A mother less? or 'granted less, Aufidius? Auf. I was 'moved withal.

Cor.

...

I dare be sworn, you were:
'What peace you 'll make, advise me. For my part,
I'll not to 'Rome, I'll back with 'you; and pray you,
Stand to me in this cause.-O mother! wife!
Come, enter with us. Ladies, you deserve
To have a 'temple built you: all the swords
In Italy, and her 'confederate arms,
Could not have made this peace.

[Exeunt.

The Ladies hastily proceed to Rome, where they are received with great public rejoicings.

The Volscian soldiers, instead of attacking Rome, return, with Coriolanus, to Antium. The thwarted Aufidius privately prepares a list of accusations against Coriolanus, which he forwards to the Lords of the city; and, lest these should fail to work the ruin of his rival, he conspires with several Volscians to put him to death before he has an opportunity of justifying his conduct by an appeal to the people.

The Volscian army is now in Antium. Before us are the Lords of the city and a crowd of Citizens.-Coriolanus speaks : Cor. Hail, lords! I am returned 'your soldier;

No more infected with my 'country's love,
Than when I 'parted hence; but 'still subsisting
Under 'your great command. You are to know,
That prosperously I have 'attempted, and,
With bloody passage, 'led your wars even to

The gates of Rome. Our 'spoils we have brought

home

Do 'more than counterpoise-a full third part-
The 'charges of the action. We 've made 'peace,
With no less 'honour to the 'Antiates,

Than 'shame to the Romans: And we here deliver-
Subscribed by all the Consuls and Patricians,

Together with the seal o' the Senate-what
We have compounded on.

[Presents a paper.

Aufidius advances:

Auf.

Read it 'not, noble lords;

But tell the traitor-in the highest degree
He hath 'abused your powers.

Cor. Traitor!-How now!

Auf.

Cor.

Ay, traitor, 'Marcius.

Marcius!

Auf. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius. Dost thou think 'I'll grace thee with that 'robbery, thy stolen name

Coriolanus, 'in Corioli?—

You lords and heads of the State, perfidiously
He has 'betrayed your business; and given up,
For certain drops of salt, your city Rome,-
I say, 'your city,-to his wife and mother;
Breaking his oath and resolution, like
A twist of rotten silk; never admitting
Council o' the war, but, at his 'nurse's tears,
He whined and roared away 'your victory,
That 'pages blushed at him, and men of 'heart
Looked wondering each at other.

Hear'st thou, Mars?

Cor.
Auf. 'Name not the god, thou boy of tears!
Cor. Measureless 'liar! thou hast made my heart
Too great for what contains it. 'Boy!" O slave—
Cut me to pieces, Volsces; men and lads,

Auf.

Cor.

Auf

If

Stain 'all your edges on me.-"Boy!" False hound!
you have writ your annals 'true, 't is there,
That, like an eagle in a dove-cot, I

Fluttered your Volscians in Corioli:

'Alone I did it." Boy?"

Why, noble lords,

Will you be put in mind of your own shame,
By this unholy braggart?

O! that I had him,

With 'six Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,
To use my lawful sword!

Insolent villain !

All Con. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!

Aufidius and the Conspirators draw, and stab Coriolanus, who
falls dead. Aufidius stands on his body. A Senator exclaims :
Sen.
O Tullus,-

Thou hast done a deed whereat valour will weep.
Auf. My lords, when you shall know the danger
Which this man's life did owe you, you 'll 'rejoice
That he is thus cut off. Please it your honours
To call me to your Senate, I'll deliver
Myself your loyal servant, or endure

Your heaviest censure. Now my 'rage is gone,
And I am struck with 'sorrow. Though, in this city, he
Hath widowed and unchilded many a one,

Which to this hour bewail the injury,

Yet he shall have a noble 'memory.

[Exeunt, bearing the body of Coriolanus. A dead march sounded.

END OF CORIOLANUS.

JULIUS CESAR.

f

The Tragedy of Julius Cæsar was probably written in 1607-the same year in which it was first performed, although it was not printed till 1623; for it had now became the policy of the managers of the theatre with which Shakespeare was connected, to keep the Plays of this very popular author out of the hands of rival companies.

There were several earlier productions on the same subject :— Stephen Gosson (in his "School of Abuse," printed in 1579,) mentions a play called "The Historie of Cæsar and Pompey "-In 1582, Dr. Richard Eedes (who is mentioned by Francis Meres in his "Wit's Commonwealth" as one of the best tragic writers of the time) produced a Latin play, which was acted in Oxford University-In 1601, Weaver, in his "Mirror of Martyrs," makes distinct reference to an English drama, of which he thus writes:

"The many-headed multitude were drawne

By Brutus' speech, that Cæsar was ambitious;
When eloquent Mark Antonie had showne

His vertues, who but Brutus then was vicious?"

Again: In 1603, the author of the first known edition of "Hamlet,' causes the Prince to address Lord Corambus, (the Lord Polonius of Shakespeare's later version,)—

Ham. My lord, you played in the Vniuersitie.

Cor. That I did my L: and I was counted a good actor.

Ham. What did you enact there?

Cor. My lord, I did act Iulius Cæsar, I was killed in the Capitoll, Brutus killed me.

Ham. It was a brute parte of him, to kill so capitall a calfe.

And in 1604, Alexander, Earl of Sterline, (Stirling) produced his English Tragedy of "Julius Cæsar."

To neither of these dramatists does Shakespeare appear to have been indebted: but, in the historical incidents of this great struggle between Patricians and Plebeians, he faithfully adheres to Sir Thomas North's Translation of the "Parallel Lives," by Plutarch; to which, in almost every scene and in every important speech, our Poet shows his obligations.

Shakespeare having, in his English Historical Plays, represented Royalty in all its forms-whether of Divine right, passive obedience, non-resistance, tyranny, craft, crime, vice,-virtue,—now turns round to display, in the characters of Brutus and Cassius, the more liberal principles of some modern governments.

JULIUS CESAR.

Two of the

OCTAVIUS CÆSAR,

Triumvirs

after the

MARCUS ANTONIUS,

death of
Cæsar.

MARCUS BRUTUS,

The Dramatis Personæ retained in this Condensation are:

FLAVIUS and MARULLUS, Tribunes.
A Soothsayer.

LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA,
VOLUMNIUS, Friends to Brutus
and Cassius.

VARRO, CLAUDIUS,

STRATO,

LUCIUS, Servants to Brutus.

PINDARUS, Servant to Cassius.

tors

TREBONIUS,

LIGARIUS,

DECIUS BRUTUS,

Cæsar.

PORTIA, Wife of Brutus.

METELLUS CIMBER,

CINNA,

Attendants, &c.

The Time of the action is limited to about two years: that is, from the Ides-the 15th-of March (when Cæsar was assassinated, 44 years B. C.) to the Battle of Philippi, 42 B. C.

The Scene is, during a great part of the Play, at Rome: afterwards near Sardis, and finally at Philippi.

Flavius and Marullus,

The opening Scene is a Street in Rome. partisans of Pompey the Great-lately the powerful rival of Cæsar, and but recently murdered in Egypt-encounter a crowd of the lower order of Citizens, whom Flavius addresses:

Flav. Hence! home, you idle creatures! get you home!
Is this a 'holiday? What! know you not,
Being 'mechanical, you ought not walk
Upon a 'labouring day, without the 'sign

Of your profession?-Speak, what trade art 'thou?

1 Cit. Why, sir, a 'carpenter.

Mar. Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?
What dost thou with thy 'best apparel on?
You, sir, what trade are 'you?

2 Cit. Truly, sir, in respect of a 'fine workman,
I am but, as you would say, a 'cobbler.

Mar. But what 'trade art thou? answer me 'directly." 2 Cit. A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of 'bad 'soles. Mar. ... 'What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, what trade?

2 Cit. Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not 'out with me: yet, if you 'be out, sir, I can 'mend you.

Mar. What mean'st thou by that? 'Mend me, thou saucy

fellow?

a Plainly, without circumlocution.

2 Cit. Why, sir, 'cobble you.

Flav. Thou art a 'cobbler, art thou?

2 Cit. Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the 'awl; I meddle with no tradesman's matters, but with 'awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon-to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I 're-cover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat's-leather, have gone upon 'my handiwork.

Flav. But wherefore art not in thy shop 'to-day?

'Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 2 Cit. Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into 'more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday to see "Cæsar, and to rejoice in his triumph.

Marullus advances:

Mar. 'Wherefore rejoice? What 'conquest brings he

home?

What 'tributaries follow him to Rome,

To grace, in captive bonds, 'his chariot wheels?

You blocks! you stones! you 'worse than senseless
things!

O you hard hearts! you cruel men of Rome !
Knew you not 'Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climbed-up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to 'chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day, with patient expectation,
To see great 'Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his 'chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,
To hear the 'replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?

And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a 'holiday?
And do you now strew flowers, in 'his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's 'blood?
Be gone!

Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs 'must light on this 'ingratitude!

[Exeunt.

In another Avenue of the City, Cæsar and his wife Calphurnia, -attended by Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Marc Antony, and other