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 jailer to his pity. I kneeled before him; 'Twas very faintly he said, Rise; dismissed me Thus, with his speechless hand. What he would do, He sent in writing after me; what he would not, Bound with an oath, to yield to his conditions: So, that all hope is vain, Unless his noble mother, and his wife; Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him 3 2 For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence, SCENE II. An advanced post of the Volcian Camp before Rome. The Guard at their stations. Enter to them, MENENIUS. 1 Guard. Stay; whence are you? 2 G. Stand, and go back. Men. You guard like men; 'tis well. But, by your leave, 1 Pope was, perhaps, indebted to Shakspeare in the translation of the passage: "Th' eternal Thunderer sat throned in gold." 2 Perhaps we might read, “To yield to no conditions." The sense of the passage would then be, "What he would do, he sent in writing after the things he would not do, he bound himself with an oath to yield to no conditions that might be proposed." It afterwards appears what these me; were: "The things I have forsworn to grant may never Be held by you denials. Do not bid me Dismiss my soldiers, or capitulate Again with Rome's mechanics." 3 To satisfy modern notions of construction, this line must be read as if written VOL. V. "Unless in his noble mother and his wife." 70 I am an officer of state, and come To speak with Coriolanus. 1 G. Men. From whence? From Rome. 1 G. You may not pass; you must return; our general Will no more hear from thence. 2 G. You'll see your Rome embraced with fire, before You'll speak with Coriolanus. Men. Men. The book of his good acts, whence men have read For I have ever verified3 my friends, (Of whom he's chief,) with all the size that verity Would without lapsing suffer; nay, sometimes, Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground, 4 I have tumbled past the throw; and in his praise 1 G. 'Faith, sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf, as you have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here; no, though it were as virtuous to lie, as to live chastely. Therefore, go back. Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general. 6 1 Lots to blanks is chances to nothing. 2 i. e. friend. 3 Verified must here be used for displayed or testified, if it be not a corruption of the text for notified, or some other word. Mr. Edwards proposed to read varnished, which was anciently written vernished. 4 Subtle here means smooth, level. 5 i. e. have almost given the lie such a sanction as to render it current. 6 Factionary is adherent, partisan. 2 G. Howsoever you have been his liar, (as you say, you have,) I am one that, telling true under him, must say you cannot pass. Therefore, go back. Men. Has he dined, canst thou tell? for I would not speak with him till after dinner. 1 G. You are a Roman, are you? Men. I am as thy general is. 1 G. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front his revenges with the easy groans of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such a decayed dotant2 as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for your execution: you are condemned; our general has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon. Men. Sirrah, if thy captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation. 2 G. Come, my captain knows you not. Men. I mean thy general. 1 G. My general cares not for you. Back, I say; go, lest I let forth your half-pint of blood;-back,— that's the utmost of your having;-back. Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow, Enter CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS. Cor. What's the matter? Men. Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for you; you shall know now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack3 guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus; guess, but by my entertainment with him, if thou stand'st not i' the state of hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering. Behold now presently, and swoon 1 i. e. slight, inconsiderable. 2 Dotard. 3 Equivalent to Jack in office. for what's to come upon thee.-The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee; but being assured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee. Cor. Away! Men. How! away? Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs Are servanted to others. Though I owe My revenge properly, my remission lies In Volcian breasts. That we have been familiar, Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone. Your gates against my force. Yet, for I loved thee, [Gives a letter. And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius, I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius, Was my beloved in Rome; yet thou behold'st――― Auf. You keep a constant temper. [Exeunt COR. and AUF. 1 G. Now, sir, is your name Menenius? 2 G. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power. You know the way home again. 1 G. Do you hear how we are shent for keeping your greatness back? 2 G. What cause do you think I have to swoon? Men. I neither care for the world, nor your general; for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, 1 "Though I have a peculiar right in revenge, in the power of forgiveness the Volcians are joined." 2 i. e. cause, or because. you are so slight. He that hath a will to die by himself,' fears it not from another. Let your general do his worst. For you, be that you are, long; and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, away. [Exit. 1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him. 2 G. The worthy fellow is our general. He is the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. [Exeunt. SCENE III. The Tent of Coriolanus. Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and others. Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow Auf. This last old man, Cor. Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow 1 i. e. by his own hands. [Shout within. 2 How plainly is how openly. |