Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot cious alteration has been adopted in all the subsequent editions. In the same page of that copy, which has been the source of at least one half of the corruptions that have been introduced in our author's works, we find defamy for destiny, sir Coriolanus, for "sit, Coriolanus," trim'd for tim'd, and painting for panting: but luckily none of the latter sophistications have found admission into any of the modern editions, except Mr. Rowe's. Rushes falling below a vessel passing over them is an image as expressive of the prowess of Coriolanus as well can be conceived. A kindred image is found in Troilus and Cressida : there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge, "Fall down before him, like the mower's swath." MALONE. Waves, the reading of the second folio, I regard as no trivial evidence in favour of the copy from which it was printed. Weeds, instead of falling below a vessel under sail, cling fast about the stem of it. The justice of my remark every sailor or waterman will confirm. But were not this the truth, by conflict with a mean adversary, valour would be depreciated. The submersion of weeds resembles a Frenchman's triumph over a soup aux herbes; but to rise above the threatening billow, or force a way through the watry bulwark, is a conquest worthy of a ship, and furnishes a comparison suitable to the exploits of Coriolanus. Thus, in Troilus and Cressida: "The strong-ribb'd bark through liquid mountains cuts, If Shakspeare originally wrote weeds, on finding such an image less apposite and dignified than that of waves, he might have introduced the correction which Mr. Malone has excluded from his text. The stem is that end of the ship which leads. From stem to stern is an expression used by Dryden in his translation of Virgil: "Orontes' bark "From stem to stern by waves was overborne." his sword &c.] Old copy: 66 His sword, death's stamp, STEEVENS. "Where it did mark, it took from face to foot. The mortal gates o'the city, which he painted To ease his breast with panting. MEN. Worthy man! 1 SEN. He cannot but with measure fit the ho nours 6 This passage should be pointed thus: His sword (death's stamp) Where it did mark, it took; from face to foot I have followed the punctuation recommended. STEEVENS. every motion Was tim'd with dying cries.] The cries of the slaughter'd regularly followed his motion, as musick and a dancer accompany each other. JOHNSON. 3 The mortal gate-] The gate that was made the scene of death. JOHNSON. + With shunless destiny,] The second folio reads, whether by accident or choice: With shunless defamy. Defamie is an old French word signifying infamy. TYRWHITT. STEEVENS. It occurs often in John Bale's English Votaries, 1550. struck Corioli, like a planet:] So, in Timon of Athens: "Will o'er some high-vic'd city hang his poison Which we devise him. Сом. Our spoils he kick'd at; And look'd upon things precious, as they were The common muck o'the world: he covets less Than misery itself would give; rewards His deeds with doing them; and is content To spend the time, to end it. MEN. Let him be call'd for. 1 SEN. OFF. He doth appear. 8 He's right noble; Call for Coriolanus." Re-enter CORIOLANUS. MEN. The senate, Coriolanus, are well pleas'd To make thee consul. COR. My life, and services. I do owe them still • He cannot but with measure fit the honours-] That is, no honour will be too great for him; he will show a mind equal to any elevation. JOHNSON. 7 Than misery itself would give ;] cause a miser signifies an avaricious. Misery for avarice; beWARBURton. To spend the time, to end it.] I know not whether my conceit will be approved, but I cannot forbear to think that our author wrote thus: he rewards His deeds with doing them, and is content To spend his time, to spend it. To do great acts, for the sake of doing them; to spend his life, for the sake of spending it. JOHNSON. I think the words afford this meaning, without any alteration. MALONE. • Call for Coriolanus.] I have supplied the preposition-for, to complete the measure. STEEVENS. MEN. It then remains, That you do speak to the people.1 COR. I do beseech you, Let me o'erleap that custom; for I cannot Put on the gown, stand naked, and entreat them, For my wounds' sake, to give their suffrage: please you, That I may pass this doing. SIC. Sir, the people Must have their voices; neither will they bate MEN. Put them not to't: Pray you, go fit you to the custom; and It then remains, That you do speak to the people.] Coriolanus was banished U. C. 262. But till the time of Manlius Torquatus, U. C. 393, the senate chose both the consuls: And then the people, assisted by the seditious temper of the tribunes, got the choice of one. But if Shakspeare makes Rome a democracy, which at this time was a perfect aristocracy; he sets the balance even in his Timon, and turns Athens, which was a perfect democracy, into an aristocracy. But it would be unjust to attribute this entirely to his ignorance; it sometimes proceeded from the too powerful blaze of his imagination, which, when once lighted up, made all acquired knowledge fade and disappear before it. For sometimes again we find him, when occasion serves, not only writing up to the truth of history, but fitting his sentiments to the nicest manners of his peculiar subject, as well to the dignity of his characters, or the dictates of nature in general. WARBURTON. The inaccuracy is to be attributed, not to our author, but to Plutarch, who expressly says, in his Life of Coriolanus, that "it was the custome of Rome at that time, that such as dyd sue for any office, should for certen dayes before be in the market-place, only with a poor gowne on their backes, and without any coate underneath, to praye the people to remember them at the day of election." North's translation, p. 244. MALONE. 1 Your honour with your form.2 COR. It is a part That I shall blush in acting, and might well BRU. Mark you that? COR. To brag unto them, Thus I did, and thus; Show them the unaking scars which I should hide, As if I had receiv'd them for the hire Of their breath only : MEN. Do not stand upon't.We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Our purpose to them;-and to our noble consul Wish we all joy and honour. SEN. To Coriolanus come all joy and honour! [Flourish. Then exeunt Senators. BRU. You see how he intends to use the people. 2 Your honour with your form.] I believe we should read— * Your honour with the form."-That is, the usual form. M. MASON. Your form, may mean the form which custom prescribes to you. STEEVENS. • We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Our purpose to them;] We entreat you, tribunes of the people, to recommend and enforce to the plebeians, what we propose to them for their approbation; namely the appointment of Coriolanus to the consulship. MALONE. This passage is rendered almost unintelligible by the false punctuation. It should evidently be pointed thus, and then the sense will be clear: We recommend to you, tribunes of the people, Our purpose; to them, and to our noble consul, Wish we all joy and honour. To them, means to the people, whom Menenius artfully joins to the consul, in the good wishes of the senate. M. MASON. |