SCENE II. The same. The Capitol. 8 Enter Two Officers, to lay Cushions. 1 OFF. Come, come, they are almost here: How many stand for consulships? 2 OFF. Three, they say: but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it. 1 OFF. That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people. 2 OFF. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore: so that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground: Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him, manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't. 1 OFF. If he did not care whether he had their love, or no, he waved" indifferently 'twixt doing Enter Two Officers, &c.] The old copy reads: "Enter two officers to lay cushions, as it were, in the capitoll." STEEVENS. This as it were was inserted, because there being no scenes in the theatres in our author's time, no exhibition of the inside of the capitol could be given. See The Account of our old Theatres, Vol. II. MALONE. In the same place, the reader will find this position controverted. STEEVENS. 9—he waved-] That is, he would have waved indifferently. JOHNSON. them neither good, nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. 2 OFF. He hath deserved worthily of his country: And his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those, who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to heave them at all into their estimation and report: 1 3 their opposite.] That is, their adversary. See Vol. V. p. 331, n. 7, and p. 352, n. 2. MALONE. 2 3 as those,] That is, as the ascent of those. MALONE. supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, &c.] Bonnetter, Fr. is to pull off one's cap. See Cotgrave. So, in the academick style, to cap a fellow, is to take off the cap to him. M. MASON. who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to have them at all into their estimation and report:] I have adhered to the original copy in printing this very obscure passage, because it appears to me at least as intelligible, as what has been substituted in its room. Mr. Rowe, for having, reads have, and Mr. Pope, for have in a subsequent part of the sentence, reads heave. Bonnetted, is, I apprehend, a verb, not a participle, here. They humbly took off their bonnets, without any further deed whatsoever done in order to have them, that is, to insinuate themselves into the good opinion of the people. To have them, for to have themselves or to wind themselves into, is certainly very harsh; but to heave themselves, &c. is not much less so. MALONE. I continue to read heave. Have, in King Henry VIII. (See Vol. XV. p. 74, n. 2.) was likewise printed instead of heave, in the first folio, though corrected in the second. The phrase in question occurs in Hayward: "The Scots heaved up into high hope of victory," &c. Many instances of Shakspeare's attachment to the verb heave, might be added on this occasion. STEEVENS. but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise, were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it. 1 OFF. No more of him; he is a worthy man : Make way, they are coming. A Sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, many other Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves. MEN. Having determin'd of the Volces, and To send for Titus Lartius, it remains, As the main point of this our after-meeting, Hath thus stood for his country: Therefore, please you, Most reverend and grave elders, to desire 1 SEN. Speak, good Cominius: Leave nothing out for length, and make us think, Rather our state's defective for requital, whom We meet here, both to thank, &c.] The construction, I think, is, whom to thank, &c. (or, for the purpose of thanking whom) we met or assembled here. MALONE. Than we to stretch it out.5 Masters o'the people, We do request your kindest ears; and, after, Your loving motion toward the common body, To yield what passes here. SIC. We are convented Upon a pleasing treaty; and have hearts The theme of our assembly." Rather our state's defective for requital, Than we to stretch it out.] I once thought the meaning was, And make us imagine that the state rather wants inclination or ability to requite his services, than that we are blameable for expanding and expatiating upon them. A more simple explication, however, is perhaps the true one. And make us think that the republick is rather too niggard than too liberal in rewarding his services. Malone. The plain sense, I believe, is::-Rather say that our means are too defective to afford an adequate reward for his services, than suppose our wishes to stretch out those means are defective. 6 STEEVENS. Your loving motion toward the common body,] Your kind interposition with the common people. JOHNSON. He "The theme of our assembly.] Here is a fault in the expression : And had it affected our author's knowledge of nature, I should have adjudged it to his transcribers or editors; but as it affects only his knowledge of history, I suppose it to be his own. should have said your assembly. For till the Lex Attinia, (the author of which is supposed by Sigonius, [De vetere Italia Jure] to have been contemporary with Quintus Metellus Macedonicus,) the tribunes had not the privilege of entering the senate, but had seats placed for them near the door on the outside of the house. WARBURTON. Though I was formerly of a different opinion, I am now convinced that Shakspeare, had he been aware of the circumstance pointed out by Dr. Warburton, might have conducted this scene without violence to Roman usage. The presence of Brutus and Sicinius being necessary, it would not have been difficult to exhibit both the outside and inside of the Senate-house in a manner sufficiently consonant to theatrical probability. STEEvens. BRU. Which the rather We shall be bless'd to do, if he remember He hath hereto priz'd them at. MEN. That's off, that's off;* I would you rather had been silent: Please you BRU. MEN. He loves your people; But tie him not to be their bedfellow. Worthy Cominius, speak.-Nay, keep your place. [CORIOLANUS rises, and offers to go away. 1 SEN. Sit, Coriolanus; never shame to hear What you have nobly done.. COR. Your honours' pardon; I had rather have my wounds to heal again, Than hear say how I got them. BRU. Sir, I hope, COR. No, sir: yet oft, When blows have made me stay, I fled from words. You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not: But, your people, I love them as they weigh. 8 MEN. Pray now, sit down. That's off, that's off;] That is, that is nothing to the purpose. JOHNSON. • You sooth'd not, therefore hurt not:] You did not flatter me, and therefore did not offend me.-Hurt is commonly used by our author for hurted. Mr. Pope, not perceiving this, for sooth'd reads sooth, which was adopted by the subsequent editors. MALONE. |