Men. This is ftrange.

Cor. Go, get you home, you fragments!

Enter a Mejenger.

Mef. Where's Caius Marcius?

Cor. Here. What's the matter?

Mef. The news is, Sir, the Volfcians are in arms. Cor. I'm glad on't, then we fhall have means to

vent

Our musty fuperfluity. See, our beft Elders

SCENE

IV.

Enter Sicinius Velutus, Junius Brutus, Cominius, Titus Lartius, with other Senators.

I Sen. Marcius, 'tis true, that you have lately told us.

The Volfcians are in arms.

Cor. They have a Leader,

Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to't.

I fin in envying his Nobility,

And were I any thing but what I am,

I'd with me only he.

Com. You have fought together?

Cor. Were half to half the world by th' ears,
and he

Upon my Party, I'd revolt, to make
Only my wars with him. He is a lion,
That I am proud to hunt.

1 Sen. Then, worthy Marcius, Attend upon Cominius to thefe wars.

5tis true, that you have

lately told us. The Volfcians are in arms ] Coriolanus had been but just told himself that the Volfcians were

in arms. The meaning is, The intelligence which you gave us Jome little time ago of the defens of the Volfcians is now verified; they are in arms.

Сот

Com. It is your former promife.

Cor. Sir, it is;

And I am conftant. Titus Lartius, thou

Shalt fee me once more strike at Tullus' face.
What, art thou ftiff? ftand'ft out?

Tit. No, Caius Marcius,

I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with t'other,
Ere ftay behind this bufinefs.

Men. O true bred!

1 Sen. Your company to th' Capitol; where, I know,

Our greatest Friends attend us.

Tit. Lead you on.

Follow, Cominius; we muft follow you;

Right worthy you Priority.

Com. Noble Lartius

1 Sen. Hence! To your homes. Be gone.

Cor. Nay, let them follow.

[To the Citizens.

The Volfcians have much corn, take these rats thither,
To gnaw their garners. Worshipful Mutineers,
Your valour puts well forth; pray, follow.

[Exeunt.

Citizens fteal away. Manent Sicinius and Brutus.

Sic. Was ever man fo proud, as is this Marcius? Bru. He has no equal.

Sic. When we were chofen Tribunes for the Peo

ple

Bru. Mark'd you his lip and eyes?

Sic. Nay, but his taunts.

Bru. Being mov'd, he will not fpare to *

Gods

gird the

to gibe. So Fallaf uses the noun, when he fays, every man has a gird at me.

Kk

Bru:

• Bru. The present wars devour him! He is grown Too proud, to be fo valiant.

Sic. Such a nature,

Tickled with good fuccefs, difdains the shadow
Which he treads on at noon; but I do wonder,
His infolence can brook to be commanded
Under Cominius.

Bru. Fame, at the which he aims,

In whom already he is well grac'd, cannot
Better be held, nor more attain'd, than by
A place below the firft; for what miscarries
Shall be the General's fault, though he perform
To the utmost of a man; and giddy cenfure
Will then cry out of Marcius: Oh, if he
Had borne the bufinefs-

Sic. Befides, if things go well,

Opinion that fo fticks on Marcius, shall
Of his demerits rob Cominius.

Bru. Come.

Half all Cominius' Honours are to Marcius,
Though Marcius earn'd them not; and all his faults
To Marcius fhall be honours, though, indeed,
In aught he merit not.

7 The prefent Wars devour him;
he is grown

Too proud, to be f valiant] Mr. Theobald fays, This is obfcurely expreffed, but that the poet's meaning MUST certainly be this, that Marcius is fo confcious of, and fo elate upon the notion of his own valour, that he is eaten ap with PRIDE, &c. Accord ing to this critick then, we muft conclude, that when Shakespear had a mind to fay, A man was eaten up with pride, he was fo great a blunderer in expreffion, as to fay. He was eaten up with But our poet wrote at

war.

another rate, and the blunder is his critick's The present wars devour him, is an imprecation, and fhould be fo pointed. As much as to fay, May be fall in thefe wars! The reafon of the curfe is fubjoined, for (fays the fpeaker) having fo much pride with fo much valour, his life, with increase of honours, is dangerous to the Republick. But the Oxford Editor alters it to,

Too proud of being fo valiant. And by that means takes away the reafon the fpeaker gives for his curfing.

WARBURTON.

Sic. Let's hence, and hear

How the dispatch is made; and in what fashion, * More than his fingularity, he goes

Upon this prefent action.

Bru. Let's along.

S CENE Va

Changes to Corioli.

[Exeunt.

Enter Tullus Aufidius, with Senators of Corioli.

1 Sen.

O, your opinion is, Aufidius,

Si

That they of Rome are entred in our
Counfels,

And know how we proceed.

Auf. Is it not yours?

What ever hath been thought on in this State,
That could be brought to bodily act, ere Rome
Had circumvention? 'Tis not four days gone,
Since I heard thence-Thefe are the words-I think,
I have the letter here. Yes-here it is.
They have preft a Power, but it is not known

[Reading.
Whether for Eaft or Weft. The Dearth is great,
The People mutinous; and it is rumour'd,
Cominius, Marcius your old enemy,

Who is of Rome worfe hated than of you,'
And Titus Lartius, a most valiant Roman,
These three lead on this preparation
Whither 'tis bent. Moft likely, 'tis for you.
Confider of it.

1 Sen. Our Army's in the Field.

More than his fingularity, &c.] his powers, and what is his ap We will learn what he is to do, pointment.

befides going himself, what are

We never yet made doubt, but Rome was ready
To answer us.

Auf. Nor did you think it folly,

To keep your great pretences veil'd, 'till when
They needs muft fhew themselves; which in the
hatching,

It feem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the discovery
We shall be shortned in our aim, which was
To take in many Towns, ere, almoft, Rome
Should know we were a-foot.

2 Sen. Noble Aufidius,

Take your Commiffion, hie you to your bands;
Let us alone to guard Corioli;

If they fet down before's, for the remove
Bring up your Army: but, I think, you'll find,
They've not prepar'd for us.

Auf. O, doubt not that,

I fpeak from certainties. Nay more,
Some parcels of their Power are forth already,
And only hitherward. I leave your Honours.
If We and Caius Marcius chance to meet,
"Tis fworn between us, we fhall ever strike
"Till one can do no more.
All. The Gods affift you!

8

FOR THE remove

Bring up your Army:-] The first part of this fentence is without meaning. The General had told the Senators that the Romans had preft a power, which was on foot To which the words in question are the anfwer of a fenator. And, to make them pertinent, we should read them thus,

-'FORE THEY remove

Bring up your Army: i. e. Before that power, already on foot, be in motion, bring up

3

your army; then he corrects himfelf, and fays, but I believe you will find your intelligence groundlefs, the Romans are not yet prepared for us. WARBURTON.

I do not fee the nonfenfe or impropriety of the old reading. Says the fenator to Aufidius, Go to your troops, we will garrison Corioli. If the Romans befiege us, bring up your army to remove them. If any change fhould be made, I would read,

for their remove.

Auf.