Too great for what contains it.-Boy! O slave!- Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion must bear My beating to his grave) shall join to thrust The lie unto him. 1st Lord. Peace, both, and hear me speak. Cor. Cut me to pieces, Volces; men and lads, Stain all your edges on me.-Boy! False hound! Auf. Why, noble lords, Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune, Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart, 'Fore your own eyes and ears? Con. Let him die for 't. [Several speak at once. Cit. [Speaking promiscuously]. Tear him to pieces; do it presently. He killed my son :my daughter: he killed my cousin Marcus: -he killed my father. 2nd Lord. Peace, ho!-no outrage :-peace! The man is noble, and his fame folds in This orb o' the earth. His last offences to us Shall have judicious hearing.-Stand, Aufidius, And trouble not the peace. NOTES. "To a cruel war I sent him; from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak."-Act I., Scene 3. The first time he went to the wars, being but a stripling, was when Tarquin, surnamed the Proud (that had been King of Rome, and was driven out for his pride, after many attempts made by sundry battles to come in again, wherein he was ever overcome), did come to Rome with all the aid of the Latins and many other people of Italy, even, as it were, to set up his whole rest upon a battle by them, who, with a great and mighty army, had undertaken to put him into his kingdom again, not so much to pleasure him as to overthrow the power of the Romans, whose greatness they both feared and envied. In this battle, wherein were many hot and sharp encounters of either party, Martius valiantly fought in the sight of the Dictator; and a Roman soldier being thrown to the ground even hard by him, Martius straight bestrid him, and slew the enemy with his own hands that had before overthrown the Roman, Hereupon, after the battle was won, the Dictator did not forget so noble an act; and therefore, first of all, he crowned Martius with a garland of oaken boughs for whosoever saveth the life of a Roman, it is a manner among them to honour him with such a garland.— PLUTARCH'S "Life of Coriolanus;" North's Translation. [Sir Thomas North's translation of PLUTARCH (1579) was, doubtless, the main source whence Shakspere derived the incidents of his Roman plays. The closeness with which he has followed them, and the admirable skiil he has shewn in working them into a dramatic shape, will appear from occasional short specimens of the biographer's narrative, as rendered in North's picturesque version.] "What, are you sewing here? A fine spot, in good faith." Act I., Scene 3. The term "fine spot" relates to the embroidery. "Spotted muslin" is a phrase still in use. "Thou wast a soldier Even to Cato's wish."-Act I., Scene 4. In the country of the Volces, against whom the Romans made war at that time, there was a principal city, and of most fame, that was called Corioles; before the which the consul Cominius did lay siege. Whereupon all the other Volces, fearing lest that city should be taken by assault, they came from all parts of the country to save it, intending to give the Romans battle before the city, and to give an onset on them in two several places. The consul Cominius, understanding this, divided his army also into two parts; and, taking the one part with himself, he marched towards them that were drawing to the city out of the country: and the other part of his army he left in the camp with Titus Lartius (one of the valiantest men the Romans had at that time), to resist those that would make any sally out of the city upon them. 1 So the Coriolans, making small account of them that lay in camp before the city, made a sally out upon them; in the which at the first the Coriolans had the better, and drove the Romans back again into the trenches of their camp. But Martius being there at that time, running out of the camp with a few men with him, he slew the first enemies he met withal, and made the rest of them stay upon the sudden; crying out to the Romans that had turned their backs, and calling them again to fight, with a loud voice. For he was even such another as Cato would have a soldier and a captain to be:-not only terrible and fierce to lay about him, but to make the enemy afeard with the sound of his voice and grimness of his countenance.-PLUTARCH. It will be seen, that in speaking of Marcius as "a soldier even to Cato's wish," the poet inadvertently attributes to Lartius, what was in fact a remark of the biographer. The old copy has "Calues wish;" but this is, doubtless, a misprint. -"Please you to march; And four shall quickly draw out my command, Which men are best inclined."-Act I., Scene 6. Coriolanus may here mean that he would appoint four persons, to select, for his particular command (or party), those soldiers who were best inclined; and in order to save time, he proposes to have this choice made while the army is marching forward. There is probably some error in the text. "If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou 'it not believe thy deeds."-Act I., Scene 9. There the consul Cominius, going up to his chair of state, in the presence of the whole army, gave thanks to the gods for so great, glorious, and prosperous a victory. Then he spoke to Martius, whose valiantness he commended beyond the moon, both for that he himself saw him do with his eyes, as also for that Lartius had reported unto him. So in the end he willed Martius that he should choose, out of all the horses they had taken of their enemies, and of all the goods they had won (whereof there was great store), ten of every sort which he liked best, before any distribution should be made to others. Besides this great, honourable offer he had made him, he gave him, in testimony that he had won that day the price of prowess above all other, a goodly horse with a caparison, and all furniture to him; which the whole army beholding, did marvellously praise and commend. But Martius, stepping forth, told the consul he most thankfully accepted the gift of his horse, and was a glad man, besides, that his services had deserved his general's recommendation: and as for his other offer, which was rather a mercenary reward than an honourable recompense, he would have none of it, but was contented to have his equal part with the other soldiers.-PLUTARCH. "SIC. Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. MEN. Pray you, who does the wolf love?" Act II., Scene 1. Menenius probably means to infer that the tribune's rule is not without an exception; and that the people are not, in the particular referred to, more discriminating than the wolf. "You are ambitious for poor knaves' caps and legs.” Act II., Scene 1. To "make a leg," was the phrase for bowing. It probably alluded to the practice (still preserved in the representation of rustics) of scraping backward with the left leg, at the time of bending the body. "It then remains, That you do speak to the people."-Act II., Scene 2. Shortly after this, Martius stood for the consulship; and the common people favoured his suit, thinking it would be a shame to them to deny and refuse the chiefest nobleman of blood and most worthy person of Rome; and especially him that had done so great service and good to the Commonwealth. For the custom of Rome was at that time, that such as did sue for any office should, for certain days before, be in the market-place, only with a poor gown on their backs, and without any coat underneath, to pray the citizens to remember them at the day of election: which was thus devised, either to move the people the more, by requesting them in such mean apparel, or else, because they might shew them their wounds they had gotten in the wars, in the service of the Commonwealth, as manifest marks and testimonies of their valiantness.-PLUTARCH. "Why in this woolvish toge should I stand here," &c. Act II., Scene 3. The first folio has "tongue," instead of "toge." The same error occurs in that version of "OTHELLO," where "tongued consuls" is printed for "toged consuls." The meaning of the term "woolvish" has occasioned much controversy it appears most probable that the poet supposed, whether erroneously or not, that the candidate had to stand in a garment of woollen material-"the gown of humility." "What stock he springs of, The noble house o' the Marcians; from whence came The house of the Martians at Rome was of the number of the patricians, out of the which have sprung many noble personages; whereof Ancus Martius was one (King Numa's daughter's son), who was King of Rome after Tullus Hostilius. Of the same house was Publius and Quintus, who brought to Rome their best water they had, by conduits. Censorinus also came of that family, that was so surnamed because the people had chosen him censor twice; through whose persuasion they made a law that no man from thenceforth might require or enjoy the censorship twice.-PLU But "First hear me speak."-Act III., Scene 3. So Martius came and presented himself to answer their accusations against him; and the people held their peace, and gave attentive ear to hear what he would say. where they thought to have heard very humble and lowly words come from him, he began not only to use his wonted boldness of speaking (which of itself was very rough and unpleasant, and did more aggravate his accusation than purge his innocency), but also gave himself in his words to thunder, and look therewithal so grimly as though he made no reckoning of the matter. This stirred coals among the people, who were in wonderful fury at it; and their hate and malice grew so toward him, that they could no longer bear nor endure his bravery and careless boldness. Whereupon Sicinius, the cruellest and stoutest of the Tribunes, after he had whispered a little with his companions, did openly pronounce, in the face of all the people, Martius as condemned by the Tribunes to die. Then presently he commanded the ædiles to apprehend him, and carry him straight to the rock Tarpeian, and to cast him headlong down the same. When the ædiles came to lay hands upon Martius to do what they were commanded, divers of the people themselves thought it too cruel and violent a deed.-PLUTARCH. To banish your defenders: till at length As most abated captives, to some nation That won you without blows!"-Act III., Scene 3. That is, "Still retain the power of banishing your defenders, till your undiscerning folly leave none in the city but yourselves; when, for want of skilful leaders, you will become an easy prey to any hostile force." --"Fortune's blows When most struck home, being gentle, wounded, craves The sense is, When fortune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded, and yet continue calm, requires a generous policy. Coriolanus calls calmness cunning, because it is the effect of reflection and philosophy.-JOHNSON. Cunning is here, as was generally the case in former times, used synonymously with skill or wisdom. "SIC. Are you mankind? VOL. Ay, fool: is that a shame?—Note but this fool :Was not a man my father?"-Act IV., Scene 2. The term "mankind," as applied to women, meant fierce or ferocious. It is so used in the "WINTER'S TALE," where Leontes calls Paulina "a mankind witch."-Volumnia, in her reply, takes the word in its present received sense. "A goodly city is this Antium-City, 'Tis I that made thy widows."-Act IV., Scene 4. It was even twilight when he entered the city of Antium, and many people met him in the streets, but no man knew him. So he went directly to Tullus Aufidius' house; and when he came thither, he got him up straight to the chimney-hearth, and sat him down, and spake not a word to any man, his face all muffled over. They of the house spying him, wondered what he should be, and yet they durst not bid him rise. For ill-favouredly muffled and disguised as he was, yet there appeared a certain majesty in his countenance and in his silence. Whereupon they went to Tullus, who was at supper, to tell him of the strange disguising of this man. Tullus rose presently from the board, and coming towards him, asked him what he was, and wherefore he came. Then Martius unmuffled himself; and after he had paused awhile (making no answer), he said unto him, " If thou knowest me not yet, Tullus, and, seeing me, dost not perhaps believe me to be the man I am indeed, I must of necessity betray myself to be that I am. I am Caius Marsius, who hath done to thyself particularly, and to all the Volces generally, great hurt and mischief; which I cannot deny, for my surname of Coriolanus that I bear: for I never had other benefit nor recompense of the true and painful service I have done, and the extreme dangers I have been in, but this only surname: a good memory and witness of the malice and displeasure thou shouldst bear me. Indeed, the A noble servant to them; but he could not Carry his honours even. Whether 't was pride," &c. Act IV., Scene 7. Aufidius assigns three probable reasons for the miscarriage of Coriolanus:-pride, which easily follows an uninterrupted train of success: unskilfulness to regulate the consequences of his own victories: a stubborn uniformity of nature, which could not make the proper transition "from the casque to the cushion," or chair of civil authority, but acted with the same despotism in peace as in war.--JOHNSON. -"But he has a merit To choke it in the utterance. So our virtues Hath not a tomb so evident as a chair To extol what it hath done."-Act IV., Scene 7. That is, He has a merit for no other purpose than to destroy it by boasting it.-JOHNSON. Of the latter part of the quotation, Warburton says:"The sense is, the virtue which delights to commend itself, will find the surest tomb in that chair wherein it holds forth its own commendations." There is probably some corruption in the original text. -“ Go, you that banished him, A mile before his tent fall down, and knee In reference to the word "knee" in this passage, it is stated by an intelligent, though sometimes hasty contemporary, that "the second folio, which has been followed in all other editions, has the less expressive word kneel." The point is of very little importance, but it so happens that we have immediately at hand two copies in which the word knee is used, and not kneel. These are, a reprint of Malone's edition of 1790 (Dublin, 1794); and Ayscough's (1791). The number might, no doubt, be easily multiplied to any required amount. Our contemporary is entitled to credit for perfect good faith; but he appears to be inadvertently in the habit of supposing many defects universal, or nearly so, which in fact appertain to those versions only that are too confidently founded in the later editions of Steevens and Reed: the last more especially, which was published in 1803. "He was not taken well; he had not dined: The veins unfilled, our blood is cold," &c Act V., Scene 1. This observation is not only from nature, and finely expressed, but admirably befits the mouth of one, who, in the beginning of the play, had told us that he loved convivial doings.-WARBURTON. "What he would do, He sent in writing after me: what he would not, Bound with an oath to yield to his conditions." Act V., Scene 1. No satisfactory solution has been given of the latter part of this passage. Probably "his conditions" may mean the conditions he had before prescribed. Mr. Singer plausibly proposes to read "no conditions." A misprint in the original copy may reasonably be suspected. "Nay, sometimes, Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground, I have stumbled past the throw; and in his praise Have almost stamped the leasing."—Act V., Scene 2. By a subtle ground, is probably meant a deceiving ground. "Stamped the leasing," means, "I have almost given the lie such a sanction as to render it current." "My wife comes foremost: then the honoured mould Wherein this trunk was framed; and in her hand The grandchild to her blood."-Act V., Scene 3. She (Volumnia) took her daughter-in-law, and Martius's children with her; and, being accompanied with all the other Roman ladies, they went in troop together into the Volces' camp: whom when they saw, they of themselves did both pity and reverence her, and there was not a man amongst them that once durst say a word unto her. Now was Martius set then in his chair of state, with all the honours of a general; and when he had spied the women coming afar off, he marvelled what the matter meant: but afterwards, knowing his wife, which came foremost, he determined at the first to persist in his obstinate and inflexible rancour. But, overcome in the end with natural affection, and being altogether altered to see them, his heart would not serve him to tarry their coming to his chair, but, coming down in haste, he went to meet them: and first he kissed his mother and embraced her a pretty while; then his wife and little children; and nature so wrought with him that the tears fell from his eyes, and he could not keep himself from making much of them, but yielded to the affection of his blood, as if he had been violently carried with the fury of a most swift-running stream.-PLUTARCH. (1824. vol. i, p. 4); and in Captain Lyon's "Narrative of his attempt to reach Repulse Bay" (1824).-SINGER. Hamlet, it will be recollected, speaks of "the winter's flaw." "Ladies, you deserve To have a temple built you.”—Act V., Scene 3. Plutarch states, that a temple, dedicated to the "Fortune of the Ladies," was built on this occasion by order of the senate. "He waged me with his countenance, as if I had been mercenary.”—Act V. Scene 3. To wage, formerly meant to pay or reward. The meaning is, he prescribed to me with an air of authority, and gave me his countenance for my wages:-thought me sufficiently rewarded with good looks. "Hail, lords! I am returned your soldier: No more infected with my country's love Than when I parted hence.”—Act V., Scene 5. Now when Martius was returned again into the city of Antium from his voyage, Tullus, that hated and could no longer abide him, for the fear he had of his authority, sought divers means to make him away; thinking that, if he let slip that present time, he should never recover the like and fit occasion again. Wherefore Tullus, having procured many other of his confederacy, required Martius might be deposed from his estate, to render up account to the Volces of his charge and government. Martius, fearing to become a private man again, under Tullus, being general (whose authority was greater otherwise than any other among all the Volces), answered he was willing to give up his charge, and would resign it into the hands of the lords of the Volces if they did all command him, as by all their commandment he received it: and moreover, that he would not refuse even at that present to give up an account unto the people, if they would tarry the hearing of it. The people hereupon called a common council, in which assembly there were certain orators appointed that stirred up the common people against him: and when they had told their tales, Martius rode up to make them answer.-Now, notwithstanding the mutinous people made a marvellous great noise, yet when they saw him, for the reverence they bare unto his valiantness, they quieted themselves, and gave him audience to allege with leisure what he could for his purgation. Moreover, the honestest men of the Antiates, and who most rejoiced in peace, shewed by their countenance that they would hear him willingly, and judge also according to their conscience. Whereupon Tullus,-fearing that if he did let him speak, he would prove his innocency to the people, because, amongst other things, he had an eloquent tongue; besides that the first good service he had done to the people of the Volces did win him more favour than these last accusations could purchase him displeasure: and furthermore, the offence they laid to his charge was a testimony of the goodwill they owed him (for they would never have thought he had done them wrong for that he took not the city of Rome, if they had not been very near taking it by means of his approach and conduction):-for these causes, Tullus thought he might no longer delay his pretence and enterprise, neither to tarry for the mutinying and rising of the common people against him. Wherefore those that were of the conspiracy began to cry out that he was not to be heard, and that they would not suffer a traitor to usurp tyrannical power over the tribe of the Volces; who would not yield up his state and authority. And in saying these words, they all fell upon him and killed him in the market-place, none of the people once offering to rescue him.-PLUTARCH. |