He could have temporiz'd.

Sic.

Where is he, hear you?

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, pray for you both.

Are bound to
Sic.

Bru. Farewell, kind
Coriolanus

Had lov'd you as we did.
Cit.

Live, and thrive! neighbours: We wish'd

Now the gods keep you! [Exeunt Citizens. Sic. This is a happier and more comely time, Than when these fellows ran about the streets, Crying, Confusion.

Both Tri. Farewell, farewell.

Bru.

Caius Marcius was

A worthy officer i' the war; but insolent,

O'ercome with pride, ambitious past all thinking, Self-loving,

Sic.

And affecting one sole throne,

Without assistance."

Men.

I think not so.

Sic. We should by this, to all our lamentation, If he had gone forth consul, found it so.

Bru. The gods have well prevented it, and Rome Sits safe and still without him.

Without assistance.] That is, without assessors; without any other suffrage.

Ed.

Enter Edile.

Worthy tribunes, There is a slave, whom we have put in prison,

Reports, the Volces with two several powers
Are enter'd in the Roman territories;
And with the deepest malice of the war
Destroy what lies before them.

Men.

"Tis Aufidius, Who, hearing of our Marcius' banishment,

Thrusts forth his horns again into the world;

Which were inshell'd, when Marcius stood 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 shall 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,

6

stood for Rome,] i. e. stood up

7

him.

in its defence.

reason with the fellow,] That is, have some talk with In this sense Shakspeare often uses the word.

That turns their countenances.

Sic.

"Tis this slave;

Yes, worthy sir,

What more fearful?

Go whip him 'fore the people's eyes:-his raising!
Nothing but his report!

Mess.

The slave's report is seconded; and more,
More fearful, is deliver'd.

Sic.

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 ariny, led by Caius Marcius, Associated with Aufidius, rages

Upon our territories; and have already,

O'erborne their way, consum'd with fire, and took What lay before them.

3 some news is come,

sour.

That turns their countenances.] i, e. that renders their aspect

9 can no more atone,] To atone, reconcile, and is so used by our author. neutral sense, to come to reconciliation.

in the active sense, is to To atone here, is in the To atone is to unite.

Enter COMINIUS.

Com. O, you have made good work!

Men.

What news? what news? Com. You have holp to ravish your own daughters, and

To melt the city leads upon your pates;

To see your wives dishonour'd to your noses;
Men. What's the news? what's the news?

Com. Your temples burned in their cement; and
Your franchises, whereon you stood, confin'd
Into an augre's bore,

Men.

Pray now, your news?You have made fair work, I fear me:-Pray, your

news?

If Marcius should be join'd with Volscians,

Com.

He is their god; he leads them like a thing
Made by some other deity than nature,

That shapes man better: and they follow him,
Against us brats, with no less confidence,
Than boys pursuing summer butterflies,

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!

Com.

Your Rome about your ears.

Men.

He will shake

As Hercules

Did shake down mellow fruit:2 You have made fair

work!

1 Upon the voice of occupation,] Occupation is here used for mechanicks, men occupied in daily business.

2 As Hercules, &c.] A ludicrous allusion to the apples of the Hesperides.

Bru. But is this true, sir?

Com.
Ay; and you'll look pale
Before you find it other.
find it other. All the regions

Do smilingly revolt; and, who resist,
Are only mock'd for valiant ignorance,

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.

Com.

Who shall ask it ?.

The tribunes cannot do't for shame; the people
Deserve such pity of him, as the wolf

Does of the shepherds: for his best friends, if they
Should say, Be good to Rome, they charg'd him even
As those should do that had deserv'd his hate,

And therein show'd like enemies.

Men.

"Tis true:

If he were putting to my house the brand
That should consume it, I have not the face
Το say, 'Beseech you, cease. You have made fair
hands,

You, and

your crafts! you have crafted fair!

Com. You have brought A trembling upon Rome, such as was never So incapable of help.

Tri.

Say not, we brought it.

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.
They'll roar him in again. Tullus Aufidius,
The second name of men, obeys his points
As if he were his officer:-Desperation

Do smilingly revolt;] To revolt smilingly is to revolt with signs pleasure, or with marks of contempt.