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CORIOLANUS.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE.

THIS play, supposed to have been written in 1609, comprehends a period of five or six years. The plebeian citizens of Rome, unable to pay their debts from poverty, consequent upon the long war against Tarquín and the Latins, and incensed by the supposed indifference of the senators and patricians, retired with the undisbanded troops of Valerius, to a mountain about three miles from Rome, afterwards called Mont Sacer. The city was thrown into great alarm by this defection, and Menenius, who is described as “a very discreet person, and a great orator," was sent with other commissioners, to bring about a reconciliation. Here he related to them the fable of the belly and its members; the application of which had such an effect, that they were about to follow him home, when Sicinius and Junius Brutus (two factious fellows) cuaningly demanding a guarantee for the people, were in the end appointed their tribunes, with very extraordinary power. In the year following, there was a severe famine; and Coriolanus (so called for his exploits at Corioli) with other young patricians, making excursions into the enemy's country, returned, laden with corn. Provisions also arriving from Sicily, the senate determined upon selling them at a cheap rate to the poor; but Coriolanus proposed the abolition of the tribuneship, and the retention of the corn, because the people had obstinately refused to join in the expedition sent out to obtain it. The exasperated populace would instantly have thrown him from the Tarpeian rock, but were repulsed by his friends. Being arraigned at the proper tribunal, he defended himself with so much grace and energy, that the people called out for his acquittal; whereupon one of the tribunes artfully and falsely accusing him of illegally appropriating the spoils of war, he was as suddenly sentenced to banishment. In a spirit of revenge, he offered his services to the Volscians, and carried destruction to the very gates of Rome. The city was on the point of being assaulted, when his mother, accompanied by his wife and children, threw herself at his feet, and worked so much upon the feelings of nature, that he granted a peace, and withdrew his troops. On returning to Antium, by the perfidious management of Tulius, he was cat in pieces ere he had time to defend his conduct; but the Volsci disapproved the assassination, buried him honourably, adorned his tomb with trophies, and the Roman women mourned for him twelve months. The poet has adhered very closely to historical facts. Mr. Pope remarks, that Shakspeare is found to be very knowing in the customs, rites, and manners of antiquity. In Coriolanus and Julius Cæsar, not only the spirit, but the manners of the Romans are exactly drawn; and a still nicer distinction is shown between Roman manners ia the time of the former and of the latter." Many of the principal speeches are copied from Plutarch's Life of Coriolanus, as translated by Sir Thomas North. There are some glaring anachronisms in this play, such as introducing our nicknames of Hob, Dick, &c. church-yards, knells, and particularly, theatres for the exhibition of plays, which did not exist until 250 years after the death of Coriolanus. Volumnia, also, was the name of his wife, not of his mother; and the good Menenius died three or four years before his revengeful expedition against Rome.---Dr. Johnson says: The tragedy of Coriolanus is one of the most amusing of our author's performances. The old man's merriment in Menenius; the lofty lady's dignity in Volumnia; the bridal modesty in Virgilia; the patrician and military haughtiness in Coriolanus; the plebeian malignity and tribunitian insolence in Brutus and Sicinius make a very pleasing and interesting variety; and the various revolations of the hero's fortune fill the mind with anxious curiosity. There is, perhaps, too much bustle in the first act, and too little in the last.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a noble Roman.
TITUS LARTIUS, Generals against the Vol-
COMINIUS,

scians.

MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to Coriolanus.

SICINIUS VELUTUS, Tribunes of the people.

JUNIUS BRUTUS,

YOUNG MARCIUS, Son to Coriolanus.

A ROMAN HERALD.

TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the Volscians.
LIEUTENANT to Aufidius.

CONSPIRATORS with Aufidius.

A CITIZEN of Antium.
Two VOLSCIAN GUARDS.
VOLUMNIA, Mother of Coriolanus.
VIRGILIA, Wife to Coriolanus.
GENTLEWOMAN, attending Virgilia.
VALERIA, Friend to Virgilia.

Roman and Volscian Senators, Patricians,
Ediles, Lictors, Soldiers, Citizens, Mes-
sengers, Servants to Aufidius, and other
Attendants.

SCENE: partly in Rome, and partly in the territories of the Volscians and Antiates.

ACT I.

SCENE 1-Rome.-A Street.

Enter a company of mutinous CITIZENS, with
Staves, Clubs, and other Weapons.

1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price. Is't a verdict?

Cit. No more talking on't; let it be done : away, away.

2 Cit. One word, good citizens.

1 Cit. We are accounted poor citizens; the pa

1 Cit. Before we proceed any further, hear me tricians, good: What authority surfeits on, would speak. relieve us; If they would yield us but the suCit. Speak, speak. [Several speaking at once.perfluity, while it were wholesome, we might 1 Cit. You are all resolved rather to die, than to guess they relieved us humanely; but they think famish? we are too dear :† the leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an inventory to parti

Cit. Resoled, resolved!

1 Cit. First you know, Caius Marcius is chief

enemy to the people.

Cit. We know't, we know't.

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cularize their abundance; our sufferance is a gain to them. Let us revenge this with our pikes, ere we become rakes:* for the gods know, I speak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge. 1 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius?

Cit. Against him first: he's a very dog to the commonalty.

2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country?

1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud.

2 Cit. Nay, but speak not maliciously.

1 Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end; though soft-conscienc'd men can be content to say it was for his country, he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue.

2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him: You must in no way say he is covetous.

1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be barren of accusations; he hath faults, with surplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What shouts are these? The other side o'the city is risen: Why stay we prating here? to the Capitol! Cit. Come, come.

1 Cit. Soft; who comes here?

Enter MENENIUS AGRIPPA.

2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa: one that bath always loved the people.

1 Cit. He's one honest enough; 'Would, all the rest were so!

Men. What work's, my countrymen, in hand? Where go you

With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, 1

pray you.

1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the senate; they have had inkling, this fortnight what we intend to do, which now we'll show 'em in deeds. They say, poor suitors have strong breaths; they shall know we have strong arms too.

Men. Why, masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbours,

Will you undo yourselves?

1 Cit. We cannot, Sir, we are undone ready.

al

Men. I tell yon, friends, most charitable care Have the patricians of you. For your wants, Your suffering in this dearth, you may as well Strike at the heaven with your staves, as lift them

Against the Roman state; whose course will on
The way it takes, cracking ten thousand curbs
Of more strong link asunder, that can ever
Appear in your impediment: For the dearth,
The gods, not the patricians, make it; aud
Your knees to them, not arms, must help.
Alack!

You are transported by calamity
Thither where more attends you; and you slander
The helms o'the state, who care for you like
When you curse them as enemies. [fathers,
1 Cit. Care for us! True, indeed! They
ne'er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and
their store-houses crammed with grain; make
edicts for usury, to support usurers; repeal daily
any wholesome act established against the rich;
and provide more piercing statutes daily, to
chain up and restrain the poor. If the wars eat
us not up, they will; and there's all the love
they bear us.

Men. Either you must

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Which ne'er came from the lungs, but even thus,
(For, look you, I may make the belly smile
As well as speak,) it tauntingly replied
To the discontented members, the mutinous parts
That envied his receipt; even so most fitly
As you malign our senators, for that
They are not such as you-

1 Cit. Your belly's answer: What!
The kingly-crowned head, the vigilant eye,
The counsellor heart, the arm our soldier,
Our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter,
With other muniments and petty helps
In this our fabric, if that they-

Men. What then?

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Men. I will tell you;

If you'll bestow a small (of what you have little,) Patience, a while, you'll hear the belly's answer. 1 Cit. You are long about it.

Men. Note me this, good friend; Your most grave belly was deliberate, Not rash like his accusers, and thus answer'd. True is it, my incorporate friends, quoth he, That I receive the general food at first, Which you do live upon and fit it is; Because I am the store-house, and the shop Of the whole body: But if you do remember, I send it through the rivers of your blood, Even to the court, the heart,-to the seat

o'the brain;

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And you the mutinous members: For examine Their counsels and their cares; digest things rightly,

Touching the weal o'the common; you shall find
No public benefit which you receive,
But it proceeds, or comes, from them to you,
And no way from yourselves.-What do you
think ?

You the great toe of this assembly?

1 Cit. I the great toe? Why the great toe? Men. For that, being one o'the lowest, basest, poorest,

• Whereas, + Participating. 1 Exactly. Winding

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