He does fair justice; if he give me way, [Exit. SCENE V. The fame. A Hall in Aufidius's Houfe. Mufick within. Enter a Servant. 1. SERV. Wine, wine, wine! What fervice is here! I think our fellows are asleep. Enter another Servant. [Exit. 2. SERV. Where's Cotus? my mafter calls for Cotus! him. Enter CORIOLANUS. [Exit. COR. A goodly houfe: The feaft fmells well: but I Appear not like a guest. Re-enter the first Servant. I. SERV. What would you have, friend? Whence are you? Here's no place for you: Pray, go to the door. COR. I have deferv'd no better entertainment, In being Coriolanus.* "So dyd be enter into the enemies tovvne.” Perhaps, therefore, inftead of enemy, we should read-enemy's or enemies' town. STEEVENS. In being Coriolanus.] i. e. in having derived that furname from the fack of Corioli. STEEVENS. Re-enter fecond Servant. 2. SERV. Whence are you, fir? Has the porter his eyes in his head, that he gives entrance to fuch companions? Pray, get you out. COR. Away! 2. SERV. Away? Get you away. COR. Now thou art troublesome. 2. SERV. Are you fo brave? I'll have you talk'd with anon. Enter a third Servant. The first meets him. 3. SERV. What fellow's this? I. SERV. A ftrange one as ever I look'd on: I cannot get him o'the house: Pr'ythee, call my mafter to him. 3. SERV. What have you to do here, fellow? Pray you, avoid the house. COR. Let me but ftand; I will not hurt your hearth." —that he gives entrance to fuch companions?] Companion was formerly used in the same sense as we now use the word fellow. MALONE. The fame term is employed in All's well that ends well, King Henry VI. P. II. Cymbeline, Othello, &c. STEEVENS. 6 Let me but ftand; I will not hurt your hearth.] Here our author has both followed and deferted his original, the old tranflation of Plutarch. The filence of the fervants of Aufidius, did not fuit the purposes of the dramatist : So he went directly to Tullus Aufidius houfe, and when he came thither, he got him vp ftraight to the chimney harthe, and fat him downe, and fpake not a worde to any man, his face all muffled ouer. They of the house spying him, wondered what he fhould be, and yet they durft not byd him rife. For ill fauoredly 3. SERV. What are you? COR. A gentleman. 3. SERV. A marvellous poor one. COR. True, fo I am. 3. SERV. Pray you, poor gentleman, take up fome other station: here's no place for you; pray you, avoid come. COR. Follow your function, go. And batten on cold bits. [Pushes him away. 3. SERV. What, will you not? Pr'ythee, tell my mafter what a strange guest he has here. 2. SERV. And I fhall. 3. SERV. Where dwell'ft thou? COR. Under the canopy. 3. SERV. Under the canopy? COR. Ay. 3. SERV. Where's that? COR. I' the city of kites and crows. [Exit. 3. SERV. I' the city of kites and crows?-What an afs it is!-Then thou dwell'ft with daws too? COR. No, I ferve not thy mafter. 3. SERV. How, fir! Do you meddle with my maf ter? COR. Ay; 'tis an honefter service, than to meddle with thy mistress: Thou prat'ft, and prat'ft; ferve with thy trencher, [Beats him away. hence! muffed and difguifed as he was, yet there appeared a certaine maieftie in his countenance, and in his filence: whereupon they went to Tullus who was at fupper, to tell him of the ftraunge difguifing of this man." STEEVENS. Enter AUFIDIUS and the fecond Servant. AUF. Where is this fellow? 2. SERV. Here, fir; I'd have beaten him like a dog, but for disturbing the lords within. AUF. Whence comeft thou? what wouldeft thou? Why speak'ft not? Speak, man: What's thy name? 6 If, Tullus, &c.] Thefe fpeeches are taken from the following in Sir Thomas North's tranflation of Plutarch: "Tullus rofe presently from the borde, and comming towards him, afked him what he was, and wherefore he came. Then Martius vnmuffled him felfe, and after he had paufed a while, making no aunfwer, he fayed vnto him: "If thou knoweft me not yet, Tullus, and feeing me, dost not perhappes beleeue me to be the man I am in dede, I must of neceffitee bewraye myfelfe to be that I am. I am Caius Martius, who hath done to thy felf particularly, and to all the Volces generally, great hurte and mischief, which I cannot denie for my furname of Coriolanus that I beare. For I never had other benefit nor recompence, of all the true and paynefull feruice I haue done, and the extreme daungers I haue bene in, but this only furname: a good memorie and witnes of the malice and difpleafure thou shouldeft bear me. In deede the name only remaineth with me: for the reft the enuie and crueltie of the people of Rome haue taken from me, by the sufferance of the daftardly nobilitie and magiftrates, who haue forfaken me, and let me be banished by the people. This extremitie hath now driuen me to come as a poore futer, to take thy chimney harthe, not of any hope I haue to faue my life thereby. For if I had feared death, I would not haue come hither to haue put my life in hazard: but prickt forward with fpite and defire I haue to be reuenged of them that have banished me, whom now I begin to be auenged on, putting my perfone betweene thy enemies.. Wherefore, if thou haft any harte to be wreeked of the injuries thy enemies have done thee, fpede thee now, and let my miferie ferue thy turne, and fo vfe it, as my feruice maye be a benefit to the Volces: promifing thee, that I will fight with better good will for all you, than euer I dyd when I was against you, knowing that they fight more valiantly, who know the force of their enemie, Not yet thou know'ft me, and feeing me, doft not Think me for the man I am, neceffity Commands me name myself. AUF. What is thy name? [Servants retire. COR. A name unmufical to the Volcians' ears, And harsh in found to thine. AUF. Say, what's thy name? Thou haft a grim appearance, and thy face Bears a command in't; though thy tackle's torn, Thou show'ft a noble veffel: What's thy name? COR. Prepare thy brow to frown: Know'ft thou me yet? AUF. I know thee not:-Thy name? COR. My name is Caius Marcius, who hath done To thee particularly, and to all the Volces, Great hurt and mifchief; thereto witness may My furname, Coriolanus: The painful fervice, The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood Shed for my thanklefs country, are requited But with that furname; a good memory," than fuch as haue neuer proved it. And if it be fo that thou dare not, and that thou art wearye to proue fortune any more, then am I alfo weary to liue any longer. And it were no wifdome in thee, to faue the life of him, who hath bene heretofore thy mortall enemie, and whofe feruice now can nothing helpe nor pleasure thee." STEEVENS. though thy tackle's torn, Thou show'st a noble vessel:] A correfponding idea occurs in Cymbeline: "The ruin fpeaks, that fometime "It was a worthy building." STEEVENS. 6 a good memory,] The Oxford editor, not knowing that memory was used at that time for memorial, alters it to memorial. See the preceding note. MALONE. JOHNSON. |
