Upon him as he pass'd: the nobles bended, As to Jove's statue; and the commons made Bru. Let's to the Capitol ; And carry with us ears and eyes for the time, Sic. Have with you. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. The Capitol. Enter Two Officers, to lay Cushions. 1 Off. Come, come, they are almost here: How many stand for consulships? 2 Off Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it. 1 Off. That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people. 2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great men, that have flattered the people, who ne'er lov'd them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore so that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground: Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't. quainted with them. Few men of fashion in his time appeared at a tournament without a lady's favour upon his arm and sometimes when a nobleman had tilted with uncommon grace and agility, some of the fair spectators used to fling a scarf or glove upon him as he pass'd." Mr. Malone reads "flung gloves." 1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved' indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. 2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his country: And his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to heave† them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it. 1 Off. No more of him: he is a worthy man : Make way, they are coming. A Sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, many other Senators, SICINIUS, and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves. Men. Having determin'd of the Volces, and To send for Titus Lartius, it remains, As the main point of this our after-meeting, 4 5 6 7 he waved] That is, he would have waved indifferently. their opposite.] That is, their adversary. as those ] That is, as the ascent of those. supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, &c.] Bonnetter, Fr. is to pull off one's cap. So, in the academick style, to cap a fellow, is to take off the cap to him. + "to have "-MALONE. To gratify his noble service, that Hath thus stood for his country: Therefore, please you, The present consul, and last general A little of that worthy work perform'd By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom We meet here, both to thank, and to remember 1 Sen. Sic. We are convented Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts Inclinable to honour and advance The theme of our assembly. Bru. Which the rather We shall be bless'd to do, if he remember A kinder value of the people, than He hath hereto priz'd them at. Men. That's off, that's off'; I would you rather had been silent: Please you To hear Cominius speak? Bru. Most willingly: But yet my caution was more pertinent, Than the rebuke you give it. Rather our state's defective for requital, Than we to stretch it out.] i. e. Rather say that our means are too defective to afford an adequate reward for his services, than suppose our wishes to stretch out those means are defective. 9 Your loving motion toward the common body,] Your kind interposition with the common people. 1 That's off, that's off;] That is, that is nothing to the purpose. Men. He loves your people; But tie him not to be their bedfellow. Worthy Cominius, speak.-Nay, keep your place. [CORIOLANUS rises, and offers to go away. 1 Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear What you have nobly done. Cor. Your honours' pardon; I had rather have my wounds to heal again, Than hear say how I Bru. My words dis-bench'd you not. Cor. Sir, I hope, No, sir: yet oft, When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not: But, your people, I love them as they weigh. Men. Pray now, sit down. Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i'the sun, When the alarum were struck, than idly sit To hear my nothings monster'd. Men. [Exit CORIOLANUS. Masters o'the people, Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter', (That's thousand to one good one,) when you now see, Should not be utter'd feebly.-It is held, That valour is the chiefest virtue, and Most dignifies the haver: if it be, The man I speak of cannot in the world. Be singly counterpois'd. At sixteen years, When Tarquin made a head for Rome, he fought 2 how can he flatter.] The reasoning of Menenius is this: How can he be expected to practise flattery to others, who abhors it so much, that he cannot hear it even when offered to himself? 3 When Tarquin made a head for Rome,] When Tarquin, who had been expelled, raised a power to recover Rome. Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight, 4 The bristled lips before him: he bestrid An o'er-press'd Roman, and i'the consul's view And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since, I cannot speak him home: He stopp'd the fliers; And, by his rare example, made the coward Turn terror into sport: as waves before † A vessel under sail, so men obey'd, And fell below his stem: his sword (death's stamp) Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd 4 his Amazonian chin —] i. e. his chin on which there was no beard. 5 And struck him on his knee :] This does not mean that he gave Tarquin a blow on the knee, but gave him such a blow as occasioned him to fall on his knee. 6 When he might act the woman in the scene,] It has been more than once mentioned, that the parts of women were, in Shakspeare's time, represented by the most smooth-faced young men to be found among the players. But here is a great anachronism. There were no theatres at Rome for the exhibition of plays for about two hundred and fifty years after the death of Coriolanus. 7 He lurch'd all swords o'the garland.] To lurch, in Shakspeare's time, signified to win a maiden set at cards, &c. "To lurch all swords of the garland," therefore, was, to gain from all other warriors the wreath of victory, with ease, and incontestable superiority. 8 "as weeds before "-MALOne. every motion Was timed with dying cries:] The cries of the slaughtered regularly followed his motion, as musick and a dancer accompany each other. |