Wherein I seem unnatural: Desire not VOL. That, if you FAIL in our request,] That is, if you fail to grant us our request; if you are found failing or deficient in love to your country, and affection to your friends, when our request shall have been made to you, the blame, &c. Mr. Pope, who altered every phrase that was not conformable to modern phraseology, changed you to we; and his alteration has been adopted in all the subsequent editions. MALONE. 66 2 Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment, &c.] The speeches copied from Plutarch in Coriolanus, may (says Mr. Pope) be as well made an instance of the learning of Shakspeare, as those copied from Cicero, in Catiline, of Ben Jonson's." Let us inquire into this matter, and transcribe a speech for a specimen. Take the famous one of Volumnia; for our author has done little more, than throw the very words of North into blank verse. If we helde our peace (my sonne) and determined not to speake, the state of our poore bodies, and present sight of our rayment, would easely bewray to thee what life we haue led at home, since thy exile and abode abroad. But thinke now with thy selfe, howe much more unfortunately than all the women liuinge we are come hether, considering that the sight which should be most pleasaunt to all other to beholde, spitefull fortune hath made most fearfull to us: making my selfe to see my sonne, and my daughter here, her husband, besieging the walles of his natiue countrie. So as that which is the only comfort to all other in their adversitie and miserie, to pray unto the goddes, and to call to them for aide, is the onely thinge which plongeth us into most deep perplexitie. For we cannot (alas) together pray, both for victorie, for our countrie, and for safety of thy life also: but a worlde of grievous curses, yea more than any mortall enemie can heape uppon us, are forcibly wrapt up in our prayers. For the And state of bodies would bewray what life Make our eyes flow with joy, hearts dance with comforts, 3 Constrains them weep, and shake with fear and sorrow; Making the mother, wife, and child, to see Our wish, which side should win for either thou With manacles through our streets, or else bitter soppe of most hard choyce is offered thy wife and children, to forgoe the one of the two: either to lose the persone of thy selfe, or the nurse of their natiue countrie. For my selfe (my sonne) I am determined not to tarrie, till fortune in my life doe make an ende of this warre. For if I cannot persuade thee, rather to doe good unto both parties, then to ouerthrowe and destroye the one, preferring loue and nature before the malice and calamite of warres; thou shalt see, my sonne, and trust unto it, thou shalt no soner marche forward to assault thy countrie, but thy foote shall tread upon thy mother's wombe, that brought thee first into this world." FARMER. 3 Constrains them weep, and shake-] That is, constrains the eye to weep, and the heart to shake. JOHNSON. Thy wife and children's blood. For myself, son, 4 These wars determine if I cannot persuade thee Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner 5 VIR. Ay, and mine 3, That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name Living to time. Boy. He shall not tread on me ; I'll run away till I am bigger, but then I'll fight. VOL. [Rising. Nay, go not from us thus. If it were so, that our request did tend To save the Romans, thereby to destroy The Volces whom you serve, you might condemn us, As poisonous of your honour: No; our suit Is, that you reconcile them: while the Volces Give the all-hail to thee, and cry, Be bless'd son, The end of war's uncertain; but this certain, That, if thou conquer Rome, the benefit 4 These wars DETERMINE:] i. e. conclude, end. So, in King Henry IV. Part II. : 66 Till thy friend sickness have determin'd me.” STEEVENS. 5 and on mine,] On was supplied by some former editor, [Mr. Capell] to complete the measure. STEEVENS. Unnecessarily, if world, according to Mr. Tyrwhitt's canon, is used as a dissyllable. See vol. iv. p. 31, and p. 137. BOSWELL. Which thou shalt thereby reap, is such a name, To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air, world More bound to his mother; yet here he lets me prate Like one i̇' the stocks. Thou hast never in thy life Show'd thy dear mother any courtesy ; When she, (poor hen!) fond of no second brood, Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home, 6 son. the fine strains-] The niceties, the refinements. JOHNSON. The old copy has five. The correction was made by Dr. JohnI should not have mentioned such a manifest error of the press, but that it justifies a correction that I have made in Romeo and Juliet; another in Timon of Athens; and a third that has been made in A Midsummer-Night's Dream. See vol. v. p. 294, n. 9. See also vol. vii. p. 176, n. 3. MALONE. 7 And yet to CHARGE thy sulphur-] The old copy has change. The correction is Dr. Warburton's. In The Taming of The Shrew, Act III. Sc. I. charge is printed instead of change. MALONE. The meaning of the passage is, To threaten much, and yet be merciful. WARBURTON. 8 Like one i' the stocks.] Keep me in a state of ignominy talking to no purpose. JOHNSON. Loaden with honour. Say, my request's unjust, 9 Like him by chance :-Yet give us our despatch : I am hush'd until our city be afire, And then I'll speak a little. COR. O mother, mother'! [Holding VOLUMNIA by the Hands, silent. What have you done? Behold, the heavens do ope, The gods look down, and this unnatural scene They laugh at. O my mother, mother! O! You have won a happy victory to Rome : But, for your son,—believe it, O, believe it, Most dangerously you have with him prevail’'d, If not most mortal to him. But, let it come :Aufidius, though I cannot make true wars, I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, 9 Does reason our petition] Does argue for us and our petition. JOHNSON. O mother, mother!] So in the old translation of Plutarch: "Oh mother, what have you done to me? And holding her harde by the right hande, oh mother, sayed he, you have wonne a happy victorie for your countrie, but mortall and unhappy for your sonne: for I see myself vanquished by you alone." STEEVENS. |