Dramatis Perfonæ. CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, antble Roman. Titus Lartius, Generals against the Volscians. Cominius, Menenius Agrippa, Friend to Coriolanus. Sicinius Velutus, Junius Brutus, Tribunes of the People. Tullus Aufidius, General of the Volfcians. Lieutenant to Aufidius. Young Marcius, Son to Coriolanus, Confpirators with Aufidius. Volumnia, Mother to Coriolanus. Virgilia, Wife to Coriolanus. Valeria, Friend to Virgilia. Roman and Volfcian Senators, Ediles, Li&ors, Soldiers, Common People, Servants to Aufidius, and other Attendants. The SCENE is partly in Rome; and partly in the Territories of the Volfcians, and Antiates. The whole hiftory exactly followed, and many of the principal speeches exactly copied from the life of Coriolanus in Plu tarch. POFE. Of this play there is no edition before that of the players, in folio, in 1623. CORIOLANUS. CORIOLANUS. ACT I. SCENE I A Street in ROME. Enter a company of mutinous Citizens with staves, clubs, and other weapons. B I CITIZEN. EFORE we proceed any further, hear me fpeak. All. Speak, fpeak. 1 Cit. You are all refolv'd rather to die, than to famish? All. Refolv'd, refolv'd. 1 Cit. First, you know, Caius Marcius is the chief enemy to the people. All. We know't, we know't. 1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have Corn at our own price. Is't a Verdict? All. No more talking on't, let it be done. Away, away. 2 Cit. One word, good Citizens. 1 Cit. We are accounted poor Citizens; the Patricians, good. What authority furfeits on, would relieve us. If they would yield us but the fuperfluity, while it were wholesome, we might guess, they relieved Ii4 I lieved us humanely; but they think, we are too dear: The leanness that a ficts us, the object of our misery, is as an inventory to particularize their abundance; our fufferance is a gain to them. Let us revenge this with our Pikes, ere we become Rakes; for the Gods know, I fpeak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge. 3 2 Cit. Would you proceed efpecially against Caius Marcius? All. Againft him firft. He's a very dog to the Commonalty. 2 Cit. Confider you, what fervices he has done for his Country? 1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himfelf with being proud. All. Nay, but fpeak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I fay unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end. Though foft confcienced Men can be content to fay, it was for his Country, he did but they think, we are too dear:] They think that the charge of maintaining us is more than we are worth. 2 Let us revenge this with our Pikes, ere we become Rakes ;] It was Shakespear's defign to make this fellow quibble all the way. But time, who has done greater things, has here ftifled a miferable joke; which was then the fame as if it had been now wrote, Let us revenge this with forks ere we become rakes: For Pikes then fignified the fame as Forks does now. So Jewel in his own tranflation of his Apology, turns Chriftianos ad furcas condemnare, to,-To condemn Chriftians to the pikes. But the Oxford Editor, without knowing any thing of this, has with great fagacity found out the joke, and reads on his own authority, Pitch forks. WARBURTON. 3ere we become Rakes ;] It is plain that, in our authour's time, we had the proverb, as lean as a Rake. Of this proverb the ori ginal is obfcure. Rake now fignifies a diffolute man, a man word out with disease and debauchery. But this fignification is, I think, much more modern than the proverb. Rækel, in Islandick, is faid to mean a cur-dog, and this was probably the firft ufe among us of the word Rake; as lean as a Rake is, therefore, as lean as a dog too werthless to be fed. it it to please his Mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue. 2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him. You muft in no way fay, he is covetous. 1 Cit. If I muft not, I need not be barren of accufations; he hath faults, with furplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are thofe ? the other fide o' th' City is rifen; why ftay we prating here? To the Capitol All. Come, come. 1 Cit. Soft-who comes here? SCENE II. Enter Menenius Agrippa. 2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa, one that hath always lov'd the People. 1 Cit. He's one honeft enough; 'would, all the reft were fo! Men. What Work's, my Countrymen, in hand? Where go you With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray you. 2 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the Senate; they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll fhew 'em in deeds. They say, poor Suiters have ftrong breaths; they fhall know, we have strong arms too Men. Why, Mafters, my good Friends, mine honeft Neighbours, Will you undo yourselves? 2 Cit. We cannot, Sir, we are undone already. The The way it takes, cracking ten thousand Curbs Thither where more attends you; and you flander 2 Cit. Care for us!-True, indeed!-They ne'er car'd for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their Storehoufes cramm'd with grain; make Edicts for Ufury, to fupport Ufurers; repeal daily any wholesome A&t established against the Rich, and provide more piercing Statutes daily to chain up and reftrain the Poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there's all the love they bear us. Men. Either you must Confefs yourselves wond'rous malicious, Or be accus'd of folly. I fhall tell you I'll hear it, Sir-yet you must not think |