Re-enter Marcius.

Mar. (5) All the contagion of the fouth light on you,
You fhames of Rome, you!herds of boils and plagues
Plaister you o'er, that you may be abhorr'd
Farther than feen, and one infect another
Against the wind a mile !-you fouls of geefe,
That bear the fhapes of men, how have you run
From flaves, that apes would beat? Pluto and hell!
All hurt behind, backs red, and faces pale,

With flight, and aged fear! mend, and charge home,.
Or by the fires of heaven, I'll leave the foe,
And make my wars on you; look to't, come on's
If you'll ftand fast, we'll beat them to their wives,
As they us to our trenches followed.

Another alarum, and Marcius follows them to the gates. So, now the gates are ope: now prove good feconds; 'Tis for the followers, fortune widens them;

Not for the fliers: mark me, and do the like.

[He enters the gates, and is fut in. Sol. Fool-hardinefs, not I.

2 Sol. Nor I.

Sol. See, they have shut him in. [Alarum continues. All. To th' pot, I warrant him.

Enter Titus Lartius.

Lart. What is become of Marcius?
All. Slain, Sir, doubtless.

(5) All the contagion of the fouth light on you,

You fhames of Rome you herds; of boils and plagues

Plafter you o'er, &c. Thus miferably did the old editions give us this paffage mangled, by bad pointing; and Mr. Pope would not indulge bis private fenfe, by any alteration to make it intelligible. The meanest judges of English muft be aware, that no member of any fentence can begin with a genitive cafe, and a preceding nominative be wanting to govern that and the verb. Where, therefore, is the nominative to, of boils and plagues plaifter you p'er? or what fenfe or fyntax is there in the paffage, as it here ftands? I reform'd the pointing in the appendix to my SHAKESPEARE reftor'd, and Mr. Pope has.youchfafed to embrace my correction in his last edition.

R 2

1 Sol. Following the fliers at the very heels,
With them he enters; who, upon the fudden,
Clapt to their gates; he is himself alone,
To answer all the city.

Lart. Oh, noble fellow !

Who, fenfible, out-does his senseless sword, (6)
And when it bows, ftands up: thou art left, Marcius.
A carbuncle intire, as big as thou art,

Were not fo rich a jewel. Thou waft a soldier (7)

(6) Who fenfibly outdares bis fenfelefs fword,

And when it bows, flands up.]

The fine and eafy emendation of this paffage, which I have inferted in the text, is owing to the ingenious Dr. Thirlby.

(7) Thou weft a foldier

Ev'n to Calvus' wish;

T. Lartius is here fumming up his friend's character, as a warrior that was terrible in his ftrokes, in the tone of his voice, and the grimnefs of his countenance. But who was this Calvus, that wish'd these three characteristicks in a foldier? I'm afraid, Greek and Roman hiftory will be at a lofs to account for fuch a man and fuch circumftances joined to fignalize him. I formerly amended the passage, and proved that the poet must have wrote,

Even to Cato's wifh ;]

The error probably arofe from the fimilitude in the manufcript of to to lv: and fo this unknown wight Calvus fprung up. I come now to the authorities for my emendation. Plutarch, in the life of Coriolanus, fpeaking of this Hero, fays; He was a man (that which CATO required in a warrior) not only dreadful to meet with in the field, by reafon of his hand and stroke; but insupportable to an enemy, for the very tone and accent of his voice; and the fole terror of his afpect. This again is confirm'd by the hiftorian, in the life of Marcus C A To the Cenfor. In engagements (fas he) be would use to ftrike luftily, with a fierce countenance Aare upon bis enemies, and with a harsh threatening voice accoft them. Nor was be out in bis opinion, whilft he taught, that fuch rugged kind of behaviour fometimes does ftrike the enemy more than the fword itself. Mr. Pope owns, I have clearly proved this point: but he seems inclined to think, the blunder fhould rather have continued, than I fhould have difcovered the author guilty of fuch a terrible anachronism. But is Mr. Pope confcious of no other anachronism committed by our poet in this play? Menenius in one paffage talks of Alexander the Great; tho' that Prince was not born till 130 years after Coriolanus's death; nay, and in another he mentions Galen, whofe birth was above 420 years later than that of Alexander. And there are certain other anachronisms, that lie blended together, which I fhall have occafion to inform Mr. Pope of, before I have done with the 2d Act of this tragedy.

Ev'n to Cato's with, not fierce and terrible
Only in ftroaks, but with thy grim looks, and
The thunder-like percuffion of thy founds,

Thou mad'ft thine enemies shake, as if the world
Were feverous, and did tremble.

Enter Marcius bleeding, assaulted by the Enemy.

Sol. Look, Sir.

Lart. O, 'tis Marcius.

Let's fetch him off, or make remain alike.

[They fight, and all enter the city

Enter certain Romans with Spoils.

Rom. This will I carry to Rome..

2 Rom. And 1 this.

3 Rom. A murrain on't, I took this for filver.

[Alarum continues ftill afar off.

Enter Marcius and Titus Lartius, with a Trumpet.
Mar. See here these movers, that do prize their honours
At a crack'd drachm: cushions, leaden fpoons,
Irons of a doit, doublets that hangmen would
Bury with those that wore them, thefe base flaves,
Ere yet the fight be done, pack up; down with them;
And hark, what noife the general makes !-to him ;—
There is the man of my foul's hate, Aufidius,
Piercing our Romans; then, valiant Titus, take
Convenient numbers to make good the city;

Whilft I, with those that have the fpirit, will hafte
To help Cominius.

Lart. Worthy Sir, thou bleed'ft;

Thy exercise hath been too violent

For a fecond course of fight.

Mar. Sir, praise me not:

My work hath yet not warm'd me. Fare you

The blood, I drop, is rather physical

Than dangerous to me.

T' Aufidius thus I will appear, and fight.

Lart. Now the fair goddess Fortune

well:

Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms

R 3

Mifguide

Mifguide thy oppofers fwords! bold gentleman ?
Profperity be thy page!

Mar. Thy friend no lefs,

Than thofe the placeth higheft; fo, farewel.
Lart. Thou worthieft Marcius,

Go found thy trumpet in the market-place,
Call thither all the officers o' th' town,
Where they fhall know our mind. Away.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, changes to the Roman Camp.

Enter Cominius retreating, with Soldiers.

Come. B

Reathe you, my friends; well fought; we are

come off

Like Romans, neither foolish in our stands,

Nor cowardly in retire: Believe me, Sirs,

We fhall be charg'd again. Whiles we have ftruck,
By interims and conveying gufts, we have heard
The charges of our friends. The Roman gods
Lead their fucceffes, as we with our own;

That both our powers, with fmiling fronts encountring,
May give you thankful facrifice! Thy news?

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. The citizens of Corioli have issued, And given to Lartius and to Marcius battle. I faw our party to their trenches driven,

And then I came away.

Com. Tho' thou speak'ft truth,

Methinks, thou speak'st not well. How long is't fince ? Mef. Above an hour, my lord.

Com. "Tis not a mile: briefly, we heard their drums. How could't thou in a mile confound an hour,

And bring the news fo late?

Mef. Spies of the Volfcians

Held me in chafe, that I was forc'd to wheel

Three or four miles about; elfe had I, Sir,

Half an hour fince brought my report.

Enter

Enter Marcius.

Com. Who's yonder,

That does appear as he were flea'd? O Gods!
He has the ftamp of Marcius, and I have

Before time feen him thus.

Mar. Come I too late?

Com. The fhepherd knows not thunder from a tabor, (8) More than I know the found of Marcius' tongue

From every meaner man.

Mar. Come I too late?

Com. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, Buf mantled in your own.

Mar. Oh! let me clip ye (9)

In arms as found, as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry, as when our nuptial day was done,
And tapers burnt to bedward.

Com. Flower of warriors,
How is't with Titus,Lartius?

Mar. As with a man bufied about decrees;
Condemning fome to death, and fome to exile,
Ranfoming him, or pitying, threatning th' other;
Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

Even like a fawning grey-hound in the leash,
To let him flip at will.

(8) The Shepherd knows not thunder from a taber,
More than I know the found of Marcius' tongue

From ev'ry meaner man.]

This has the air of an imitation, whether Shakespeare really borrow'd it, or no, from the original: I mean, what Ulyffes fays in the Greek poet of being able to distinguish Minerva's voice, tho' he did not fee her.

«Ως ἐυμαθές Σου, κἂν ἀποπλος ἧς, ὅμως

Φώνημ' ἀἰκείω, και ξυναρπάζω φρενὶ
Χαλκοςόμω κώδωνος ως Τυρσηνικῆς,

(9) Ob! let me clip ye

In arms as found, as when I woo'd in heart ;]

Sophoc. in Ajace,

Dr. Thirlby advised the different regulation in the pointing of this paffage; which I have embraced, as I think it much improves the fenfe and fpirit, and conveys too the poet's thought, that Marcius was as found in limb, as when he went a wooing; and as merry in heart, as when going to bed to his bride.