINIUS.
Com. O, you have made good work.
Men. What news ? what news ?
Com. You have holp to ravish your own daughters, and
To melt the city leads upon your pates,
To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses, — Men. What 's the news ? what 's the news? 85
Com. Your temples burned in their cement, and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confined
Into an auger's bore.
75. Enter . . .] Hanmer; EnUv Messenger. Ff. 84. noses, — ] Capell ;
Noses. Ff. 86. cement] F 4 ; Ciment F.
[put 'em together." so much on your gentility, . . . Serv.
i 79. O'erborne their ivay'] Carried all Save you, gentlemen ! Step. Nay, we
before them, overwhelmed every do not stand much on our gentility,
obstacle in their way, flood-like. See friend." The sense " on which you
III. i. 246-248; IV. V. 133 ante ; dind depended " would also be possible here,
Pericles, v. i. 194-195 : — though not so biting. Compare A Mid-
" Lest this great sea of joys rushing summer Night's Dream, 1. i. 139 : " Or
upon me else it stood upon the choice of friends."
Overbear the shores of my mor- See also Hnes 97, 98 post.
o ,^^!'^y,'". ^^?' , 87. 88. co«/«V /«^o] As i» was used
82. //o//. helped ; the strong preterite, ^^-^^^ ^^,^8 of motion, so (see Abbott, as m Cymbehne, v. v. 422 ; and often. shakes. Gram., § 159) into occurs with
83. leads] Compare, 11. 1. 207 a7ite, verbs of rest implying motion. See TA^ ^^ "O*^- , t. ^ 1 Tempest, i. ii. 361 : " therefore wast
86. cement] accented on the first syl- ^^0^ Deservedly conjined into this lable, as usual, whether verb or noun. ^^^^ ., . Hakluyt, The English Voyages, See Antony and Cleopatra m this series, (MacLehose, in. 337) : " Ye dead Em- and notes, 11. 1. 48, iii. u. 29. pgror was layd into the Church . . .
87. whereon you stood] on which you -^^f^ ^ ^ewen sepulchre." insisted. A common one among the ^^ , , -, ,tm
various meanings of «' to stand upon," ^ 88- «« ««^^'' ^ ^^^^l ^he sarne usage
and may be illustrated by 1 Henry VJ. ^o^ a narrow space is used in Macbeth,
11. iv. 27, 28:- II. lii. 128:—
" Let him that is a true-born gentle- " What should be spoken here, where
man our fate,
And stands upon the honour of his Hid in an auger-hole, may rush,
birth " : and seize us ? "
174 CORIOLANUS [act iv.
Men. Pray now, your news ? —
You have made fair work, I fear me. — Pray, your news ? —
If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians, — Com. If ! 90
He is their god : he leads them like a thing
Made by some other deity than Nature,
That shapes man better ; and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no less confidence
Than boys pursuing summer butterflies, 95
Or butchers killing flies. Men. You have made good work,
You, and your apron-men ; you that stood so much
Upon the voice of occupation and
The breath of garlic-eaters ! Com. He '11 shake your Rome about your ears. Men. As Hercules 100
Did shake down mellow fruit. You have made fair work !
90, 91. ///... thing] As Capell ; one line Ff. 100, loi. As . . . fruit.']
As Capell ; one line Ff.
96. butchers . . . flies] Compare A 98. the voice of occupation] the votes Prognostication, 1591, Nashe (Works, of handicraftsmen. Compare the use of ed. McKerrow, iii. 392, lines 33-36, and " labour " to-day and see iv. i. 14 ante, 393, lines 1-2) : '• Besides, this quarter and note.
greate hurlie burlies are like to be feared, 99. breath . . . garlic-eaters] the ac-
... thorough the opposition of Mars and clamation of, etc. Compare Julius
Saturne : for Butchers are like to make Ccesar, i. i. 247, 248 : " uttered such a
greate havoc amongest flies, and beggers deal of stinking breath because Caesar
on Sunneshine dales to commit great refused the crown that it had almost
murthers upon their rebellious vermine." choked Caesar." The unpleasant effects
The butchers' weapon is alluded to in of garlic are referred to in /4 Mirfinmm^;/'
Dekker's Old Fortunatus, 1600 (Pear- Night's Dream, iv. ii. 43-46: "And,
son's ed., i. 103) :" would I were turn'd most dear actors, eat no onions nor
into a flip-flap, and solde to the garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath ;
Butchers." There is no occasion for and I do not doubt but to hear them
change of flies to sheep (Capell) or pigs say, it is a sweet comedy " ; Measure
(Leo) on the supposition that it was a for Measure, in. ii. 195: " he would
mistake caught from the last syllable of mouth with a beggar, though she smelt
the preceding line. brown bread and garlic." In Dekker's
97. apron-men] artisans. The word GulVs Hornbook, in his Proaemiuni, he appears in Dekker, Lanihofne and says " there [i.e. on the stage] draw Candle-light, i6oS {The Belman of forth this booke, read alowd, laugh Lo«f/on, 'lemple Classics, p. 245) :'* But alowd, and play the Antickcs, that all if the streame of her fortunes runne the garlike mouthd stinkards may cry low, and that none but Apronmen lanch out. Away ivitU the fool.""
forth," etc. 100, lor. As Hercules . . . fruit] The
97, 98. stood . . . Upon] relied, or it labours of Hercules were referred to in
may be, insisted so much upon. See on iv. i. 17-19 ante. Here an allusion to
line 87 ante. the eleventh labour, the robbing of the
V.,]
CORIOLANUS
175
I
iru. But is this true, sir?
^^' Ay ; and you '11 look pale
Before you find it other. All the regions Do smilingly revolt; and who resists Are mock'd for valiant ignorance, And perish constant fools. Who is 't can blame
him ? Your enemies, and his, find something in him. Men. We are all undone unless The noble man have mercy. otn. Who shall ask it ?
The tribunes cannot do 't for shame ; the people Deserve such pity of him as the wolf Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if
they Should say, " Be good to Rome," they charg'd him
even As those should do that had deserv'd his hate, And therein show'd like enemies. Men. 'Tis true.
If he were putting to my house the brand That should consume it, I have not the face
105
10
115
X04. resists] F ; ne line Ff.
resist Hanmer. 115, ii6. 'Tis true
brand'] As Pope
golden apples of the Hesperides, seems to be intended.
104. who resists] resists may be either a singular form influenced by who, or an -s I lural ; comp&ie yields in sc. vii. 28 post.
106. constant fools] unchanging, loyal fools. They perish for their folly in remaining faithful.
113, 115. charg'd ; showed] subjunc- tives. For a similar construction com- pare II. ii. 17 ante, and see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 361 ; also next note.
113-115. they charged . . . show'd like enemies] they would be attacking him in the same way as those that had deserved his hate, and so doing would be confused with them (lit. would seem like enemies). The sense of charge presents some difficulty : probably it is a shade of the sense command, enjoin
as in Airs Well that Ends IV. ii. 56 : " Now will I charge
upon,
Well
you in the band of truth. . . . Remain
there but an hour," etc. ; A Lover's
Complaint, 220 : " Nature hath charged
me that I hoard them not."
117. the face] used as to-day for as surance, effrontery. The New Eng. Diet, quotes Thersites, circa 1537 (see Dodsley's Old Plays, ed. Hazlitt, 1. 401) :—
" Lo, ye may see he beareth not the face With me to try a blow in this place."
See also Julius Ccesar, v. i. 10 : —
'* and come down With fearful bravery, thinkmg by
\h\sface To fasten in our thoughts that they
have courage."
176
CORIOLANUS
ACT IV.
To say, " Beseech you, cease." You have made fair hands,
You and your crafts ! you have crafted fair ! Com. You have brought
A trembling upon Rome, such as was never 120
So incapable of help. TjH. Say not we brought it.
Men. How! Was 't we? We lov'd him; but, like beasts
And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o' the city. Com. But I fear
They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, 125
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer : desperation
Is all the policy, strength, and defence.
That Rome can make against them.
121. So] Rowe ; S* F. 122-124. How . .
divided after him, . . . Nobles, . . . hoote in Ff.
:ity.'] As Pope ; four lines
118. You . . . hands'] Dr. Wright quotes Henry VIII. v. iv. 74 : "Ye have made a fine hand, fellows." Com- pare also the expressions '* made good work," used above, lines 81 and gb, " made fair work," line loi, and " you have crafted fair," line 119 below. All these expressions, but the last, occur frequently in an ironical sense, you have made a pretty mess of it. So in Fortune by Land and Sea (Pearson's Hey wood, VI. 423) : *' We have made a fair hand on't, have we not ? " See also Stubbes, The Anatomic of Abuses, 1583, ed. Furnivall, 55 : " there are othersome (doctors) that if they owe evil will to any man or woman being sicke, if they hope for any preferment by their deaths will not make any conscience to give them such medicines ... as wil soon make a hand of them." The ominous sense here illustrated is related to one of those re- corded as still existent provincially. See the Eng. Dt d. Diet., " Make a hand, to spoil, waste, destroy."
iig. crafts] craftsmen. Abstract for concrete, as often.
you . . . crafted fair] See on line 118 above.
120, 121. A trembling . . . help] The simple sense is good enough, without insisting on an allusion to an obstinate
ague-fit. *• This ague-fit of fear " occurs in Richard II. iii. ii. iqo.
123, 129. clusters] swarms, often applied to thick crowds. See Hakluyt, The English Voyages, 1599 (ed. Mac- Lehose, viii, 200, Jacques Cartier, 1534) : " we sent two men unto them with hatchets, knives, beads . . . where at they were very glad, and by and by in clusters they came to the shore."
125. They Ul roar . . . in again] i.e. He '11 make them roar with pain when he returns.
126. The second name . . . men] Whose name stands second among men. Name also means renown, honour, as in 11. i. 133, " the whole name of the war," but seems to be used in the simplest sense here.
points] directions, what he points to or appoints. The New Eng. Diet. does not help, but the verb, as in The Winter's Talc, iv. iv. 537, *' I '11 point you where you shall have such receiving," etc., may be cited. Some explain points as derived ixom point of war = a short phrase sounded on an instrument as a signal (the New Eng. Did.), and quote 2 Henry IV. iv. i. 52 : •* To a loud trumpet and a point of
sc. VI.J
CORIOLANUS
177
130
135
Enter a troop of Citizens.
^^' Here come the clusters.
And is Aufidius with him ? You are they
That made the air unwholesome, when you cast
Your stinking greasy caps in hooting at
Coriolanus' exile. Now he 's coming ;
And not a hair upon a soldier's head
Which will not prove a whip : as many coxcombs
As you threw caps up will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter ;
If he could burn us all into one coal.
We have deserv'd it. Citizens. Faith, we hear fearful news. First Cit. For mine own part.
When I said banish him, I said 'twas pity. Second Cit. And so did I. Third Cit. And so did I ; and, to say the truth, so did
very many of us. That we did we did for the best ;
and though we willingly consented to his banish- 145
ment, yet it was against our will. \Com. Ya 're goodly things, you voices ! \Men. You have made good work,
You and your cry ! Shall 's to the Capitol ?
132, I3^« at . . . coming ;] As Pope ; one line Ff. 140. Citixens.] Cif.
^Capcll ; Omnes F. 147, 148. You . . . Capitol ?] As Ff ; many divide after
p, following Capell, who reads made you with F 2.
140
131-133. cast . . . caps . . . cxiW] Sec III. iii. 137 ante.
135. coxcombs] heads, a jocose term, resulting, no doubt, from the custom of shaping the top of fools' hoods like a coxcomb, which is illustrated in King Lear, I. iv. 105-122. It occurs in Henry V. V. i. 45, and 57 : '• the skin [of the leek] is good for your broken coxcomb,''' also Twelfth Night, v. i. 193: ''Sir And. If a bloody cuxcomb be a hurt, you have hurt me " ; and elsewhere.
T37. pay you] requite you, with a play on the sense "punish." See 1 Henry IV. ii. iv. 213 : " two I am sure I have paid.'' This sense is still in dialect use. See Eng. Dial. Diet., '* Pay one home: to punish smartly," etc., and also Jamieson. Scotti h Diet., •• Pay, to beat, to drub, to defeat, to overcome," 12
138. coal] cinder, or mass of cinders. The New Eng. Diet, quotes G. Havers, 1665, Sir T. Roe's Voy. E. Ind., 342 : " They set her on fire to make her a Coal, rather than we should make her a prize."
148. You . . . ci'y] Addressed to the tribunes. See 111. iii. 120 ante : ♦' You common cry of curs," and note. In Sarah Fielding's " The Cry, A New Dramatic Fable," 1754, The Cry is *' a large assembly, composed of all such tempers and dispositions as bear an in- veterate hatred 10 Truth and Simplicity, and which are possess'd also with a strong des re of supporting Affectation and Fallacy."
148. Shall 's] for shall us, a col- loquialism for " shall we," very frequent in Elizabethan drama. See The Winter's Tale, i. ii. 178 : " We are
178 CORIOLANUS [act iv.
Com. O ! 'ay ; what else ?
\Exeunt Cominius and Menenius. Sic. Go, masters, get you home; be not dismay 'd : 150
These are a side that would be glad to have
This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And shew no sign of fear. First Cit. The gods be good to us ! Come, masters, let 's
home. I ever said we were i' the wrong when we 155
banished him. Second Cit, So did we all. But come, let 's home.
[Exeunt Citizens. Bru. I do not like this news. Sic Nor I. Bru. Let 's to the Capitol. Would half my wealth 160
Would buy this for a lie ! Sic. Pray let 's go.
{Exeunt Tribunes.
SCENE VII. — A Camp at a small distance from Rome.
Enter AUFIDIUS with his Lieutenant.
Auf. Do they still fly to the Roman ?
Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft 's in him ; but
Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat,
Their talk at table, and their thanks at end ;
And you are darken'd in this action, sir, 5
Even by your own.
149. [Exeunt . . .] Capell ; Exeunt both. Ff. 157. {Exeunt citizens.'] Exit
Cit. Fi 1-3 ; Ex. Cit. F 4.
Scene VII. A Camp . . .] Theobald ; A Camp, Pope.
yours i' the garden : shall '5 attend you Scene VII.
l^T228 ^^'°^-^'"^'^''''' '''•"• ""^^'^"^ 5. J0« . . . darken^d] you are ob-
• * * scured, your glory is dimmed. See 11.
149. what else ?] of course. A strong i. 255 atite (where, however, the word
affirmative, common, and by no means is used with a deeper signihcance) and
out of date colloquially yet. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, in. i. 21-24: —
Lyly, Mydas, v. ii. {WorkSyCd.. Pair- "Who does i' the wars more than
holt, II. 57) : '• Pet. . . . Now let us his captain can
read the inventorie, wee 'le share it Becomes his captain's captain : and
equally. Licio. What else ?'' and Ben ambition,
Jonson, The Alchemist, iv. i. 181: — The soldier's virtue, rather makes
^^hace. We -11 draw lots. o^u^'"'" °^'?\ ^ . w »
You '11 stand to ihat ? ^ ^^^" g^'" ^h'^,*^ ^"''.^^^ ^>"^-
Subtle. What else ? " ^- >T' .<^"'«] Z'^- ^ th»"k. '• your own
men," in view of what precedes. Some,
VII.]
CORIOLANUS
179
\uf. I cannot help it now,
Unless, by using means, I lame the foot Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier, Even to my person, than I thought he would When first I did embrace him ; yet his nature lo
In that 's no changeling, and I must excuse What cannot be amended.
^eu. Yet I wish, sir,
I mean for your particular, you had not Join'd in commission with him ; but either Had borne the action of yourself, or else 15
To him had left it solely.
\uf. I understand thee well ; and be thou sure,
When he shall come to his account, he knows not
8. proudlier] F ; proudly F 2. 14-16. Join'd . . . solely.] As Malonc ;
^o lines ending borne . . . soly. in Ff. 15. Had] Malone ; had Pope ;
kaue F.
pos ^»agr
^■Uli!
^^Hreni
owever, including Mr. Craig, under- stand •' your own action in making him joint commander." It might possibly also refer to Coriolanus, who owed his position to Aufidius, and this would agree better with the passage from
ntony and Cleopatra cited above. In
case, darkened would be best
dered by "eclips'd," cast into the
hade."
II. changeling] Here in sense shifter, nconstant, turncoat, as in 1 Henry IV. V. i. 76 : " Of fickle changelings and poor discontents. Which gape," etc. See Mr. Cowl's note and examples in this series. The expression is found in various places in North's Plutarch, e.g. Alcibiadcs (p. 210 in 1612 ed.) : " But he that had inwardly seene his naturall doings, and goodwill indeed lye naked before him, would contrarily, have vsed this common saying : This woman is no changclitig " ; and Agesilaiis, p. 620 : " for he was no changeling, but the selfe same man in state and condition that he was before he took his iourny." See also Gabriel Harvey, The Trimming of Thomas Nash, 1597 {Works, ed. Grosart, in. 16) : ♦' for indeed I saw you to be «o changeling.'^
13. for your particular] for what concerns yourself, in your own private interest. See Troilus and Cressida, 11. ii. 9 : "As far as toucheth my particu- lar,'" and King Lear, 11. iv. 295 : " For
his particular, I '11 receive him gladly, But not one follower."
14. Join'd . . . with him] See North, Extracts, p. 1 ante.
17-26. / understand . . . account.] What did Aufidius mean by this ? After a very careful study of the Life of Coriolanus in North, I am inclined to think that this is the explanation: The passage in Shakespeare's mind seems to have been the one printed in Extracts, ante, p. liv, from which it appears that when the ambassadors came from Rome the first time to treat of peace, Coriolanus demanded that the Romans should " restore unto the Volsces, all their landes and citties they had taken from them in former warres : and moreover, that they should geve them the like honour and freedome of Rome as they had before geven to the Latines." He gave them thirty days for answer and *' departed his armie out of the territories of the Romaines," and the relation goes on : ♦' This was the first matter wherewith the Volsces (that most envied Martius glorie and authoritie) dyd charge Martius with. Among those, TuUus was chief: who though he had receyved no private injurie or displeasure of Martius, yet the common faulte and imperfection of mans nature wrought in him, and it grieved him to see his own reputation blemished," etc. A httle later it
180
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
What I can urge against him. Although it seems, And so he thinks, and is no less apparent To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly, And shews good husbandry for the Volscian state, Fights dragon -like, and does achieve as soon As draw his sword ; yet he hath left undone That which shall break his neck or hazard mine, Whene'er we come to our account.
Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you he '11 carry Rome ?
Auf. All places yields to him ere he sits down ; And the nobility of Rome are his : The senators and patricians love him too : The tribunes are no soldiers ; and their people Will be as rash in the repeal as hasty To expel him thence. I think he '11 be to Rome As is the aspray to the fish, who takes it
20
25
30
28. yields} F (yeelds).
34. Aspray] F ; osprcy Theobald.
continues : *' From hence they derived all their first acusations and secret mur- murings against Martius. For private captaines . . . gave it out, that the re- moving of the campe was a manifest treason," etc. (Craig).
23. Fights dragon-like] Coriolanus, IV. i. 30 ante, compared himself to " a lonely dragon," and "to fight like a dragon " seems to have been a pro verbial expression. In King yohn, 11. i. 68, and Richard III. v. iii. 350, " fierce dragons' spleens," " the spleen of fiery dragons " represent the extreme of courage and rage of battle. See also Nashe, Have witJi you to Saffron Waldcn, 1596, ed. McKerrow, ni. 63, hne 10 : "I will spit fire for fire, fight divell, ^ght dragon, as long as he will " ; Massinger (ed. Gifford and Cunningham, 2966), The Picture, 11. ii. : " Charge desperately . . . and fight like dragons, hang me I " ; Bur ton's Aftatomy oj Melancholy, Nimmo, I. 89 : " fawn like a spaniel, rage like a Hon, bark like a c\iT,Jight like a dragon, sting like a serpent, . . . grin like a tiger, weep like a crocodile."
27. carry] Compare All*s Well that Ends Well, iii. vii. 17-19 :—
"The count he wooes your daughter,
Lays down his wanton siege before her beauty,
Resolved to carry her."
28. sits down] lays siege.
29, 30. nobility . . . patricians] This apparent distinction of the same thing under different names occurs also in North. See Extracts, p. xxxvi ante.
34. 35- -^s is the aspray . . . nature] Aspray was genuinely in use as well as osprey. The New Eng. Diet, only illustrates with this passage, but see the instance below. Steevens quotes, in illustration of the belief expressed in the comparison, Peele, The Battle of Alcazar, 1594 [ii. 3, Works, ed. BuUen, I. pp. 253, 254] :—
•* I will provide thee with a princely osprey. That as she flieth over fish in pools, The fish shall turn their glitt'ring
bellies up, And thou shalt take thy liberal choice of all " ; and Langton cites an equally pertinent passage from Drayton, Song xxv. See also Skelton, Phyllyp Sparrowe, 462 : —
'* The Roke and the 0 spray e That putteth fyshes to a fraye " ; and The Two Noble Kinsmen, i. i. (Beaumont and Fletcher, Cambridge ed., IX. 295): —
•' But oh y^ove, your actions, Soon as they move, as A sprays do
the fish, Subdue before they touch."
VII.]
CORIOLANUS
181
By sovereignty of nature. First he was
A noble servant to them, but he could not
Carry his honours even ; whej:her_'j;^^s pride,
Which out of daily fortune ever taints ' ' ■*' - '
The happy man ; whether defect of judgment,
To fail in the disposing of those chances
Which he was lord of; or whether nature.
Not to be other than one thing, not moving
From the casque to the cushion, but commanding
peace Even with the same austerity and garb As he controird the war ; but one of these. As he hath spices of them all, not all, For I dare so far free him, made him fear'd. So hated, and so banish'd : but he has a merit To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues
35
40
45
39. defect] F 2 ; detect F.
49. virtues'] vertue F.
37. Carry . . . even] Temperately ndergo honour ; or, if we see a meta- phor from preserving equilibrium, sup- port honours and keep his balance ; or, again, carry his honours without their falling from him one way or the other. See II. i. 220-222, and note there.
138. out of] The sense of " arising out of," " springing from," is very com- mon. See 1 Henrv IV. i. iii. 49-52 : — " I then . . . ' f Out of my grief and my impatience, \ Answered neglectingly, I know not ( what," etc,
39. happy] lucky, prosperous, as in King Lear, iv, vi. 230 : " A proclaimed prize I Most happy ! "
41, 42. 7vhcther nature . . . thing] Ellipitical, but = whether t'was nature, an incapacity in him for playing more than one part.
43. From the casque . . . cushion . . . peace] From warrior to counsellor, but exercising authority in peace. The casque (helmet) is the emblem of war, the cushion of peaceful administration. See III. i. 100 ante : —
" Let them have cushions by you. You are plebeians, If they be senators."
44. austerity and garb] A hendiadys for austere behaviour. Shakespeare uses garb for manner unmistakably in King Ltar, u. ii. 103 : " doth affect
A saucy roughness, and constrains the garb Quite from his nature," and in Othello, II. ii. 315 : ** I '11 . . . Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb.^^ The Ne7i) Eng. Diet, under garb, '• A person's outward bearing, behaviour, carriage, or demeanour," refers to Jonson, Volpone, iv. i. 12 : " First for your garb, it must be grave and serious, Very reserved and locked ; not tell a secret On any terms," etc.
46. spices] smacks, small admixtures, as in The Winter's Tale, in. ii. 185 : " Thy by-gone fooleries were but spices of it." One hears it similarly used in the singular yet : •' There 's a spice of mischief in him," etc.
48,49. but . . . utterance] No douhx. this is one of Aufidius's flashes of gener- ous feeling, but I cite here the principal interpretations in the order of their appearance. "He has a merit for no other purpose than to destroy it by boasting it " (Johnson). " But such is his merit as ought to choke the utterance of his faults " (Boswell). *'Hewas banish'd. but his merit was great enough to have prevented the sentence from being uttered " (Wright).
49-55. So our virtues . . . strengths do fail] I am inclined to interpret this passage in close connection with the beginning of the speech, and to regard it as a general reflection referring quite
182
CORIOLANUS
[act IV.
Lie in the interpretation of the time ; 50
And power, unto itself most commendable,
Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair
To extol what it hath done.
One fire drives out one fire ; one nail, one nail ;
Rights by rights founder, strengths by strengths do
fail. 55
Come, let 's away. When, Caius, Rome is thine, Thou art poor'st of all ; then shortly art thou mine.
[Exeunt.
55. Rights . . . founder,] Johnson conj. ; Rights right fouler, Pope; Rights by rights falter, Dyce.
. fouler, F ; Right's by
as much or more to the tribunes as to Coriolanus, to whom it is always con- fined. Aufidius has declared that the people will recall Coriolanus as eagerly as they expelled him, and after a digres- sion on the causes of his overthrow and a tribute to his merit, he proceeds to this effect : Thus the light in which our virtues are regarded depends upon the time [the fluctuation of popular opinion which then denounced Corio- lanus and will now acclaim him], and power, however self-justified, finds a grave in the very seat of authority whence it extols its actions. What Aufidius describes had in fact happened in the last scene, when the grave of their power opened before the tribunes at the very height of their self-congratu- lations, and " the interpretation of the time " begins to change rapidly under the face of circumstances. So, too, the proverbs that follow refer to the former reverse and that in progress ; perhaps also to the final reverse of all, but Aufidius does nor take up that subject till he has ended his reflections and prepared to go. Then, still think- ing first of Coriolaiais's triumph, he says : '• "When, Caius, Rome is thine," etc.
54. One fire . . . one nail] Compare for these proverbs, Julius Ccesar, iii.
i. 171 : " As fire drives out f re, so pity pity " ; Romeo and Juliet, i. ii. 46 : " Tut man, one fire burns out another's burning " ; The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 11. iv. 191, 192 : —
" Even as one heat another heat expels, Or as one nail by strength drives out another," etc. ; John Heywood, Three hundred Epi- grams upon three hundred proverbs, 1562 {The Proverbs, Epigrams, etc., ed. J. S. Farmer, 1906, p. 188) :—
'• Seldom cometh the better, come or go who will : One 7iail driveth out another, we see still." and again : —
" One nail driveth out another : with strokes so stout That the hammer-head which driveth them weareth quite out." 55. Rights . . . founder] The folio reading " Rights by rights fouler," is not grammatically indefensible, because an awkward ellipse of some word like grow or become is conceivable ; but founder, as the nearest suggestion, is here adopted because the idea of com- plete overthrow is needed. The fire, the nail, strengths, are each totally over- powered ; so, too, must rights be, and not merely weakened.
ACT V
SCENE I. — Rome. A public place.
Enter Menenius, Cominius, Sicinius, Brutus, the two Tribunes^ with others.
Men. No, I '11 not go : you hear what he hath said Which was sometime his general ; who lov'd him In a most dear particular. He call'd me father : But what o' that ? Go, you that banish'd him ; A mile before his tent fall down, and knee The way into his mercy. Nay, if he coy'd To hear Cominius speak, I '11 keep at home.
Scene I. Act V. Scene /.] Rowe ; Actus Quintus. Ff. Theobald. 5. knee] F ; kneele F 2.
Rome.] Rowe ; A public place]
1. he] Cominius ; but Collier, by reading To one for Which was in line 2, makes the word refer to Coriolanus.
2. sumetitne] formerly. See on i. ix. 82 ante.
3. In . . . particular] With a strong private affection. The New Emc. Diet. gives an excellent i istance of particular under " personal reflation, . . . personal interest, regard, or favour," from Weever, Ancient Funeral Monuments, 1631, p. 797 : " Out of his particular to their Towne, hee procured of Q eene Elizabeth a Charter of Incorporation."
5, 6. A mile . . . knee . . . mercy] Shakespeare also uses knee as a verb in Kin:; Lear, 11. iv. 217. but in a ditterent sense from that of approaching upon the knees ■ —
'• I could as well be brought To knee his throne," etc. There was an old custom much used in pre- Reformation times called " creeping the cross," or ' creeping to the cross," which may have been in his mind in the present instance. Compare Troilus and Cressida^ in. iii. 73 : "To come
as humbly as they us'd to creepe To holy altars." 1 he New Eng. Diet. gives an early allusion to it : " c. 1200 Trill. Coll. Horn. 95 Crepe to cruche on lange fridai."
6, 7. if he coy'd . . . speak] if he show'd reluctance, etc. Steevens has " condescended unwillingly, with re- serve, coldness." From the Latin quietus came French quay, also coy and coi (see Cotgrave, t'r. D ct., 161 1), and so English coy, retaining the original meaning '• quiet, t-till." Later, the modern senses, such as " affect- ing reserve," " showing reluctance," '• shy," were attached to it, and though it is explained " disdainful " in Shakespe:jrean passages, this seems unnecessary. Schmidt explains ciy^d here as disdained, and so the New Eiig. Diet., marking that s-ense as obs. rare ; but we know from what follows that Coriolanus both heard Cominius speak and answered him. As a verb, coy usually appears with it, in the idiomatic usage illustrated by Abbott in Shakes. Gram., § 226. See Jonson, Catiline,
83
184
CORIOLANUS
[act V.
Co7n. He would not seem to know me.
Men Do you hear ?
Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name.
I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops lo
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not answer to ; forbad all names ;
He was a kind of nothing, titleless,
Till he had forg'd himself a name o' the fire
Of burning Rome. Men. Why, so : you have made good work ! i 5
A pair of tribunes that have rack'd for Rome,
To make coals cheap : a noble memory ! Com. I minded him how royal 'twas to pardon
When it was less expected : he replied,
14. 0' the] oUhF ^ wrecked for Collier.
a th, F.
I. i. {Works, ed. Gifford and Cunning- ham, II. 88rt): —
'* Are you coying it, When I command you to be free
and general To all ? " and II. i. {iUd. 946) : '* Ctirius. What ! do you coy it ? Fulvia. No, sir ; / am not proud.^^
8. seem to know me} show any ap- pearance of knowing me. The use of seem presents no real difficulty here, r.nd it is enough to note the existence of the curious hlizabethan idiom illus- trated by Mr. Hart on Othello, in. i. 30 : '• if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify to her." But see also
II. ii. 21 ante and note.
12. f 07 bad all names] prohibited the use of any name in addressing him.
15. you . . . work] Compare iv. vi. 81, 96, loi ante.
16. rack\lfoi Rome] strained, striven for Home. The folio wruck'd has given rise to various suggestions, some based on wrecked as above (although super- fluous w before r is common and occurs in this very word in Kijtg Lear v. iii. 314), especially as there is no other c*xample of rack without an object. The transition from anything like " rack one's brains" as used to-day, to " rack " seems, however, easy and probable, and in the New Eng. Diet. there is an intransitive sense (chiefly
16. racked for] Pope; wracked for Ff;
Sc.) to undergo stretching, strain, etc., illustrated by 1695, Blackmore, Prince Arthur, iii. 47 : —
"The Earth's grip'd Bowels with Convulsions rack. And with loud Noise their tremb ling Prisons crack." Unfortunately the verb is really transi- tive here, for it is '* Fierce Storms of raging Vapours, that aspire . . . That kindled Naphtha, and hot Metals Breath[e] ' ' ; which rack and crack the bowels. Spelling and punctuation are misleading.
17. To make . . . cheap] The "fire of burning Rome" will make charcoal plentiful. Compare iv. vi. 138 ante : —
" If he could burn us all into one ioai. We have deserved it."
a . . . memory] a fine memorial ! a nice thing to' be remembered by ! Compare v. vi. 152 post : " Yet he shall have a noble memory " ; also iv. V. 73 ante : " a good memory. And witness" where the word is taken from Plutarch, who is very closely copied. In As You Like It (11. iii. 3), as Dr. Wright mentions, Adam ad- dresses Orlando thus : *' O you memory Of old Sir Rowland!"
ig. When . . . expcctnf] Pope un- necessarily changed less into least. The sense is, The less the expectation of pardon, the more royal to itjive it.
'.]
COmOLANUS
185
It was a bare petition of a state To one whom they had punish'd
\Men. Very well.
Could he say less ?
Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard
For 's private friends : his answer to me was, He could not stay to pick them in a pile Of noisome musty chaff : he said 'twas folly For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt And still to nose the offence.
Men. For one poor grain or two !
I am one of those ; his mother, wife, his child, And this brave fellow too, we are the grains : You are the musty chaff, and you are smelt Above the moon. We must be burnt for you. Nay, pray, be patient : if you refuse your aid In this so never-needed help, yet do not Upbraid *s with our distress. But, sure, if you Would be your country's pleader, your good tongue,
20
25
*zc.
30
35
21, 22. Very well. . . . less ?] As Johnson ; one line Ff.
20, 21. a bare petition . . . punish'd]
'his seems to mean, a mere petition
id nothing more — that is, one without
ly justification or excuse to procure a
rdon — made by a state to one whom
did not pardon. Mr. Chambers
'^arwick Shakespeare) makes bare =
refaced, but has no nearer " paral-
"(?) to cite than Henry VI IT. v.
ii. 125 : —
' But know, I come not To hear such flattery now, and
in my presence ; They are too thin and bare to hide offences." lew Eng. Diet, illustrates 6ar^ = ** poor quality, paltry, worthless" by ^enns and Adonis, 188 : " What bare excuses makest thou to be gone ! "
25, 26. He could . . . chaff] The -rime metaphor occurs twice in The Merchant of Venice, i. i. 115-119 : " His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels oi chaff : you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them they are not worth the search " ; and 11. ix. 47-49 : " and how much honour Pick'd from the
chaff and ruin of the times To be new varnish'd ! "
27, 28. to leave . . . nose the offence] to leave the offending stuff unburnt and still smell it. I do not understand why editors place a comma after unburnt. For nose as verb compare Hamlet, iv. iii. 38 : " But indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall iiose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby."
32. Above the moon] The moon is a frequent resource for hyperbolical ex- pressions, like " scarr'd the moon with splinters " (iv v. 11 1 ante) ; " My lord, I aim a mile bcyojid the moon " {Tiftts Androjiicus, iv. iii. 65). See also The History of Jacob and Esau, 1568 (Hazlitt's Dodsley, 11. 260) : " He must ever be extolled above the moon,''^ and Lyly, Euphues (ed. Arber, 7^), "pardon me Euphues f if in loue I cast beyond the Moone,^^ i.e. if my prudent foresight is excessive.
34, In this . . . help] In this strait, where help is needed as it was never needed before (Deighton).
186 CORIOLANUS [act v
More than the instant army we can make,
Might stop our countryman. Men. No ; I '11 not meddle.
Sic. Pray you, go to him. Men. What should I do ?
Bru. Only make trial what your love can do 40
For Rome, towards Marcius. Men. Well ; and say that Marcius
Return me, as Cominius is return'd,
Unheard ; what then ?
But as a discontented friend, grief-shot
With his unkindness ? say 't be so ? Sic. Yet your good will 45
Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure
As you intended well. Men. I '11 undertake 't :
I think he '11 hear me. Yet, to bite his lip,
And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well ; he had not din'd : 50
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
41-43. Well . . . what then ?] As Pope ; two lines ending returne mee, . . . then? Ff.
37. the instant . . . make} the force 49. hiwi] This way of expressing
we can levy at this moment. For this dissatisfaction inarticulately occurs in
use of instant compsiTe AlTs Well that Macbeth^ iii. vi. 42: "The cloudy
Ends Well, iv. iii, 127 : " to this very messenger turns me his back, And
instant disaster " ; 2 Henry IV. i. iii. hums,'' etc. Compare Palsgrave, Les-
37 ; etc. clarcissement de la Langue Francoyse,
make} raise; as in Richard III. 1530: ^^ jfc fays dn viiiet : I make a
IV. iv. 449 : '• The greatest strength noyse as he that lysteth not speak."
and power he can make.'' The New .^.hearts} disheartens. Compare
Eng. Dtct gives old instances, e.g. nnchilded, w. vi. 150 post ; Antony and
Berners F^otssart i. xxvni. 42 : Cleopatra, ii. v. 64 : - I '11 unhair thy
These lords be thei that may make j^ead " moost men of warre in short space of
any that I know." 5°. not taken 7vell'] approached at a
41. towards] in approaching; as to- ^^^ time. "This observation pine
ward in 11. ii. 53 ante, and towards in 30 ^l seq.] is not only from nature, and
Cymbeline, 11. iii. 68: "we shall have ^"ely expressed, but admirably befits
need To employ you towards this the mouth of one. who in the beginning
Roman." of the play had told us, that he loved
44. B«/] Merely. convivial doings " (Warburton). "Mr.
grief-shot] stricken with grief. Pope seems to have borrowed this idea.
46, 47. after . . . well] in propor- See [Moral Essays] Epist. I. verse 127
tion to your good intentions. [128] : ' Perhaps was sick, in love, or
48. bite his lip] Compare Richard had not din'd ' " (Steevens).
///. IV. li. 27 : " The king is angry : 52. pout upon . . . morning] So ir»
sec, he bites the lip." Romeo and Jxiliet, in. iii. 144 :—
SC. I.]
CORIOLANUS
187
55
To give or to forgive ; but when we have stuff d These pipes and these conveyances of our blood With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls Than in our priest-like fasts : therefore, I '11 watch him Till he be dieted to my request, And then I '11 set upon him.
Bru, You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot lose your way.
Men. Good faith, I *11 prove him.
Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge Of my success. \Exit
Com. He '11 never hear him.
Sic. Not ?
Com. I tell you he does sit in gold, his eye
Red as 'twould burn Rome, and his injury
6o
6i. I\Ye Theobald conj.
62. Not .■'] F 3 ; Not. F.
•♦ But, like a misbehaved and sullen wench, Thou pouVst upon thy fortune and thy love." See also Cotgrave, Fr. Diet., i6ii : " Rechigner : To frowne, lowre, powt, be surly, looke sulenly, sourely, grimly, doggedly."
54. These . . . blood] Compare the passage in i. i., where Menenius de- scribes the belly's office.
56. priest-like fasts] The 1821 Vari- orum supplies the following notes : " I am afraid that when Shakespeare introduced this comparison, the re- ligious abstinence of modern, not ancient Rome, was in his thoughts — Steevens '' ; " Priests are forbid, by the discipline of the church of Rome, to break their fast before the celebration of mass, which must take place after sun-rise, and before mid-day — C."
watch him] observe him, or wait for him. Either of these Shakespearean uses gives sound sense here. Those who suspect an allusion to falconry, in which hawks were watch'd {i.e. kept awake without food to tame them), are going out of their way, and also sug- gesting the very opposite of Menenius's methods.
60. prove him] assay him, make trial of him. Compare 1 Henry VI. 11. ii. 58 : •• I mean to prove this lady's courtesy."
62, sticeess] The word was used for result, good or bad. See King Lear,
V. iii. 195, and Antony and Cleopatra, II. iv. g, and the notes on these pas- sages in this edition.
6^. he . . . gold] Johnson explains: " He is enthroned in all the pomp and pride of imperial splendour.'' Steevens quotes North (see Extracts, pp. liii-liv a7ite) : *' he was set in his chaire of state, with a marvellous and unspeakable ma- jestie." Both Johnson and Steevens refer to Homer ; the latter quotes Iliad, viii. 442, and thinks Pope " was perhaps in- debted to Shakespeare " in thus render- ing it : '* Th' eternal Thunderer sat throned in gold.''
63, 64. his eye Red] The red eye of wrath may be illustrated by King John, IV. ii. 162, 163 : " Besides I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisbury, With eyes as red as new-enkindled fire " ; ^ Henry
VI. III. i. 154 : " Beaufort's red spark- ling eyes blab his heart's malice " ; Julius CcBsar, i. ii. 185-188. See also Beaumont and Fletcher, The Bloody Brother, i. i. (Cambridge ed., iv. 251) : —
* ' therefore know From me, though not deliver'd in
great words, Eyes red with rage, poor pride, and
threatned action ; " etc.
64, 65. his injury . . . gaoler . . . pity] his sense of wrong keeps guard on his pity. In Antony and Cleopatra, 11.
188
CORIOLANUS
[act v.
The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him ; 65
'Twas very faintly he said " Rise " ; dismiss'd me
Thus, with his speechless hand : what he would do,
He sent in writing after me ; what he would not,
Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions :
So that all hope is vain 70
Unless his noble mother and his wife,
Who, as 1 hear, mean to solicit him
For mercy to his country. Therefore let 's hence,
And with our fair entreaties haste them on. [Exeunt.
70-72. So that him.
him] As Johnson ; two lines in Ff, ending Mother.
V. 52, 53, gaoler is used in the opposite sense, for producing a prisoner : " ' But yet ' is as a gaoler to bring forth Some monstrous malefactor."
66. faintly] languidly.
67-73. what . . . country] This passage is punctuated much as in the folio, and materially differs from the folio text only in the arrangement of lines 70-72. It readily suggests a meaning most probably intended, but its precise difficulties are insoluble, be- cause something appears to be lost, perhaps after conditions (as Johnson supposed) or perhaps after oath (as Malone), and also, possibly, something after country. The tinkering of the passage recorded in the notes to the Cambridge Shakespeare serves no use- ful purpose, the only tolerable sugges- tion being Solly's, to alter the word yield (line 69) to hold. With this change the passage affords a grudging sense as it stands : what he would do, he sen I in writing after me [and] what he would not [being] bound by an oath to hold to his conditions. So that all hope is vain unless {i.e. if we except] his noble mother and his wife, who, etc. Johnson's proposal was to begin a new sentence with To yield and suppose " the speaker's purpose ... to be
this": 'To yield to his conditions is ruin, and better cannot be obtained, so that all hope is vain," I cite in full Mr. Chambers's view, with great sym- pathy with his desire to avoid assump- tions and alterations ; but as we know (see V. iii. 80) that Coriolanus was •' bound by an oath," it is as difficult to turn this phrase over to the Romans and their acceptance of the conditions as it is to deprive them of yield by substituting hold as above. Mr. Chambers says : " These lines have proved puzzling to commentators. I have put a comma for the colon of F r after me, and explain. ' He sent me an offer of concessions, strictly limited, and dependent upon an oath to observe the conditions laid down.' Coriolanus has already begun to waver. He re- peats to Menenius in v. ii. S2 [88] (com- pare V. iii. 13) the offer made to Ccminius. Johnson, Malone, and others have assumed that words are lost ; surely the last refuge of a com- mentator."
71. Unless . . . wife] " probably elliptical for, unless we may consider the intended intercession of his mother and his wife in the light of hope" (Deighton) ; '* Hope, personified, is identified with the mother and wife" (Chambers).
SC. II.]
CORIOLANUS
189
SCENE II. — The Volscian Camp before Rome, Enter Menenius to the Watch or Guard. First Watch. Stay ! Whence are you ? Second Watch. Stand ! and go back.
Men. You guard like men ; 'tis well ; but, by your leave, I am an officer of state, and come To speak with Coriolanus. First Watch. From whence ?
Mf^- From Rome.
First Watch, You may not pass ; you must return : our
general c
Will no more hear from thence. Second Watch. You '11 see your Rome embrac'd with fire before You '11 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, lo
My name hath touch'd your ears : it is Menenius.
Scene ii.
The . . . Rome.] A Camp. Rowe ; The Volscian camp. Theobald. i. First Watch. Second Watch] 1 Wat. 2 Wat., and afterwards simply 1., H. Ff. 3, 4. I . . . Coriolanus.] As Pope ; one line Ff. 5, 6. You . . . thence] As Pope; prose Ff.
Scene 11.
7. embraced] Compare The Rape of Luerece (hne 6), "■embracing flames."
10. ii is lots to blanks] Although this is usually explained as any odds, any- thing to nothing, taking lots as prizes and the comparison to be between the value of prizes and blanks, and not be- tween the numbers involved, I believe Malone to be nearer the mark when he says : " Menenius . . . only means to say, that it is more than an equal chance that his name has touched their ears," because lots was " the term for the total number of tickets in a lottery, which took its name from thence." He quotes the continuation of Stowe's Chronicle, 1615, p, 1002: "Out of which lottery, for want of filling, by the number of lots, there were then taken out and thrown away threescore thousand
blanks, without abating of any one prize." This is confirmed, in my opinion, by the section of The Generall Historic of Virginia, etc., bk. iv. 1624, on The Contents of the declaration of the Lottery published by the Counsell (Captain J. Smith, Works, ed. Arber, p, 522). The terms there used are Blankes, Prizes, Welcomes, and Re- wards. There were 9743 prizes, from one Great Prize of 4500 crowns down to a thousand of 2 crowns. The " Welcomes " were a sop to the "Blankes," giving, e.g. 100 crowns "To him that first shall be drawne out with a blanke," and 10 crowns every day of the drawing to the first blank. The " Rewards," varying from 10 to 25 and from 100 to 400 crowns were for various other blanks, except the highest reward, which was "To him that putteth in the greatest Lot, vnder
190
CORIOLANUS
[act v.
First Watch. Be it so ; go back : the virtue of your name Is not here passable.
Men. I tell thee, fellow,
Thy general is my lover : I have been The book of his good acts, whence men have read His fame unparallel'd, haply amplified ; For 1 have ever verified my friends,
i6. haply'} Hanmer ; happely F ; happily F 3. Hanmer ; amplified Lettsom and Keightley conj.
17. verified] magnified
one name." The lot, then, was the money contributed, in this case used loosely for the varying sum contributed by each person, according as he took one or more shares. Compare the later words : "To him that putteth in the second greatest number." From the same source another quotation will confirm the above statement : " But ... let vs remember there was a run- ning Lottery ... in Saint Paul's Churchyard . . . that brought into the Treasury good summes of money dayly, though the Lot was but small." Obviously the " Lot " is the price of a ticket here, by easy transition from the idea of the share to its cost. Mr. Craig, who received the reference to Smith from Mr. Hart, explained "any odds, a thousand to one," but retained the reckoning by numbers not values, as he added "literally, lottery tickets which bring a prize to the drawer to those which bring no prize," and after citing Smith, avoided the dilemma pointed out by Malone, viz. that "if lot signified prize,^^ Menenius must thus "be supposed to say, that the chance of his name having reached their ears was very small," by stating: " It is clear that in the lotteries of Shakespeare's day, the lots [prizes] exceeded the blanks." But this deduc- tion seems to be quite unwarranted. The New Eng. Diet, also explains lot as prize, and " It is lots to blanks " as = It is a thousand to one ; but in its first example the lots clearly include prizes and blanks, and in only one ex- ample is there really a distinction made between them. These two examples are respectively : " 1567, Lottery Chart, Aug., The number of Lots [in a Lottery] shall be Foure hundreth thousand, and no moe: and euery Lot shall be the
summe of Tenne shillings sterling onely and no more " : " 1634, Wither, Em- blemst Direction at end, If it be the upper Figure, whose Index you moved, than, that Number Wherupon it resteth, is the number of your Lot, or Blancke."
13. passable'] current. The New Eng. Diet, quotes Greene, Never too Late, 1590, Grosart, viii. 26: "Ster- ling coyne passable from man to man in way of exchange." Shakespeare quibbles with the word both here and in the only other place where he has it, viz. in Cymbeline, i. ii. ro : " Hurt him ! his body's a passable carcass, if he be not hurt : it is a throughfare for steel if it be not hurt."
14. lover] Here used in the sense of friend, as in jfuliiis CcBsar, iii. ii. 49 : " as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome."
15. The book . . . acts] The record, etc. Compare The Rape of Lucrece, 615, 616:—
" For princes are the glass, the school, the book, Where subject's eyes do learn, do read, do look."
17. verified] Different meanings have been extracted out of verified, but Johnson has probably given as good an unforced sense as can be obtained. He says: "To verify is to establish by testimony. One may say with pro- priety, he brought false witnesses to verify his title. Shakespeare considered the word with his usual laxity, as im- parting rather testimony than truth, and only meant to say, I bore witness to my friends with all the size that verity wotdd suffer.''' The New Eng. Diet. goes a trifle further, with, " To support or back up by testimony," exemplifying by the passage in the text alone. Pos- sibly Shakespeare in this line thinks of
:. II.]
CORIOLANUS
191
Of whom he 's chief, with all the size that verity Would without lapsing suffer : nay, sometimes, Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground, I have tumbled past the throw, and in his praise Have almost stamp'd the leasing. Therefore, fellow, I must have leave to pass.
Fitst Watck, Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf as you have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here ; no, though it were as vir- tuous to lie as to live chastely. Therefore go back.
^Men. Prithee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general.
20
25
Coriolanus's fame as it exists outside the record which men have read in " the book " Menenius, and of Menenius as authenticating that fame by his testimony. Mr. Craig was very doubt- ful of the word and seems at one time to have thought of substituting am- plijied in the text.
19. lapsinpr^ making a slip. Compare Cymbeline, in. vi. 9-14 : " will poor folks lie ... ? Yes ; no wonder, When rich ones scarce tell true. To lapse in fulness Is sorer than to lie for need ; and falsehood Is worse in kings than beggars."
20. a subtle ground] Whalley, in 1716,
r quoted this passage in his comment on the following in Jonson's Chloridia, "Tityus's breast, that (for six of the nine acres) is counted the subtlest bowl- ing ground in all Tartary," and ex- plained subtlest as" smoothest, finest." Steevens, quoting Jonson, says subtle == smooth, level, but also suggests " arti- ficially unlevel," which Mr. Craig favoured. That, however, could not be the meaning in Chloridia, for obvious leasons. The New Eng. Diet., citing both passages, explains " tricky," and Malone had previously suggested " de- ceitful." The author of Country Con- tentments, 1615, quoted by Strutt in Sports and Pastimes, 2nd ed., 1810, Book III. ch. vii. p. 238, describes bowling as a pastime " in which a man shall find great art in choosing out his ground, and preventing the winding, hanging, and many turning advantages of the same, whether it be in open wilde places, or in close allies." He
distinguishes between '* yr flat bowles being best for allies, yr round byazed bowles for open grounds of advantage, and yr round bowles, like a ball, for greene swarthes that are plain and level."
21. the throw'] " The distance to which anything may or is to be thrown : often qualified, as a stone^s throw." New Eng. Diet., among whose citations this is the only passage where throw is unqualified.
22. stamped the leasing] set the stamp of truth on the falsehood. This is a metaphor either from coining or from sealing deeds or letters. If from the former, the idea is of giving currency ; if from the latter, of giving authenticity. For stamp = to mark as genuine, see Othello, II. i. 247: "a finder of occa- sions, that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit advantages, though true ad- vantage never present itself." Leasing, falsehood, is common, from Anglo- Saxon leasung onward. It is used by Chaucer, Spenser (e.g. The Faerie Queene, i. vi. 48, ** But that false Pilgrim, which that leasing told "), and later Elizabethan writers ; by Shake- speare again in Twelfth Night, 1. v. 105 : "Now Mercury endue thee with leasing," etc. Henley refers to Psalm, IV. 2 : " How long will yee love vanitie, and seeke after leasing .^ "
29. factionary] one of a faction, an adherent (Dyce) ; or rather " active as a partisan " (New Eng. Diet.), but in- stances of the word in this sense are wanted.
192
CORIOLANUS
[act
Second Watch. Howsoever you have been his h*ar, as you say you have, I am one that, telling true under him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore go back.
Men. Has he dined, canst thou tell ? for I would not speak with him till after dinner.
First Watch. You are a Roman, are you?
Men. I am, as thy general is.
First Watch. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignor- ance, 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 palsied intercession of such a decayed dotant as you seem to be ? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in with such weak breath as this .^ No, you are deceived ; therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for your execution : you are con-
30
:y:>
40
45
43. dotant] dotard F 4.
30. Howsoever'} The Second Guard is saying much the same as the First Guard in Une 24, and most probably means, by Howsoever^ " in whatever degree," although some explain " not- withstanding that, albeit." Measure for Measure, 11. i. 231 : " Pompey, you are partly a bawd, Pompey, how- soever you colour it in being a tapster," supports the former sense quite as well or better than the latter, beneath which it sometimes appears.
31. telling true] Compare Antony and Cleopatra, 1. ii. 102, 103 : " Who tells me true ... I hear him as he flatter'd," and IV. vi. 25 : —
*' Mock not, Enobarbus. I tell you trne.''^
33. Has he dined] It was the custom in Shakespeare's day, to take dinner, the first solid meal of the day, rather early. See Harrison, Description of England, 1577, ii. 6 : " With us, the nobilitie, gentrie, and students do ordin- arlie go to dinner at eleven before noon."
38, 39, the very] the veritable, the true. Compare Cymbeline, iv. ii. 107: " I am absolute 'Twas vtry Cloten."
Very friend for true friend as in Romeo and yuliet, iii. i. 115 ; etc., is common.
40. front] face, confront. Compare Jonson, Epigram lxxx : —
" And here, it should be one of our first strifes, So to front death, as men might judge us past it."
41. easy groans] groans which need no effort. Compare the Earl of Surrey, in Tottels Miscellany, 1557, ed. Arber, p, 13, Prisoned in Wi7idsor, etc. : " And easie sighes, such as folke draw in love."
41, 42. the virginal palms . . . daughters] the uplifted hands of your virgin daughters. Compare The Two Gentlemen of Verona, iii. i. 229 : " But neither bended knees, pure hands held up," etc. Malone quotes 3 Henry VI. V. ii. 52, " tears virginal " ; Steevens, Field, A Woman is a Weathercock, acted 1612 [ill. ii. Hazlitt's Dodshy, xi. 53] : " contrite virginal tears," and Spenser, The Faerie Queene, 11. ix. [xx.] : " mildnesse virginall.'"
43. dot mt] dotard; a form appar- ently not elsewhere found. The New Eng. Diet, has this note, " compare Fr. radotant, pres. pple."
fsc. II.] CORIOLANUS 198
demned, our general has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon. Men. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would 50
use me with estimation. Second Watch. Come, my captain knows you not.
I Men. I mean thy general. First Watch. My general cares not for you. Back, I say, go : lest I let forth your half-pint of blood. 5 5 Back ; that *s the utmost of your having : back. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow, —
Enter CORIOLANUS with AUFIDIUS.
I Cor. What 's the matter ? Men. Now, you companion, I '11 say an arrant for you : you shall know now that I am in estimation; you 60 shall perceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me [ from my son Coriolanus : guess but by my entertain- 1 ment with him, if thou standest not i' the state of ■ hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship, f and crueller in suffering ; behold now presently, and 65
50, 51. Sirrah . . . estimation.] As Pope ; two lines, the first ending hure, Ff. 57. fellow,—] Theobald; Fellow. Ff. 59. arrant] errant F 4. 62, 63. but
by . . . him, if] Malone ; but my . . . him : if Ff.
48, 49. sworn you . . . pardofi] Mind- speaks of delivering may be seen at
ing to Coriolanus's oaths to the Vols- lines 75, etc.
cians. See last scene, line 69 ante, and 61. j^ack guardant] Common fellow
note (67-73), and v. iii. So post. on guard, or. Jack in office. For yack
56. utmost . . . having] all you can compare Antony and Cleopatra, iii.
take with you. Having = wealth, xiii. 93, and note in this series :
possessions. See Henry VIII. 11. iii. «» Take hence this j^ack, and whip
23 : '♦ Our content Is our best having " ; him." The word is extremely common,
etc. alone and in compounds (compare
59. companion] fellow. See iv. v. «« Jacksauce," Henry V. iv. vii. 148),
14 a«/«, and note. and ''Jack out of office," occurs in
59. / '// say an arrant for you] " To / Henry VI. i. i. 175.
say an errand" (or " arrant," a very g g^^ office me from] use his office
common form), meant, to dehver a to keep me from. O^^^^^ occurs in ^ //'s
message. Among examples in the ^^^^ ^f^^^ £„^^ i^ell, iii. ii. I2q, in
New Eng. Dtct., occur: " c. 1325 the sense of performed all offices or
E.E. Allit. P., C. 72. Now swe5e me duties:—
hider swyftly and say me bis arende " ; „ ^t" ,1 t . u ^ j ^i. 5 ..
-. r..i vn.h M^t. vV o,, . Tn - Shall I stay here to do 't ? no, no.
'' c. 1440 York Myst.y xx. 233 : To
although
I
bam youre herand for to say." Mr. ^Z"'" ."&". ,. ... .^ .^
Deighton explains the text: '•I'll Th^ ^'' ^^ P^^^^ise did fan the
deliver a message for you, i.e. will nouse ^- , „ ,,
tell Coriolanus of your behaviour." And angels o#..c^ all.
Perhaps the errand that Menenius 65. presently] immediately, as often.
13
194
CORIOLANUS
[act
swoond for what 's to come upon thee. [To CORIO- LANUS.] The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does ! O my son ! my son ! thou art preparing fire for us ; look thee, here 's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee ; but being assured none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs, and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage 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, my remission lies In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar.
70
75
80
66. swoond] F ; swoon F 4.
73. your] F ; our F 4.
66. swoond] swoon, which occurs in As You Like It, iv. iii. 159. New Eng. Diet, says swoond is obsolete or dia- lectic for swound. Sound is also a common form.
73. / have . . . sighs] Compare The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 11. iii. 60 : "if the wind were down, I could drive the boat with my sighs/'
your gates] changed in F 4 to our gates, but probably '♦ your " is right, and Menenius throws it in to touch the heart of the Roman. The gates of Rome were, do as he would, his gates, the gates of his native city.
74. petitionary] suppliant, petition- ing. The New Eng. Diet, gives but two examples of this word (applied to persons), the present passage, and one from Lamb, Elia, " The Two Races of Men " : '• to say no to a poor petitionq,ry rogue " (only an echo, prob- ably of the word here). It occurs again, otherwise applied, in As You Like It, III. ii. 199 : " Nay, I prithee now with most petitionary vehemence, tell me who it is."
77. block] Both impediment and blockhead, as Mr. Deighton says. Compare Pericles, in. ii. 90 : " The
viol once more : how thou stirr'st, thou block! "
81. servanted to] under the rule of, subjected to. This is the only example of the word in this particular sense given in the New Eng. Diet.
81, 82. though I owe . . . properly] though my revenge is peculiarly my own affair. The frequent sense " own " is no doubt the right one for owe here, as in in. ii. 130 ante, although an avenger may be said to owe revenge. The sense " own " avoids any clash between owing as a debtor and at the same time remitting as an excuser of debt, if remission be taken in that sense.
82, 83. my remission . . . breasts] I cannot refrain from exacting my revenge unless the Volscians please. Remission is either forgiveness (com- pare " The Absolution, or Remission of sins," Book of Common Prayer), or, more probably, " release from a debt or payment," under which last sense the Netv Eng. Diet, gives this passage, with others; e.g. : " 1362 Langl. P. PI. A VII. 83 To ha Reles and Remission on |?at Rental I beleeue " ; ♦' 1608 Willet Hexapla Exod. 838 : They . . . only went vp . . . in the seuenth yeare of remission twice."
"•]
CORIOLANUS
195
85
loved
An-
I
^F Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather " Than pity note how much. Therefore, be gone :
Mine ears against your suits are stronger than
fYour gates against my force. Yet, for I thee. Take this along ; I writ it for thy sake, And would have sent it. [Gzves him a letter. '\ other word, Menenius, I will not hear thee speak. This man, Aufidius, Was my belov'd in Rome : yet thou behold'st ! Auf. You keep a constant temper.
\Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius, ■ First Watch. Now, sir, is your name Menenius ? ft Second Watch. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power. You ^t^ know the way home again. 95
^^m*irst Watch. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping ^H your greatness back ?
I"
90
85. pity note] Theobald (Thirlby conj.) ; letter.] Pope ; omitted Ff. 92, Exeunt Ff 2-4] The Guard and Menenius. F.
pitty : Note Ff. . .] Capell ; Exeunt.
8g. Gives . . . Manet [Manent
84, 85. Ingrate . . . how much] It is Coriolanus who admits no appeal to old friendship and therefore it is his forgetfulness that will ungratefully poison the remembrance rather than his pity will recall how great that familiarity was. Hence the idea of some that "Ingrate forgetfulness" may refer to the conduct of the country- men of Coriolanus, the " dastard nobles " of iv. v, 77 seems improb- able.
84. poison] Two senses are possible here : corrupt, convert to bane, or destroy.
87. for] because. See in. i. 10, and note.
91. my belov'd] This was in Eliza- bethan days the language of friendship. See The Taming of the Shrew, i. ii. 3 : " My best beloved and approved friend.''
92. a constant temper] firmness of mind, an unvarying attitude of mind. Compare Ford, Pcrkin Warbeck, i. lii. 104 : —
•« Ki7ig Henry. ... I am unhappy. Misery of confidence, — let me turn traitor
To my own person, yield my sceptre
up . . . Durham. You lose your constant temper.'" 96. shent] blamed, scolded, as in The Merry Wives of Windsor, i. iv. 38, " We shall all be shent.'' See also Tottel's Miscellany, 1557 (ed. Arber, p. 246) :—
" For wordes, of many haue been shent : For silence kept none hath repent." Other meanings are put to shame, injured, destroyed, undone, etc. See Langland, Piers Plowman, A, Passus III. 130 : " Schirreues of schires weore schent ^if heo nere " ; Sir Philip Sidney, The Psalmes of David, vi. line i : — " Lord, let not me a worme by Thee be shent, While Thou art in the heat of Thy
displeasure ; Ne let Thy rage of my due punish- ment
Become the measure." See also Gesta Romanorum, Early Eng. Text. Soc. ed., p. 38, Story XIII. (the verb is past tense this time) : " and there came a great rayne and shent the king's clothes."
196 CORIOLANUS [ACT V.
Second Watch. What cause, do you think, 1 have to swoond ?
Men. I neither care for the world, nor your general : for icxd such things as you, I can scarce think there 's any,_ ya 're so slight. He that hath a will to die by him- i self fears it not from another. Let your general do ! ) his worst. For you, be that you are, long ; and your
' misery increase with your age ! I say to you, as I was IQ5
said to, Away ! [Exit.
First Watch. A noble fellow, I warrant him.
Second Watch. The worthy fellow is our general : he 's the
rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. [Exeunt.
SCENE lll.—The Tent ^/ CORIOLANUS. Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and Others.
Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow Set down our host. My partner in this action, You must report to the Volscian lords, how plainly I have borne this business.
Auf. Only their ends
You have respected ; stopp'd your ears against 5
The general suit of Rome ; never admitted A private whisper, no, not with such friends That thought them sure of you.
108, log. As F 4 ; two lines divided after Rock, Ff 1-3. log. Exeunt.'] Exit Watch. Ff.
Scene III.
The Tent . . .] Tent . . . Capell. Aufidius, and others.'] Capell ; and Auffi- dius. F{ (Au/idius F 4). 4-7. Only . . . friends] As Capell ; divided alter
respected, . . . Rome : . . . against Ff.
99. swoond] See on line 66 ante, to Scene in.
which this speech refers. 2. My . . . action] Shakespeare here
102. slight] insignificant. Compare departs from the account in North's
Julius Casar, iv. iii. 37: "Away, Plutarch. See Extracts, p. li ante,
slight man I " and iv, i. 12 : " This is where it appears that Tullus " thought it
a slight unmeritable man, Meet to be best for him [Coriolanus] to have the
sent on errands." leading of those who should make the
102, 103. hy himself] by his own wars abroad : and himselfc would keep
hand. home, to provide for the safety of the
105. misery] misery in the ordinary cities, and of his country, and to furnish
sense, or the misery of insignificance, the camp also with all necessary provi-
which Menenius would have not only to sion abroad."
continue but to increase. The mag- 3, 4. how plainly . . . borne this nanimous comment of the First Guard business] i.e. how openly, without re- proves him worthy of a better fate. serve or concealment, I have conducted
^sc. III.]
CORIOLANUS
197
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 ; i o
Nay, godded me indeed. Their latest refuge Was to send him ; for whose old love I have, Though I show'd sourly to him, once more ofifer'd The first conditions, which they did refuse. And cannot now accept, to grace him only i 5
That thought he could do more. A very little I have yielded to ; fresh embassies, and suits. Nor from the state, nor private friends, hereafter Will I lend ear to. \Shout within.
Ha ! what shout is this ? Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow 20
In the same time 'tis made ? I will not.
Enter, in mourning habits, ViRGILIA, VOLUMNIA, leading young MarCIUS, VALERIA, and Attendants.
17. ^0] F 2 ; too F I. 19. Shout within^ After this ? in Ff. 21. Enter
. . .] Malone (Capell substantially) ; Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Martins, toith Attendants. Ff.
this affair. Compare ante, 1. i. 268, 269 :
O, if he Had home the business ! " and
iVin sense " sustain the action "), i. vi.
'81,82, "the rest Shall hear the business
in some other fight."
9. with a crack'd heart] Compare King Lear, ii. i. 92 : " O ! madam, my old heart is crack'd, is crack' d I "
10. above the measure] Measure ap- pears in other phrases similarly indicat- ing excessiveness. See Cymbeline, 11. iv. 113 : '* O, above measure false ! " and Much Ado about Nothing, i. iii. 1,2: " why are you thus out of measure sad ? "
11. godded me] made a god of me, deified me. The Neiv Eng. Diet, gives this passage with others in which the application of the word is not precisely the same : Spenser, Colin Clout's Come Home Again (1595), 810, "Jove . . . taking [Cupid] up to heaven, him godded new " ; Sylvester, Du Bartas {1606), 11, iv. Ill, Schisme, kxgt, 3: " Hee (Aaron) godding calves, makes Israel sin " ; and (almost in the present sense) Glanvil, Plus ultra (1668), ed. 1688, p. 93 : " In those days men godded their bene- iaciorB."
Their latest refuge] Their last resource. Compare Tinion of Athens, in. iii. II : *' Must I h&h\^ lastrefuge ? "
12. for whose old love] for the ssJce of his ancient love for me, or for the sake of my ancient love for him. In ^ Mid- summer Night's Dream, iii. ii. 215, occurs : " And will you rent our ancient love asunder ? " It is not very probable that " old love " is here a phrase cor- responding to "young love" in King Lear, i. i. 83-85 : —
"to ^ffhose young love The vines of France, and milk of
Burgundy Strive to be interess'd." If it were, the sense would be, for the sake of this love from an old man.
13. show'd sourly] So Menenius re- ports, V. iv. 17, 18 post : " The tartness of his face sours ripe grapes."
14. The first conditions] The only preceding reference to conditions is in V. i. 67-69. See, however. North, Ex- tracts, pp. liv, Iv, Ivi ante.
15. And . . . acc<?/>^] Apparently, this means that pride or shame will prevent acceptance. It cannot refer to the ex- piration of the thirty days respite which
198
CORIOLANUS
[act V.
My wife comes foremost ; then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grandchild 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 doves' eyes,
Which can make gods forsworn ? I melt, and am not
Of stronger earth than others. My mother bows ;
As if Olympus to a molehill should
In supplication nod ; and my young boy
Hath an aspect of intercession, which
Great nature cries, '' Deny not." Let the Volsces
25
30
accompanied the first conditions, be- cause these conditions are now once more offered.
22. My wife . . . foremosf] So in North's Plutarch : see Extracts, p. Ivii ante.
23. in her hand] Dr. Wright quotes Richard III. iv. i. 2 : —
" Who meets us here ? my niece Plantagenet Led tn the ha?id of her kind aunt of Gloucester." See also Chaucer, Prologue (A) to The Legend of Good Women, 144-145 : — " Tho gan I loken endelong the mede. And saw him [the god of love] come, and in his hond a quene "; and Prior, Alma, Canto 11. (Cambridge ed., p. 236): —
" Down come the Nobles of the Land : Each brings his Daughter in his Hand,'' etc. 25. All] Dr. Wright notes all used for •' every," as in i. iii. 7, and in in. i. 128 ante.
27. doves* eyes] Steevens quotes Canticles, v. 12, "his eyes are as the eyes of doves.'' See also (Mr. Craw- ford's reference) Chapman, The Tears of Peace, •' Invocatio " (Chatto & Windus, p. 1146) : —
" and dry at length the faces Of Peace and all her heaven-allied
brood ; From whose doves' eyes is shed the precious blood," etc. 30, 31. As if Olympus . . . nod] Similar comparisons frequently occur ; Steevens quotes Sidney, Arcadia (see Poems, cd. Grosart, 11. 112) : —
•' What, judge you, doth a hillocke
shew by the lofty Olympus ?
Such my minute greatnes doth
seeme compar'd to the greatest."
See also Massinger, The Virgin Martyr,
I. i. {Works, Routledge, 1875, p. 46):
'* An humble modesty, that would not
match A molehill with Olympus " ;
The Roman Actor, in. i. 1-4 {ibid. p.
" if you but compare What I have suffered with your
injuries, (Though great ones, I confess) they
will appear Like molehills to Olympus."
32. aspect] This word is always ac- cented by Shakespeare on the second syllable. And so Milton in Paradise Lost, X. 454 : —
" the Stygian throng Bent their aspect, and whom they wish'd beheld," etc. and elsewhere.
33, 34. Let . . . Italy] Compare Micah, III. 12 : " Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps." Mr. Deighton asserts that harrow is here used in the double sense of (a) ravag- ing, and (/;) of breaking up the soil with a harrow, after it has been ploughed. Harrow is certainly an old form of harry. Compare Spenser, The Faerie Queeue, i. x. 40 : " And he, that har- rowd hell with heavie stowre." Even Scott, as the New Eng. Diet, notes, in his Lord of the Isles, v. xv., has: —
" Long harrow'd by oppressor's hand, Courage and faith had fled the land."
ISC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
199
Plough Rome, and harrow Italy ; I '11 never
Be such a gosling to obey instinct, but stand, 3 5
As if a man were author of himself
And knew no other kin. Vir. My lord and husband !
Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome. Vir. The sorrow that delivers us thus chang'd
Makes you think so. Cor. Like a dull actor now, 40
I have forgot my part, and I am out,
Even to a full disgrace. Best of my flesh,
Forgive my tyranny ; but do not say
36, 37. Asif . . . kin'] As Rowe (ed. 2); one line Ff. 40-42. Like , . . Jlesh] As Pope ; two lines divided after part, Ff.
35. gosling] Compare for this meta- phor for a foolish, inexperienced person, Gabriel Harvey's Pierce's Supereroga- tion, 1593 (Mr. Hart's reference, Grosart ed., II. 62) : •' heere is a brat of Arro- gancy, a gosling of the Printing-house, that can teach your braggardes to play their parts in the Printe of wonder," etc. ; and see also Churchyard, " The Tragedy of Cardinal Wolsey," stanza 55, The Miroitr for Magistrates, 1587, fol. 271 : —
" Hee needes must fall, that looks not where hee goes, And on the Starrs, walkes staring goezling like." to] as to. Rolfe quotes The Tempest, II. i. 167 : —
" 1 would with such perfection govern, sir. To excel the golden age." instijict] accented on the second syllable as in 2 Henry IV. i. i. 86 ; Cymbeline, iv. ii. 177; and so Milton accents it in Paradise Lost, x. 263 : — " so strongly drawn By this new-felt attraction and instinct.^'' 38-40. These eyes . . . Rome. The sorrow . . . so] ** Virgilia makes a voluntary misinterpretation of her hus- band's words. He says. These eyes are not the same, meaning, that he saw things with other eyes, or other disposi- tions. She lays hold on the word eyes, to turn his attention on their present appearance. ' ' — J ohnson.
38. wore] Mr. Chambers quotes 11. i.
175 : '• Such eyes the widows in Corioles wear.^^
39. delivers] shows, presents. The New Eng. Diet, describes the use as a poetic one of the legal phrase = To give or hand over formally, "with weakened sense of ' To hand over, pre- sent,' " citing this passage and Twelfth Night, I. ii. 43 :—
•' O that I . . . might not be de- livered to the world, Till I had made mine own occasions
mellow, What my estate is." 40-42. Like a dull actor, etc.] Com- pare Sonnet xxiii. i. : —
" As an unperfect actor on the stage Who with his fear is put beside his part." Coriolanus has already drawn an illus- tration from the stage in iii. ii. 105, 106 ante.
41. atid I am out] Compare Love's Labour '5 Lost, v. ii. 149-154 : —
" Boyet. Why that contempt will kill the speaker's heart, And quite divorce his memory from
his part. Princess. Therefore I do it ; and I
make no doubt The rest will ne'er come in, if he be out." 43. tyranny] cruelty. Compare King Lear, iii. iv. 2: "The tyranny of the open night's too rough For nature to endure " ; and The Merchafit of Venice j IV. i. 10, 13 :—
200 CORIOLANUS [act v.
For that ** Forgive our Romans." O, a kiss
Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge ! 45
Now, by the jealous queen of heaven, that kiss
I carried from thee, dear, and my true lip
Hath virgin'd it e'er since. You gods ! 1 prate,
And the most noble mother of the world
Leave unsaluted. Sink, my knee, i' the earth ; 50
[Kneels.
Of thy deep duty more impression shew
Than that of common sons. Vol. O, stand up blest !
Whilst, with no softer cushion than the flint,
I kneel before thee, and un properly
Shew duty, as mistaken all this while 55
Between the child and parent. [Kneels.
Cor. What is this ?
Your knees to me ! to your corrected son !
Then let the pibbles on the hungry beach
48. ptate] Theobald ; pray Ff. 56. [KneeW] Rowe ; Ff omit. 56, 57.
What is [['Vhat 's Ff] . . . soti] As Pope ; two lines divided after me ? in Ff.
•' I do oppose " Stay not thy compliment ; I forgive
My patience to his fury, and am thy duty : adieu."
arm'd 54-56. and . . . parent] and im-
To suffer, with a quietness of spirit, properly do reverence, reversing the old
The very tyranny and rage of his." relations between parents and children
46. the jealous . . . he iven"] " That as if they were all wrong,
is. h y^'wo, the guardian of marriage, 57. corrected] The correction lies in
and consequently the avenger of con- the irony of Volumnia's speech. It
nubial perfidy." — Johnson. cannot be, as some think, correction for
48 virgin'd ifjFor'mstznces of nouns the delay — already remedied— in salu-
transformed mto verbs, and of it '■ used tation (see lines 48-50 supra) that Corio-
indefinitely as the object of a verb with- lanus is thinking of.
out referring to anything previously 58. pibbUf,] An old spelling. The
mentioned," see Abbott, Sh ikis. Gram., New Eng. Did. quotes it as late as in
§§ 290 and 226 respectively. a work of Luttrell, 1695.
/ prate] This is Theobald's ex- hungry beach] M alone says : " The
cellent emendation for Ff " I pray." beach hungry, or eager, for ship-
Steevens compares Othello, 11. i. 208 : wrecks. Such, I think, is the meaning.
"I prattle out of fashion " ; see also So in Twelfth Night [u.\\.io-^]m\nt
The Tern est, iii. i. 57: " But prattle is all as hungry as the sea.' 1 once
Some thing too wildly." idly conjectured that our author wrote
51. d'/i!j]ci«/v is both reverence owed the ayigry beach. Mr. Steevens is of
and its payment by some act like kneel- opinion that ' the hungry beach '
ing. See A Midsummer Night's means the sterile, unprofitable brach.
Dream, v. i. loi : — * Every writer on husbandry (he adds),
"And in the modesty of fearful rfj^/y speaks of hungry soil, and hungry
I read as much as from the rattling gravel, and what is more barren than
tongue the sands on the sea-shore ? ' He
Of saucy and audacious eloquence." acknowledges, however, it may admit
vadi Lovis Labour 's Lost, i\, \\. I ^%\ the explication already given." In
SC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
201
VoL
Fillop the stars ; then let the mutinous winds Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery sun, Murd'ring impossibility, to make What cannot be, slight work.
Thou art my warrior ;
60
I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady
Cor. The noble sister of Publicola,
The moon of Rome ; chaste as the icicle That *s curdied by the frost from purest snow, And hangs on Dian's temple : dear Valeria !
Vol. This is a poor epitome of yours,
Which by the interpretation of full time May show like all yourself
65
62, 63. Thou . . . lady ?'\ As Rowe ; first line ends thee in Ff.
Steevens' own note, he explains "sterile, unprolifick:' The New Eng. Diet. provides examples such as he speaks of, one very apposite to beach : " 1649 Blithe, Eng. Improv. Impr. {1653) 157 Thy Sets may neither root in stiffe- binding Clay : nor hungry Sand." Yet, with an unsatisfied feeling, one still echoes Mr. Verity's sole comment : •• Why ' hungry' ? " Is there any connection between the hunger of the beach and its attack on the stars ?
5q, Fillop the stars] Flick or strike the stars. The New Eng. Diet, only notes the spelling 7j//o/> in two Shakespeare passages, the above and 2 Henry IV. i. ii. 255. The word is spelt fillip in Troilus and Cressida, iv. v. 45.
62. slight work] an easy task, a trifle.
63. holp] helped ; Pope's emendation for hope of Ff. The form is common : see ante, iii. i. 274 ; iv. vi. 82.
64. The . . . sister of Publicola] See North, Extracts, ante. p. Ivi. In Plut- arch (see ante, p. Ivi) Valeria is made to go to the house of Volumnia and to induce the mother and wife to go to Martins and to entreat him to have pity, and this is one of the points where Shake- speare has left his original ; but he makes her accompany them to the Volscian camp.
65. The moon of Rome] i.e. the Diana of Rome, the personification of chastity.
Compare "the modest moon" (i. i. 256 ante) ; '' How now, my as fair as noble ladies, and the moon, were she earthly, no nobler " (11. i. 95).
65-66. chaste . . . snow] On this passage Steevens says : ** Some Roman lady of the name of Valeria, was one of the great examples of chastity held out by writers of the middle age. So in the Dialoges of Creatures moralysed, bl. I, no date : ' The seconde was called Valeria : and when inquysicion was made of her for what Cawse she toke notte the secounde husbonde, she sayde,' etc. Hence, perhaps, Shake- speare's extravagant praise of her name- sake's chastity." This lady is one of the many examples of chastity cited by Dorigene in Chaucer's trankeleyn^s Tale : see line 728. Skeat (Chaucer, V. p. 395) says that " Tyrwhitt remarks that all these examples are taken from Bk I. of Hieronymus contra louin- ianum " and subjoins the original passages, that referring to Valeria being as follows : " Again (at p. 50) Jerome says :— ' Valeria, Messalarum soror, amisso Seruio uiro, nulh, uolebat nu- bere. Quae interrogata cur hoc faceret, ait sibi semper maritum Seruium uiuere.' "
66. curdied^ curdled, congealed. The New Eng. Diet, gives this as sole in- stance of an obsolete verb curdy, remark- ing, however, that " perhaps curdied is a misprint for curdled."
202
CORIOLANUS
[act v.
Cor, The god of soldiers, 70
With the consent of supreme Jove, inform
Thy thoughts with nobleness ; that thou may'st prove
To shame unvulnerable, and stick i' the wars
Like a great sea-mark, standing every flaw,
And saving those that eye thee ! Vol. Your knee, sirrah. 75
Co7'. That 's my brave boy ! Vol, Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself.
Are suitors to you. Cor. I beseech you, peace ;
Or, if you 'd ask, remember this before :
The thing I have forsworn to grant may never 80
Be held by you denials. Do not bid me
Dismiss my soldiers, or capitulate
71. inform] inspire, animate. The "New Eng. Diet, traces the transitions of meaning through which the word passed : To give form, formative principle, or determinative character to ; hence to stamp, impress, imbue with some specific quality or attribute.
73. stick'] stand out as a prominent object. Compare Hamlet, v. ii. 266-268 :—
" in mine ignorance Your skill shall, like a star i' the
darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed." Dr. Dowden explains " stick fiery off" as '• stand out brilliantly."
74. sea-mark] The general meaning of *' sea-mark " is some point or con- spicuous object seen from the sea which directs the mariner how to shape his course. The word is only found once again in Shakespeare (see Othello, v. ii. 268: "here is my butt, And very sea-mark of my utmost sail ") but he more than once uses "mark" in this sense, as in Sonnet cxvi : —
•' O, no ! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken." Florio, Queen Anna's New World of Wordes, 1611, has : •' Meta : a land or sea-mark,^' and other illustrations will be found in the note on the Othello passage in this edition.
74. flaw] Dyce quotes Smith's Sea Grammar, 1627, p. 46 : "A flaw of wind is a gust, which is very violent
upon a sudden, but quickly endeth," and Cotgrave, French Diet., 161T, has *• Tourbillon de vent : a gust, a flaw, berrie of wind." The word is common : see 2 Henry VI. in. i. 352-354 ; Stany- hurst's Virgil, Mneis, 1582, iii. (ed. Arber, p. 76) : '• Thee flaws with rumbling, thee wrought nuds angrye doe iumble," where Stanyhurst thus renders the Latin venti ; and also Armin, Foole Upon Foole, Grosart, p. 13 : "A sudaine^are; or gust arose."
80-81. The thing . . . denials] So the first three Ff. F4 has The thing . . . denial, and Capell reads The things . . . denials ; but " the thing " means that he should withdraw from Rome and make peace, and it stands" denials " because " the refusal affected several persons " (Wright). It would be unjust to regard me as refusing to grant what I have no longer the power of granting.
80. forsworn to grant] i.e. sworn not to grant. Dr. Wright quotes Romeo andjuliet, i. i. 229 : " ShthsXh forsworn to love," and Ttvclfth Night, in. iv. 276 : " for meddle you must ... or forswear to wear iron about you."
82. capitulate] treat, draw up articles of agreement. See 1 Henry IV. iii. ii. 120: "The Archbishop's grace of York, Douglas, Mortimer, Capitulate against us and are up," Florio uses it for bargain, come to an agreement, in his Montaigne, Essayes, in. i. (Dent edition, v. p. g) : " Princes secrets are a troublesome charge, to such as have
SC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
203
Again with Rome's mechanics : tell me not Wherein I seem unnatural : desire not To allay my rages and revenges with 85
Your colder reasons. Vol. O, no more, no more ;
You have said you will not grant us any thing ; For we have nothing else to ask but that Which you deny already : yet we will ask ; That, if you fail in our request, the blame May hang upon your hardness. Therefore, hear us. Cor. Aufidius, and you Volsces, mark ; for we '11
Hear nought from Rome in private. Your request? Vol. Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment And state of bodies would bewray what life We have led since thy exile. Think with thyself How more unfortunate than all living women Are we come hither : since that thy sight, which
should Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with
comforts, Constrains them weep, and shake with fear and
sorrow : 100
90
95
84-86. Wherein
reasons.'] As Pope ; two lines divided after V allay in Ff.
nought to do tvith them. I even by my good will capitulate with them, that they trust mee with very little." See also Cotgrave, French Diet., 1611 : " Ca- pituler : to capitulate, to agree upon articles."
85, 86. To allay . . . reasotis] This metaphor from cooling or qualifying a liquid occurs frequently. See The Merchant of Venice, 11. ii. 195 : —
" To allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit " ; Henry VIII. i. i. 148, 149 ; Troilus and Cressida, iv. iv. 8 ; etc.
90. if you fail] Rowe reads (ed. 2) •• if we fail," This has been much followed, but seems unnecessary. The sense clearly is, " if you fail us in our request," " fail to grant us what we ask."
94-125. Volumnia's great speeches in these lines and lines 131-182 are closely
versified from North. See Extracts, pp. Iviii-lx a7ite.
95. bewray] a common form of be- tray, found often in Shakespeare, and here caught up from the corresponding passage in North. See Extracts, ante, p. Iviii ; and also King Lear, 11. i. 107 : " He did bewray his practice," and the note to that passage in this edition.
97. unfortunate] In the three first edi- tions of North's Plutarch, 1579, 1595, and 1603, the word used is unfortunately, and the fact that in the next edition, 1612, unfortunate appears instead, has led some to believe, without sufficient reason, that Shakespeare used that edi- tion in the composition of this play ; see Introduction, p. x ante.
99, hearts dance] Compare The Winter's Tale, i. ii. no : " I have tremor cordis on me : my heart dances : But not for joy ; not joy."
100. them weep, and shake] i.e. eyes to weep, and hearts to shake.
204 CORIOLANUS [act v.
Making the mother, wife, and child, to see
The son, the husband, and the father, tearing
His country's bowels out. And to poor we
Thine enmity 's most capital : thou barr'st us
Our prayers to the gods, which is a comfort 105
That all but we enjoy ; for how can we,
Alas ! how can we for our country pray,
Whereto we are bound, together with thy victory,
Whereto we are bound ? Alack ! or we must lose
The country, our dear nurse, or else thy person, 1 10
Our comfort in the country. We must find
An evident calamity, though we had
Our wish, which side should win ; for either thou
Must, as a foreign recreant, be led
With manacles thorough our streets, or else 1 1 5
Triumphantly tread on thy country's ruin,
And bear the palm for having bravely shed
Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son,
I purpose not to wait on fortune till
These wars determine : if I cannot persuade thee 1 20
Rather to show a noble grace to both parts
115. thorough] Johnson ; through Ff.
10^. poor we] Abbott, Shakes. Gram., 115. thorough] So Johnson; Ff
§ 205 et seq., gives examples of / for me through, but there through and thorough
and similar irregularities, though not of are used without distinction.
we for us. Most probably Hamlet, i. 117, bear the palm] i.e. the emblem
iv. 54, is a case in point : — of victory or triumph. The same ex-
" What may this mean pression is in Julius Ccesar, i. ii. 131 : —
That thou, dead corse, again in " Ye gods, it doth amaze me
complete steel A man of such a feeble temper
Revisit'st thus, the glimpses of the should
moon, So get the start of the majestic
Making night hideous ; and 7t>e world
fools of nature And bear the palm alone."
3o horridly to shake our disposi- The New Eng. Diet, quotes Chapman's
tion," etc. Homer's Iliad, 1611, xxiii. 557:
104. cafital] deadly, fatal. " Actor's sons . . . bore The palm at
114. recreant] apostate. Deighton horse-race."
explains foreign recreant by ♦' no 120. determine] come to an end, a
longer a Roman, but a stranger by your legal expression. See ante, in. iii. 43,
own apostacy." The New Eng. Diet, and note. " These wars determine " is
quotes Levins, Manipulus Vocabu- suggested by " till fortune ... do
lorum, 1570, 25/17: "A recreant, make an end of this warre," in North's
perfidus''; Greene, Menaphon, 1589, Plutarch (see fiXni^^s, p. h iii aw/*?).
cd. Arber, p. 68 : "I tell thee, recreant, 121. both parts] both sides, Roman
I scorne thy clownish Arcady with his and Volscian. Compare Antony and
inferior comparisons," where Olympia Cleobatra, in. iv. 12-14, where Octavia
rebukes her lover as recreant to her deplores her dilemma, " Praying for
beauty in daring to admire elsewhere. both parts.'' See also in the same
SC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
205
125
Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner March to assault thy country than to tread — Trust to 't thou shalt not — on thy mother's womb, That brought thee to this world.
Vir. Ay, and mine,
That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name Living to time.
Boy. A' shall not tread on me :
I Ml run away till I am bigger, but then I '11 fight.
Cor. Not of a woman's tenderness to be,
Requires nor child nor woman's face to see. 1 30
I have sat too long. [Rising.
Vol. Nay, go not from us thus.
If it were so, that our request did tend To save the Romans, thereby to destroy The Volsces whom you serve, you might condemn us, As poisonous of your honour : no ; our suit 135
Is, that you reconcile them : while the Volsces May say " This mercy we have show'd"; the Romans, " This we receiv'd " ; and each in either side Give the all-hail to thee, and cry "Be blest For making up this peace ! " Thou know'st, great son, 1 40
125-128. Ay . . . fight] As Pope, who reads mine too, with Rowe ; four lines ending boy, . . . time. . . . away . . . fight, in Ff. 131. [Rising. Capell.
play, III. ii. 32, and North's Plutarch, Maritts, ed. 1595, p. 458 : " the Cap- taines of both parts made their souldiers cry out all together."
122. the end of one] the destruction of one, i.e. of Rome, end being used as in IV. ii. 26 ante : " He 'Id make an end of thy posterity," but Mr. Deighton explains as follows : " the object of it {sc. Corioli), viz. the destruction of Rome."
123. to tread] For the insertion of to for connecting purposes, see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., §§ 350 and 416, and the instances referred to there, e.g. The Tempest, in. i. 62 : —
•• and would no more endure This wooden slavery than to suffer The flesh-fly blow my mouth." 125. world. Ay] Lines in which the pause counts in scansion are so com- mon that there is no need here to regard world as a dissyllable, or even, with Mr. Chambers, to introduce a sob.
127. A'] He. See 11. i. 120 ante, and note. This is the only speech given to young Marcius, but it plainly shows him to have been " his father's own son."
129, 130. Not of ... to see] The rhyme and rhythm of these lines seem to aid the words m revealing the softening of Coriolanus. The use of a couplet here is not like the usual use at the close of a scene, save that there too the couplet often voices some truth or reflection.
134, 135. you might . . . honour] So, earlier in the action, in. ii. 41-64, Volumnia tried to show that to do what she counselled would be consistent with honour.
139. the all-hail] acclamation, Shakespeare had used the expression similarly as a noun not long before, in Macbeth, i. v. 56 : —
" Great Glamis ! worthy Cawdor !
Greater than both, by th all-hail hereafter ! "
206 CORIOLANUS [act v.
The end of war 's uncertain ; but this certain,
That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit
Which thou shalt thereby reap is such a name.
Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses ;
Whose chronicle thus writ : " The man was noble, 145
But with his last attempt he wip'd it out,
Destroy'd his country, and his name remains
To the ensuing age abhorr'd." Speak to me, son :
Thou hast affected the fine strains of honour,
To imitate the graces of the gods ; 1 50
To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air.
And yet to charge thy sulphur with a bolt
That should but rive an oak. Why dost not speak ?
Think 'st thou it honourable for a noble man
Still to remember wrongs ? Daughter, speak you : 155
He cares not for your weeping. Speak thou, boy :
Perhaps thy childishness will move him more
Than can our reasons. There 's no man in the
world More bound to 's mother ; yet here he lets me prate Like one i' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life 160 Shew'd thy dear mother any courtesy ;
141. war's] Warr's F3; Wanes F. i^g. JtJie} Johnson; Jiue F ; Jive
Ff 2-4. 151. 0' the] a' th F ; 0' th' F 4, 152. charge] Warburton ; change
Ff. 154. noble man] N oble . . . Ff2-4; Nobleman F.
143, 144. such . . . Whose] For these 152, 153. And yet . . . oak] War- correlatives see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., burton, who corrected Ff change to § 278. charge, is to the point : '* The meaning 146. 7vip'd it out] Compare The of the passage is, To threaten much, Winter's Tale, iv. ii. 11: '^ wipe not and yet be merciful." Compare with out the rest of thy services by leaving " sulphur with a bolt," Cymbeline, v. me now." iv. 114, 115 : —
149. the fine strains] Johnson, cor- " He came in thunder: his celestial
reeling F i fine, Ff 2-4 five, explains : breath
" The niceties, the refinements." Was sulphurous to smell " ;
151. cheeks . . . air] A similar bold and ibid. v. v. 240: "The gods throw
expression is found in Sonnet cxxxii. : stones of sulphur on me, if," etc.
"the grey cheeks of the east." See 159. bound to] under obligations to.
also Richard II. in. iii. 54-57, to com- In North's Plutarch, see Extracts, ante,
pare with all line 151 : — p. lix, it stands : " No man living is
" Methinks King Richard and my- more bounde to shewe himself thanke-
self should meet full . . . then thy self e."
With no less terror than the ele- 159, 160. yet . . . stocks] i.e. un-
ments heeded and unrelieved. As Mr.
Of fire and water, when their Gordon says : " The image has more
thundering shock life than Latinity." Johnson explains :
At meeting tears the cloudy cheeks " Keep[s] me in a state of ignominy
of heaven." talking to no purpose."
SC. III.]
CORIOLANUS
207
When she, poor hen, fond of no second brood,
Has clock'd thee to the wars, and safely home,
Loaden with honour. Say my request 's unjust,
And spurn me back ; but if it be not so, 165
Thou art not honest and the gods will plague thee,
That thou restrain'st from me the duty which
To a mother's part belongs. He turns away :
Down, ladies ; let us shame him with our knees.
To his surname Coriolanus longs more pride 170
Than pity to our prayers. Down : an end ;
This is the last. So we will home to Rome,
And die among our neighbours. Nay, behold 's.
This boy, that cannot tell what he would have,
But kneels and holds up hands for fellowship, 175
Does reason our petition with more strength
Than thou hast to deny 't. Come, let us go :
This fellow had a Volscian to his mother:
His wife is in Corioles, and his child
179. his] this Theobald.
' 162. fond of] wishing for, desirous of. Compare Cymbeline^ i. i. 37 : ♦' Two other sons . . . Died ... for which their father, Then old and fond 0/ issue, took such sorrow," etc.
163. clock'd] the reading of F, and still a dialect form in the north. Com- pare Nashe, Christ's Teares over Jeru- salem^ 1593. ed. McKerrow, 11. 42-43 : " The Henne clockcth her Chickins : I would have clocked and called them by my preaching " ; also Wilkins, The Miseries of Enforced Marriage, Act i. (Hazlitt's Dodsley, ix. 480) : —
" They only must rebuke them with a kiss ; Or clock them, as hens chickens, with kind call." 167. restrain^st] The word is used in a legal sense = keep'st back, witholdest. See Richard III. v. iii. 322 : —
" You having lands, and blest with
beauteous wives,
They would restrain the one, dis-
tain the other."
Among examples in the New Eng.
Diet, is : " 1594 West 2.nd Pt. Symbol.
Chancerie § 144: The rents, issues,
and profites thereof [they] have wrong-
fully restreyned, perceyved, and taken to their owne use."
170. longs] So Ff, and so correctly. The word is not a contraction of belongs but an independent verb. See Measure for Measure, 11. ii. 59 : " No ceremony that to great ones longs'" ; The World and the Child (Hazlitt's Dodsley, i. 256):-
" And keep you with good govern- ance, For this longeth to a knight."
171. an end] Elliptical for " let us have done." Compare the expression an end in 11. i. 240 ante : " For an end We must suggest the people in what hatred," etc. This is explained by Dr. Wright as = "to bring matters to a crisis"; Schmidt has "to cut the matter short."
176. reason] argue for, plead for, a slight extension of the meanings " as- sign reasons for" {King Lear, i. ii. 114: "though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus "), or argue, discuss {ibid. 11. iv. 267) : " O, reason not the need : our basest beggars Are in the poorest thing superfluous."
208 CORIOLANUS [act v
Like him by chance. Yet give us our dispatch : i8o
I am husht until our city be a-fire, And then I '11 speak a little.
Cor. [Holds her by the hand, silent.'] O mother, mother ! What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope, The gods look down, and this unnatural scene They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O! 185
You have won a happy victory to Rome ; But, for your son, believe it, O, believe it, Most dangerously you have with him prevail'd, If not most mortal to him. But let it come. Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars, 190
I '11 frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, Were you in my stead, would you have heard A mother less, or granted less, Aufidius ?
Auf. \ was mov'd withal.
Cor. I dare be sworn you were :
And, sir, it is no little thing to make 195
Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir. What peace you '11 make, advise me : for my part, I '11 not to Rome, I '11 back with you ; and pray you. Stand to me in this cause. O mother ! wife !
181, 182. I . . . little^ As Pope; one line Ff. 192. stead] F 4 ; steed F.
180. dispatch] dismissal. Schmidt 189. mortal] deadly, fatal, the exact has •' decisive answer," giving the same word in North, but here used adverbi- sense to Love's Labour '5 Lost, iv. i. 5 : ally (see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 397), '♦ Well, lords, to-day we shall have our corresponding with dangeroitsly just dispatch" and King Lear, 11. i. 127: above. See also the adjective in 11. ii. " the several messengers From hence iii, and in. i. 294 ante, and Captain attend dispatch " ; but, after all, in the John Smith, Works, ed. Arber, p. 659 : mouth of an ambassador, "decisive *' neither doth it appeare that the cold answer " is implied in " dismissal." was so mortall to them [the rats], seeing
181. husht] This is really an adjective they would ordinarily swimme from meaning silent, and not a past participle place to place, and bee very fat euen in identical with hushed or hush'd which the midst of winter."
is usually substituted for it in the text. 190. wars] Used as in 1. iii. 100,
See the New Eng. Diet, on its priority ante : " and to make it brief wars."
in time, and, indeed, origination of the 194. ivithal] therewith, thereby, one
verb. Compare The Tempest, iv. i of various senses in which the word is
207: "All's husht a.s midnight yet"; used.
Venus and Adonis, 458 : " Even as the 196. sweat compassion] A similar
wind is husht before it raineth." The conceit appears in Henry V. in. v.
New Eng. Diet, quotes after earlier 25 : —
examples, Dryden's Virgil, Pastorals, ix. " whiles a more frosty people
80: '* Husht Winds the topmost SM»^a/ drops of gallant youth in our
Branches scarcely bend "; etc. rich fields ! "
SC. IV.]
CORIOLANUS
209
Cor.
Auf. {Aside.'] I am glad thou hast set thy mercy and thy
^°"o^^ 200
At difference in thee : out of that I '11 work Myself a former fortune.
{The Ladies make signs to Coriolanus. {To VOLUMNIA, ViRGILIA, etc.] Ay, by and by; But we will drink together ; and you shall bear ' A better witness back than words, which we, On like conditions, will have counter-seal'd. 205
Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve To have a temple built you : all the swords In Italy, and her confederate arms, Could not have made this peace. {Exeunt.
SCENE lY.—Rome. A public Place.
Enter MeneniuS and SiCINIUS.
Men. See you yond coin o' the Capitol, yond corner- stone? Sic. Why, what of that ?
200. \Aiide\ Rowe. 202. \T}ie Ladies . . .] Johnson. \To Volumnia
. . .] Rowe. 202, 203. Ay . . . bear} As Hanmer ; two lines divided after
together: in Ff.
Scene IV.
Rome] Pope. A public Place] Capell.
0' the] 0' M' F 4 ; a' th F -, a' th' F 3.
I. coin] Ff ; coign Capell.
201. At difference] At variance, con- flicting. The IMew Eng. Diet, gives an instance of "to be in difference" from Lord Berncrs, Froissart, 1525, 11. 349 (ed. 1812): "The duke of Bretayne was in great difference with the realme of Fraunce."
201, 202. / 7/ work . . . for time] I '11 contrive to raise my frrtunes to their former height. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, 1. ii. 33, 34 —
" You have seen and proved a fairer former fortune Than that which is to approach " ; and IV. XV. 52-54 :
"but please your thoughts
In feeding them with those my
former fortunes," etc.
206, 207. you deserve ... a temple]
See North's Plutarch, Extracts, ante,
p. Ixi.
Scene iv.
I. yond] See in. i. 49, and iv. v. 106 ante.
coin] a corner stone at the exterior angle of a building. Altered to coign by Capell correspondent with Macbeth, I. vi. 7, " Coigne of Vantage." which Johnson explains as "convtnient corner." In Pericles, in., Gower, 17, coigns is Howe's correction oi crignes, as in the old editions. The New Eng. Diet, states that the word was formerly spelt indifferently coin, coign, quoin (with many variations), and gives other examples of the first and last of them, e.g. " 1581 Bell Haddon^s Answ. Osor., ^89, The lye beyng as it were the coyne of the whole buildyng " ; but the only other old example of coign which has been found is that quoted by Dyce
210
CORIOLANUS
[act v.
Men. If it be possible for you to displace it with your little finger, there is some hope the ladies of Rome, especially his mother, may prevail with him. But I say there is no hope in 't : our throats are sentenced and stay upon execution.
Sic. Is *t possible that so short a time can alter the con- dition of a man ?
Men. There is dififerency between a grub and a butter- fly; yet your butterfly was a grub. This Marcius is grown from man to dragon : he has wings ; he 's more than a creeping thing.
Sic. He loved his mother dearly.
Men. So did he me ; and he no more remembers his mother now than an eight-year-old horse. The tart- ness of his face sours ripe grapes : when he walks, he moves like an engine, and the ground shrinks before his treading : he is able to pierce a corslet with his eye ; talks like a knell, and his hum is a battery. He sits in his state, as a thing made for Alexander.
II. differencyl F ; difference Ff 2-4.
in his Glossary, from Sylvester's Du Bartas, 1592. ed. 1641, p. 129 {The Colonies) : *' And Cape of Hope, last coign of Africa," where, as Dyce notes, the original has " angle dernier d'Afri- que."
8. stay upon'] wait for. Compare Measure for Measure, iv. i. 47 : "I have a servant comes with me along, That stays upon me."
9, 10. conditioni nature, character. See II. iii. g6 ante, and note.
11. differ ency] a rare form of differ- ence. The New Eng. Diet, quotes no earlier example.
12. your] See note to i. i. 127 ante. 17. than . . . horse] than, etc.
remembers his dam. Compare Nashe, Have with you to Saffron Walden, 1596 {Works ed. McKerrow. in. 13), The Epistle Dedicatorie : "Dick, i exhort thee as a brother, be not a horse to forget thy own worth " ; and {ibid. p. 40) : " but I will not have mercie or be paciiide, till I have left them so miser- able that very horses shall hardly ab- staine from weeping for them, as they did for the death of Caesar."
17, 18. The tartness . . . face] tart, (artntss, etc., are used of acid or sour
20
looks, looks of asperity. Compare Antony and Cleopatra, 11. v. 38 : — "But there's no goodness in thy face . . . . . . — so tart a favour To trumpet such good tidings ! " and Much Ado about Nothing, 11. i. 3-5 : " How tartly that gentleman looks ! I never can see him but I am heart- burned an hour after."
19. an engine] an instrument of war, such as the ram mentioned in Troilus and Cressida, 1. iii. 206-20S : —
' ' So that the ram that batters down the wall. For the great swing and rudeness of
his poise, They place before his hand that made the engine.^' 19, 20. the ground . . . treading] Mr. Crawford has supplied a reference to Sidney's Arcadia, Bk. in. [Works, ed. 1724, II. 565] : " treading as though he thought to make the earth shaie under him."
22. state] chair of state. See North, Extracts, p. Hv ante: and for state in this sense, Macbeth, in. iv. 5: "Our hostess keeps her state " ; also Twelfth Night, II. V. 50 : •' sitting in my state,''
SC. IV.]
CORIOLANUS
211
What he bids be done is finished with his bidding.
He wants nothing of a god but eternity and a heaven
to throne in. Sic. Yes, mercy, if you report him truly. Men. I paint him in the character. Mark what mercy
his mother shall bring from him : there is no more
mercy in him than there is milk in a male tiger ; that
shall our poor city find : and all this is long of you. Sic. The gods be good unto us ! Men. No, in such a case the gods will not be good unto
us. When we banished him, we respected not them ;
and, he returning to break our necks, they respect
not us.
Enter a Messenger,
Mess. Sir, if you 'd save your life, fly to your house : The plebeians have got your fellow-tribune. And hale him up and down ; all swearing, if The Roman ladies bring not comfort home. They '11 give him death by inches.
25
30
35
and Beaumont and Fletcher, The Nohlc Gentleman, v. (Cambridge ed., viii. 233) : '* I will ascend my State again, Duchess, take your place," etc.
22. as . . . thing . . . Alexander'] " as one made to resemble Alexander " (Johnson). North has *' with a marvel- lous and unspeakable majestie." Mr. Hart supplied the following from Holland's Plinie, 1634 ed., Bk. xxxiv. chap. 8, part ii. p. 499 : " But above all, he (Lysippus) got the greatest name lor making in brasse a chariot drawne with foure steeds . . . The personage of King Alexander the Great hee like- wise expressed in brasse, and many images he made of him, beginning at the very childhood of the said Prince : and verily the emperor Nero was so greatly enamoured of one state image of Alexander, that he commanded it to be gilded all over."
27. in the character} as he really is, to the life. Compare Twelfth Night, i. ii. 50, 51 :—
'♦ I will believe thou hast a mmd that suits With this thy fair and outward charctcter,^*
30. long of you\ owing to you, as in CymbelinCf v. v, 271 : —
" Oh she was naught ; and long of her it was That we meet here so strangely " ; and Marlowe, Edward II. i. iv. 191: "I know 'tis lotig of Gaveston she weeps." Long of is treated in the New Eng. Diet, both under long and along, and it is pointed out that in O.E. ^elang the prefix " sank by fourteenth century to S-, which from sixteenth onward was frequently dropped." The form in the text, then, is correctly long and not Hong.
37. plebeians'] accented, as it is in i. ix. 7, on the first syllable.
38. hale] drag, treat roughly, hawl (which is a variant spelling of hale). See The Taming of the Shrew, v. i. Ill : " Thus strangers may be haled and abused."
40. death by inches] i.e. a slow linger- ing death, as in Cymbeline, v. v. 50-
52:—
"a mortal mineral ; which, being took, Should by the minute feed on life,
and lingering By ifiches waste you." Similarly, inchmeal, compare The Tempest, 11. ii. 3 : —
•' make him By inch-mec^l a disease,"
212
CORIOLANUS
[act V.
Enter another Messenger.
Sic. What 's the news ? 40
Mess. Good news, good news ! the ladies have prevail'd,
The Volscians are dislodg'd, and Marcius gone.
A merrier day did never yet greet Rome,
No, not the expulsion of the Tarquins. Sic. Friend,
Art thou certain this is true ? is it most certain? 45
Mess. As certain as I know the sun is fire :
Where have you lurk'd that you make doubt of it ?
Ne'er through an arch so hurried the blown tide.
As the recomforted through the gates. Why, hark you !
[ Trumpets ; hautboys ; drums beat ; all together.
44,45. Friend . . . certain?] As Pope, who reads not certain: two lines divided after true ? in Ff. 45. .is if] Pope ; Is H Ff.
42. are dislodged] are gone from their camp. The word is from North's Plutarch: see kxtracts, p. Ix ante. Lodge was often used for encamp, and dislodge for the reverse, e.g. (from the New Eng. Diet.) Garrard, Arte of Warrc, 1591, p. 168 : " In the morning when they dislodge, and in the night when they encampe."
46. the sun . . . Jire] Compare " the fires of heaven," i. iv. 39, " the fiery sun," V. iii. 60 ante ; and Hamlet, 11. ii. 115 : " Doubt thou the stars are fire."" See also Bacon, De Principiis atquc Originibus (in Woyks, Ellis and Sped- ding, ed. Robertson, 1905, p. 660) : "And if any one is surprised that gen- eration of things is attributed to the sun ; seeing the sun is asserted and supposed to be fire, and fire generates nothing ; it is a weak objection. For that notion of uie heterogeneity of the heats of the sun and of fire is plainly a dream. For ", etc.
48. Ne^er . . . tide] This bold simile was not improbably suggested to Shake- speare by the rush of water through the arches of Old London bridge, which was near his theatre. He had already written, in Lucrece, line 1667, etc. : " As through an arch the violent roar- ing tide . . . Even so his sighs," etc. Allusions to the bridge are common : Lyly describes it with pride in Euphues and his England (see p. 434 in Arber's
ed.), as "in manner of a continuall streete, well replenyshed with large and stately houses on both sides, and situate vpon twentie Arches, where-of each one is made of excellent free stone squared, euerye one of them being three- score foote in h[e]ight, and full twentie in distaunce one from an other." See also A Fair Quarrel, 11. iv. (BuUen's Middleton, iv. 248) : '* I '11 practise to swim too, sir, and then I may roar with the water at London bridge " ; and The Third Voyage of Captaine Frobisher, . . . 1578, (MacLehose's Hakluyt, VII. 334) : " And truely it was wonder- full to heare and see the rushing and noise that the tides do make in this place with so violent a force that our ships lying a hull were turned some- times round about even in a moment after the manner of a whirlepoole, and the noyse of the streame no lesse to be heard afarre off, then the waterfall of London Bridge."
49. Trumpets ; hautboys . . .] See Naylor, Shakespeare and Music, 1896, and Cowling, Music on the Shake- spearian Stage, 1913, Cor the use and importance of the hautboy, the original of the modern oboe. Both allude to this stage direction as giving, in Mr. Cowling's words (p. 55). " the loudest musical effect the theatre could provide." He adds : '• The tone of hautboys was shrill and reedy. They never accom- panied voices in the theatre."
sc.
IV.]
CORIOLANUS
213
The trumpets, sackbuts, psalteries, and fifes, 50
Tabors, and cymbals, and the shouting Romans, Make the sun dance. Hark you ! [A shout within.
Men. This is good news :
I will go meet the ladies. This Volumnia Is worth of consuls, senators, patricians.
50. sackbuts] Only found here in Shakespeare, like psalteries and cymbals below. l")r. Wright supposes that he had in his mind the list of instruments in Daniel, in. 10 : " the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery and dulcimer." Cowling {Music on the Shakespearian Stage, 1913) says : " A sackbut, not- withstanding its biblical name, was simply the deep-toned bass instrument now known as the trombone. Sackbuts were used sometimes for the conven- tional three blasts before the entrance of the ' prologue,' but from the few refer- ences to them it seems as if they were not in common use in theatres. They were, however, part of the household music at the royal court." See also next note. t)ekker, in The Seven Deadly Sinncs of London, 1606 (Arber, p. 27), plays on the word, applying it to butts of sack and vintners' tricks with wine : " To be short, such strange mad musick doe they play vpon their Sacke- buttes, that if Candle-light beeing ouer- come with the steeme of newe sweete Wines, when they are at worke. should not tell them tis time to goe to bedde, they would make all the Hogges-heads that vse to come to the house, to daunce the Cannaries till they reeld againe." In Drayton's Polyolbion, Song iv. (Spenser Soc. ed. i. 61), the sackbut is included in a long list of English in- struments in an mteresting passage, concluding thus : —
•• So were there some againe, in this their learned strife Loud Instruments that lov'd ; the
Cornet and the Phife, The Hoboy, Sagbiit deepe, Re- corder, and the Flute : Euen from the shrillest Shawme
vnto the Cornamute. Some blowe the Bagpipe vp, that
plaies the Country-round : The Taber and the Pipe, some take delight to sound." psalteries'] A kind of stringed in-
strument. Naylor {Shakespeare and Music, 1896, pp. 176, 177), commenting on this passage, says : " The * sackbut ' was merely our modern slide trombone, while the rest of these instruments were in common use in the sixteenth century, except the Psaltery, which Kircher (b. 1 601) says is the same as the Nebel of the Bible. The picture he gives is un- commonly like the dulcimers which may be seen and heard outside public-houses to this very day, i.e. a small hollow chest, with the strings stretched across it. An instrument of this kind could be played with the fingers, like a harp, or with a plectrum, like a zither, or with two little knob-sticks, like the dulcimer. Mersennus (b. 1588) also identifies the Psaltery with the Dulcimer."
51. Taiors] Small drums. The tabor and pipe were usually played at the same time by one performer. See Mr. Hart's note to Love's Labour 's Lost, v. i. 145, in this edition, and the passage from Drayton above (in note on sack- buts).
52. Make . . . dance] Dr. Wright sees a reference to the popular super- stition that the sun danced on Easter Day. Sir Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica or Enquiries . . . into Vulgar and Common Errors, 1646, as Dr. Wright mentions, disbe- lieves it : " We shall not, I hope," he writes in Bk. v. chap, xxiii. {Works, Bohn, 1878, II. 87) : " disparage the re- surrection of our Redeemer, if we say that the sun doth not dance on Easter - day " ; and earlier, Reginald Scot, in the fourth chapter of his A Discourse of Divels and spirits, added to his Discoverie of Witchcraft, 1584 (ed. Brinsley Nicholson, 1886, p. 417), men- tions it derisively in company with a very improbable story connected with Easter, which, he says, might " have made the pope (that now is) content with our Christmas and easter daie." He concludes : " And trulie this, and
214 CORIOLANUS [act v.
A city full ; of tribunes, such as you, 55
A sea and land full. You have pray'd well to-day : This morning for ten thousand of your throats I 'd not have given a doit. Hark, how they joy !
[Sound stilly with the shouts.
Sic, First, the gods bless you for your tidings ; next. Accept my thankfulness.
Mess. Sir, we have all 60
Great cause to give great thanks.
Sic. They are near the city ?
Mess. Almost at point to enter.
Sic. We will meet them,
And help the joy. [Exeunt.
SCENE V. — The Same. A Street near the Gate.
Enter two Senators, with Ladies, passing over the stage, with other Lords [and the people].
First Sen. Behold our patroness, the life of Rome ! Call all your tribes together, praise the gods, And make triumphant fires ; strew flowers before
them : Unshout the noise that banish'd Marcius ;
59, 60. First . . . thankfulness.'] As Pope ; divided after tydings in Ff. 60, 61. Sir . . . thanks.'] As Capell ; one line in Ff. 61-63. They . . . joy.] As Capell ; prose in Ff.
Scene V.
Scene V. The same . . .] Dyce. i. First Sen.] 1. S. Capell ; Sena. Ff.
4. Unshout] Rowe ; Vnshoot] F.
the dansing of the sunne on caster dale 58. doit] a half farthing piece morning sufficientlie or rather miracu- (Dutch) : see i. v. 6 ante, and note, louslieproveth that computation, which 62. at point to] just about to: see the pope now beginneth to doubt of and 111. i. 192 ante, and note, to call in question." Every one remem- bers the reference to the belief in Sir '^'^^"^ ^' John Suckling's Ballad on a Wed- 2. tribes] See iii. iii. 11, and note, ding : — ante.
" But Oh she dances such a way ! 3. And make . . . fires] This is
No sun upon an Easter-day not in Plutarch. The Romans had, in-
Is half so fine a sight " ; deed, small cause to triumph. Com-
and Cleveland, in The General Eclipse pare •' rejoicing fires " in Cymbeline,
{Works, 1687, p. 5G), has " Ladies . . . 111. i. 32 : " The fam'd Cassibelan . . .
Whose Beauty makes the sprightly Sun Made Lud's town with rejoicing-fires
To dance, as upon Easter-day." bright."
SC. VI.]
CORIOLANUS
215
5
Repeal him with the welcome of his mother ; Cry, " Welcome, ladies, welcome ! "
^^'^' Welcome, ladies,
Welcome !
[A flourish with drums and trumpets. Exeunt.
SCENE N\,—Antium. A public Place. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, with Attendants,
Auf, Go tell the lords o' the city I am here :
Deliver them this paper : having read it,
Bid them repair to the market-place ; where I,
Even in theirs and in the commons' ears.
Will vouch the truth of it. Him I accuse 5
The city ports by this hath enter'd, and
Intends to appear before the people, hoping
To purge himself with words : dispatch.
[Exeunt Attendants.
Enter three or four Conspirators of AUYlDiu^'^ faction.
Most welcome ! First Con. How is it with our general ?
^hf- Even so
As with a man by his own alms empoison'd, 10
And with his charity slain.
6, 7. Welcome, ladies, Welcome!] As Steevens (1793); one line Ff. Exeunt-] F 2. '
Scene Vi.
Antiitm] Rowe. A . . . Place] Theobald. Corioli. Singer (ed. 2).
I. 0' the] 0' th' F 4 ; o' th' F. 8. Exeunt . . .] Malone. g-ii. Even so
. . . slain.] As Pope ; prose Ff.
Scene VI.
I. Antium] Singer and others substi- tute Corioli, principally because of line 8g. But it is Antium in Plutarch, and Antium is indicated by lines 49, 60, 72 and 79, for obvious reasons. That the army should come back to a small town like Corioli seems most improbable, and lines 78-80 must have been spoken in Antium not in Corioli. There, not the Antiates but the Volscians would have been named. Mr. Gordon's solution (Clarendon Press ed.) seems very reasonable : ' Shakespeare meant the
scene to be Antium, and wrote with Antium in his mind till he came to Aufidius's speech in line 88. There he was carried away by the magnificent opportunity of placing ' Coriolanus in Corioli ' (line 90 [89]), and for the rest of the scene thought rather of Corioli than of Antium."
5. Him] He whom ; as in Hamlet, II. i. 42 ; etc. See Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 20S.
6. ports] gates. See i. vii. i, and note, ante.
II. with] For with ■» by, see Abbott, Shakes. Gram., § 193.
216 CORIOLANUS [act v.
Second Con. Most noble sir,
If you do hold the same intent wherein You wish'd us parties, we '11 deliver you Of your great danger.
Auf. Sir, I cannot tell :
We must proceed as we do find the people. i 5
Third Con. The people will remain uncertain whilst
'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 20
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. 25
Third Con. Sir, his stoutness
When he did stand tor 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 ; 30
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,
11-13. Most . . . deliver you] As Pope ; two lines divided after tnfcwi Ff.
14. 0/^ Out of, from. Compare knowing well that "He would not
King John, in. iv. 55 : *' How I may flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove
be deliver 'd 0/ these woes." for 's power to thunder." The be-
22, 23. He . . . friends'] Here we haviour of Coriolanus is a question for
are told figuratively that Coriolanus the Introduction (see pp. xiv^;^5<:(^.), but,
fostered with refreshing flattery the at anyrate even courtesy would seem
new growths of intimacy and ascend- flattery in the jealous eyes of Aufidius.
ancy arising in his favour from union 26. stoutness] obstinacy, stubborn-
with the Volscians in a common cause, ness. See in. ii. 127 : " Thy danger-
The use of •• watered " is illustrated by qus stoutness.'^
a passage supplied by Mr. Charles o tl i ' «/~i t. ^ . u«* t ,..^^
n c jc 1 ^.. / o- 17 28. That . . . of] Just what I was
Crawford from a letter from Sir Francis . •'-'•'
Bacon to Sir George Villiers, August ^0"^'"^ ^°-
i2th, 1616: "After that the King 3-^. joint -servant] Comp&xc Jomt-
shall have watered your new dignities, labourer, Hamlet, i. 1. 78.
with the bounty of the lands which he gave him way] See iv. iv. 25
int nds you " etc. Some, including ante, and Antony and Cleopatra, i. iii.
Craig, are confident that Aufidius wil- 9 : "In each thing give him way,
fully misrepresents Coriolanus here, cross him in nothing."
SC. VI.]
CORIOLANUS
217
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. First Con. So he did, my lord :
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, —
35
40
34. designments] designs, enter- prises; only here and in Othello, 11. i. 22, where, in his note in this series, Mr. Hart gives an earUer example from Hakluyt, 1583. It is not uncommon later, see Harsnet, Declaration of Egregions Popishc Impostures, 1603 : " And least the King of Spaine should quail in his princely designments " ; Holland's Livy, 1600, p. 895 : *' and some of ihe principal citizens he wonne by gifts and presents to his own pur- pose and dcsignmcnt " ; T. Heywood, The Iron Age {Works, ed. Pearson, in. 270) :—
" Away with her, some false deuining spirit, Enuying the honour we shall gaine
from Greece, Would trouble our designements.'"
35. 36. holp . . . end . . . his] The metaphor in reap is believed to be carried on in end, taken as a dialectal term for getting in or stacking a crop, " perhaps a dial, variation or corruption of inn. v. [= to get in a harvest] influenced by End. V." {New Eng. Diet.). The English Dialect Diet, cites Milton, U Allegro, log : " His shadowy flail hath thresh'd the corn That ten day-labour- ers could not end,''' and Dyce's illustra- tion of the passage in the text from the Hereford Times, 23 January, 1858: *^'Thx&twell-cndedh.zyx\ckii . . . a rick of well-ended hay."
39, 40. He wag'd . . . mercenary] He gave me his patronage as wages, as if I had been on hire. The idea that is added by Johnson in " thought me sufficiently rewarded with good looks," and adopted by others, has no justifica-
tion in the text. The sting is not that Coriolanus thought his favour a fair reward, but that he should have assumed the right of patronage at all. Steevens has illustrated wage =■ to pay wages to (see the 1821 Variorum), from '• the ancient MS. romance of tJie Sowdon of Babylon, p. 15 " and later authors : see Holinshed's Chronicles, King John, p. 168 : '• — the summe of 28 thousand markes to levie and wage thirtie thousand men " ; Heywood, The Wise Woman of Hogsdon [Works, Pearson, v, 302] : '' Sencer. . . . Give me thine hand, Knight, the next time I come into thy company, thou shalt not onely bid me welcome, but hire mee to stay with thee, and thy daughter. . . . Sir Har. When I receive thee gladly to mine house, And wage thy stay, Thou shalt have Graciana," etc. Shakespeare is indebted for the main thought of the passage to North's Plutarch (see Ex- tracts,p. liv ante): "This[i.tf. Aufidius's loss of estimation] fell out the more, bicause every man honoured Martins, and thought he could doe all, and that all other gov ernotirs and captaines must be content with such credit and authori- tie, as he would please to countenaunce them with.'"
41. in the last] in the end, finally. An example of this expression is still wanting.
42. When . . . Rome] When he had virtually won Rome, when Rome lay at his feet. There is no difficulty in the natural anticipation here, but a huge one in Dr. Wright's supposition that the words may mean : " When he might have carried Rome."
218
CORIOLANUS
[act V.
Auf. There was it ;
For which my sinews shall be stretch'd upon him. At a few drops of women's rheum, which are 45
As cheap as lies, he sold the blood and labour Of our great action : therefore shall he die, And I '11 renew me in his fall. But, hark !
[Drums and trumpets sounds^ with great shouts of the people.
First Con. Your native town you enter'd like a post,
And had no welcomes home ; but he returns, 50
Splitting the air with noise.
Second Con. And patient fools,
Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear With giving him glory.
Third Con. Therefore, at your vantage.
Ere he express himself, or move the people With what he would say, let him feel your sword, 5 5
Which we will second. When he lies along, After your way his tale pronounc'd shall bury His reasons with his body.
48. 50M«rfs] F ; ^ound Ff 3, 4.
43. There was if] Ay, that was the thing. Compare I Henry IV. in. iii.
'• Bard. Sir John, you are so fretful, you cannot live long. Fal. Why there is it : " etc.
44. For . . . him'] For which I will strain every nerve to destroy him. "With the sense of stretched here, exerted to the very utmost, compare that in A Midsummer Night^s Dream, v. i. 80:—
" Unless you can find sport in their
intents, Extremely stretched and conn'd
with cruel pain, To do you service."
45. drops of . . . rheum] Compare line 92 post : " For certain drops of salt." Rheum is common for any moist secretion from the head, and as here applied to tears, is used thrice in King John iii. i. 22 : •' Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum,'' etc. ; IV. i. 33, •* How now, foolish rheum ! " IV. iii. 108 : —
" Trust not those cunning waters of his eyes For villany is not without such rheum.'" 49. post] messenger. See J Henry IV. I. i. 37 : •' there came A Post from Walesloaden with heavy news." Skeat {Concise Etymol. Diet.) tells us that post was "Originally a military post; then a fixed place on a line of road, a station ; then a stage, also a traveller who used relays of horses, etc."
53. vantage] opportunity, as often, e.g. in Cymheline, i. iii. 24 : —
" Imo. . . . When shall we hear from him ? Pis. Be assured, madam.
With his next vantage.'"
56. lies along] lies at full length, here — lies dead, but not so in As You Like It, II. i. 30: •' Did steal behind him as he lay along Under an oak," etc.
57. After . . . pronounc'd] His story told with the turn you can give it.
58. His reaiotis] The explanations (or arguments) with which he would have moved the people.
sc VI.] CORIOLANUS 219
Auf, Say no more :
Here come the lords.
Enter the Lords of the city.
All Lords. You are most welcome home.
Auf. I have not deserv'd it. 60
But, worthy lords, have you with heed perus'd What I have written to you ?
All. We have.
First Lord. 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 65
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, marching with drum and colours ; the Commoners being with hint.
Cor. Hail, lords ! I am return'd your soldier ; 70
No more infected with my country's love Than when I parted hence ; but still subsisting
58, 59. Say . . . lords'] As Pope; one line Ff.
63. What faults . . . last] These faults somewhat similar senses, see Sonnet are no doubt those alluded to in iv. vii. cxxvi. ii : " Her audit, though delay 'd 17-26. See the note there. answered must be," and 2 Henry IV.
64. found] Compare the use of find v. i. 27 : *' and sir, do you mean to stop in V. iii. iii ante : *' We Tc\ws\.find An any of WiUiam's wages, about the sack evident calamity." etc. he lost the other day, at Hinckley fair ?
easy fines] light penalties. Fine, Shal. ' A ^ha.\\ answer iV The above
according to New Eng. Diet., could be is the general interpretation, but it is
used for " A penalty of any kind." See not impossible, especially in the Hght of
Measure for Measure, 11. ii. 39-41 : — lines 76-78 below, that the First Lord
** Mine were the very cypher of a is contrasting a big possibility lost, not
function with worse than no return, but with a
To fine the faults whose fine stands mere return of cost, " accounting to us
in record, with a mere return of expenses." To
And let go by the actor." say that this conflicts with lines 76-78
66, 67. answering . . . charge] John- is incorrect. Coriolanus does answer
son says : " rewarding us with our own them with their charges returned.
expenses : making the cost of war its re- That he estimates the return as a third
compence." It might be put this way : more, however rightly, does not affect
proving an unprofitable servant, return- the case.
ing to us nothing but what we pre- 71. infected] affected, under the influ-
viously paid out to him, giving us ence of. Compare King John, iv. iii.
nothing in the way of a profitable return 67-69 : *' a holy vow. . . . Never to be
for our outlay (Craig). For answer in infected with delight."
220 CORIOLANUS [act v.
Under your great command. You are to know
That prosperously I have attempted and
With bloody passage led your wars even to 75
The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought home
Doth more than counterpoise a full third part
The charges of the action. We have made peace,
With no less honour to the Antiates
Than shame to the Romans ; and we here deliver, 80
Subscribed 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. 85
Cor. Traitor ! How now !
Auf. Ay, traitor, Marcius.
Cor. Marcius !
Auf. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius. Dost thou think
I '11 grace thee with that robbery, thy stol'n name
Coriolanus in Corioles?
You lords and heads o' the state, perfidiously 90
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 95
77. DotK\ Ff ; Do Pope. 82, 90, 96. 0'] F 4 ; a' F.
76-78. OxiY Spoils . . . action'] See on pest, i. ii. 155, " drops full salt " ; King
lines 66, 67 above. Lear, iv. vi. 199 : —
82, 83. what . . . on] the terms we " Why, this would make a man a
have mutually agreed on. For compound man of salt,
in the sense of " to come to terms," see To use his eyes for garden water-
Measure for Measure, iv. ii. 25, " If pots,
you think it meet, compound with him Ay, and laying Autumn's dust."
by the year, and let him abide here with 95. A twist . . . silk] A twist of silk,
you." or a silken twist, for a string of silk
84. the traitor . . . degree] so in Ff. is fairly common. See Lyly, The
Theobald and most editors put a comma Woman in the Moon, 1597, v. {Works,
after traitor, associating " in the highest Fairholt, 11. 203) : —
degree " with line 85. The expression " I '11 give thee . . .
'• in the highest degree " occurs several A sugar cane, and line of twisted
times in Shakespeare with words like silke " ;
murder, perjury, misprision, as e.g. in Enphties and his England, 1580 (ed.
Richard III. v. iii. ig6. Arber, p. 328, line 15) : " caused him
92. drops of salt] Compare Th^ Tern- for the more ease to be hanged with a
SC. VI.]
CORIOLANUS
221
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. Ha !
Auf. No more.
Cor. Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart
Too great for what contains it. Boy ! O slave !
Pardon me, lords, 'tis 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.
First Lord. Peace, both, and hear me speak.
Cor. Cut me to pieces, Volsces ; men and lads,
99. other\ Rowe ; othen Ff.
!00
05
IIO
silken twist ''; etc. A nearer parallel with our text in some respects is in Southwell, Saint Peter's Complaint, stanza ci., where a twist, as now, is a strand of a cord or rope : —
"O John I O James! wee made a triple cord Of three most louing and best loued
friends My rotten tivist was broken with a word
It is not euer true though often
spoken, That triple-twisted cord is hardly broken." 98. That'\ So that, as passim in the period.
loi. No more] The choice is sup- posed to be between giving this, with Tyrwhitt, to the First Lord in order to take it naturally as= Have done, and to understand it from Aufidius as = No more than a boy of tears. But why could not Aufidius bid Coriolanus be- silent ?
102, 103. thou . . . heart . . . it] Compare Antony and Cleopatra, i. i. 6. 7:-
" his captain's heart, Which in the scuffles of great fights
hath burst The buckks on his breast," etc. ; Kyd, Soliman and Perseda, 11. i. 85 : " I must unclaspe me or my heart will breake " ; but the idea is a common one.
104, 105. His . . . scold] In this he is much mistaken.
106. notion] sense, understanding. Shakespeare only uses this word twice elsewhere, in Macbeth, in. i. 83, and King Lear, i. iv. 248, on which passage see note in this edition.
107, 108. Who . . . stripes . . . beating] Coriolanus apparently uses the terms appropriate to a cudgelling for his war combats with Aufidius, but they are not very inconsistent with previous expressions in the play. In I. viii. II, 12, Aufidius speaks of Hector as " the whip of your bragg'd progeny," and in iv. v. 109, 11 1, he has : —
'• that body, where against My grained ash an hundred times
hath broke. And scarr'd the moon with
splinters."
222
CORIOLANUS
[act v.
Stain all your edges on me. " Boy ! " false hound !
If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there,
That like an eagle in a dove-cote, I
Flutter'd your Volscians in Corioles :
Alone I did it. Boy ! Auf, Why, noble lords, 1 1 5
Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune.
Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart,
'Fore your own eyes and ears ? All Con. Let him die for 't.
All People. Tear him to pieces. — Do it presently. —
He killed my son. — My daughter. — He killed my 120
cousin Marcus. — He killed my father. Second Lord. Peace, ho ! no outrage : peace !
The man is noble and his fame folds in
This orb o' the earth. His last offences to us
Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius, 125
And trouble not the peace.
114. Fluttered] Ff 3, 4 ; Flattered F. prose Capell and many editors.
III. edges] Compare A7itony and Cleopatra, 11. Vi. 37-38 : —
" this 'greed upon To part with unhack'd edges, and
bear back Our targes undinted."
114. Flutter'd] So F 3 and F 4. F and F 2 have Flattered, which Dr. Schmidt, perhaps rightly, retains, com- paring the German Flattern to flutter. No EHzabethan example of flatter is known, but the New Eng. Diet, gives three earlier ones from Barbour, Troy- book, c. 1375, II. 1752 : " He . , .flatter- and amange the wawes wode With gret force of his armes gane swyme " ; from Chaucer, Knight's Tale (Petworth MS.), *^ dowues flat eringe " (other texts '* flikeringe ") ; and from Sir Patrick Spens in Child's Ballads, in. Iviii. 27/1 : " And mony was the feather-bed that flattered on the faem."
116. blind fortune] Either " the gifts of the blind goddess Fortune," or else ''luck in an inconsiderate, reckless undertaking."
119. presently] immediately. See II. iii. 251 ; III. iii. 12, etc.
123, 124. his fame folds in . . . earth] His fame overspreads the world
120, 121. He . . . father.] As Ff ;
(Johnson). Steevens quotes iii. iii. 68 : " The fires i' the lowest heUfold in the people."
125. judicious] Many editors explain "judicial," following Steevens, who wrote : " Perhaps judicious, in the present instance, signifies judicial: such a hearing as is allowed to criminals in courts of judicature. Thus imperious is used by our author for imperial [e.g. Hamlet, v. i. 236, ♦ Imperious Caesar ']." In Ktjig Lear occurs (in. iv. 74-77) : — "Is it the fashion, that discarded fathers
Should have thus little mercy on their flesh ?
judicious punishment ! 'twas this flesh begot
Those pelican daughters." The New Eng. Diet., while giving two examples (from Coryat 161 1, and Hayward, 1632) of the word in the sense of "judicial," observes that in the two Shakespeare quotations the actual sense is doubtful. Mr. Hart considered the meaning here to be " of good judgement, discerning, rational, fair," and referred to Ben Jonson, Apologetical Dialogue appended to Thf Poetaster, near the end : —
sc. VI.] CORIOLANUS 223
Cor. O ! that I had him,
With six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,
To use my lawful sword. Auf. Insolent villain !
All Con. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him !
[The Conspirators draw, and kill Coriolanus, who falls : Aufidius stands on him. Lords. Hold, hold, hold, hold !
Auf. My noble masters, hear me speak.
First Lord. O Tullus ! 1 30
Second Lord. Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will
weep. Third 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 dawger 135
Which this man's life did owe you, you '11 rejoice
That he is thus cut off. Please it your honours
To call me to your senate, I '11 deliver
Myself your loyal servant, or endure
Your heaviest censure.
«
126-128. O . . . sword.'\ As Pope ; two lines divided after moYC : in Ff. 129. The Conspirators . . .] Dratv both the Conspirators and kits Martins, who falles, Auffidins stands on him. Ff. 131. Thou . . . weep] As Steevens (1790) ;
two lines divided after whereat Ff. 132. him Masters, alV] F; him, . . . F 4 ; him — Masters all, Rowe. 134. My lords . . . ragel^ As Pope ; two lines in
Ff, the first My lords.
" Where, if I prove the pleasure but and note in this edition. Cotgrave,
of one, Fr. Diet., 161 1, has : " A mort, k mort :
So he judicious be, he shall be Kill, kill; the cry of bloudie souldiors
alone persuing their fearefuU enemies unto
A theatre unto me." death."
But the fact that "judicious" has 136. Which . . . owe you'\'Dt\ghton
obviously its modern sense here, being puts this clearly : " Which while this
applied to a critical spectator, is no man lived was owing to you, would
evidencefor the same sense in a different sooner or later have fallen upon you."
context. But for the irresistible attraction which
127. trihel Compare Volumnia's wish obsolete meanings exert upon com-
for Sicinius and his "tribe," iv. ii. 24 mentators, it would be difficult to see
ante. why several make owe — " possess "
129. Kill, kill . . . kill] This cry of here, with the further awkwardness of
soldiers, when no quarter was to be making ow^ ^'O?^ = "possess for you."
given, is common. See Venus and The modern meaning is, in fact, rather
Adonis, 652 : " And in a peaceful hour the most frequent in Shakespeare, and
doth cry ' Kill, kill ! ' " also King Lear, occurs in this play in in. i. 240 : ' One
IV. vi. 191 : — time will owe another."
••And when I have stolen upon those 138, 139. I'll deliver . . . servajtt]
sons-in-law, I will demonstrate or show that I am
Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill 1 " your loyal servant. See v. iii. 39 ante :
224
CORIOLANUS
[act
First Lord. Bear from hence his body ; 140
And mourn you for him. Let him be regarded
As the most noble corse that ever herald
Did follow to his urn. Second Lord. His own impatience
Takes from Aufidius a great part of blame.
Let 's make the best of it. Auf. My rage is gone, 145
And I am struck with sorrow. Take him up :
Help, three o' the chiefest soldiers ; I '11 be one.
Beat thou the drum, that it speak mournfully ;
Trail your steel pikes. Though in this city he
Hath widow'd and unchilded many a one, 1 50
Which to this hour bewail the injury.
Yet he shall have a noble memory.
Assist.
[Exeunt, hearing the body of Marcius. A dead march sounded.
147. o'] F 4 ; o' F.
152, 153. Yet . . . Assist] As Capell ; one line Ff.
*' The sorrow that delivers us thus chang'd." Deliver is also used lor to utter, to set forth, as in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in. ii, 34,
35: —
" Duke. Ay, but she '11 think that it is spoke in hate. Pro. Ay, if his enemy deliver it."
142, 143. herald . . . his urn'] Steevens rightly explained this as allud- ing to a custom observed at the funerals of princes and great persons in Shake- speare's day. The herald at the con- clusion of the funeral procession pro- claimed the style of the deceased. Mr. Hart supplies a reference to John Nichols, The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth, 1823 ed., Vol. II., pp. 483-494, where there is a long account of the ** Death and Funeral Procession of Sir Philip Sidney," 16 February, 1586-1587, " marshalled by Robert Cooke, . . . Clarencieulx Kinge of Armes " (p. 485). At pp. 489-490, occurs " Five harrolds and theyr names, carying the hatch- ments and dignitye of his knight- hoode," etc. Urn, here associated with English ceremonies, is often used loosely or poetically, apart from the
actual form of burial, as in Henry V. I. ii. 228 : —
" Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn, Tombless, with no remembrance over them."
148. drwn . . . mournfully'] In the passage referred to in the note on 142, 143 above, from Nichols, p. 484, we read " drums and fyfes playing very softely."
149. Trail . . . pikes] In the same passage as referred to in the above notes, " On the first of November 1586. he was broughte from his howse in Vlish- ing [i.e. Flushing] to the sea syde by the Englishe garrison, which were 1200 marching by three and three, the shott hanging down theyr peeces, the halberts, pykes, and enseignes tray ling alonge the grounde," etc. See also Peele, The Battle of Alcazar, 1594, v., last lines : —
" My Lord Zareo, let it be your
charge To see the soldiers tread a solemn
march, Trailing their pikes and ensigns on
the ground. So to perform the prince'sfunerals,"
y'^
\ PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
I CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY
PR Shakespeare, Vlilliam
230? The tragedy of Coriolr.nus
A2C7
IQPP