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out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with fuch weak breath as this? No, you are deceiv'd; therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for your execution: you are condemn'd, our general has fworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

MEN. Sirrah, If thy captain knew I were here, he would ufe 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 fay, go, left 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 fay an errand for you; you fhall know now, that I am in estimation; you fhall perceive that a Jack guardant' cannot office me from my fon Coriolanus: guess, but by my entertainment with him," if thou stand'st

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a Jack guardant-] This term is equivalent to one still in ufe-a Jack in office; i. e. one who is as proud of his petty confequence, as an excife-man. STEEVENS.

See Vol. VIII. p. 527, n. 7. MALONE.

6 guess, but by my entertainment with him,] [Old copy-but] I read, Guess by my entertainment with him, if thou standeft not i the ftate of hanging. JOHNSON.

Mr. Edwards had propofed the fame emendation in his MS. notes already mentioned. STEEVENS.

The fame correction had also been made by Sir T. Hanmer. Thefe editors, however, changed but to by. It is much more probable that by fhould have been omitted at the prefs, than confounded with but. MALONE,

not i' the ftate of hanging, or of fome death more long in fpectatorship, and crueller in fuffering; behold now presently, and fwoon for what's to come upon thee.-The glorious gods fit in hourly fynod about thy particular profperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O, my fon! my fon! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee: but being affured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with fighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods affuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee.

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COR. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs

Are fervanted to others: Though I owe
My revenge properly, my remiffion lies

In Volcian breafts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness fhall poifon, rather

Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone. Mine ears against your fuits are stronger, than Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee," Take this along; I writ it for thy fake,

[Gives a letter.

7-The glorious gods fit in hourly fynod &c.] So, in Pericles: "The fenate house of planets all did fit" &c. STEEVENS. Though I owe

My revenge properly,] Though I have a peculiar right in revenge, in the power of forgivenefs the Volcians are conjoined.

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JOHNSON,

for I lov'd thee,] i. e. because. So, in Othello:
Haply, for I am black." STEEVENS,

And would have fent it. Another word, Menenius, I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius, Was my belov'd in Rome: yet thou behold'ftAUF. You keep a conftant temper.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS. 1. G. Now, fir, is your name Menenius.

2. G. 'Tis a spell, you fee, of much power: You know the way home again.

1. G. Do you hear how we are fhent for keeping your greatness back?

2. G. What caufe, do you think, I have to fwoon? MEN. I neither care for the world, nor your general: for fuch things as you, I can scarce think there's any, you are fo flight. 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 fay to you, as I was faid 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-fhaken. [Exeunt.

8 how we are fhent -] Shent is brought to deftruction:

JOHNSON. Shent does not mean brought to deftruction, but shamed, disgraced, made afhamed of himself. See the old ballad of The Heir of Linne, in the fecond volume of Reliques of ancient English Poetry: "Sorely fhent with this rebuke.

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Sorely bent was the heir of Linne;

"His heart, I wis, was near-to braft

"With guilt and forrow, fhame and finne." PERCY.

See Vol. III. p. 345, n. 9. STEEVENS.

Rebuked, reprimanded. Cole in his Latin Dict. 1679, renders to fhend, increpo. It is fo ufed by many of our old writers.

MALONE.

by himself,] i. c. by his own hands. MALONE.

SCENE III.

The Tent of CORIOLANUS.

Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and Others.

COR. We will before the walls of Rome to-mor

row

Set down our hoft.-My partner in this action,
You must report to the Volcian lords, how plainly
I have borne this bufinefs.*

AUF.
Only their ends
You have refpected; ftopp'd your ears against
The general fuit of Rome; never admitted
A private whisper, no, not with fuch friends
That thought them fure of you.

COR.
This laft old man,
Whom with a crack'd heart I have fent to Rome,
Loy'd me above the measure of a father;

Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
Was to fend him: for whofe old love,' I have
(Though I show'd fourly to him,) once more offer'd
The first conditions, which they did refuse,
And cannot now accept, to grace him only,
That thought he could do more; a very little
I have yielded too: Fresh embaffies, and fuits,
Nor from the state, nor private friends, hereafter

2

how plainly

I have borne this bufinefs.] That is, how openly, how remotely from artifice or concealment. JOHNSON.

3 for whofe old love,] We have a correfponding expreffion in King Lear:

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to whose young love

"The vines of France," &c. STEEVENS.

Will I lend ear to.-Ha! what fhout is this?

[Shout within.

Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow
In the fame time 'tis made? I will not.-

Enter in mourning habits, VIRGILIA, VOLUMNIA, leading young Marcius, VALERIA, and Attendants.

My wife comes foremoft; then the honour'd mould Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand The grandchild to her blood. But, out, affection! All bond and privilege of nature, break!

Let it be virtuous, to be obftinate.—

What is that curt'fy worth? or thofe doves' eyes,3 Which can make gods forfworn?-I melt, and am

not

Of ftronger earth than others.-My mother bows;
As if Olympus to a molehill fhould

In fupplication nod: and my young boy
Hath an afpéct of interceffion, which

Great nature cries, Deny not.-Let the Volces
Plough Rome, and harrow Italy; I'll never
Be fuch a gofling to obey inftinct; but ftand,
As if a man were author of himself,

And knew no other kin.

VIRG.

My lord and husband!

COR. These eyes are not the fame I wore in

Rome.

VIRG. The forrow, that delivers us thus chang'd, Makes you think fo.

3

- thofe doves' eyes,] So, in the Canticles, v. 12: " - his eyes are as the eyes of doves." Again, in The Interpretacion of the names of goddes and goddesses &c. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde: He fpeaks of Venus:

"Cryfpe was her skyn, her eyen columbyne." STEEVENS. 4 The forrow, that delivers us thus chang'd,

Makes you think fo.] Virgilia makes a voluntary misinterpre

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