Men. Nay, I hear nothing; his mother and his wife Hear nothing from him. Enter Three or Four Citizens. Cit. The gods preserve you both! Sic. Good e'en, our neighbours. Bru. Good e'en to you all, good e'en to you all. 1 Cit. Ourselves, our wives, and children, on our knees, Are bound to pray for you both. Sic. Live, and thrive! Bru. Farewell, kind neighbours; we wish'd Co riolanus Had lov'd you as we did. Cit. Now the gods keep you! Both Tri. Farewell, farewell. [Exeunt Citizens. Sic. This is a happier and more comely time, Than when these fellows ran about the streets, Crying, Confusion. Bru. Caius Marcius was A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent, O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking, Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth consul, found it so2. Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits safe and still without him. Ed. Enter Edile. Worthy tribunes, There is a slave, whom we have put in prison, 1 i. e. he aimed at absolute power, he wanted to sway the state alone without the participation of the tribunes. 2 We should surely read, have found it so:' without this word the construction of the sentence is imperfect. Reports, the Volces with two several powers And with the deepest malice of the war "Tis Aufidius, Men. Which were inshell'd, when Marcius stood3 for Rome And durst not once peep out. Sic. Of Marcius? Come, what talk you Bru. Go see this rumourer whipp'd.—It cannot be, The Volces dare break with us. Men. Cannot be ! We have record, that very well it can ; And three examples of the like have been Within my age. But reason with the fellow, Before you punish him, where he heard this: Lest you should chance to whip your information, And beat the messenger who bids beware Of what is to be dreaded. Mess. The nobles, in great earnestness, are going All to the senate-house: some news is come, That turns 5 their countenances. 3 i. e. stood up in its defence. Had the expression in the text (says Steevens) been met with in a learned author, it might have passed for a Latinism : Summis stantem pro turribus Idam.' 4 To reason with is to talk with. See vol. iii. p. 42, vol. ii. Sic. "Tis this slave; Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes:-his raising! Nothing but his report! Mess. Yes, worthy sir, The slave's report is seconded; and more, Sic. What more fearful? Mess. It is spoke freely out of many mouths (How probable, I do not know), that Marcius, Join'd with Aufidius, leads a power 'gainst Rome; And vows revenge as spacious, as between The young'st and oldest thing. Sic. This is most likely! Bru. Rais'd only, that the weaker sort may wish Good Marcius home again. Sic. Men. This is unlikely: The very trick on't. He and Aufidius can no more atone", Than violentest contrariety. Enter another Messenger. Mess. You are sent for to the senate: A fearful army, led by Caius Marcius, Upon our territories; and have already, O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire, and took What lay before them. Enter COMINIUS. Com. O, you have made good work! Men. What news? what news? Com. You have holp to ravish your own daughters, and 6 i. e. atone, accord, agree. Atone and atonement are many times used by Shakspeare in this sense. To melt the city leads upon your pates; Com. Your temples burned in their cement; and Your franchises, whereon you stood, confin'd Into an augre's bore7. Men. Pray now, your news ? You have made fair work, I fear me:-Pray, your news? If Marcius should be join'd with Volcians, Com. He is their god; he leads them like a thing Or butchers killing flies. Men. If! You have made good work, You, and your apron men; you that stood so much Upon the voice of occupation, and The breath of garlick-eaters! 8 i. e. mechanics. See Julius Cæsar, Act i. Sc. 2, note 20. Horace uses artes for artifices. In a future passage he calls them crafts. To smell of garlick was a brand of vulgarity; as to smell of leeks was no less so among the Roman people :- quis tecum sectile porrum Sutor, et elixi vervecis labra comedit?' 9 A ludicrous allusion to the apples of the Hesperides. Before you find it other. All the regions Do smilingly revolt 10, and, who resist, And perish constant fools. Who is't can blame him? Your enemies, and his, find something in him. Men. We are all undone, unless The noble man have mercy. Who shall ask it? Com. Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they Men. "Tis true: If he were putting to my house the brand That should consume it, I have not the face say, 'Beseech To hands, You, and Com. your crafts! you have crafted fair! you, cease. -You have made fair You have brought Say not, we brought it. A trembling upon Rome, such as was never So incapable of help. Tri. Men. How! Was it we? We lov'd him; but, like beasts, And cowardly nobles, gave way to your clusters, Who did hoot him out o' the city. But, I fear Com. 10 Revolt with pleasure. 11They charg'd, and therein show'd,' has here the force of 'they would charge, and therein show.' 12 As they hooted at his departure, they will roar at his return; as he went out with scoffs, he will come back with lamentations.' |
