Ingrate Forgetfulness fhall prifon, rather

Than Pity note how much.- -Therefore, be gone;
Mine ears against your fuits are ftronger than

Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee,
Take this along; I writ it for thy fake,

[Gives him a letter.

And would have fent it. Another word, Menenius,

I will not hear thee speak.

This man, Aufidius,

[Exeunt.

Was my belov'd in Rome; yet thou behold'ft

Auf. You keep a constant temper.

Manent the Guard, and Menenius.

1 Watch. Now, Sir, is your name Menenius? 2 Watch. 'Tis a Spell, you fee, of much power: you know the way home again.

1 Watch. Do you hear, how we are fhent for keeping your Greatness back?

2 Watch, What cause do you think, I have to fwoon? Men. I neither care for the world, nor your General: for fuch things as you, I can fcarce think there's any, y'are fo flight. He, that hath a will to die by him. felf, fears it not from another let your General do his worst. For you, be what you are, long; and your mifery encrease with your age! I fay to you, as I was faid to, Away[Exit.

I Watch. A noble fellow, I warrant him.

2 Watch. The worthy fellow is our General. He's the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. [Ex. Watch.

Re-enter Coriolanus and Aufidius.

Cor. We will before the Walls of Rome to morrow Set down our Hoft. My Partner in this action, You must report to th' Volfcian lords, how plainly I've borne this business.

keep it a secret, that we have been familiar; than Pity fhall difclofe how much we have been fo.

Auf

Auf. Only their Ends you have refpected; ftopt
Your ears against the general fuit of Rome :
Never admitted private whisper, no,

Not with fuch friends that thought them fure of you.
Cor. This laft old man,

Whom with a crack'd heart I have fent to Rome,
Lov'd me above the measure of a father;
Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
Was to fend him: for whofe old love, I have
(Tho' I fhew'd fow'rly to him) once more offer'd
The first conditions; (which they did refuse,
And cannot now accept,) to grace him only,
That thought he could do more: a very little
I've yielded to. Fresh embaffie, and fuits,
Nor from the State, nor private friends, hereafter
Will I lend ear to.. Ha! what fhout is this?

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow,
In the fame time 'tis made? I will not-

[Shout within.

Enter Virgilia, Volumnia, Valeria, young Marcius, with
Attendants all in Mourning.

My wife comes foremoft, then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grand-child to her blood. But, out, affection!
All bond and privilege of Nature break!

Let it be virtuous, to be obftinate.

What is that curt'fie worth? or those dove's eyes,
Which can make Gods forfworn? I melt, and am not
Of ftronger earth than others: my mother bows,
As if Olympus to a mole-hill should

In fupplication nod; and my young boy

Hath an afpect of interceffion, which

Great Nature cries,

Volfcians

"Deny not.

Let the

Plough Rome, and harrow Italy; I'll never
Be fuch a gofling to obey instinct; but stand
As if a man were author of himself,

And

And knew no other kin.

Virg. My lord and husband!

Cor. These eyes are not the fame I wore in Rome. Virg. The forrow, that delivers us thus chang'd, Makes you think fo.

Cor. Like a dull Actor now,

I have forgot my Part, and I am out,
Even to a full difgrace. Beft of my flesh,
Forgive my tyranny; but do not fay,

For That,

66

forgive our Romans.Long as my exile, fweet as my revenge!

-O, a kifs

Now by the jealous Queen of heav'n, that kiss
I carried from thee, Dear; and my true lip

Hath virgin'd it e'er fince.- You Gods! I prate; (27)

And the moft noble mother of the world

Leave unfaluted: fink, my knee, i'th' earth; [kneels.
Of thy deep duty more impreffion fhew
Than that of common fons.

Vol. O ftand up bleft!

Whilft with no fofter cushion than the flint

I kneel before thee, and unproperly

Shew duty as mistaken all the while,
Between the child and parent.

And the most noble Mother of the World
Leave unfaluted:]

[kneels.

An old Corruption must have poffefs'd this Paffage, for two Reasons. In the first Place, whoever confults this Speech, will find, that He is talking fondly to his Wife, and not praying to the Gods at all. Secondly, if He were employ'd in his Devotions, no Apology would be wanting for leaving his Mother unfaluted. The Poet's Intention was certainly This. Coriolanus, having been lavish in his Tenderneffes and Raptures to his Wife, bethinks himself on the fudden, that his Fondness to her had made him guilty of ill Manners in the Neglect of his Mother; and, therefore correcting himfelf upon Reflexion, cries;

You Gods! I prate; i. e. talk fondly, and without due Bounds.

Cor.

Cor. What is this?

Your knees to me? to your corrected fon?
Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach
Fillop the ftars: then, let the mutinous winds
Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery Sun:
Murd'ring impoffibility, to make
What cannot be, flight work.

Vol. Thou art my warrior,

I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady?
Cor. The noble fifter of Poplicola,

The moon of Rome; chafte as the ificle,
That's curdled by the froft from pureft fnow,
And hangs on Dian's Temple: dear Valeria!
Vol. This is a poor epitome of yours,

[hewing young Marcius. Which by th' interpretation of full time May fhew like all your felf.

Cor. The God of foldiers,

With the confent of fupream Jove, inform

Thy thoughts with Nobleness, that thou may'st prove To Shame unvulnerable, and stick i'th' wars

Like a great fea-mark, ftanding every flaw,

And faving those that eye thee!

Vol. Your knee, firrah.

Cor. That's my brave boy.

Vol. Even he, your wife, this lady, and myself,

Are fuitors to you.

Cor. I beseech you, peace:

Or, if you'd ask, remember this before;

The thing, I have forfworn to grant, may never
Be held by you denial. Do not bid me

Difmifs my foldiers, or capitulate

Again with Rome's Mechanicks. Tell me not,
Wherein I feem unnatural: defire not

T'allay my rages

and revenges, with

Your colder reasons.

Vol. Oh, no more; no more:

You've faid, you will not grant us any thing:

For we have nothing elfe to ask, but That

Which you deny already yet we will ask,
That if we fail in our request, the Blame
May hang upon your Hardness; therefore hear us.
Cor. Aufidius, and you Volfcians, mark; for we'll
Hear nought from Rome in private.
-Your request?

Vol. Should we be filent and not speak, our raiment
And state of bodies would bewray what life
We've led fince thy Exile. Think with thy felf,
How more unfortunate than all living women

Are we come hither; fince thy fight, which should Make our Eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comforts,

Conftrains them weep, and shake with fear and forrow;
Making the mother, wife, and child to fee,
The fon, 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
That all but we enjoy. For how can we,
Alas! how can we, for our Country pray,
Whereto we're bound together with thy victory,
Whereto we're bound? Alack! or we muft lofe
The Country, our dear nurse; or else thy perfon,
Our comfort in the Country. We must find
An eminent calamity, tho' we had

Our wish, which fide fhou'd win. For either thou
Muft, as a foreign Recreant, be led

With manacles along our ftreet; or else
Triumphantly tread on thy Country's ruin,
And bear the palm, for having bravely shed
Thy wife and children's blood. For my self, fon,
I purpose not to wait on Fortune, 'till

Thefe wars determine: if I can't perfuade thee
Rather to fhew a noble grace to both parts,
Than feek the end of one; thou shalt no fooner
March to affault thy Country, than to tread
(Truft to't, thou shalt not) on thy mother's womb,
That brought thee to this world.

Virg. Ay, and mine too,

That