The com o' the store-house gratis, as 'twas us'd
Sometime in Greece,
Men.

Well, well, no more of that, Cor. (Though there the people had more absolute

power)
I say, they nourish'd disobedience, fed
The ruin of the state.
Bru.

Why, shall the people give
One, that speaks thus, their voice?
Cor.

I'll give my reasons,
More worthier than their voices. They know, the corn
Was not our recompense; resting well assur'd
They ne'er did service for 't: Being press'd to the war,
Even when the navel of the state was touch'd,
They would not thread the gates:this kind of service
Did not deserve corn gratis : being i’ the war,
Their mutinies and revolts, wherein they show'd
Most valour, spoke not for them: The accusation
Which they have often made against the senate,
All cause unborn, could never be the native

it is done in recompense of their service past, sithence they know well enough they haue so often refused to go to the warres, when they were commaunded: neither for their mutinies when they went with vs, whereby they haue rebelled and forsaken their countrie: neither for their accusations which their flatterers have preferred vnto them, and they have recevued, and made good against the senate : but they will rather judge we geue and graunt them this, as abasing our selues, and standing in feare of them, and glad to flatter them euery way. By this meanes, their disobedience will still grow worse and worse ; and they will neuer leave to practise newe sedition, and yprores. Therefore it were a great follie for vs, me thinckes, to do it: yea, shall I say more? we should if we were wise, take from them their tribuneshippe, which most manifestly is the embasing of the consulshippe, and the cause of the diuision of the cittie. The state whereof as it standeth, is not now as it was wont to be, but becommeth dis. membered in two factions, which mainteines allwayes ciuill dissention and discorde betwene vs, and will neuer suffer us againe to be vnited into one bodie.” Steevens.

They would not thread the gates: ] That is, pass them. We yet sıy, to thread an alley. Johnson. So, in King Lear:

threading dark-ey'd night.” Steevens. could never be the native -] Native for natural birth."

Warburton. Native is here not natural birth, but natural parent, or cause of birth. Johnson.

8

66

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Of our so frank donation. Well, what then?
How shall this bosom multiplied' digest
The senate's courtesy? Let deeds express
What 's like to be their words:

-We did reyuest it ;
We are the greater poll, and in true fear
They gave us our demands :-Thus we debase
The nature of our seats, and make the rabble
Call our cares, fears: which will in time break ope
The locks o'the senate, and bring in the crows
To peck the eagles.
Men.

Come, enough.
Bru. Enough, with over-measure.

No, take more: What may be sworn by, both divine and human, Seal what I end withal!3- This double worship, Where one part4 does disdain with cause, the other Insult without all reason; where gentry, title, wisdom Cannot conclude, but by the yea and no Of general ignorance - it must omit

Cor.

1

So, in a kindred sense, in King Henry V:

“ A many of our bodies shall no doubt

“ Find native graves.” Malone. I cannot agree with Johnson that native can possibly mean natural parent, or cause of birth; nor with Warburton in supposing that it means natural birth; for if the word could bear that meaning, it would not be sense here, as Coriolanus is speak. ing not of the consequence, but the cause, of their donation. I should therefore read motive instead of native. Malone's quotation from King Henry V, is nothing to the purpose, as in that pas. Sage native graves, means evidently graves in their native soil.

M. Mason. - this bosom multiplied -] This multitudinous bosom; the bosom of that great monster, the people. Malone.

2 Come, enough.] Perhaps this imperfect line was originally completed by a repetition of—enough. Steevens. 3 No, take more :

What may be sworn by, both divine and human

Seal what I end withal ! ] The sense is, No, let me add this further; and may every thing divine and human which can give force to an oath, bear witness to the truth of what I shall conclude with.

The Romans swore by what was human as well as divine ; by their head, by their eyes, hy the dead bones and ashes of their parents, &c. See Brisson de formulis, p. 808–817. Heath.

* Where one part-] In the old copy, we have here, as in many other places, on instead of one. The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. See Vol. VII, p. 357, n. 1. Malane.

Real necessities, and give way the while
To unstable slightness: purpose so barr’d, it follows,
Nothing is done to purpose: Therefore, beseech you,
You that will be less fearful than discreet;
That love the fundamental part of state,
More than you doubt the change of 't ;5 that prefer
A noble life before a long, and wish
To jump a body6 with a dangerous physick
That's sure of death without it,at once pluck out
The multitudinous tongue, let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison : 7 your dishonour
Mangles true judgment, and bereaves the state
Of that integrity which should become it;'
Not having the power to do the good it would,

To vamp.

5 That love the fundamental part of state,

More than you doubt the change of 't;] To doubt is to fear. The meaning is, You whose zeal predominates over your terrors; you who do not so much fear the danger of violent measures, as wish the good to which they are necessary, the preservation of the original constitution of our government. Johnson.

6 Tojump a body-] Thus the old copy. Modern editors read:

To jump anciently signified to jolt, to give a rude concussion to any thing. To jump a body may therefore mean, to put it into a violent agitation or commotion. Thus, Lucretius, III, 452,-quassatum est corpus.

So, in Phil. Holland's translation of Pliny's Natural History, B. XXV, ch. v, p. 219: “ If we looke for good successe in our cure by ministring ellebore, &c. for certainly it putteth the pati. ent to a jumpe, or great hazard.” Steevens.

From this passage in Pliny, it should seem that “ to jump a body," meant to risk a body; and such an explication seems to me to be supported by the context in the passage before us. So, in Macbeth:

“We'd jump the life to come.”
Again, in Antony and Cleopatra, Act III, sc. viii :

our fortune lies
Upon this jump.” Malone.

let them not lick
The sweet which is their poison :] So, in Measure for Measure :

“ Like rats that ravin up their proper bane -.” Steevens. Mangles true judgment:] Judgment is the faculty by which right is distinguished from wrong. Johnson.

Of that integrity which should become it;] Integrity is in this place soundness, uniformity, consistency, in the same sense as Dr. Warburton often uses it, when he mentions the integrity of a me. taphor. To become, is to suit, to beft. Johnsor..

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9

For the ill which doth control it.
Bru.

He has said enough.
Sic. He has spoken like a traitor, and shall answer
As traitors do.

Cor. Thou wretch! despite o’erwhelm thee!
What should the people do with these bald tribunes?
On whom depending, their obedience fails
To the greater bench: In a rebellion,
When what's not meet, but what must be, was law,
Then were they chosen; in a better hour,
Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet,
And throw their power i' the dust.

Bru. Manifest treason.
Sic.

This a consul? no.
Bru. The Ædiles, ho! -Let him be apprehended.
Sic. Go, call the people; [exit Bru.] in whose name,

myself
Attach thee, as a traitorous innovator,
A foe to the publick weal: Obey, I charge thee,
And follow to thine answer.
Cor.

Hence, old goat!
Sen. so Pat. We'll surety him.
Com.

Aged sir, hands off.
Cor. Hence, rotten thing, or I shall shake thy bones
Out of thy garments.2
Sic.

Help, ye citizens.
Re-enter BRUTUS, with the Ædiles, and a Rabble of

Citizens.
Men. On both sides more respect.
Sic.

Here 's he, that would Take from

you all your power. Bru.

Seize him, Ædiles. Cit. Down with him, down with him! [Several speak. 2 Sen,

Weapons, weapons, weapons!

[They all bustle about CoR. 1 Let what is meet, be said, it must be meet,] Let it be said by you, that what is meet to be done, must be meet, i. e. shall be done, and put an end at once to the tribunitian power, which was established, when irresistible violence, not a regard to propiety, directed the legislature. Malone.

shake thy bones
Out of thy garments.] So, in King John:

2

Tribunes, patricians, citizens! what ho!
Sicinius, Brutus, Coriolanus, citizens!

Cit. Peace, peace, peace; stay, hold, peace!

Men. What is about to be?-I am out of breath;
Confusion 's near; I cannot speak:-You, tribunes
To the people,-Coriolanus, patience:3-
Speak, good Sicinius.

Sic. Hear me, people ;-Peace.
Cit. Let 's hear our tribune:

-Peace. Speak, speak,
speak.
Sic. You are at point to lose your liberties:
Marcius would have all from you; Marcius,
Whom late you have nam’d for consul.
Men.

Fy, fy, fy!
This is the way to kindle, not to quench.

1 Sen. To unbuild the city, and to lay all flat.
Sic. What is the city, but the people?
Cit.

True,
The people are the city.

Bru. By the consent of all, we were establish'd
The people's magistrates.
Cit.

You so remain.
Men. And so are like to do.

Cor. That is the way to lay the city flat;
To bring the roof to the foundation;
And bury all, which yet distinctly ranges,
In heaps and piles of ruin.

This deserves death.
Bru. Or let us stand to our authority,
Or let us lose it:-We do here pronounce,
Upon the part o' the people, in whose power
We were elected theirs, Marcius is worthy

Sic.

3 To the people,--Coriolanus, patience:] I would read:

Speak to the people.-Coriolanus, patience :

Speak, good Sicinius. Tyrwhitt. Tyrwhitt proposes an amendment to this passage, but nothing is necessary except to point it properly:

Confusion 's near, I cannot. Speak you, tribunes,

To the people. He desires the tribunes to speak to the people, because he was not able; and at the end of the speech repeats the same request to Sicinius in particular. M. Mason.

I see no need of any alteration. Malone.