ACT IV. SCENE I. The same. Before a Gate of the City. Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENenius, COMINIUS, and several young Patricians. Cor. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell.The beast 1 With many heads butts me away.-Nay, mother, The heart that conned them. Vir. O Heavens! O Heavens! Cor. Nay, I pr'ythee, woman,― Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in Rome, And occupations perish! Cor. What, what, what! I shall be loved when I am lacked. Nay, mother, If you had been the wife of Hercules, Six of his labors you'd have done, and saved wife! my mother! I'll do well yet.-Thou old and true Menenius, And venomous to thine eyes.-My sometime general, 1 This is the reading of the second folio; the first folio reads, extremities was, &c. 2 "When fortune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded, and yet continue calm, requires a noble wisdom." Cunning is often used in this sense by Shakspeare. Heart-hardening spectacles; tell these sad women, 'Tis fond to wail inevitable strokes, As 'tis to laugh at them.-My mother, you wot well, My hazards still have been your solace; and Believe't not lightly, (though I go alone Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen Makes feared, and talked of more than seen,) your son Will, or exceed the common, or be caught With cautelous 2 baits and practice. Vol. My first son, Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius With thee a while. More than a wild exposture to each chance That starts i'the way before thee. Cor. O the gods! Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee Fare ye well; Cor. Men. That's worthily As any ear can hear. Come, let's not weep.- 1 Foolish. 2 Cautelous here means insidious. 3 i. e. noblest. 4 Exposure; for which it is probably a typographical error. 5 i. e. of true metal. The metaphor from the touchstone for trying metals, is common in Shakspeare. From these old arms and legs, by the good gods, Cor. Come. Give me thy hand.— [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. A Street near the Gate. Enter SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and an Ædile. Sic. Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further. The nobility are vexed, who, we see, have sided Bru. Now we have shown our power, Bid them home. Let us seem humbler after it is done, Sic. Say, their great enemy is gone, and they Bru. Dismiss them home. Keep on your way. Vol. O, you'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. Will you be gone? [To BRUTUS. Vir. You shall stay too. [To Sic.] I would I had Sic. Are you mankind ?1 Vol. Ay, fool; is that a shame ?-Note but this fool. Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship Sic. O blessed Heavens! Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise words; And for Rome's good.-I'll 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. Vir. What then? What then? He'd 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 continued 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 incensed the rabble; Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth, As I can of those mysteries which Heaven Bru. Pray, let us go. 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, Sic. Why stay we to be baited With one that wants her wits? 1 i. e. mankind woman; a woman with the roughness of a man. Volumnia chooses to understand it as meaning a human creature. my prayers with you. I would the gods had nothing else to do, [Exeunt Tribunes. But to confirm my curses! Could I meet them 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'll sup with me? Vol. Anger's my meat; I sup upon myself, [Exeunt. SCENE III. A Highway between Rome and Antium. Enter a Roman and a Volce meeting. Rom. I know you well, sir, and you know me. Your name, I think, is Adrian. Vol. It is so, sir; truly I have forgot you. Rom. I am a Roman; and my services are, as you are, against them. Know you me yet? Vol. Nicanor? No. Rom. The same, sir. Vol. You had more beard, when I last saw you, but your favor is well appayed by your tongue. What's the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volcian state, to find you out there. You have well saved me a day's journey. Rom. There hath been in Rome strange insurrection; the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles. 1 The old copy reads, "Your favor is well appeared by your tongue." For the emendation in the text Mr. Singer is answerable. Warburton proposed appealed; Johnson, affeared; Steevens, approved; and Malone thought the old reading might be right. No phrase is more common in our elder language than well appaied, i. e. satisfied, contented. |