Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Cor. Rome, And occupations perish! What, what, what! I shall be loved when I am lack'd. Nay, Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say, Six of his labors you 'ld have done, and saved 20 I'll do well yet. Thou old and true Menenius, I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld women, "Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes, As 'tis to laugh at 'em. My mother, you wot My hazards still have been your solace: and Makes fear'd and talk'd of more than seen your son Will or exceed the common, or be caught 30 30. The "fen" is the dragon's pestilential abode, which is talked of and shunned.-H. N. H. 32. "common," has hazards understood.-H. N. H. Vol. Whither wilt thou go? My first son, Take good Cominius With thee awhile: determine on some course, O the gods! Cor. Cor. us And we of thee: so, if the time thrust forth 40 Fare ye well: Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one Men. That's worthily As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep. 33. "first" is used here, apparently, in the sense of noblest.— H. N. H. 36. "exposture"; doubtless a misprint for exposure.-H. N. H 49. That is, of true metal. The metaphor from the touchstone for trying metals, is common in Shakespeare.-H. N. H. From these old arms and legs, by the good gods, Cor. Come. SCENE II Give me thy hand: [Exeunt. The same. A street near the gate. Enter the two Tribunes, Sicinius and Brutus, with the Edile. Sic. Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further. The nobility are vex'd, whom we see have sided Bru. Sic. Now we have shown our power, Bid them home: Say their great enemy is gone, and they Bru. Dismiss them home. [Exit Edile. Here comes his mother. Enter Volumnia, Virgilia, and Menenius. 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. 10 Vol. O, ye're well met: the hoarded plague o' the gods 11. "hoarded"; stored up for future vengeance.-C. H. H. Requite your love! Men. Peace, peace; be not so loud. weeping, you should Vol. If that I could for weeping, you hear, Nay, and you shall hear some. [To Brutus] Vir. [To Sicinius] You shall stay too: I would I had the power Sic. To say so to my husband. Are you mankind? Vol. Aye, fool; is that a shame? Note but this fool. Was not a man my father? Hadst thou fox- To banish him that struck more blows for Rome Sic. Sic. Vir. go: What then? What then! He 'ld make an end of thy posterity. Good man, the wounds that he does bear for 16. "Are you mankind?"; that is, "are you a man?" implying, of course, that she is somewhat viraginous. She kills the insult by ignoring it, choosing to understand him as asking whether she be human.-H. N. H. |