Mar. Oh, they are at it! Lart. Their noise be our inftruction. Ladders, ho! Enter the Volfcians. Mar. They fear us not, but iffue forth their City. Now put your shields before your hearts, and fight With hearts more proof than shields. Advance, brave Titus, They do difdain us much beyond our thoughts; Which makes me fweat with wrath. Come on, my fellows; He that retires, I'll take him for a Volscian, And he fhall feel mine edge. [Alarum; the Romans beat back to their Trenches. Re-enter Marcius. Mar. (4) All the Contagion of the South light on you, You fhames of Rome, ! you Plaifter you o'er, that you may be abhorr'd Against the wind a mile! That bear the shapes of men, herds of boils and plagues you fouls of geese, how have you run From Slaves, that apes would beat? Pluto and Hell! With flight, and agued fear! mend, and charge home, (4) All the Contagion of the South light on Tou, You Shames of Rome; you Herds; of Boils and Plagues Plaifter you 'er, &c. ] Thus miferably did the old Editors give us this Paffage mangled by bad Pointing; "and Mr. Pope would not indulge his private Senfe, by any Alteration to make it intelligible. The meaneft Judges of English muft be aware, that no Member of any Sentence can begin with a Genitive Cafe, and a preceding Nominative be wanting to govern That and the Verb. Where, therefore, is the Nominative to, of Boils and Plagues plaifter you o'er? Or what Senfe or Syntax is there in the Paffage as it here ftands? If If you'll stand fast, we'll beat them to their wives, Another alarum, and Marcius follows them to the gates. So, now the gates are ope: now prove good feconds; 'Tis for the followers, fortune widens them; Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like. [He enters the gates, and is shut in. 1 Sol. Fool-hardiness, not I. 2 Sol. Nor I. 1 Sol. See, they have fhut him in: [Alarum continues. All. To th' pot, I warrant him. Enter Titus Lartius. Lart. What is become of Marcius? 1 Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels, Lart. Oh, noble fellow! Who, fenfible, out-does his fenfelefs fword, (5) A carbuncle intire, as big as thou art, Were not so rich a jewel. Thou wast a soldier (6) (3) Who fenfibly outdares his senseless Sword, And when it bows, ftands up.] Even The fine and easy Emendation of this Passage, which I have Inserted in the Text, is owing to the ingenious Ds. Thirlby. (6) Thou waft a Soldier Even to Calvus' Wish;] T. Lartins is here fumming up his Friend's Chara&er, as a Warrior that was terrible in his Strokes, in the Tone of his Voice, and the Grimness of his Countenance. But who was this Calvus, that wish'd these three Characteristicks in a Soldier? I'm afraid, Greek and Roman Hiftory will be at a Lofs to account for fuch a Man and fuch Circumftances join'd to fignalize him. I formerly amended the Paffage, and prov'd that the Poet muft have wrote, Even to Cato's Wifh3 Even to Cato's wish, not fierce and terrible Thou mad'it thine enemies shake, as if the world Enter Marcius bleeding, affaulted by the Enemy. Lart. O, 'tis Marcius. Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike. [They fight, and all enter the City. Enter certain Romans with Spoils. 1 Rom. This will I carry to Rome. 2 Rom. And I this. 3 Rom. A murrain on't, I took this for filver. [Alarum continues fill afar off. Enter Marcius and Titus Lartius, with a Trumpet. Mar. See here these Movers, that do prize their ho nours At a crack'd drachm: cufhions, leaden fpoons, yet the fight be done, pack up; down with them s The Error probably arose from the Similitude in the Manufcript of to to lv: and so this unknown Wight Calvus sprung up. I come now to the Authorities for my Emendation. Plutarch, in the Life of Coriolanus, fpeaking of this Hero, fays; He was a Man (that which CATO requir'd in a Warrior) not only dreadful to meet with in the Field, by reason of his Hand and Stroke; but insupportable to an Enemy, for the very Tone and Accent of his Voice: and the fole Terror of his Aspect. This again is confirm'd by the Hiftorian, in the Life of Marcus C ATO the Cenfor. In Engagements (fays He;) he would ufe to frike luftily, with a fierce Countenance ftare upon his Enemies, and with a harm threatning Voice accost them. Nor was he out of his Opinion, whilst he taught, that such rugged kind of Behaviour fometimes does ftrike the Enemy more than the Sword it felf. And 611 And hark, what noise the General makes! to him; Lart. Worthy Sir, thou bleed'ft; Thy exercise hath been too violent Mar. Sir, praise me not : My work hath yet not warm'd me. Fare you well Than dangerous to me. T' Aufidius thus I will appear, and fight. Lart. Now the fair Goddess Fortune Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms Mar. Thy friend no less, Than those the placeth higheft! fo, farewel. : Go, found thy trumpet in the market-place, SCENE changes to the Roman Camp. Com. Enter Cominius retreating, with Soldiers. B Reathe you, my friends; well fought; we are come off Like Romans, neither foolish in our Stands, Nor cowardly in retire: Believe me, Sirs, That both our Powers, with fmiling fronts encountring, Enter a Messenger. Mef. The citizens of Corioli have issued, Com. Tho' thou speak'ft truth, Methinks, thou fpeak'ft not well. How long is't fince ? Mef. Above an hour, my lord. Com. 'Tis not a mile : briefly, we heard their drums. How couldft thou in a mile confound an hour, And bring the news fo late? Mef. Spies of the Volcians Held me in chafe, that I was forc'd to wheel Enter Marcius. Com. Who's yonder, That does appear as he were flea'd? O Gods ! Mar. Come I too late? Com. The fhepherd knows not thunder from a tabor, More than I know the found 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. Oh! let me clip ye (7) In arms as found, as when I woo'd; in heart (7) Oh! let me clip ye In Arms as found, as when I woo'd in heart : Dr. Thirlby advised the different Regulation in the Pointing of this Paffage; which I have embraced, as I think it much improves the Senfe and Spirit, and conveys too the Poet's Thought, that Marcius was as found in Limb, as when he went a Wooing; and as merry in Heart, as when going to Bed to his Bride. And |