between an orange-wife and a foffet-feller; and then rejourn the controverfy of three-pence to a fecond day of audience. When you are hearing a matter between party and party, if you chance to be pinch'd with the cholick, you make faces like mummers; fet up the bloody flag against all patience; and, in roaring for a chamberpot, difmifs the controverfy bleeding, the more entangled by your hearing all the peace you make in their caufe, is, calling both the parties knaves; You are a pair of ftrange ones. Bru. Come, come, you are well understood to be a perfecter giber for the table, than a neceffary bencher in the Capitol Men. Our very priests muft become mockers, if they fhall encounter fuch ridiculous fubjects as you are. When you speak beft unto the purpofe, it is not worth the wagging of your beards; and your beards deferve not so honourable a grave, as to ftuff a botcher's cushion, or to be entomb'd in an afs's pack-faddle. Yet you must be faying, Marcius is proud; who, in a cheap eftimation, is worth all your predeceffors, fince Deucalion; though, peradventure, fome of the beft of them were hereditary hangmen. Good e'en to your worships: more of your converfation would infect my brain, being the herdimen of the beaftly plebeians': I will be bold to take my leave of you. Enter VOLUMNIA, VIGILIA, and VALERIA, and a crowd of people. How now, my as fair as noble ladies, (and the moon, were fhe earthly, no nobler,) whither do you follow your eyes fo faft? Vol. Honourable Menenius, my boy Marcius approaches; for the love of Juno, let's go. Shakspeare mistook the office of præfectus urbis for the tribune's office. WARBURTON. 9fet up the bloody flag against all patience,] That is, declare war against patience. There is not wit enough in this fatire to recompenfe its groffnefs. JOHNSON. 1-berdsmen of―plebeians :] As kings are called wolperes da'wv. JOHNSON. Men. Ha! Marcius coming home? Vol. Ay, worthy Menenius; and with moft profperous approbation. Men. Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee:Hoo! Marcius coming home! Two ladies. Nay, 'tis true. Vol. Look, here's a letter from him; the ftate hath another, his wife another; and, I think, there's one at home for you. Men. I will make my very house reel to night:-A letter for me? Vir. Yes, certain, there's a letter for you; I faw it. Men. A letter for me? It gives me an eftate of seven years' health; in which time, I will make a lip at the physician: the moft fovereign prefcription in Galen is but empiricutick, and, to this prefervative, of no better report than a horfe-drench. Is he not wounded? he was wont to come home wounded. Vir. O, no, no, no. Vol. O, he is wounded, I thank the gods for't. Men. So do I too, if it be not too much :-Brings 'a victory in his pocket?-The wounds become him. Vol. On's brows, Menenius: he comes the third time home with the oaken garland. Men. 2 Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee:] Dr. Warburton knew fo little of his author as to propofe reading-take my cup, Jupiter. MALONE. Shakspeare fo often mentions throwing up caps in this play, that Menenius may be well enough fuppofed to throw up his cap in thanks to Jupiter. JOHNSON. 3 in Galen] An anachronifm of near 650 years. Menenius flourished anno U. C. 260, about 492 years before the birth of our Saviour.-Galen was born in the year of our Lord 136, flourished about the year 155 or 160, and lived to the year 200. GREY. 4 On's brows, Menenius:] Mr. Mafon propofes that there should be a comma placed after Menenius; On's brows, Menenius, he comes the third time home with the oaken garland: "for," fays the commentator, it was the oaken garland, not the wounds, that Volumnia fays he had on his brows." But he appears to me to have misapprehended the pailage. Volumnia answers Menenius, without taking notice of his last words," The wounds become him." Menenius had asked Men. Has he difciplined Aufidius foundly? Vol. Titus Lartius writes,-they fought together, but Aufidius got off. Men. And 'twas time for him too, I'll warrant him that: : an he had staid by him, I would not have been fo fidius'd for all the chefts in Corioli, and the gold that's in them. Is the fenate poffefs'd of this? Vol. Good ladies, let's go :-Yes, yes, yes: the fenate has letters from the general, wherein he gives my fon the whole name of the war: he hath in this action outdone his former deeds doubly. Val. In troth, there's wondrous things spoke of him. Men. Wondrous? ay, I warrant you, and not without his true purchafing. Vir. The gods grant them true! Vol. True? pow, wow. Men. True? I'll be fworn they are true:-Where is he wounded?-God fave your good worships! [To the Tribunes.] Marcius is coming home: he has more cause to be proud. Where is he wounded? Vol. I' the fhoulder, and i' the left arm: There will be large cicatrices to fhew the people, when he fhall ftand for his place. He received in the repulfe of Tarquin, feven hurts i' the body. Men. One in the neck, and two in the thigh,-there's nine that I know. Vol. Bring he victory in his pocket? He brings it, fays Volumnia, on his brows, for he comes the third time home brow-bound with the oaken garland, the emblem of victory. So, afterwards: "He prov'd best man o' the field, and for his meed, "Was brow-bound with the cak.” If these words did not admit of fo clear an explanation, (in which the conceit is truly Shakspearian,) the arrangement propofed by Mr. Mafon might perhaps be admitted, though it is extremely harth, and the inverfion of the natural order of the words not much in our author's manner in his profe writings. MALONE. 5 - poflefs'd of this ] Poffefs'd, in our authour's language, is fully informed. JOHNSON. 6-feven burts in the body. Men. One in the neck, and two in the thigh, there's nine that I know.] “Seyen,one, and two," says Dr. Warburton, " and these make Vol. He had, before this laft expedition, twenty-five wounds upon him. Men. Now it's twenty-feven: every gafh was an enemy's grave: [Afbout, and flourish.] Hark, the trumpets. Vol. Thefe are the ufhers of Marcius: before him He carries noife, and behind him he leaves tears; Death, that dark spirit, in's nervy arm doth lie; Which being advanc'd, declines; and then men die. A Sennet. Trumpets found. Enter COMINIUS and TITUS LARTIUS; between them, CORIOLANUS, crown'd with an oaken garland; with captains and foldiers, and a Herald. Her. Know, Rome, that all alone Marcius did fight Welcome to Rome, renown'd Coriolanus! [Flourish. All. Welcome to Rome, renown'd Coriolanus! Cor. No more of this, it does offend my heart; Pray now, no more. Com. Look, fir, your mother, Cor. O! You have, I know, petition'd all the gods make but nine!" To affift Menenius therefore in his arithmetick, he reads, "one in the neck, and one too in the thigh. !" It is not without reluctance that I encumber my page by even mentioning fuch capricious innovations; but I am fometimes obliged to do fo, to introduce the true explanation of pallages. MALONE. The old man, agreable to his character, is minutely particular: Seven wounds? Let me fee; one in the neck, two in the thigh-Nay, I am fure there are more; there are nine that I know of. UPTON. 7 Which being advanc'd, declines,] Volumnía, in her boasting ftrain, fays, that her fon to kill his enemy, has nothing to do but to lift his hand and let it fall. JOHNSON. 8 Coriolanus.] The old copy-Martius Caius Coriolanus. STEEV. The compofitor, it is highly probable, caught the words Martius Caius from the preceding line, where alfo in the old copy the original names of Coriolanus are accidentally tranfpofed. The correction in the former line was made by Mr. Rowe; in the latter by Mr. Steevens. MALONE. For For my profperity. Vol. Nay, my good foldier, up; Cor. My gracious filence, hail! [Kneels. Would't thou have laugh'd, had I come coffin'd home, And mothers that lack fons. Men. Now the gods crown thee! Cor. And live you yet ?-O my sweet lady, pardon. [To Valeria. Vol. I know not where to turn :-O welcome home; And welcome, general ;-And you are welcome all. Men. A hundred thousand welcomes: I could weep, And I could laugh; I am light, and heavy: Welcome A curfe begin at very root of his heart, 9 My gracious filence, bail!] By my gracious filence, I believe, the poet meant, thou whofe filent tears are more eloquent and grateful to me, than the clamorous applaufe of the reft! So, Crafhaw. "Sententious fhow'rs! O! let them fall! Again, in the Martial Maid of Beaumont and Fletcher: "Or should be fo at least, to move beyond Again, in Daniel's Complaint of Rofamond; 1599: my "Sweet filent rhetorick of perfuading eyes! "Dumb eloquence, whofe power doth move the blood, "More than the worde, or wisdom of the wife!" STEEVENS. I believe "My gracious filence," only means "My beauteous filence," filent Grace." Gracious feems to have had the fame meaning formerly that graceful has at this day. So, in the Merchant of Venice: "But being feafon'd with a gracious voice." Again, in King John: "There was not fuch a gracious creature born." Again in Marton's Malecontent, 1604:-"he is the most exquifite in forging of veines, fpright'ning of eyes, dying of haire, flecking of fkinnes, blufhing of cheekes, &c, that ever made an old lady gracious by torchlight." MALONE. That |