Bru. I heard him swear,
Were he to stand for Conful, never would he

Appear i'th' market-place, nor on him put
The napless Vesture of Humility;

Nor shewing, as the manner is, his wounds
To th' people, beg their stinking breaths.

Sic. 'Tis right.

Bru. It was his word: oh, he would miss it, rather Than carry it, but by the suit o'th' Gentry, And the defire o'th' Nobles.

Sic. I wish no better,

Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it
In execution.,

Bru. 'Tis most like, he will.

Sic. It shall be to him then, as our good wills,

A fure destruction.

Bru. So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,

We must suggest the people, in what hatred
He still hath held them; that to's power he would
Have made them mules, filenc'd their Pleaders, and
Disproperty'd their freedoms: holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more foul nor fitness for the world,
Than camels in their war, who have their provender
Only for bearing burthens, and fore blows
For finking under them.

Sic. (15) This, as you say, suggested
At some time, when his foaring insolence
Shall reach the people, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as eafie,
As to fet dogs on sheep) will be the fire
To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze

Shall darken him for ever.

(15)

This, as you say, fuggefted

At some time, when his foaring Insolence

Shall teach the People, which, (time shall not want,

If he be put upon't, and That's as eafie,

As to fet Dogs on Sheep) will be the fire

To kindle their dry Stubble; and their blaze

Shall darken him for ever.) As Nominatives are sometimes want

Enter a Messenger,

Bru. What's the matter?

Mes. You're sent for to the Capitol: 'tis thought,

That Marcius shall be Conful: I have seen

The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind
To hear him speak; the Matrons flung their gloves,
Ladies and Maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs,
Upon him as he pass'd; the Nobles bended
As to Jove's Statue, and the Commons made
A shower and thunder with their caps and shouts:

I never saw the like.

{

Bru. Let's to the Capitol,

And carry with us ears and eyes for th' time,

But hearts for the event.

:

4

Sic. Have with you.

[Exeunt

ing to the Verb, so, on the other hand, as This Passage has been all along pointed, we have a Redundance: for two relative Pronouns, this and which, ftand as Nominatives to will be.

There is, befides,

one Word still in this Sentence, which, notwithstanding the Concurrence of the printed Copies, I suspect to have admitted a small Corruption. Why should it be imputed as a Crime to Coriolanus, that he was prompt to teach the People? Or how was it any foaring Insolence in a Patrician to attempt this? The Poet must certainly have wrote.

When his foaring Infolence

Shall reach the People;

i. e. When it shall extend to impeach the Conduct, or touch the Character of the People. A like Mistake, upon this Word, has possess'd the Maid's Tragedy in all the Copies.

If thy hot Soul had Substance with thy Blood,
I would kill That too; which, being past my Steel,

My Tongue shall teach.

:

For here too we must correct, reach. I regulated and amended this Pafsage in the Appendix to my SHAKESPEARE Restor'd; and Mr. Pope has reform'd it, with Me, in his laft Edition.

SCENE

SCENE changes to the Capitol.

Enter two Officers, to lay cushions.

Of. COME come, they are almost here; how

many stand for Confulships?

2 Off. Three, they say; but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it.

1 Off. That's a brave Fellow, but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common People.

2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great Men that have flatter'd the People, who ne'er lov'd them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore; so that if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love, or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their difposition, and out of his noble carelessness lets them plainly see't.

Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he wav'd indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm: but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their oppofite. Now to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the People, is as bad as That, which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his Country : and his afcent is not by such eafie degrees as those, who have been supple and courteous to the People; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation and report : but he hath fo planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be filent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving it felf the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from ev'ry ear that heard it.

I Off. No more of him, he is a worthy Man: make way, they are coming.

Enter

Enter the Patricians, and the Tribunes of the People, Lictors before them; Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius the Conful: Sicinius and Brutus take their places by themselves.

Men. Having determin'd of the Volfcians, and

To fend for Titus Lartius, it remains,
As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratifie his noble service, that

Hath thus stood for his Country. Therefore, please

you,

Most reverend and grave Elders, to defire
The present Conful, and last General,
In our well-found successes, to report
A little of that worthy Work perform'd
By Caius Marcius Coriolanus; whom
We met here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

I Sen. Speak, good Cominius:
Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our State's defective for requital,
Than we to stretch it out. Masters o'th' People,
We do request your kindest ear; and, after,
Your loving motion toward the common Body,
To yield what passes here.
Sic. We are convented

Upon a pleasing Treaty; (16) and have hearts
Inclinable to honour and advance

The Theam of our Assembly.

The Theam of our Affembly.] Without Doubt it would have been more proper for the Tribune, who is here addressing himself to the Senate, to have said;

The Theme of your Affembly.

But Shakespeare, contrary to the Truth of History, makes the Tribunes fit in the Senate, as Part of that Body. For 'till the Lex Attinia (which Attinius is fuppos'd by Sigonius, De Vetere Italiæ Jure, to have been contemporary with Quintus Metellus Macedonicus;) the Tribunes had not the

Priviledge of entring the Senate, but had Seats placed for them, near

Bru. Which the rather

We shall be blest to do, if he remember

A kinder value of the People, than

He hath hitherto priz'd them at.

Men. That's off, that's off:

I would, you rather had been filent: please you

To hear Cominius speak?

Bru. Most willingly:

But yet my caution was more pertinent,

Than the rebuke you give it.

Men. He loves your People,

But tye him not to be their bed-fellow :

Worthy Cominius, speak.

[Coriolanus rises and offers to go away.

Nay, keep your place.

I Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear

What you have nobly done.

Cor. Your Honours' pardon :

I had rather have my wounds to heal again,
Than hear say, how I got them.

Bru. Sir, I hope,

My words dif-bench'd you not?

Cor. No, Sir; yet oft,

When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. You footh not, therefore hurt not: but your people, I love them as they weigh,

Men. Pray now, fit down.

:

(Exit Coriolanus.

Cor. I had rather have one fcratch my head i'th' Sun,
When the Alarum were struck, than idly fit
To hear my Nothings monster'd.
Men. Masters of the People,
Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,
That's thousand to one good one? when you see,
He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of's ears to hear't. Proceed, Cominius.
Com. I shall lack voice: the Deeds of Coriolanus

Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held,
That valour is the chiefest virtue, and
Most dignifies the Haver: if it be,

The Man, I speak of, cannot in the world