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MAR.

Come I too late?

COм. Ay, if you come not in the blood of others, But mantled in your own.

MAR.
O! let me clip you
In arms as sound, as when I woo'd; in heart
As merry, as when our nuptial day was done,
And tapers burn'd to bedward.'

Сом.

How is't with Titus Lartius?

Flower of warriors,

MAR. As with a man busied about decrees: Condemning some to death, and some to exile; Ransoming him, or pitying, threat'ning the other; Holding Corioli in the name of Rome,

2

Even like a fawning greyhound in the leash,
To let him slip at will.

Сом.

Where is that slave,

Which told me they had beat you to your trenches? Where is he? Call him hither.

MAR. Let him alone, He did inform the truth: But for our gentlemen, The common file, (A plague!-Tribunes for them!)

forbear to set nonsense before my readers; especially when it can be avoided by the insertion of a single letter, which indeed might have dropped out at the press. STEEVENS.

1

-to bedward.] So, in Albumazar, 1615: "Sweats hourly for a dry brown crust to bedward." STEEVENS.

Again, in Peacham's Complete Gentleman, 1627: "Leaping, upon a full stomach, or to bedward, is very dangerous."

MALONE.

Again, in The Legend of Cardinal Lorraine, 1577, sign. G. 1: 16 They donsed also, lest so soon as their backs were turned to the courtward, and that they had given over the dealings in the affairs, there would come in infinite complaints." REED.

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Ransoming him, or pitying,] i. e. remitting his ransom.

JOHNSON.

The mouse ne'er shunn'd the cat, as they did budge From rascals worse than they.

Сом.

But how prevail'd you?

MAR. Will the time serve to tell? I do not

think

Where is the enemy? Are you lords o' the field? If not, why cease you till you are so?

Сом.

Marcius,

We have at disadvantage fought, and did
Retire, to win our purpose.

MAR. How lies their battle? Know you on which

side3

They have plac'd their men of trust?

COM.

As I guess, Marcius, Their bands in the vaward are the Antiates, Of their best trust: o'er them Aufidius,

Their

3

tarch:

very heart of hope.5

on which side &c.] So, in the old translation of Plu

"Martius asked him howe the order of the enemies battell was, and on which side they had placed their best fighting men. The consul made him aunswer that he thought the bandes which were in the vaward of their battell, were those of the Antiates, whom they esteemed to be the warlikest men, and which for valiant corage would geve no place to any of the hoste of their enemies. Then prayed Martius to be set directly against them. The consul graunted him, greatly praysing his corage."

STEEVENS.

Antiates,] The old copy reads-Antients, which might mean veterans; but a following line, as well as the previous quotation, seems to prove-Antiates to be the proper reading: "Set me against Aufidius and his Ântiates."

Our author employs-Antiates as a trisyllable, as if it had been written-Antiats. STEEVens.

Mr. Pope made the correction. MALONE.

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Their very heart of hope.] The same expression is found in Marlowe's Lust's Dominion:

MAR.

I do beseech you,

By all the battles wherein we have fought,
By the blood we have shed together, by the vows
We have made to endure friends, that you directly
Set me against Aufidius, and his Antiates:
And that you not delay the present; but,
Filling the air with swords advanc'd," and darts,
We prove
this very hour.

Сом.

6

Though I could wish You were conducted to a gentle bath, And balms applied to you, yet dare I never Deny your asking; take your choice of those That best can aid your action.

MAR.

Those are they That most are willing:-If any such be here, (As it were sin to doubt,) that love this painting Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear Lesser his person than an ill report;8

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thy desperate arm

"Hath almost thrust quite through the heart of hope." MALONE.

In King Henry IV. P. I. we have:

"The very bottom and the soul of hope." STEEVENS. "And that you not delay the present;] Delay, for let slip. WARBURTON.

7 · swords advanc'd,] That is, swords lifted high.

if any fear

JOHNSON.

Lesser his person than an ill report;] The old copy has lessen. If the present reading, which was introduced by Mr. Steevens, be right, his person must mean his personal danger.

any one less fears personal danger, than an ill name, &c. If the fears of any man are less for his person, than they are from an apprehension of being esteemed a coward, &c. We have nearly the same sentiment in Troilus and Cressida :

"If there be one among the fair'st of Greece,
"That holds his honour higher than his ease,—,"

If any think, brave death outweighs bad life,
And that his country's dearer than himself;
Let him, alone, or so many, so minded,

Wave thus, [Waving his Hand.] to express his disposition,

And follow Marcius.

[They all shout, and wave their Swords; take him up in their Arms, and cast up their Caps. O me, alone! Make you a sword of me? If these shows be not outward, which of you But is four Volces? None of you but is Able to bear against the great Aufidius A shield as hard as his. A certain number, Though thanks to all, must I select the rest Shall bear the business in some other fight, As cause will be obey'd. Please you to march; And four shall quickly draw out my command, Which men are best inclin'd.'

Again, in King Henry VI. P. III:

f

"But thou prefer'st thy life before thine honour."

In this play we have already had lesser for less.

9 Though thanks to all, must I select: the rest

MALONE.

Shall bear &c.] The old copy-I must select from all. I have followed Sir Thomas Hanmer in the omission of words apparently needless and redundant. STEEVENS.

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Please you to march;

And four shall quickly draw out my command,

Which men are best inclin'd.] I cannot but suspect this passage of corruption. Why should they march, that four might select those that were best inclin'd? How would their inclinations be known? Who were the four that should select them? Perhaps we may read:

Please you to march;

And fear shall quickly draw out my command,
Which men are least inclin'd.

It is easy to conceive that, by a little negligence, fear might be changed to four, and least to best. Let us march, and that fear which incites desertion will free my army from cowards.

JOHNSON.

Сом.

March on, my fellows:

Make good this ostentation, and you shall

Divide in all with us.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

The Gates of Corioli.

TITUS LARTIUS, having set a Guard upon Corioli, going with a Drum and Trumpet toward COMINIUS and CAIUS MARCIUS, enters with a Lieutenant, a Party of Soldiers, and a Scout.

LART. So, let the ports2 be guarded: keep your duties,

As I have set them down. If I do send, despatch

Mr. Heath thinks the poet wrote:

"And so I shall quickly draw out," &c.

Some sense, however, may be extorted from the ancient reading. Coriolanus may mean, that as all the soldiers have offered to attend him on this expedition, and he wants only a part of them, he will submit the selection to four indifferent persons, that he himself may escape the charge of partiality. If this be the drift of Shakspeare, he has expressed it with uncommon obscurity. The old translation of Plutarch only says: "Wherefore, with those that willingly offered themselves to followe him, he went out of the citie." STEEVENS.

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Coriolanus means only to say, that he would appoint four sons to select for his particular command or party, those who were best inclined; and in order to save time, he proposes to have this choice made, while the army is marching forward. They all march towards the enemy, and on the way he chooses those who are to go on that particular service. M. MASON.

66

the ports-] i. e. the gates. So, in Timon of Athens: Descend, and open your uncharged ports."

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STEEVENS.

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