To choke it in the utt'rance; fo our virtues
Lie in the interpretation of the time;
And Power, unto itself moft commendable,
Hath not a tomb so evident, as a chair
T' extol what it hath done.

One fire drives out one fire; one nail, one nail; *Right's by right fouled, ftrengths by ftrengths do fail. Come, let's away; when, Cains, Rome is thine, Thou'rt poor'st of all, then shortly art thou mine. [Exeunt.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A public Place in Rome.

Enter Menenius, Cominius, Sicinius, Brutus, with others.

N

MENENIU S.

O, I'll not go you hear, what he hath said,
Which was fometime his General; who lov'd
him

In a moft dear particular. He call'd me father:
But what o' that? go you, that banish'd him,
A mile before his Tent, fall down, and knee
The way into his mercy nay, if he coy'd
To hear Cominius fpeak, I'll keep at home.
Com. He would not feem to know me.
Men. Do you hear?

:

Com. Yet one time he did call me by my name : I urg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops That we have bled together.

Coriolanus

Right's by right fouler,] This has no Manner of Senfe. We fhould read,- -Right's by right fouled.- -Or as it is commonly written in English, foiled, from the French, fouler, to tread or trample under Foot.

Warburton.

VOL. VIII.

E

He

He would not answer to; forbade all names;
He was a kind of Nothing, titleless,

'Till he had forg'd himself a name o' th' fire
Of burning Rome.

Men. Why, fo; you've made good work : A pair of Tribunes, that have reck'd for Rome, To make coals cheap: a noble memory!

Com. I minded him, how royal 'twas to pardon When it was leaft expected. He reply'd, It was a bare petition of a State

To one whom they had punish'd.

Men. Very well, could he fay lefs?
Com. I offer'd to awaken his regard.
For's private friends. His anfwer to me was,
He could not stay to pick them in a pile
Of noisom mufly chaff. He faid, 'twas folly,
For one poor grain or two, to leave unburnt,
And ftill to nofe th' offence.

Men. For one poor grain or two?

I'm one of thofe : his mother, wife, his child,
And this brave fellow too, we are the grains;
You are the mufty chaff; and you are smelt
Above the Moon. We must be burnt for you.
Sic. Nay, pray, be patient: if ye refuse your aid
In this fo-never-needed help, yet do not
Upbraid us with our diftrefs. But, fure, if

you

Would be your Country's pleader, your good tongue, More than the inftant army we can make,

Might ftop our Country-man.

Men. No: I'll not meddle.
Sic. Pray you, go to him.

Men. What fhould I do?

Bru. Only make trial what your love can do

For Rome, tow'rds Marcius.

Men. Well, and say, that Marcius Return me, as Cominius is return'd, Unheard (what then?)

But as a difcontented friend, grief-fhot

With his unkindness. Say't be fo?

Sic. Yet your good will

Muft have that thanks from Rome, after the measure As you intended well..

Men. I'll undertake it :

I think, he'll hear me.

Yet to bite his lip,

And hum at good Cominius, much unhearts me.
He was not taken well, he had not din'd.
The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then
We pout upon the morning, are unapt
To give or to forgive; but when we've stuff'd
Thefe pipes, and thefe conveyances of blood
With wine and feeding, we have fuppler fouls
Than in our prieft-like fafts; therefore I'll watch him
'Till he be dieted to my request,

And then I'll fet upon him.

Bru. You know the very road into his kindness, And cannot lose your way.

Men. Good faith, I'll prove him,

Speed how it will. I fhall ere long have knowledge

Of my fuccefs.

Com. He'll never hear him.

Sic. Not?

[Exit.

Com. I tell you, he does fit in gold, his eye Red as 'twould burn Rome; and his injury The Goaler to his pity. I kneel'd before him, 'Twas very faintly he faid, rife: difmifs'd me Thus, with his fpeechlefs hand. What he would do, He sent in writing after; what he would not, Bound with an oath not yield to new conditions: So that all hope is vain, unless his mother And wife, who (as I hear) mean to folicit him, * Force mercy to his country. Therefore hence, And with our fair intreaties hafte them on. [Exeunt.

*For mercy to his country.] Unless his Mother and Wife-do what? the Sentence is imperfe&. We fhould read,---Force Mercy to his Country

E 2

Warb.

SCENE

Changes to the Volfcian Camp.

Enter Menenius to the Watch or Guard.
TAY: whence are you ?

I Watch.

STA

2 Watch. Stand, and go back. Men. You guard like men, 'tis well. But, by your leave,

I am an officer of State, and come
To fpeak with Coriolanus.

I Watch. Whence ?

Men. From Rome.

I Watch. You may not pafs, you must return: our General

Will no more hear from thence.

2 Watch. You'll fee your Rome embrac'd with fire, before

You'll speak with Coriolanus.

Men. Good my friends.

If you have heard your General talk of Rome,
And of his friends there, it is Lots to Blanks,
My name hath touch'd your ears; it is Menenius.
1 Watch. Be it fo, go back: the virtue of your
Name

Is not here paffable.

Men. I tell thee, fellow,

Thy General is my lover: I have been

The book of his good acts; whence men have read His fame unparallel'd haply amplified :

For I have ever narrified my friends,

For I have ever verified my friends, &c.] Shakespear's mighty Talent in painting the Manners, is especially remarkable in this Place. Menenius here, and Polonius in Hamlet, have much of the fame natural Chara&er. The Difference is only accidental. The one was

a Senator in a free State; and the other a Courtier, and Minifter to a King; which two Circumftances afforded Matter for that inimitable Ridicule thrown over the Character of Polonius. Without Doubt he wrote,—For I have ever narrified my friends,—i. e. made their Encomium. Warb.

(Of

(Of whom he's chief) with all the fize that verity Would without lapfing fuffer: nay, fometimes, Like to a bowl upon a fubtle ground,

I've tumbled paft the throw; and in his praise Have, almoft, ftamp'd the leafing. Therefore, fellow, I must have leave to pafs.

I Watch. Faith, Sir, if you had told as many lies in his behalf, as you have utter'd words in your own, you should not pass here: no, though it were as virtuous to lie, as to live chaftly. Therefore, go back.

Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember, my name is Menenius; always factionary of the Party of your General.

2 Watch. Howfoever you have been his liar, (as you fay, you have ;) I am one that, telling true under him, muft fay, you cannot pass. Therefore, go back. Men. Has he din'd, canft thou tell? for I would not speak with him till after dinner.

1 Watch. You are a Roman, are you?

Men. I am as thy General is.

I Watch. Then you fhould hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pufh'd out of your gates.. the. very Defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front his revenges with the eafy groans of old wo men, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palfied interceffion of such a decay'd Dotard as you feem to be? can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with fuch weak breath as this? no, you are deceiv'd, therefore back to Rome, and prepare for your execution; you are condemn'd, our General has fworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

Men. Sirrah, if thy Captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation.

I Watch. Come, my Captain knows you not.
Men. I mean, thy General.

E 3

I Watch.