SIC. Such a nature, Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon: But I do wonder, His insolence can brook to be commanded Under Cominius. BRU. Fame, at the which he aims, In whom already he is well grac'd,-cannot his own valour, that he is eaten up with pride, &c. According to this critick then, we must conclude, that when Shakspeare had a mind to say, A man was eaten up with pride, he was so great a blunderer in expression, as to say, He was eaten up with war. But our poet wrote at another rate, and the blunder is his critick's. The present wars devour him, is an imprecation, and should be so pointed. As much as to say, May he fall in those wars! The reason of the curse is subjoined, for (says the speaker) having so much pride with so much valour, his life, with increase of honours, is dangerous to the republick. WARBURTON. I am by no means convinced that Dr. Warburton's punctuation, or explanation, is right. The sense may be, that the present wars annihilate his gentler qualities. To eat up, and consequently to devour, has this meaning. So, in The Second Part of King Henry IV. Act IV. sc. iv: "But thou [the crown] most fine, most honour'd, most renown'd, "Hast eat thy bearer up." To be eat up with pride, is still a phrase in common and vulgar use. He is grown too proud to be so valiant, may signify, his pride is such as not to deserve the accompanyment of so much valour. STEEVENS. I concur with Mr. Steevens. "The present wars," Shakspeare uses to express the pride of Coriolanus grounded on his military prowess; which kind of pride Brutus says devours him. So, in Troilus and Cressida, Act II. sc. iii: He that's proud, eats up himself." Perhaps the meaning of the latter member of the sentence is, " he is grown too proud of being so valiant, to be endured." MALONE. Shall be the general's fault, though he perform Will then cry out of Marcius, O, if he Had borne the business! SIC. Besides, if things go well, Opinion, that so sticks on Marcius, shall BRU. faults To Marcius shall be honours, though, indeed, In aught he merit not. SIC. Let's hence, and hear How the despatch is made; and in what fashion, More than in singularity, he goes Upon his present action, 4 BRU. Let's along. [Exeunt. Of his demerits rob Cominius.] Merits and Demerits had anciently the same meaning. So, in Othello: and my demerits " May speak," &c. Again, in Stowe's Chronicle, Cardinal Wolsey says to his servants: "-I have not promoted, preferred, and advanced you all according to your demerits." Again, in P. Holland's translation of Pliny's Epistle to T. Vespasian, 1600: "-his demerit had been the greater to have continued his story." STEEVENS. Again, in Hall's Chronicle, Henry VI. fol. 69: "-this noble prince, for his demerits called the good duke of Gloucester,-.” MALONE. 5 More than in singularity, &c.] We will learn what he is to do, besides going himself; what are his powers, and what is his appointment. JOHNSON. Perhaps the word singularity implies a sarcasm on Coriolanus, and the speaker means to say after what fashion, beside that in which his own singularity of disposition invests him, he goes into the field. So, in Twelfth-Night: "Put thyself into the trick of singularity." STEEVENS. SCENE II. Corioli. The Senate-House. Enter TULLUS AUFIDIUS, and certain Senators. 1 SEN. So, your opinion is, Aufidius, That they of Rome are enter'd in our counsels, And know how we proceed. AUF. Is it not yours? What ever hath been thought on in this state, That could be brought to bodily act ere Rome Had circumvention? 'Tis not four days gone, Since I heard thence; these are the words: I think, I have the letter here; yes, here it is : [Reads. They have press'd a power, but it is not known hath been thought on] Old copy-have. Corrected by the second folio. STEEVENS. 'Tis not four days gone,] i. e. four days past. STEEVENS. • They have press'd a power,] Thus the modern editors. The old copy reads-They have prest a power; which may signify, have a power ready; from pret, Fr. So, in The Merchant of Venice: " And I am prest unto it." See note on this passage, Act I. sc. i. STEEVENS. The spelling of the old copy proves nothing, for participles were generally so spelt in Shakspeare's time: so distrest, blest, &c. I believe press'd in its usual sense is right. It appears to have been used in Shakspeare's time in the sense of impress'd. So, in Plutarch's Life of Coriolanus, translated by Sir T. North, 1579: "-the common people-would not appeare when the consuls called their names by a bill, to press them for the warres." Again, in King Henry VI. P. III: " From London by the kingdom was I press'd forth." MALONE. Whether for east, or west: The dearth is great; 1 SEN. Our army's in the field: We never yet made doubt but Rome was ready To answer us. AUF. Nor did you think it folly, To keep your great pretences veil'd, till when They needs must show themselves; which in the hatching, It seem'd, appear'd to Rome. By the discovery, We shall be shorten'd in our aim; which was, To take in many towns, ere, almost, Rome Should know we were afoot. 2 SEN. Noble Aufidius, Take your commission; hie you to your bands: Let us alone to guard Corioli: If they set down before us, for the remove Bring up your army;1 but, I think, you'll find 9 To take in many towns,] To take in is here, as in many other places, to subdue. So, in The Execration of Vulcan, by Ben Jonson: "The Globe, the glory of the Bank, " I saw with two poor chambers taken in, Again, more appositely, in Antony and Cleopatra: 1 " And take in Toryne." STEEVENS. - for the remove Bring up your army;] Says the Senator to Aufidius, Go to your troops, we will garrison Corioli. If the Romans besiege They have not prepar'd for us. AUF. O, doubt not that; 2 I speak from certainties. Nay, more, 'Tis sworn between us, we shall never strike Till one can do no more. us, bring up your army to remove them. If any change should be made, I would read: The remove and their remove are so near in sound, that the transcriber's ear might easily have deceived him. But it is always dangerous to let conjecture loose where there is no difficulty. MALONE. 2 I speak from certainties. Nay, more,] Sir Thomas Hanmer completes this line by reading: I speak from very certainties. &c. STEEVENS. |