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Bru. I heard him swear,

Were he to ftand for Conful, never would he
Appear i'th' market-place, nor on him put
The napless Vefture of Humility;

Nor fhewing, as the manner is, his wounds
To th' people, beg their ftinking breaths.
Sic. 'Tis right.

Bru. It was his word: oh, he would mifs it, rather Than carry it, but by the fuit 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..

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Bru. 'Tis moft like, he will.

Sic. It fhall be to him then, as our good wills, A fure deftruction.

Bru. So it muft fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,

We must fuggeft 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
Difproperty'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 fay, suggested

At fome time, when his foaring infolence

Shall reach the people, (which time fhall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as eafie,
As to fet dogs on fheep) will be the fire

To kindle their dry ftubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

(15)

This, as you fay, fuggefted

At Some time, when his foaring Infolence

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

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

To kindle their dry Stubble; and their blaze

As to fet Dogs on Sheep) will be the fire

Shall darken him for ever] As Nominatives are sometimes want

Enter a Messenger,

Bru. What's the matter?

Mef. You're fent for to the Capitol: 'tis thought, That Marcius fhall be Conful: I have seen

The dumb men throng to fee him, and the blind
To hear him speak; the Matrons flung their gloves,
Ladies and Maids their fcarfs and handkerchiefs,
Upon him as he pafs'd; the Nobles bended
As to Jove's Statue, and the Commons made
A fhower and thunder with their caps and fhouts :
I never faw the like.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol,

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

But hearts for the event.

Sic. Have with you.

[Exeunt.

ing to the Verb, fo, on the other hand, as This Paffage has been all a long pointed, we have a Redundance for two relative Pronouns, this and which, fland as Nominatives to will be. There is, befides, one Word still in this Sentence, which, notwithstanding the Concurrence of the printed Copies, I fufpect to have admitted a fmall Corruption. Why fhould it be imputed as a Crime to Coriolanus, that he was prompt to teach the People? Or how was it any foaring Infolence in a Patrician to attempt this? The Poet muft certainly have wrote.

When his foaring Infolence

Shall reach the People;

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

If thy hot Soul had Subftance with thy Blood,

I would kill That too; which, being past my Steel,
My Tongue ball teach.

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

SCENE

I Off.

SCENE changes to the Capitol.

C

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OME, come, they are almoft here; how many ftand for Confulfhips?

2 Off. Three, they fay; 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; fo 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, manifefts the true knowledge he has in their dif pofition, and out of his noble carelessness lets them plainly fee't.

and

1 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 feeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; leaves nothing undone, that may fully difcover him their oppofite. Now to feem 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 deferved worthily of his Country : and his afcent is not by fuch eafie degrees as thofe, who have been fupple and courteous to the People; bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their eftimation 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.

1 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, Litors 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 fervice, that

Hath thus ftood for his Country. Therefore, please

you,

Moft reverend and grave Elders, to defire

The present Conful, and laft General,
In our well-found fucceffes, 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.

1 Sen. Speak, good Cominius:

Leave nothing out for length, and make us think,
Rather our State's defective for requital,
Than we to ftretch it out.

Mafters 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 pleafing Treaty; (16) and have hearts
Inclinable to honour and advance
The Theam of our Affembly.

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

The Theme of your Aembly.

But Shakespeare, contrary to the Truth of Hiftory, 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 Italia 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 the Door, on the Outfide of the House. Mr. Warburton.

Bru.

Bru. Which the rather

We fhall be bleft 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 fpeak?

Bru. Moft 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, fpeak.

[Coriolanus rifes and offers to go away.

Nay, keep your place.

I Sen. Sit, Coriolanus; never fhame 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 ftay, I fled from words. You footh not, therefore hurt not: but your people, I love them as they weigh,

Men. Pray now, fit down.

Cor. I had rather have one scratch my head i'th' Sun, When the Alarum were ftruck, than idly fit

To hear my Nothings monster'd.

Men. Masters of the People,

[Exit Coriolanus.

Your multiplying spawn how can he flatter,
That's thousand to one good one? when you fee,
He had rather venture all his limbs for honour,
Than one of's ears to hear't. Proceed, Cominius.
Com. I fhall lack voice: the Deeds of Coriolanus
Should not be utter'd feebly. It is held,
That valour is the chiefeft virtue, and
Moft dignifies the Haver: if it be,

The Man, I speak of, cannot in the world.

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