There is a world elsewhere.

[Exeunt CORIOLANUS, COMINIUS, MENE-
NIUS, Senators, and Patricians.

Ed. The people's enemy is gone, is gone!
Cit. Our enemy's banish'd! he is gone! Hoo!
hoo!

[The People shout, and throw up their Caps. Sic. Go, see him out at gates, and follow him,

As he hath follow'd you, with all despite;
Give him deserv'd vexation. Let a guard
Attend us through the city.

Cit. Come, come, let us see him out at gates;

come:

The gods preserve our noble tribunes!-Come.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. The same. Before a Gate of the City.

Enter CORIOLANUS, VOLUMNIA, VIRGILIA, MENENIUS, COMINIUS, and several young Patri

cians.

Cor. Come, leave your tears; a brief farewell:the beast

With many heads butts me away.-Nay, mother,
Where is your ancient courage? you were us'd
To say, extremity was the trier of spirits;
That common chances common men could bear;
That, when the sea was calm, all boats alike
Show'd mastership in floating: fortune's blows,
When most struck home, being gentle wounded,

craves

A noble cunning: you were us'd to load me
With precepts, that would make invincible
The heart that conn'd them.

Vir. O heavens! O heavens!

Cor.

Nay, I pr'ythee, woman,

Vol. Now the red pestilence strike all trades in

Rome,

And occupations perish!

Cor.

What, what, what!

I shall be lov'd, when I am lack'd. Nay, mother, Resume that spirit, when you were wont to say, you had been the wife of Hercules,

If

Six of his labours you'd have done, and sav'd
Your husband so much sweat.-Cominius,
Droop not; adieu:-Farewell, my wife! my mother!
I'll do well yet.-Thou old and true Menenius,
Thy tears are salter than a younger man's,
And venomous to thine eyes.-My sometime general
I have seen thee stern, and thou hast oft beheld
Heart-hard'ning spectacles; tell these sad women,
"Tis fond' to wail inevitable strokes,

As 'tis to laugh at them.-My mother, you wot well,
My hazards still have been your solace: and

fortune's blows,

When most struck home, being gentle wounded, craves

A noble cunning:] This is the ancient and authentick reading. The modern editors have, for gentle wounded, silently substituted gently warded, and Dr. Warburton has explained gently by nobly. It is good to be sure of our author's words before we go to explain their meaning.

The sense is, when Fortune strikes her hardest blows, to be wounded, and yet continue calm, requires a generous policy. He calls this calmness cunning, because it is the effect of reflection and philosophy. Perhaps the first emotions of nature are nearly uniform, and one man differs from another in the powers of endurance, as he is better regulated by precept and instruction. 'They bore as heroes, but they felt as men."

''Tis fond-] i. e. 'tis foolish.

JOHNSON.

Believe't not lightly, (though I go alone,
Like to a lonely dragon, that his fen

Makes fear'd, and talk'd of more than seen,) your

son

Will, or exceed the common, or be caught
With cautelous' baits and practice.

Vol.

My first son,2

Whither wilt thou go? Take good Cominius
With thee a while: Determine on some course,
More than a wild exposture3 to each chance
That starts i' the way before thee.

Cor.

O the gods!

Com. I'll follow thee a month, devise with thee Where thou shalt rest, that thou may'st hear of us, And we of thee: so, if the time thrust forth A cause for thy repeal, we shall not send O'er the vast world, to seek a single man; And lose advantage, which doth ever cool I' the absence of the needer.

Fare well:-
ye

Cor. Thou hast years upon thee; and thou art too full Of the wars' surfeits, to go rove with one "That's yet unbruis'd: bring me but out at gate.Come, my sweet wife, my dearest mother, and My friends of noble touch, when I am forth, Bid me farewell, and smile. I pray you, come. While I remain above the ground, you shall Hear from me still; and never of me aught But what is like me formerly.

1

Men.

That's worthily

cautelous-] Cautelous, in the present instance, signi

fies-insidious.

2

My first son,] First, i. e. noblest, and most eminent of men. More than a wild exposture-] I know not whether the word exposture be found in any other author. If not, I should incline to read exposure. MALONE.

4

My friends of noble touch,] i. e. of true metal unallayed. Metaphor from trying gold on the touchstone.

As any ear can hear.-Come, let's not weep.-
If I could shake off but one seven years

From these old arms and legs, by the good gods,

I'd with thee every

Cor.

Come.

foot.

Give me thy hand:

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The same.

A Street near the Gate.

Enter SICINIUS, BRUTUS, and an Ædile.

Sic. Bid them all home; he's gone, and we'll no further.

The nobility are vex'd, who, we see, have sided

Say, their great enemy is gone, and they
Stand in their ancient strength.

Keep on your way.

Vol. O, you're well met: The hoarded plague

o'the gods

Requite your love!

Men.

VOL. VIII.

Peace, peace; be not so loud.

Q

Vol. If that I could for weeping, you should hear,

Nay, and

you

shall hear some.-Will you be gone? TO BRUTUS.

Vir. You shall stay too: [To SICIN.] I would, I had the power

To say so to my husband.

Sic.

Are you mankind?

Vol. Ay, fool; Is that a shame?-Note but this

fool.

Was not a man my father? Hadst thou foxship' To banish him that struck more blows for Rome, Than thou hast spoken words?

Sic.

O blessed heavens!

Vol. More noble blows, than ever thou wise

words;

And for Rome's good.-I'll tell thee what;-Yet

go:

Nay, but thou shalt stay too:-I would my son
Were in Arabia, and thy tribe before him,

His good sword in his hand.

Sic.

Vir.

What then?

What then?

He'd make an end of thy posterity.

Vol. Bastards, and all.

Good man, the wounds that he does bear for Rome!

Men. Come, come, peace.

Sic. I would he had continu'd to his country,

As he began; and not unknit himself

The noble knot he made.

Bru.

I would he had.

Vol. I would he had? 'Twas you incens'd the

rabble:

Cats, that can judge as fitly of his worth,

As I can of those mysteries which heaven

"Hadst thou foxship-] Hadst thou, fool as thou art, mean cunning enough to banish Coriolanus?