Into a rapture lets her baby cry,

While she chats him: the kitchen malkin pins
Her richest lockram' 'bout her reechy neck,

8

Clamb'ring the walls to eye him: stalls, bulks, windows,
Are smother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges hors'd
With variable complexions; all agreeing

In earnestness to see him: seld-shown flamens9
Do press among the popular throngs, and puff
To win a vulgar station: our veil'd dames
Commit the war of white and damask, in
Their nicely-gawded cheeks, to the wanton spoil
Of Phoebus' burning kisses: such a pother,
As if that whatsoever god,' who leads him,
Where slily crept into his human powers,
And gave him graceful posture.

Sic. On the sudden,

I warrant him consul.

Bru. Then our office may,

During his power, go sleep.

Sic. He cannot temperately transport his honours From where he should begin, and end; but will Lose those that he hath won.

Bru. In that there's comfort.

Sic. Doubt not,

The commoners, for whom we stand, but they,
Upon their ancient malice, will forget,

With the least cause, these his new honours; which

That he'll give them, make as little question

As he is proud to do't.

Bru. I heard him swear,

Where he to stand for consul, never would he
Appear i'the market-place, nor on him put
The napless vesture of humility;2

Nor, shewing (as the manner is) his wounds
To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

[5] Rapture, a common term at that time used for a fit, simply. So to be rapp'd signified, to be in a fit.

WARBURTON.

[6] A maukin, or malkin, is a kind of mop made of clouts for the use of sweeping ovens: thence a dirty wench. HANMER.Maukin in some parts of England signifies a figure of clouts set up to fright birds in gardens: a scarecrow. P.-Malkin is properly the diminutive of Mal (Mary); as Wilkin, Tomkin, &c. Grey malkin (corruptly grimalkin) is a cat. The kitchen malkin is the same as the kitchen Madge or Bess: the scullion. RITSON.

[7] Lockram was a kind of cheap linen.

[8] Reechy is greasy, sweaty. RITSON.

STEEVENS.

[9] Seld-shown flamens-that is, priests who seldom exhibit themselves to public view. STEEVENS.

[1] That is, as if that god who leads him, whatsoever god he be. JOHNSON. [2] By napless Shakespeare means thread-bare. Plutarch's words are " with a poore gowne on their backes."

MALONE,

Sic. 'Tis right.

Bru. It was his word: O, he would miss it, rather Than carry it, but by the suit o'the gentry to him, And the desire of the nobles.

Sic. I wish no better,

Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it

In execution.

Bru. 'Tis most like, he will.

Sic. It shall be to him then, as our good wills; A sure destruction.

Bru. So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,
We must suggest the people, in what hatred

He still hath held them; that, to his power, he would
Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and
Disproperty'd their freedoms: holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more soul, nor fitness for the world,
Than camels in their war; who have their provand
Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows
For sinking under them.

Sic. This, as you say, suggested

At some time when his soaring insolence
Shall teach the people, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,
As to set dogs on sheep,) will be his fire
To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

Enter a Messenger.

Bru. What's the matter?

Mes. You are sent for to the Capitol. "Tis thought, That Marcius shall be consul. I have seen

The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind
To hear him speak: Matrons flung their gloves,
Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs,
Upon him as he pass'd: the nobles bended,

As to Jove's statue; and the commons made

A shower, and thunder, with their caps, and shouts :
I never saw the like.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol ;

And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,

But hearts for the event.

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 Of. 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 loved 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 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.

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 Of. 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,

(8) He waved-that is, he would have waved indifferently. [4] Bonnetter, Fr. is to pull off one's cap. M. MASON.

JOHNSON.

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratify his noble service, that

Hath thus stood for his country: Therefore, please you,
Most reverend and grave elders, to desire
The present consul, and last general

In our well-found successes, to report
A little of that worthy work perform'd

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom

We meet here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius:

Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our state's defective for requital,
Than we to stretch it out.

Masters o'the people,

We do request your kindest ears; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common body,*
To yield what passes here,

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.

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 got them.

Bru. Sir, I hope,

My words dis-bench'd you not.

Cor. No, sir: yet oft,

Your kind interposition with the common people. JOHNSON.
i. that is nothing to the purpose. JOHNSON.

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. Masters o'the people,

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,'

[Exit COR.

(That's thousand to one good one,) when you now see, He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,

Than one of his ears to hear it ?-Proceed, Cominius. Com. I shall lack voice: the deeds of Coriolanus 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
Beyond the mark of others: our then dictator,
Whom with all praise I point at, saw him fight,
When with his Amazonian chin3 he drove
The bristled lips before him: he bestrid
An o'er press'd Roman, and i'the consul's view
Slew three opposers: Tarquin's self he met,
And struck him on his knee in that day's feats,
When he might act the woman in the scene,
He prov'd the best man i'the field, and for his meed
Was brow-bound with the oak. His pupil age
Man-enter'd thus, he waxed like a sea;

:

For this last,

And, in the brunt of seventeen battles since,
He lurch'd all swords o'the garland.
Before and in Corioli, let me say,

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)
Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot
He was a thing of blood, whose every motion
Was timed with dying cries: alone he enter'd

[1] How can he be expected to practise flattery to others, who abhors it so much, that he cannot hear it when even offered to himself.

JOHNSON.

[2] When Tarquin raised a power to recover Rome. JOHNSON.

[3] That is, his chin on which there was no beard.

STEEVENS.

[4] To larch, in Shakespeare's time, signified to win a maiden set at cards