Men. I could myself take up a brace o' th' beft of them; yea, the two tribunes, Com. But now, 'tis odds beyond arithmetick; And manhood is call'd fool'ry, when it stands Against a falling fabrick. Will you hence, Before the tag return, whofe rage doth rend Like interrupted waters, and o'erbear Men. Pray you, be gone: I'll try, if my old wit be in request With thofe that have but little; this must be pacht Com. Come away. [Exeunt Coriolanus and Cominius. 1 Sen. This man has marr'd his fortune. Men. His nature is too noble for the world: He would not flatter Neptune for his trident, Or Jove for's power to thunder: his heart's his mouth: What his breaft forges, that his tongue muft vent; And being angry, does forget that ever He heard the name of death. Here's goodly work. 2 Sen. I would they were a-bed. [A noife within. Men. I would they were in Tyber.-What, the ven Could he not speak 'em fair? [geance, Enter Brutus and Sicinius, with the rabble again. Sic. Where is this viper, That would depopulate the city, Be every man himself? Men. You worthy tribunes Sic. He fhall be thrown down the Tarpeian rock And therefore law fhall fcorn him further trial Which he fo fets at nought. 1 Cit. He fhall well know, the noble tribunes are The people's mouths, and we their hands. All. He fhall be fure on't. Men. Sir, Sir, Sic. Peace. Men. Men. Do not cry havock, where you fhould but hunt With modeft warrant. Sic. Sir, how comes it, you Have holp to make this rescue ? As I do know the conful's worthiness, So can Sic. Conful!-what conful! Men. The conful Coriolanus. All. No, no, no, no, no. Men. If by the tribunes leave, and yours, good people, I may be heard, I'd crave a word or two; The which fhall turn you to no further harm, Sic. Speak briefly then, For we are peremptory to dispatch This viperous traitor; to eject him hence, (24) Men. Now the good gods forbid, That our renowned Rome, whofe gratitude Sic. He's a disease that must be cut away. What has he done to Rome, that's worthy death? (24) -To eject bim bence Were but one danger, and to keep him bere Our certain death;] This reading, which has obtain'd in the printed copies, deftroys that climax which evidently feems defign'd here, and flattens the fentiment. In my opinion, the tribune would fay, "To banish him, will be hazardous to us; to let him remain "at home, our certain destruction." VOL. VI. T Were Were to us all that do't, and fuffer it, A brand to th' end o' th' world. Sic. This is clean kamme. Bru. Merely awry: when he did love his country, It honour'd him. Men. The fervice of the foot Being once gangreen'd, it is not then respected Bru. We'll hear no more. Purfue him to his houfe, and pluck him thence ; Men. One word more, one word: This tiger-footed rage, when it fhall find The harm of unfkann'd fwiftnefs, will (too late) Bru. If 'twere fo Sic. What do ye talk? Have we not had a taste of his obedience ? Our Ediles fmote, ourselves refifted, come Men. Confider this; he hath been bred i' th' wars Since he could draw a fword, and is ill-fchool'd In boulted language; meal and bran together He throws without diftin&tion. Give me leave, I'll go to him, and undertake to bring him Where he fhall answer by a lawful form, In peace, to his utmoft peril. i Sen. Noble tribunes, It is the humane way; the other courfe Be Sic. Noble Menenius, you then as the people's officer. Mafters, lay down your weapons. Bru. Go not home. Sic. Meet on the forum; we'll attend you there, Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed In our first way. Men. I'll bring him to you. Let me defire your company; he must come, 1 Sen. Pray, let's to him. Cor. [Exeunt SCENE changes to Coriolanus's Houfe. ·L ET them pull all about mine ears, prefent me Death on the wheel, or at wild horfes heels, Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock, That the precipitation might down ftretch Below the beam of fight, yet will I ftill Be thus to them. Enter Volumnia. Noble. You do the nobler. Cor. I mufe, my mother Does not approve me further, who was wont The man I am. Vol. Oh, Sir, Sir, Sir, I would have had you put your power well on, Cor. Let it go. Vol. You might have been enough the man you are, With ftriving lefs to be fo. Leffer had been (25) The thwartings of your difpofitions, if The things that thwart your difpofitions,] The old copies exhibit it, The things of your difpofitions. A few letters replac'd, that by fome carelessness drop'd out, restore us the poet's genuine reading; The thwartings of your difpofitions. You had not fhew'd them how ye were dispos'd Cor. Let them hang. Vol. Ay, and burn too. Enter Menenius, with the Senators. Men. Come, come, you've been too rough, fomething too rough: You must return, and mend it. Sen. There's no remedy, Vol. Pray, be counsell'd; I have a heart as little apt as yours, To better vantage. Men. Well faid, noble woman : (26) Before he fhould thus ftoop to th' herd, but that The violent fit o' th' times craves it as phyfick For the whole ftate, I'd put mine armour on, Which I can scarcely bear. Cor. What must I do? Men. Return to th' tribunes. Cor. Well, what then? what then? Cor. For them?—I cannot do it for the gods, Vol. You are too abfolute, Tho' therein you can never be too noble, I' th' war do grow together; grant that, and tell me (26) Before be thus fhould froop to th' heart,-] But how did Corislanus ftoop to his heart? he rather, as we vulgarly exprefs it, made his proud heart ftoop to the neceffity of the times. I am perfuaded, my emendation gives the true reading. So, before, in this play; Are thefe your berd? So, in Julius Cæfar; When he perceiv'd, the common berd was glad he refus'd the Crown, &c. And in many other paffages, 1 |