SCENE VIII. A Field of Battle between the Roman and the Volcian Camps. Alarum. Enter MARCIUS and AUFIDIUS. Mar. I'll fight with none but thee; for I do hate thee Worse than a promise-breaker. Auf. We hate alike; Not Africk owns a serpent, I abhor More than thy fame and envy: Fix thy foot. Mar. Let the first budger die the other's slave, And the gods doom him after! Auf. If I fly, Marcius, Halloo me like a hare. Mar. Within these three hours, Tullus, Alone I fought in your Corioli walls, And made what work I pleas'd: 'Tis not my blood, Auf. Wert thou the Hector, That was the whip of your bragg'd progeny," Thou should'st not 'scape me here. [They fight, and certain Volces come Officious, and not valiant-you have sham'd me [Exeunt, driven in by MARCIUS. SCENE IX. The Roman Camp. Alarum. A retreat is sounded. Flourish. And, gladly quak'd,' hear more; where the dull tribunes, Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast, [8] An anonymous correspondent justly observes, that these words mean, "the whip that your bragg'd progeny was possess'd of." MALONE. [9] For condemned, we may read contemned. You have, to my shame sent me help that I despise. JOHNSON. [1] That is, thrown into a grateful trepidation. STEEVENS. Having fully din'd before. Enter TITUS LARTIUS, with his Power, from the pursuit. Lart. O general, Here is the steed, we the caparison :* Had'st thou beheld Mar. Pray now, no more. My mother, I have done as you have done; that's what I can : Com. You shall not be The grave of your deserving; Rome must know What you have done,) before our army hear me. Com. Should they not,* Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude, And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth, Your only choice. Mar. I thank you, general; But cannot make my heart consent to take [A long flourish. They all cry, MARCIUS! MARCIUS! cast up their caps and lances: stand bare.] COMINIUS and LARTIUS Mar. May these same instruments, which you profane, Never sound more! When drums and trumpets shall [2] This is an odd encomium. The meaning is, This man performed the action, and we only filled up the show. JOHNSON. A privilege to praise her own son. JOHNSON. 141 That is, not be remembered. JOHNSON. I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be As if I loved, my little should be dieted Com. Too modest are you; More cruel to your good report, than grateful To us that give you truly by your patience, If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we'll put you Bear the addition nobly ever! [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and drums. All. Caius Marcius Coriolanus ! Cor. I will go wash ; And when my face is fair, you shall perceive To the fairness of my power. Com. So, to our tent : Where, ere we do repose us, we will write The best,' with whom we may articulate, 8 [5] It should be remembered, that the personal him, is not unfrequently used by our author, and other writers of his age, instead of it, the neuter; and that overture, in its musical sense, is not so ancient as the age of Shakespeare. STEEVENS. When steel grows soft as silk, let silk be suddenly converted to the use of war. Overture, was used by the writers of Shakespeare's time in the sense of prelude or preparation. MALONE. [6] A phrase from heraldry, signifying, that he would endeavour to support his good opinion of him.Fairness for utmost. WARBURTON. (7) The chief men of Corioli. JOHNSON. Lart. I shall, my lord. Cor. The gods begin to mock me. I that now Com. Take it 'tis your's. What is't? And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity: I request you Com. O, well begg'd! Were he the butcher of my son, he should Cor. By Jupiter, forgot : I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd.- Com. Go we to our tent: The blood upon your visage dries: 'tis time It should be look'd to: come. SCENE X. The Camp of the Volces. A Flourish. [Exeunt. Cornets. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, bloody, with two or three Soldiers. Auf. The town is ta'en! 1 Sol. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition. I would, I were a Roman; for I cannot, What good condition can a treaty find I' the part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius, As often as we eat.-By the elements, If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, He is mine, or I am his. Mine emulation Hath not that honour in't, it had; for where I thought to crush him in an equal force, (True sword to sword,) I'll potch at him some way ;7 Or wrath, or craft, may get him. 1 Sol. He's the devil. [7] Potch, is used in the midland counties for a rough, violent push. STEEVENS. The modern word poke is only a hard pronunciation of this word. MALONE. Auf. Bolder, tho' not so subtle: My valour's poison'd, Wash my fierce hand in his heart. Go you to the city; I 1 Sol. Will not you go? Auf. I am attended at the cypress grove ;* pray you, ('Tis south the city mills,) bring me word thither How the world goes; that to the pace of it may spur on my journey. 1 Sol. I shall, sir. АСТ II. [Exeunt. SCENE 1.-Rome. A public Place. Enter MENENIUS, THE augurer tells me, we shall have news to-night. Men. Not according to the prayer of the people, for they love not Marcius. Sic. Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. Sic. The lamb. Men. Ay, to devour him; as the hungry plebeians would the noble Marcius. You Bru. He's a lamb indeed; that baes like a bear. Men. He's a bear, indeed, that lives like a lamb. are two old men; tell me one thing that I shall ask you. [1] To mischief him, my valour should deviate from its own native generosity. [2] In my own house, with my brother posted to protect him. [3] Attended--that is, waited for. STEEVENS. JOHNSON. 4 When the tribune, in reply to Menenius's remark, of the people's hate of Coriolanus, had observed that even beasts know their friends, Menenius asks, whom does the wolf love? implying that there are beasts which love nobody, and that among those beasts are the people. JOHNSON. 15 VOL. VIL K 2 |