Which we devife him. Com. Our fpoils he kick'd at, And look'd upon things precious, as they were The common muck o' th' world; he covets lefs 'Than Mifery itself would give, rewards 2 His deeds with doing them and is content Men. He's right Noble. Let him be called for. Sen. Call Coriolanus. Off. He doth appear. Enter Coriolanus. Men. The Senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd That you do speak to th' People. Cor. I befeech you, Let me o'er-leap that Cuftom; for I cannot Put on the Gown, ftand naked, and entreat them, Sic. Sir, the People must have their voices, Men. Put them not to't. Pray, fit you to the And take t'ye, as your Predeceffors have, Your Honour with your Form. Cor. It is a Part That I fhall blush in acting, and might well Bru. Mark you That? Cor. To brag unto them, thus I did, and thus,Shew them th' unaking scars, which I would hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire Of their breath only. Men. Do not stand upon't. -We recommend t'ye, Tribunes of the People, Sen. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! 393, the Senate chofe both the Confuls: And then the people, affifted by the feditious temper of the Tribunes, got the choice of one. But if he makes Rome a Democracy, which at this time was a perfect Ariftocracy; he fets the balance even in his Timon, and turns Athens, which was a perfect Democracy, into an Ariftocracy. But it would be unjust to attribute this entirely to his ignorance; it fometimes pro ceeded from the too powerful blaze of his imagination, which when once lighted up, made all acquired knowledge fade and difappear before it. For fometimes again we find him, when occañon ferves, not only writing up to the truth of history, but fitting his fentiments to the nicest manners of his peculiar fubject, as well to the dignity of his characters, or the dictates of nature in general. WARBURTON. Manent Manent Sicinius and Brutus. Bru. You see how he intends to use the People. As if he did contemn what he requested Bru. Come, we'll inform them Of our proceedings here. On th' market place, I Cit. 4 [Exeunt. NCE; if he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him. 2 Cit. We may, Sir, if we will. 3 Cit. 'We have Power in ourselves to do it, but it is a Power that we have no Power to do; for if he fhew us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongues into thofe wounds, and fpeak for them: fo, if he tells us his noble deeds, we must alfo tell him our noble acceptance of them. Ingratitude is monftrous; and for the multitude to be ingrateful, were to make a monster of the multitude; of the which, we 4 Once ;] Once here means the fame as when we fay, once for all. WARBURTON. 5 We have Power in our felves to do it, but it is a Power that we have no Power to do;] I am perfuaded this was intended as a ridicule on the Auguftine manner of defining free-will at that time in the fchools. WARB. A ridicule may be intended, but the fenfe is clear enough. Power first fignifies natural power or force, and then moral power or right. Davies has used the fame word with great variety of meaning. Ufe all thy powers that heaven- That being Members, fhould bring our felves to be monftrous Members. 1 Cit. And to make us no better thought of, a little help will ferve; for once, when We ftood up about the Corn, he himself stuck not to call us the headed multitude. many 3 Cit. We have been call'd fo of many; not that our heads are some brown, fome black, some auburn, fome bald; but that our wits are fo diverfly colour'd; and truly, I think, 7 if all our wits were to iffue out of one fcull, they would fly East, West, North, South; and their confent of one direct way would be at once to all Points o'th' Compafs. 2 Cit. Think you fo? Which way, do you judge, my wit would fly? 3 Cit. Nay, your wit will not fo foon out as another man's will, 'tis ftrongly wedg'd up in a blockhead; but if it were at liberty, 'twould, fure, fouthward. 2 Cit. Why that way? 8 3 Cit. To lofe itfelf in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for confcience fake, to help to get thee a Wife. 2 Cit. You are never without your tricks-You you may may, issue out of our Sculls. WARBURTON. 8 the fourth would return for confcience fake, to help to get thee a Wife.] A fly satirical infinuation how fmall a capacity of wit is neceffary for that purpose: But every day's experience of the Sex's prudent difpofal of themfelves, may be fufficient to inform us how unjuft it is. WARBURTON. 3 Cit. Are you all refolved to give your voices? But that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I fay, if he would incline to the People, there was never a worthier Man. Enter Coriolanus in a Gown, with Menenius. Here he comes, and in the Gown of Humility; mark his behaviour. We are not to stay altogether, but to come by him where he ftands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars, wherein every one of us has a fingle honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues; therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you shall go by him. All. Content, content. Men. Oh, Sir, you are not right; have you not known the worthieft Men have done't? Cor. What must I say? I pray, Sir,-plague upon't! I cannot bring Some certain of your Brethren roar'd, and ran Men. Oh me, the Gods! You must not speak of that; you must defire them To think upon you. Cor. Think upon me? hang 'em. I would, they would forget me, like the Virtues Men. You'll mar all. I'll leave you. Pray you, fpeak to 'em, I pray you, In wholfom manner. [Exit. Citizens approach. Cor. Bid them wash their faces, And keep their teeth clean.-So, here comes a brace. You know the caufe, Sirs, of my ftanding here. |