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for you: you shall know now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess, but by my entertainment with him, if thou standest not i' the state of hang- 70 ing, or of some death more long in spectatorship and crueller in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come upon thee. 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 80 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

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access to thee.

Cor. Away!

my

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

91

In Volscian breasts. That we have been familiar,

82. "your"; so Ff. 1, 2, 3; F. 4, "our."-I. G.

91-92. "though I owe My revenge properly"; i. e. "though revenge is my own, remission belongs to the Volscians."-I. G.

Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison rather
Than pity note how much. Therefore be gone.
Mine ears against your suits are stronger than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved
thee,

Take this along; I writ it for thy sake,

And would have sent it. [Gives him a letter.]
Another word, Menenius,

I will not hear thee speak. This man, Aufidius, Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st. Auf. You keep a constant temper.

102

[Exeunt Coriolanus and Aufidius. First Sen. Now, sir, is your name Menenius? Sec. Sen. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: you know the way home again.

First Sen. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back?

Sec. Sen. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon?

Men. I neither care for the world nor your gen- 110 eral: for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, ye 're so slight. He that hath a will to die by himself 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 said to, Away!

[Exit.

First Sen. A noble fellow, I warrant him. Sec. Sen. The worthy fellow is our general: he's the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. 120 [Exeunt.

113. "die by himself"; that is, by his own hands.-H. N. H.

SCENE III

The tent of 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
The general suit of Rome; never admitted
A private whisper, no, not with such friends
That thought them sure of you.

10

Cor.
This last old man,
Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,
Loved me above the measure of a father,
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
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 have yielded to: fresh embassies and suits,
Nor from the state nor private friends, here-
after

3. "how plainly" is how openly, how remotely from artifice or concealment.-H. N. H.

Will I lend ear to. [Shout within.] Ha! what

shout is this?

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow
In the same time 'tis made?

I will not.

20

Enter, in mourning habits, Virgilia, Volumnia, leading young Marcius, Valeria, and Attendants.

Vir.

My wife comes foremost; then the honor'd mould

Wherein this trunk was framed, 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 curtsy 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

30

Great nature cries 'Deny not.' Let the Volsces
Plow Rome, and harrow Italy: I'll never

Be such a gosling to obey instinct; but stand,
As if a man were author of himself

And knew no other kin.

My lord and husband!

Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome. Vir. The sorrow that delivers us thus changed Makes you think so.

Cor.

Like a dull actor now 40

Vol.

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,
For that 'Forgive our Romans.' O, a kiss
Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge!
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! I prate,
And the most noble mother of the world
Leave unsaluted: sink, my knee, i̇' the earth;
[Kneels.

Cor.

Vol.

Of thy deep duty more impression show
Than that of common sons.

O, stand up blest!
Whilst, with no softer cushion than the flint,
I kneel before thee, and unproperly
Show duty, as mistaken all this while
Between the child and parent.

51

[Kneels.

What is this?
Your knees to me? to your corrected son?
Then let the pebbles on the hungry beach
Fillip the stars; then let the mutinous winds
Strike the proud cedars 'gainst the fiery sun, 60
Murdering impossibility, to make

What cannot be, slight work.

Thou art my warrior; I holp to frame thee. Do you know this lady? Cor. The noble sister of Publicola,

The moon of Rome; chaste as the icicle

46. "by the jealous queen of heaven"; Juno, the guardian of marriage, and consequently the avenger of connubial perfidy.-H. N. H. 65. "The moon of Rome"; Luna was identified with Diana and

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