As Hercules

Your Rome about your ears.

Men.

Here used in the sense of 'be of one mind,' 'accord,' 'agree.' See Note 42, Act v., "As You Like It." 73. Holp. Old form of 'helped.'

74 Occupation. Here used to express men occupied in mechanical employment,' 'mechanics,' operatives,' 'artisans.' 75. All the regions do smilingly revolt. 'Regions" and "smilingly' "have been variously changed here as erroneous: but ". regions" is probably used in reference to the districts of the Roman "territories" mentioned in the announcement made by the second messenger on his entrance; while "6. smilingly" is used in the same sense that "smile" is used, as explained in "Troilus and Cressida," 'derisively,' 'con

Note

79,

Act v.,

temptuously.' 76. They charg'd him

and therein show'd, &c.

Coriolanus' exile. Now he's coming;

And not a hair upon a soldier's head Which will not prove a whip: as many coxcombs

'Charg'd" and "show'd" are here used for would charge,' and would show ;' giving another instance of Shakespeare's occasional mode of constructing a sentence where conditional time is indicated. See Notes 67 and 68 of this Act. In the next speech there is a similar kind of construction; "I have not the face" being employed to express 'I should not have the face.' 77. Crafts. Here used for craftsmen;' and, moreover, affording a punning fleer at the tribunes' former crafty machinations against Coriolanus. Menenius, in this line, is made to keep up his characteristic mode of fabricating words for his own "crafted," fashioned from "crafts." See Note 17, Act ii. 78. A trembling. Here used for 'that which may well cause trembling,' a calamity to tremble at.' See Note 64, Act i., Henry VIII."

use:

As you threw caps up will he tumble down,
And pay you for your voices. 'Tis no matter;
If he could burn us all into one coal,
We have deserv'd it.

Citizens. 'Faith, we hear fearful news.
First Cit.
For mine own part,
When I said, banish him, I said, 'twas pity.
And so did I.

Sec. Cit. Third Cit. And so did I; and, to say the truth, so did very many of us: that we did, we did for the best; and though we willingly consented to his banishment, yet it was against our will.

Com. You're goodly things, you voices!
Men.

You have made

Good work, you and your cry!79-Shall's to the Capitol ?

79. Cry. 'Pack.' See Note 101, Act iii.

Act IV. Scene VI.

Com. Oh, ay, what else?

[Exeunt COMINIUS and MENENIUS. Sic. Go, masters, get you home; be not dismay'd:

These are a side that would be glad to have
This true which they so seem to fear. Go home,
And show no sign of fear.

First Cit. The gods be good to us!-Come, masters, let's home. I ever said we were i' the wrong when we banished him.

Sec. Cit. So did we all. But, come, let's home. [Exeunt Citizens.

Bru. I do not like this news.
Sic. Nor 1.

Bru. Let's to the Capitol-would half my wealth Would buy this for a lie!

Auf. I understand thee well; and be thou

sure,

When he shall come to his account, he knows

not

What I can urge against him. Although it

seems,

And so he thinks, and is no less apparent

As draw his sword; yet he hath left undone That which shall break his neck or hazard mine, Whene'er we come to our account.

Lieu. Sir, I beseech you, think you he'll carry Rome?

Auf. All places yield to him ere he sits down; 83

And the nobility of Rome are his :

The senators and patricians love him too:
The tribunes are no soldiers; and their people
Will be as rash in the repeal, as hasty
To expel him thence. I think he'll be to Rome
As is the osprey
84 to the fish, who takes it
By sov'reignty of nature. First he was

A noble servant to them; 85 but he could not
Carry his honours even: 86 whether 'twas pride,
Which out of daily fortune ever taints
The happy man; whether defect of judgment,
To fail in the disposing of those chances
Which he was lord of; or whether nature,
Not to be other than one thing,87 not moving
From the casque to the cushion, but commanding

peace

fairly,

And shows good husbandry for the Volscian state,

80. Even by your own. Here the word "action," in the preceding line, is elliptically understood as repeated after " own;" or rather, it gives 'act' to be understood after "own."

81. Bears himself more proudlier. Instance of the double comparative formerly used.

82. Had borne the action of yourself. The Folio prints 'haue' for "had" here Malone's correction. "Of" is here used for 'by.' See Note 11, Act i., "Troilus and Cressida."

83. Ere he sits down. 'Before them' is elliptically understood after "sits down;" to sit down before a place' being a military term for 'prepare to capture it,' 'commence besieging it.' 84. The osprey. One of the sea-eagles; called also the bald buzzard, and the fishing-hawk. This bird was formerly supposed to have the power of fascinating its prey; and that the fish yielded themselves its helpless victims.

85. A noble servant to them. Here "them refers to the Romans, as implied in the previous word "Rome." See Note 25. Act ii.

86. Even. This word is here an adjective, used adverbially; in the sense of 'equably.'

87. Or whether nature, not to be, &c. 'Or whether his nature, not to be inconsistent with itself, could not exchange the rigid authority of the military man for the easy dignity of the state official, but commanding in peace even with the same austerity,' &c.

88. But he has a merit, to choke it in the utterance. This portion of the speech is so condensedly expressed that it has been suspected of error, and even of omission in the Folio printing. We think the obscure effect is partly attributable to the repeated use of the word "but" in the speech; and partly to

And power, unto itself most commendable, Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair

the mode in which "it" occurs in this clause of the sentence. In the clauses "but he could not," "but commanding peace," and "but one of these," the word "but" is used as a particle of objection; whereas in this last clause, "but he has a merit," but" seems to us to be used in the sense of 'however' or 'nevertheless.' After having enumerated the faults of character in Coriolanus, Aufidius ends his sentence by the admission, "Nevertheless, he has a merit," &c. It is this last clause of admission which presents the chief difficulty: and we have to bear well in mind Shakespeare's peculiarities of style, when trying to discover its precise meaning. Remembering these peculiarities,—his very condensed expression and elliptical construction, together with his mode of using "it" either in reference to a just-named antecedent, or to an implied particular, this clause may bear three different interpretations:-1st: 'However, he has one merit,-that of checking panegyric on it' [his own merit]. 2nd: Nevertheless, he has merit sufficient to stifle the decree of his banishment' [implied in the previous words "so banish'd" and "rash in the repeal;" utterance," in this case, being taken to mean carrying out to the uttermost ']. 3rd: 'Nevertheless, he has a merit that goes far to quench what I have been uttering as to his faults' [implied in "one of these (as he hath spices of them all, not all, for I dare so far free him) made." &c.]. There is still a fourth interpretation that the clause will bear; which, considering the drift of the argument, as carried out to the end of the speech, seems to be probably meant: However, he has a merit, a merit which destroys its own power by striving to assert that power.' 89. Virtues. Printed vertue' in the first Folio. Corrected in the second Folio.

Men.

SCENE I.-ROME. A Public Place. Enter MENENIUS, COMINIUS, SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and others.

Men. No, I'll not go: you hear what he hath said

Which was sometime his general; who lov'd him
In a most dear particular. He call'd me father:
But what o' that? Go, you that banish'd him ;
A mile before his tent fall down, and knee
The way into his mercy :3 nay, if he coy'd1
To hear Cominius speak, I'll keep at home.
He would not seem to know me.

Com.
Men.
Do you hear?
Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name :
I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops
That we have bled together. Coriolanus
He would not answer to: forbad all names;
He was a kind of nothing, titleless,

'Till he had forg'd himself a name i' the fire Of burning Rome.

90. Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair to extol, &c. This has been variously altered; but we think that the passage, as it stands, means, 'Our virtues lie at the mercy of popular interpretation in our own day; and power, ever anxious to exact commendation, has no tomb so sure as the pulpit of eulogium which extols its deeds.' It must be borne in mind that here "chair" is used for the public rostrum, cathedra, or pulpit, whence orations, laudatory or otherwise, were delivered to the Roman people; and of which pulpit there is more particular mention made by Shakespeare in his play of " Julius Cæsar.” 91. Rights by rights fouler, strengths by strengths do fail. Here "fouler" has been changed to 'founder,' 'fouled are,' 'foil'd are,' 'falter,' &c., under the idea that a verb is required in this place; but it appears to us that Shakespeare, in this line as elsewhere, makes one verb do double duty in a sentence; and that here the meaning is, 'Rights by rights fouler do fail, strengths by strengths do fail.' See, among numerous other instances, Note 87, Act i., " Henry VIII.," and Note 5, Act iv., "Troilus and Cressida." See also a very similar passage in "Timon of Athens," Act iv., sc. 3-" Thus much of this will make black, white; foul, fair; wrong, right; base, noble : old, young coward. valiant;" where the verb "make" before "black" gives 'make' to be understood as repeated before "foul," wrong," "base," "old," and "coward," thus doing multiplied duty in the sentence. In "Julius Cæsar," Act iii., sc. 1, likewise, we find-"As fire drives out fire, so pity pity;" where "drives out" is understood as repeated between "pity" and "pity." In the present passage, the word "fouler" bears the sense of less fair' or 'more unfair;' as Shakespeare more than once uses the common expression "foul play" for 'unfair practice,' and uses the word "foully" for 'unfairly' in "All's

Why, so, you have made good work A pair of tribunes that have rack'd for Rome, To make coals cheap,5—a noble memory! Com. I minded him how royal 'twas to pardon When it was less expected : he replied, It was a bare petition of a state? To one whom they had punish'd. Men.

Could he say less ?

Very well:

Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard
For his private friends: his answer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noisome musty chaff: he said 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And still to nose the offence.
Men.

For one poor grain or two!

I am one of those; his mother, wife, his child,
And this brave fellow too, we are the grains :
You are the musty chaff; and you are smelt
Above the moon: we must be burnt for you.

Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: if you refuse your aid

Well," Act v., sc. 2-" I am afeard the life of Helen, lady, was foully snatch'd."

1. What he hath said which was sometime his general; who lov'd him, &c. This passage affords an instance of "which" used for who,' and "who" (referring to the same antecedent) in the same sentence.

2. He call'd me father. He used to call me father.' For a discussion on the custom of adopting titles of relationship, see Note 90, Act ii., "Troilus and Cressida."

3. And knee the way into his mercy. 'And crawl the whole way on your knees to beg his mercy.' "Knee," here, is one of Shakespeare's expressive verbs coined from a noun. See Note 49, Act iii., "Taming of the Shrew."

4. Coy'd. 'Demurr'd,' ' hesitated coyly.'

5. Rack'd for Rome, to make, &c. This has been variously altered and variously explained. Shakespeare elsewhere uses "racked" to express 'strained,' 'stretched' (see Note 35. Act i., "Merchant of Venice"); and "rack," with something of the same signification, in the passage commented upon in Note 14, Act iv., "Measure for Measure." It is probable, therefore, that here he uses "racked to convey the idea of 'strained every nerve,' 'stretched your authority to the utmost.' The sneer involved in the words "to make coals cheap" refers to "the fire of burning Rome;" which is to bring hot coals of vengeance on them all. 6. To pardon when it was less expected. Instance of the comparative used in a sentence where the superlative is generally used; "less" instead of 'least.' See Note 24, Act iv., “Henry V." 7. It was a bare petition of a state. "Bare" has been changed to base' and to 'rare:' but "bare" is probably here used to express' bare-faced,' 'unblushing;'' of sheer effrontery.'

I think he'll hear me. Yet, to bite his lip
And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well; he had not din'd:
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd
These pipes and these conveyances of our blood
With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls
Than in our priest-like fasts: therefore I'll watch
him

Till he be dieted to my request,

And then I'll set upon him.

Com. I tell you, he does sit in gold,1 his eye Red as 'twould burn Rome; and his injury The gaoler to his pity. I kneel'd before him; 'Twas very faintly he said "Rise;" dismiss'd me Thus, with his speechless hand: what he would do,

He sent in writing after me; what he would not,
Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions: 15
So that all hope is vain,

Unless his noble mother, 16 and his wife;
Who, as I hear, mean to solicit him

For mercy to his country. Therefore, let's hence,
And with our fair entreaties haste them on.

And cannot lose your way.

Men.

Good faith, I'll prove him, Speed how it will. I shall ere long have knowledge Of my success.

13

8. This so never-needed help. Elliptically and transposedly constructed; meaning this never so much needed help.'

9. Instant. Here used for 'suddenly raised,' 'immediately summoned,' 'instantly levied;' as it is used for 'instantly entered upon,' 'immediately engaged in,' in the passage referred to in Note 66, Act i., "Second Part Henry IV."

10. What your love can do for Rome, towards Marcius. The construction here gives a double effect to the sentence: the effect of 'what your love towards Marcius can do for Rome,' and the effect of what your love can do for Rome, in your advances made to Marcius.'

11. But as a discontented friend. Here "return me" in the Last line but one gives return me,' or 'if I return' to be understood before "but;" which is used in the sense of 'only' or 'merely '

12. After the measure as you intended well. 'According to the amount of your good intentions,' 'in proportion with your good intentions." 13. Success. Here used for that which succeeds, follows, or happens,-whether good or bad. See Note 122, Act i., “All's

Well"

14. He does sit in gold. The passage in North's "Plutarch describes Coriolanus thus-"He was set in his chaire of state, with

a marvellous and an unspeakable maiesty:" while Shakespeare, in "Antony and Cleopatra," Act iii., sc. 6, has-" Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold were publicly enthron'd."

15 Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions. This passage has been variously altered in some of its words, and has been also suspected of having a line or more omitted. We think that it condensedly expresses the stipulations made by Coriolanus and the proposals made by the Romans, as stated more fully in North's "Plutarch;" and that here "what he would do " refers to what Coriolanus would grant as expressed in the articles "sent in writing after" Cominius; while what he would not" refers to the proposals made by the Romans, which Coriolanus would not grant unless under certain conditions that he bound himself by oath to make them yield to. In the text, the concise phraseology scarcely makes evident that there are two sets of articles, one drawn up by Coriolanus and sent in writing, the other submitted by the Romans to him, which he vows to grant only upon his own conditions; but that so it is clearly intended we think is shown by the account of the incident in "Plutarch," as well as by the expression “it was a bare petition of a state" in the present scene, indicating a proposal made on their part.

16. Unless his noble mother. Here 'in' is elliptically understood between "unless" and "his."