If he were putting to my house the brand A trembling upon Rome, such as was never So incapable of help. Tri. Say not, we brought it. Men. How! Was it we? We lov'd him; but, like beasts, And cowardy nobles, gave way to your clusters, Who did hoot him out o'the city. Com. But, I fear They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius, The second name of men, obeys his points Enter a troop of Citizens. Men. Here come the clusters. And is Aufidius with him?-You are they And not a hair upon a soldier's head, Which will not prove a whip; as many coxcombs, And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter; If he could burn us all into one coal, We have deserv'd it. Cit. 'Faith, we hear fearful news. 1 Cit. For mine own part, When I said, banish him, I said, 'twas pity. 2 Cit. And so did I. 3 Cit. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us: That we did, we did for the best : and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will. Com. You are goodly things, you voices ! Men. You have made Good work, you and your cry!-Shall us to the capitol ? Com. O, ay; what else? [Exe. Coм. and MENEN. Sic. Go, masters, get you home, be not dismay'd ; [9] As they hooted at his departure, they will roar at his return; as he went out with scoffs, he will come back with lamentations.⚫ JOHNS. These are a side, that would be glad to have 1 Cit. The gods be good to us! Come, masters, let's home. I ever said, we were i'the wrong, when we banished him. 2 Cit.So did we all. But come,let's home. [Ex. Citizens. Bru. I do not like this news. Sic. Nor I. Bru. Let's to the Capitol.-'Would, half my wealth Would buy this for a lie! Sic. Pray, let us go. SCENE VII. [Exeunt. ▲ Camp, at a small distance from Rome. Enter AUFIDIUS, and his Lieutenant. Auf. Do they still fly to the Roman ? Lieu. I do not know what witchcraft's in him; but Your soldiers use him as the grace 'fore meat, Their talk at table, and their thanks at end; And you are darken'd in this action, sir, Even by your own. Auf. I cannot help it now; Unless, by using means, I lame the foot Of our design. He bears himself more proudlier Lieu. Yet I wish, sir, (I mean for your particular,) you had not Join'd in commission with him: but either Had borne the action of yourself, or else To him had left it solely. Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou sure, To the vulgar eye, that he bears all things fairly, Lieu, Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome ? Auf. All places yield to him ere he sits down ; The senators, and patricians, love him too : To expel him thence. I think, he'll be to Rome, First he was A noble servant to them; but he could not The happy man; whether defect of judgment,2 From the casque to the cushion, but commanding peace Even with the same austerity and garb As he controll'd the war; but, one of these, (As he hath spices of them all, not all, For I dare so far free him,) made him fear'd, So our virtues Lie in the interpretation of the time: And power, unto itself most commendable, To extol what it hath done.4 One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; [1] We find in Drayton's Polyolbion, song xxv. a full account of the osprey, which shows the justness and beauty of the simile. "The osprey, oft here seen, tho' seldom here he breeds, LANGTON. [2] Aufidius assigns three probable reasons for the miscarriage of Coriolanus; pride, which easily follows an uninterrupted train of success; unskilfulness to regulate the consequences of his own victories; a stubborn uniformity of nature, which could not make the proper transition from the casque or helmet to the cushion or chair of civil authority; but acted with the same despotism in peace as in war. JOHNS. [3] He has a merit, for no other purpose than to destroy it by boasting it. JOHNS. [4] i. e. The virtue which delights to commend itself, will find the surest tomb in that chair wherein it holds forth its own commendations. JOHNS. [5] Rights by rights fouler may well mean. "That one right or title, when produced, makes another less fair." All the short sentences in this speech are obscure, and some nonsensical. M. MASON. ACT V. SCENE I-Rome. A public Place. Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and others. Menenius. NO, I'll not go: you hear, what he hath said, 6 Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name : Till he had forg'd himself a name i'the fire Men. Why, so; you have made good work: Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon When it was less expected: He replied, It was a bare petition of a state To one whom they had punish'd. Men. Very well: Could he say less! Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard For his private friends: His answer to me was, Of noisome, musty chaff: He said, 'twas folly, Men. For one poor grain Or two? I am one of those; his mother, wife, His child, and this brave fellow too, we are the grains : STEEV. [6] Condescended unwillingly, with reserve, coldness. [7] You that have been such good stewards for the Roman people, as to get their houses burned over their heads, to save them the expense of coals. [8] Memorial. STEEV. Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: If you refuse your aid In this so never-needed help, yet do not you Upbraid us with our distress. But, sure, if Men. No; I'll not meddle. Bru. Only make trial what your love can do Men. Well, and say that Marcius But as a discontented friend, grief-shot Sic. Yet your good will Must have that thanks from Rome, after the measure As you intended well. Men. I'll undertake it: I think, he'll hear me. Yet to bite his lip, And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me. To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd Than in our priest-like fasts: Therefore I'll watch him And then I'll set upon him. Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot lose your way. Men. Good faith, I'll prove him, Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge Of my success. Com. He'll never hear him. Sic. Not? [Exit. Com. I tell you, he does sit in gold, his eye Red as 'twould burn Rome; and his injury The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him; 'Twas very faintly he said, rise; dismiss'd me Thus, with his speechless hand: What he would do, He sent in writing after me; what he would not, [9] He is inthroned in all the pomp and pride of imperial splendour. JO. 16 VOL. VI. |