And leave me but the bran. What say you to't?
1. Cit. It was an answer: How apply you this?
Men. The fenators of Rome are this good belly,
And you the mutinous members: For examine
Their counfels, and their cares; digeft things rightly,
Touching the weal o'the common; you shall find,
No publick benefit, which you receive,

But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you,
And no way from yourselves.-What do you think?
You, the great toe of this affembly?

1. Cit. I the great toe? Why the great toe?
Men. For that being one o' the lowest, bafeft, poorest,
Of this most wife rebellion, thou go'ft foremost:
Thou rafcal, that art worst in blood to run,
Lead'ft firft, to win fome vantage",

But make you ready your ftiff bats and clubs:
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle,

5 Thou rafcal, that art werft in blood to run,

Lead'ft firft, to win fome 'vantage, -] Both rafcal and in blood are terms of the foreft. Rafcal meant a lean deer, and is here ufed equivocally. The phrafe in blood has been proved in a former note to be a phrafe of the foreft. See Vol. VI. p. 77, n. 3. Our author feldom is careful that his comparifons should anfwer on both fides. He feems to mean here, Thou worthlefs fcoundrel, though, like a deer not in blood, thou art in the worst condition for running of all the herd of plebeians, takest the lead in this tumult, in order to obtain fome private advantage to yourself. What advantage the foremost of a herd of deer could obtain, is not eafy to point out, nor did Shakspeare, I believe, confider. Perhaps indeed he only ufes rafcal in its ordinary fenfe. So afterwards

"From rafcals worse than they."

Dr. Johnfon's interpretation appears to me inadmiffible; as the term, though it is applicable both in its original and metaphorical fense to a man, cannot, I think, be applied to a dog; nor have I found any inftance of the term in blood being applied to the canine fpecies. MALONE.

The meaning, is perhaps only this: Thou that art a hound, or running dog of the lowest breed, lead'st the pack, when any thing is to be gotten. JOHNSON.

Worft in blood may be the true reading. In King Henry IV. P. I : "If we be English deer, be then in blood," i.e. high fpirits: Again in this play of Coriolanus, A&t IV. fc. v. “But when they fhall fee his creft up again, and the man in blood," &c.

STEEVENS.

The

The one fide must have bale.-Hail, noble Marcius!
Enter CAIUS MARCIUS.

Mar. Thanks.-What's the matter, you diffentious rogues,

That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourselves scabs ?

1. Cit. We have ever your good word.

Mar. He that will give good words to thee, will flatter Beneath abhorring.-What would you have, you curs, That like nor peace, nor war? the one affrights you, The other makes you proud?. He that trufts to you, Where he should find you lions, finds you hares; Where foxes, geefe: You are no furer, no, Than is the coal of fire upon the ice,

Or hailstone in the fun. Your virtue is,

To make him worthy, whofe offence fubdues him,
And curse that juftice did it". Who deferves greatness,
Deferves your hate: and your affections are

A fick man's appetite, who defires moft that

Which would increase his evil. He that depends
Upon your favours, fwims with fins of lead,

And hews down oaks with rufhes. Hang ye! Trust ye?
With every minute you do change a mind;

And call him noble, that was now your hate,

Him vile, that was your garland. What's the matter, That in these several places of the city

You cry against the noble fenate, who,

6 The one fide must have bale.] Bale is an old Saxon word, for mifery or calamity. So, in Spenfer's Faery Queen:

"For light fhe hated as the deadly bale." STEEVENS. This word was antiquated in Shakspeare's time, being marked as ob folete by Bullokar, in his English Expofitor, 1616. MALONE. 7 That like nor peace, nor war? The one affrights you,

The other makes you proud.] Coriolanus does not use these two fentences confequentially, but firft reproaches them with unfteadiness, then with their other occafional vices. JOHNSON.

8 - You virtue is,

To make bim worthy, whofe offence fubdues bim,

And curfe that juftice did it.] i. e. Your virtue is to speak well of him whom his own offences have fubjected to juftice; and to rail at thofe laws by which he whom you praise was punished. STEEVENS.

Under

Under the gods, keep you in awe, which else

Would feed on one another?-What's their feeking??
Men. For corn at their own rates; whereof, they say,,
The city is well stor’d.

Mar. Hang 'em! They say?

They'll fit by the fire, and prefume to know
What's done i' the Capitol: who's like to rife,

Who thrives, and who declines: fide factions, and give out
Conjectural marriages; making parties ftrong,

And feebling fuch, as ftand not in their liking,
Below their cobled fhoes. They fay, there's grain enough?
Would the nobility lay afide their ruth',

And let me ufe my fword, I'd make a quarry

With thousands of these quarter'd flaves, as high
As I could pick my lance. 3

Men.

9 What's their feeking ] When I was more fond of conjecture than I am at prefent, and, like many others, too defirous to reduce our author's phrafeology to that of the prefent day, I propofed to read-What is't they're feeking? but the text certainly is right. Seeking is here used fubftantively. The anfwer is, "Their seeking, or fuit, (to use the language of the time,) is for corn," MALONE.

their ruth,] i. e. their pity, compaffion. Fairfax and Spenfer often use the word. STEEVENS.

2- I'd make a quarry

With thoufands] Why a quarry? I fuppofe, not because he would pile them fquare, but becaufe he would give them for carrion to the birds of prey. JOHNSON.

So, in the Miracles of Mofes, by Drayton :

"And like a quarry caft them on the land." STEEVENS.

Again, in Fletcher's Wife for a month:

I faw the child of honour, for he was young,

"Deal fuch an alms amongst the ipiteful pagans,

"He had intrench'd himself in his dead quarries." MASON. Bullokar in his English Expofitor, 8vo. 1616, fays that "a quarry among hunters fignifieth the reward given to hounds after they have hunted, or the venifon which is taken by hunting." This fufficiently explains the word of Coriolanus. See alfo Vol. IV. p. 411, n. 3. MALONE. 3 As I could pick my lance.] That is, pitch it. So, in An Account of auntient cuftoms in games, &c. Mis. Harl. 2057, fol. 10. b.

To wrestle, play at ftrole-ball, or to runne, "To picke the barre, or to fhoot off a gun."

The word is again ufed in K. Henry VIII. with only a flight variation in the fpelling: "I'll peck you o'er the pales elfe." See p. 136, n. 2. MALONE.

Men. Nay, thefe are almoft thoroughly perfuaded;
For though abundantly they lack difcretion,
Yet are they paffing cowardly. But, I beseech you
What fays the other troop?

Mar. They are diffolv'd: Hang 'em!

They faid, they were an-hungry; figh'd forth proverbs ;-
That, hunger broke ftone walls; that, dogs muft eat;
That, meat was made for mouths; that, the gods fent not
Corn for the rich men only:-With thefe fhreds
They vented their complainings; which being anfwer'd,
And a petition granted them, a firange one,
(To break the heart of generofity 4,

And make bold power look pale,) they threw their caps
As they would hang them on the horns o'the moon,
Shouting their emulation.

Men. What is granted them?

Mar. Five tribunes, to defend their vulgar wifdoms, Of their own choice: One's Junius Brutus,

Sicinius Velutus, and I know not 's death!

The rabble should have first unroof'd the city,
Ere fo prevail'd with me: it will in time

Win upon power, and throw forth greater themes
For infurrection's arguing.

Men. This is ftrange.

Mar, Go, get you home, you fragments!

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Where's Caius Marcius?

Mar. Here: What's the matter?

Mef. The news is, fir, the Volces are in arms.

The word is ftill pronounced in Staffordshire, where they fay-picke me fuch a thing, that is, throw any thing that the demander wants. TOLLET.

4-the heart of generofity,] To give the final blow to the nobles. Generofity is bigh birth. JOHNSON.

Shouting their emulation.] Each of them ftriving to fhout louder

than the rest. MALONE.

Sunroof'd the city,] Old Copy-unrooft. Corrected by Mr. Rowe.

MALONE.

6 For infurrection's arguing.] For infurgents to debate upon.

MALONE.

Mar.

Mar. I am glad on't; then we shall have means to vent Our mufty fuperfluity:-See, our best elders.

Enter COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, and other Senators; JUNIUS BRUTUS, and SICINIUS VELUTUS.

1. Sen. Marcius, 'tis true, that you have lately told us; The Volces are in arms 7.

Mar. They have a leader,

Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to't.
I fin in envying his nobility:

And were I any thing but what I am,

I would with me only he.

Com. You have fought together.

Mar. Were half to half the world by the ears, and he Upon my party, I'd revolt, to make

Only my wars with him: he is a lion

That I am proud to hunt.

1. Sen. Then, worthy Marcius,
Attend upon Cominius to thefe wars.
Com. It is your former promise.
Mar. Sir, it is;

And I am conftant.-Titus Lartius, thou
Shalt fee me once more ftrike at Tullus' face:

What, art thou ftiff? ftand'st out?

Tit. No, Caius Marcius

I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other,
Ere ftay behind this business.

Men. O, true bred!

1. Sen. Your company to the Capitol; where, I know, Our greatest friends attend us.

Tit. Lead you on:

Follow, Cominius; we must follow you;

Right worthy you priority 3.

-'tis true, that you have lately told us;

The Volces are in arms.] Coriolanus had been just told himself that the Volces were in arms. The meaning is, The intelligence cubich you gave us fome little time ago of the defigns of the Volces is now verified; they are in arms. JOHNSON.

Right worthy you priority.] You being right worthy of precedence.

MALONE

Com