Vol. If it be honour in your wars to seem The same you are not (which, for your best ends, You adopt your policy), how is it less or worse, That it shall hold companionship in peace With honour, as in war; since that to both It stands in like request?

Cor. Why force you this ?56 Vol. Because that now it lies you on to speak 57 To the people; not by your own instruction, Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you,58 But with such words that are but roted in Your tongue, 59 though but bastards, and syllables Of no allowance, to your bosom's truth.60 Now, this no more dishonours you at all, Than to take in a town 1 with gentle words, Which else would put you to your fortune, and

55. What each of them by the other lose. A false grammatical concord, allowable in Shakespeare's time, of which we have pointed out several instances. See Note 26, Act v., "Henry V." Why do you urge this?' See

56. Why force you this? Note 99, Act ii. 57. Now it lies you on to speak. A similar form of phraseology to the one pointed out in Note 83, Act ii., "Richard II." 58. Nor by the matter which your heart prompts you. 'To' is elliptically understood after "you" here; other examples having been pointed out where Shakespeare thus gives a final word to be implied. See Notes 149, Act iv., "Winter's Tale," and 80, Act i., "First Part Henry IV."

59. With such words that are but roted in your tongue. The Folio spells "roted " here 'roated ;' and out of the four passages where "rote" occurs in Shakespeare's plays, the Folio twice spells it 'roate.' We are thus particular in stating this latter point, because Johnson and others change roted" to 'rooted' here. "Such words that are but roted in your tongue" appears to us to mean, 'Such words as are but retained by rote in your tongue,' 'Such words as are but kept by a routine process of memory in your tongue ready for use;' mere words acquired by rote and held ready for conventional utterance. Shakespeare uses the expression "by rote" to convey the idea of 'without real meaning,' 'in a merely superficial and artificial manner,' as well as 'by a routine process of memory,' in the passage, "Oh, she knows well, thy love did read by rote, and could not spell," "Romeo and Juliet," Act ii., sc. 3; and Bacon (in the Essay on Atheism) employs it in this comprehensive sense, when observing, "He rather saith it by rote to himself, as that he would have, than that he can throughly believe it, or be persuaded of it." We think that to throw out a word like "roted," merely because there has been no instance of its use prior to Shakespeare's, is to reject the advantage afforded by having such a genius to create expressive words for the language.

60. Though but bastards, and syllables of no allowane, to your bosom's truth. "Allowance" is here used in the sense of

The hazard of much blood.

I would dissemble with my nature, where
My fortunes and my friends at stake requir'd
I should do so in honour: I am, in this,62
Your wife, your son, these senators, the nobles;
And
you will rather show 63 our general louts 64
How you can frown, than spend a fawn upon them,
For the inheritance of their loves, and safeguard
Of what that want 65 might ruin.
Men.
Come, go with us; speak fair: you may salve so
Not what is dangerous present, but the loss
Of what is past.66

Noble lady!

Thy knee bussing the stones (for in such business
Action is eloquence, and the eyes of the ignorant
More learned than the ears), waving thy head,
Which often,70 thus, correcting thy stout heart,
Now humble as the ripest mulberry
That will not hold the handling: or say to them,
Thou art their soldier, and, being bred in broils,
Hast not the soft way, which, thou dost confess,
Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim,
In asking their good loves; but thou wilt frame
Thyself, forsooth, hereafter theirs, so far
As thou hast power and person.

'favourable acceptance,' 'approbation' (see Note 74, Act ii., "Troilus and Cressida "); and "to" has the force of 'compared to,' or 'in comparison with.' For other instances of this peculiar ellipsis, see Note 15, Act ii. The whole sentence means, 'Though they be but bastards, and syllables of no recognised worth, compared with the legitimate offspring of your bosom's truth, your own frank and honest speech.'

61. To take in a town. "To capture a town,'' to conquer a town.' See Note 47, Act i.

62. I am, in this. I represent, in this appeal.'

63. And you will rather show. 'Yet' is elliptically understood before "you" here.

64. Louts. 'Clowns,' 'boors.'

65. That want. 'The want of that love."

66. Not what is dangerous present, but the loss, &c. 'Only' is elliptically understood between "not" and "what " here. 67. This bonnet. Volumnia alludes (possibly by a sign) to the bonnet which Coriolanus wears or holds at the moment she is speaking.

which

68. And thus far having stretch'd it often, thus, correcting, &c. The word "thus," here twice used, shows that Volumnia employs action throughout this speech, as an exponent of what she wishes to convey to her son and prompt him to do in imitation. See Note 26, Act ii.,

"Winter's Tale."

69. (Here be with them.) A phrase indicative of an accompanying gesture used in illustration of the speaker's meaning. See Note 92, Act ii.

70. Which often. This has been suspected of error, and has been variously altered; but we think it to be one of Shakespeare's condensedly elliptical phrases, signifying 'which [waving of thy head] let it be often,' 'let it be often done or repeated.' We have instanced many examples of this kind of construction. See Note 22, Act ii., "Richard II."

71. Now humble. An ellipsis for 'now being humble,' 'now made humble,' or 'now rendered humble.'

rather

Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf

Than flatter him in a bower.-Here is Cominius.

Enter COMINIUS.

A most inherent baseness.
Vol.
At thy choice, then :
To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour
Than thou of them.78 Come all to ruin: let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride than fear

'tis fit

You make strong party, or defend yourself

By calmness or by absence: all's in anger.
Men. Only fair speech.
Com.
Can thereto frame nis spirit.
Vol.
He must and will.-
Pr'ythee now, say you will, and go about it.

I think 'twill serve, if he

Cor. Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce ?72 must I,

With my base tongue, give to my noble heart
A lie, that it must bear? Well, I will do 't:
Yet, were there but this single plot 73 to lose,

This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it,

And throw 't against the wind.-To the marketplace:

You have put me now to such a part, which never
I shall discharge to the life.
Com.

Come, come, we'll prompt you. Vol. I pr'ythee now, sweet son,-as thou hast

72. My unbarb'd sconce. As Shakespeare elsewhere uses "barbed" to express 'caparisoned for war' (see Note 6, Act i., "Richard III."), as Chaucer uses 'barbe' in the sense of a covering for the head; and as Cotgrave says that 'barbute' signifies a riding-hood and also the beaver of a helmet, it is probable that Coriolanus is here meant to say my 'unarmed,' 'unhelmeted,' or 'uncovered head.'

73. Plot. Literally, a piece of ground; figuratively applied to the human body, as earth or "mould."

74. Quired. Here used for 'chimed,' 'sang in unison,' 'sounded in the same loud strain.'

75. Tent. Here used for 'encamp,' 'form themselves a resting-place.'

76. My arm'd knees, who bow'd, &c. Instance of "who" used for which.'

Away! the tribunes do attend you: arm yourself

To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd
With accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.

Cor. The word is, mildly :-pray you, let us go: Let them accuse me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

Men.

Ay, but mildly.

Cor. Well, mildly be it, then; mildly.

Bru.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTUS.

In this point charge him home,—that he affects

Tyrannical power: if he evades us there,

77. Surcease. An old form of 'cease.'

78. To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour than thou of them. Elliptically expressed: 'It is more dishonour for me to beg of thee than it is dishonour for thee to beg of them.'

79. Let thy mother rather feel, &c. Johnson says, "This is obscure; " but Volumnia, who has just spoken of the "dishonour" to which her son's refusal to grant her request subjects her, says, 'Nay, then, let me feel the effects of thy pride in this thy refusal and in the harm it may bring upon us, rather than fear thy dangerous inflexibility.'

80. With as big heart. "Big" is here used for 'haughty,' 'unbending,' 'unflinching,' 'unsubmissive.' See Note 33, Act v., "Taming of the Shrew."

81. Owe. Own;''possess as derived from thine own nature. 82. Cog Cheat,' 'cajole.'

83. Enforce him with his envy to the people. 'Urge against him his hatred of the people.'"Enforce" is again used for 'urge,' a little farther on in the present scene. See Note 56 of this Act. 84. By tribes. This is explained by a passage in North's Plutarch: "The tribunes would in any case (whatsoeuer became of it) that the people should proceed to giue their voyces by tribes, and not by hundreds; for by this meanes the multitude of the poore needie people (and all such rabble as had nothing to lose, and had lesse regard of honesty before their eyes) came to be of greater force (because their voyces were numbred by the polle) than the noble honest citizens."

85. The old prerogative and power the truth o' the cause. Johnson remarks, "This is not very easily understood," and proposes to read 'o'er the truth o' the cause;' but we think that the original reading, "i' the truth o' the cause," bears the interpretation, 'in the justice of the procedure.' We have before pointed out instances where Shakespeare uses the word " "} in the sense of 'course of action,' or 'procedure.' See Note 11, Act v., King John."

44

cause

86. His worth of contradiction. "Worth" is here used as

Upon the wounds his body bears, which show
Like graves i' the holy churchyard.
Cor.

Scars to move laughter only.

Scratches with briers,

Men. Consider farther, That when he speaks not like a citizen, You find him like a soldier: do not take His rougher accents" for malicious sounds, But, as I say, such as become a soldier, Rather than envy you. 1.92

an abbreviated form of 'pennyworth;' which latter word is frequently used by Shakespeare idiomatically, in the sense of 'a full quantity,' 'a lumping amount' (see the passage referred to in Note 55, Act ii., “Much Ado"); and in the present sentence 'his worth' has a similar meaning with the modern familiar expressions, 'his fill,'' his full swing.'

87. And that is there which looks with us to break his neck. 'And in his heart is that wrathful spirit which tends concurrently with our wish to bring about his destruction.'

88. For the poorest piece will bear the knave by the volume. 'For the smallest coin will bear being called knave as often as would fill a volume.'

89. Throng. The Folio prints through' for "throng" here. Theobald's correction; suggested by Warburton.

90. Determine. Here used for 'terminate,' 'conclude.' See Note 94, Act iv., "Second Part Henry IV."

91. Accents. The Folio gives 'actions' instead of "accents" here. Theobald's correction.

92. Rather than envy you. Rather than such as imply hatred to you,'' rather than such as show ill-will towards you.'

Call me their traitor!—Thou injurious tribune!
Within thine eyes sat twenty thousand deaths,"
In thy hands clutch'd as many millions, in
Thy lying tongue both numbers, I would say,
Thou liest, unto thee, with a voice as free
As I do pray the gods.

Sic. Mark you this, people?

Citizens. To the rock, to the rock with him! Sic. Peace!

We need not put new matter to his charge:
What you have seen him do, and heard him
speak,

Beating your officers, cursing yourselves,
Opposing laws with strokes, and here defying
Those whose great power must try him; even

93. Season'd office. Long-established office,' ' time-matured office.'

94. Within thine eyes sat, &c. 'If' is elliptically understood before "within."

95. Nor check my courage for what they, &c. "Courage" is here used for 'spirit,' 'hardihood.' See Note 29, Act ii., "Third Part Henry VI."

6. For that he has. Because he has,' 'for the reason that he has.'

Their mercy at the price of one fair word;
Nor check my courage for what they can give,95
To have 't with saying, Good morrow.
Sic.
For that he has 96
(As much as in him lies) from time to time
Envied against the people, seeking means
To pluck away their power; as now at last 98
Given hostile strokes, and that not in the presence
Of dreaded justice, but on the ministers

That do distribute it; 99-in the name o' the

people,

And in the power of us the tribunes, we,
Even from this instant, banish him our city;
In peril of precipitation

From off the rock Tarpeian, never more

To enter our Rome gates: i' the people's name, I say it shall be so.

Citizens. It shall be so, it shall be so; let him away:

He's banished, and it shall be so.

Com. Hear me, my masters, and my common friends,

Sic. He's sentenc'd; no more hearing.
Com.
Let me speak:

I have been consul, and can show for Rome 100
Her enemies' marks upon me. I do love
My country's good with a respect more tender,
More holy, and profound, than mine own life,
My dear wife's estimate, her womb's increase,
And treasure of my loins; then if I would
Speak that,-

Sic. We know your drift :-speak what? Bru. There's no more to be said, but he is banish'd,

As enemy to the people and his country:
It shall be so.

100. Can show for Rome. The Folio prints 'from' instead of "for" here. Theobald's correction.

101. You common cry of curs! "Cry" is here used in the sense of 'pack; as it is later on in this play. See Note 79, Act iv. 102. Reek. Fume,' 'vapour,' 'exhalation.'

44

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENENIUS, Senators, and Patricians. Ed. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!

103. Making but reservation of yourselves. Capell changed but" to not here; and many editors since his time have adopted his alteration. But it appears to us to destroy the intended meaning of the passage, which is-'Have the power still to banish your defenders; till at length your ignorance (which cannot discern till it is made to feel), reserving none but yourselves unbanished (still your own foes), deliver you, as most subdued captives, to some nation that shall have won you without striking a blow.' By thus telling them that in banishing

Act III. Scene III.

Citizens. Our enemy is banish'd! he is gone! Hoo! hoo!

[Shouting, and throwing up their caps. Sic. Go, see him out at gates, 105 and follow him,

As he hath followed you, with all despite ;
Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard
Attend us through the city.

Citizens. Come, come, let's see him out at gates; come :

The gods preserve our noble tribunes!-come.