1 And, what is left, to lose it by his country, Sic. This is clean kam. 8 Bru. Merely awry : When he did love his country, It honour'd him. Men. The service of the foot Being once gangreen'd, is not then respected Bru. We'll hear no more : Pursue him to his house, and pluck him thence; Men. One word more, one word. This tiger-footed rage, when it shall find The harm of unscann'd swiftness, will, too late, Tie leaden pounds to his heels. Proceed by process; Lest parties (as he is belov'd) break out, And sack great Rome with Romans. Bru. If 'twere so, Sic. What do ye talk? Have we not had a taste of his obedience? Our Ediles smote? ourselves resisted ?-Come :- 1 Sen. Noble tribunes, It is the humane way: the other course Sic. Noble Menenius, Be you them as the people's officer : Sic. Meet on the market-place-we'll attend you there : Where, if you bring not Marcius, we'll proceed Men. I'll bring him to you :— [8] i. e. clean kam. hinder leg. Awry. So Cotgrave interprets, Tout va a contrepoil, All goes Let me desire your company. [To the Senators.] He must come, Or what is worst will follow. 1 Sen. Pray, let's to him. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Room in CORIOLANUS's house. Enter CORIOLANUS, and Patricians. Cor. Let them pull all about mine ears; present me Death on the wheel, or at wild horses' heels ; Or pile ten hills on the Tarpeian rock, That the precipitation might down stretch Enter VOLUMNIA. 1 Pat. You do the nobler. Does not approve me further, who was wont To speak of peace, or war. I talk of you; [TO VOL. Why did you wish me milder? Would you have me The man I am. Vol. O, sir, sir, sir, I would have had you put your power well on, Cor. Let go. Vol. You might have been enough the man you are, With striving less to be so: Lesser had been The thwartings of your dispositions, if You had not show'd them how you were dispos'd Ere they lack'd power to cross you. Cor. Let them hang. Vol. Ay, and burn too. Enter MENENIUS and Senators. Men. Come, come, you have been too rough, something too rough; You must return, and mend it. 1 Sen. There's no remedy; Unless, by not so doing, our good city [9] That is, I wonder, I am at a loss. [1] My rank. JOHNS. Cleave in the midst, and perish. Vol. Pray be counsell'd: I have a heart as little apt as your's, But yet a brain, that leads my use of anger, Men. Well said, noble woman: Before he should thus stoop to the herd, but that Cor. What must I do? Men. Return to the tribunes. Cor. Well, what then? what then? Cor. For them ?-I cannot do it to the gods : Vol. You are too absolute; Though therein you can never be too noble, But when extremities speak.2 I have heard you say, Honour and policy, like unsever'd friends, I'the war do grow together: Grant that, and tell me, In peace, what each of them by the other lose, That they combine not there? Cor. Tush, tush! Men. A good demand. Vol. If it be honour, in your wars, to seem You adopt your policy,) how is it less, or worse, Cor. Why force you this ?3 Vol. Because, that now it lies you on to speak To the people; not by your own instruction, Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you to ; Your tongue, though but bastards, and syllables/ Now, this no more dishonours you at all, Which else would put you to your fortune, and [2] Except in cases of urgent necessity, when your resolute and noble spirit, however commendable at other times, ought to yield to the ocea [33 Why urge you? JOHNS. sion. MAL. I would dissemble with my nature, where Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles ;4 How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon them, Men. Noble lady !— Come, go with us; speak fair: you may salve so, Vol. I pr'ythee now, my son, Go to them, with this bonnet in thy hand; And thus far having stretch'd it, (here be with them,) As thou hast power, and person. Men. This but done, Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were your's: For they have pardons, being ask'd, as free As words to little purpose. Vol. Pr'ythee now, Go, and be rul'd : although, I know, thou hadst rather Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf, Than flatter him in a bower. Here is Cominius. Enter COMINIUS. Com. I have been i'the market-place: and, sir, 'tis fit You make strong party, or defend yourself By calmness, or by absence; all's in anger. Men. Only fair speech. Com. I think, 'twill serve, if he Can thereto frame his spirit. [4] I think the meaning is, I am in their condition, I am at stake, together with your wife, your son.' [5] Our common clowns. JOHNS. [6] The want of their loves. [7] Not seems to signify not only. JOHNS. [8] This fruit, when thorough:y ripe, drops from the tree. STEEV. Vol. He must, and will : Pr'ythee, now, say, you will, and go about it. Cor. Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce ?* Must I With my base tongue, give to my noble heart A lie, that it must bear? Well, I will do't: This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it, Com. Come, come, we'll prompt you. Vol. I pr'ythee now, sweet son: as thou hast said, To have my praise for this, perform a part Cor. Well, I must do't : Away, my disposition, and possess me Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd, That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd knees, Vol. At thy choice then : To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour, pride, than fear [8] Unbarbed-bare, uncovered. In the times of chivalry, when a horse was fully armed for the encounter, he was said to be barbed, probably from the old word barbe, which Chaucer uses for a veil or covering. HAWKINS. To barb a man was to shave him. To barbe the field was to cut the corn. Unbarbed may however bear the signification which Mr. Hawkins would affix to it. STEEV. [9] That is, piece,portion; applied to a piece of earth, and here elegantly transferred to the body, carcase. WARB. [1] Which played in concert with my drum. JOHNS. [2] To tent, is to take up residence. JOHNS. [3] This is obscure. Perhaps, she means, Go, do thy worst; let me rather feel the utmost extremity that thy pride can bring upon us, than live thus in fear of thy dangerous obstinacy.' JOHNS. |