And his old hate to you; befides, forget not, Bru. Nay, lay a fault on us, your tribunes, that But that you must caft your election on him. Sie. Say, you chofe him, more after our commandment, Than guided by your own affections ; And that your minds, pre-occupied with what Bru. Ay, fpare us not: fay we read lectures to you, How youngly he began to ferve his country, How long continued; and what stock he fprings of, Of the fame house Publius and Quintus were, (22) That (22) Of the fame boufe Publius-] I have taken notice, in the courfe of these notes, of many anachronisms knowingly committed by our author: I cannot help obferving, that he is guilty of more than one here, thro' an inadvertence, and defire of copying Plutarch at all hazards. This paffage, as Mr. Pope rightly informs us, is directly. tranflated from that Greek biographer: but I'll tell Mr. Pope a piece of history, which, I dare fay, he was no more aware of than our author was. Plutarch, in the entrance of Coriolanus's life, tracing the origin of the Marcian family, blends his account not only with. the ancestors, but the defcendents of that great man: and Shakespeare in his hafte, (or perhaps, his inacquaintance with this particular point;) not attending to Plutarch's drift; but taking all the perfons named to be Coriolanus's ancestors; has ftrangely tripp'd in time, and make his tribune talk of perfons and things not then in being. For inftance, he is made to talk of cenfors: Now Coriolanus was kill'd in the year, after Rome built, 266: But no cenfors were ever created at Rome 'till 46 years after that period, in the year. 312. Again; here is mention not only of a cenfor, but of Cenforinus. Now Caius Marcius Rutilus, when he came a fecond time to that office, on account of the That our best water brought by conduits hither. Sic. One thus descended, That hath befides well in his person wrought, Bru. Say, you ne'er had don't, (Harp on that fill) but by our putting on; And prefently, when you have drawn your number, All. We will fo; almost all repent in their election. Bru. Let them go on : [Exeunt Plebeians This mutiny were better put in hazard, Than ftay paft doubt for greater : If, as his nature is, he fall in rage With their refusal, both observe and answer The vantage of his anger. Sic. To th' capitol, come; We will be there before the ftream o' th' people: [Exeunt. the known law propounded by him, was dignified with that additional name, in the year 487. But this was not 'till 220 years after Coriolanus's death. And then, again, here is mention of the Marcian waters being brought into Rome. But we have the pofitive teftimony of Julius Frontinus, that they had no aquæducts at Rome 'till the year 441; and that the Marcian water was not introduced 'till the year 613 So that the tribunes are made to talk of a fact 347 years later in time than the period of Coriolanus. I would not be fuppofed to found any merit on this difcovery; much lefs, to be defirous of convicting my author of fuch mistakes; but I thought it proper to decline a charge of ignorance, that might have been laid at my door, had I passed this affair over in filence. Mr. Pope, 'tis plain, tho' he took the pains to add the conjectural line about Cenforinus, was not aware of this confufion in point of chronology, or of our author's innocent trespass. Non omnia poffumus omnes, ACT III. SCENE, a publick Street in Rome. Cornets. Enter Coriolanus, Menenius, Cominius, T CORIOLANUS. Ullus Aufidius then had made new head? Lart. He had, my Lord; and that it was, which caus'd Our fwifter compofition. Cor. So then the Volfcians ftand but as at first, Ready, when time shall prompt them, to make road Upon's again. Com. They're worn, Lord conful, so, That we shall hardly in our ages fee Their banners wave again.. Cor. Saw you Aufidius? Lart. On fafe-guard he came to me, and did curfe Against the Volfcians, for they had fo vilely Yielded the town; he is retir'd to Antium. Cor. Spoke he of me? Lart. He did, my Lord.. 1 Cor. How?-what? Lart. How often he had met you, fword to fword; : That of all things upon the earth he hated Your perfon moft: that he would pawn his fortunes To hopeless reftitution, fo he might Be call'd your vanquisher. Cor. At Antium lives he? Lart. At Antium. Cor. I wish, I had a cause to seek him there; To oppofe his hatred fully.-Welcome home. [To Lartius. Enter 1 Enter Sicinius and Brutus. Behold! these are the tribunes of the people, The tongues o' th' common mouth: I do defpife them; For they do prank them in authority Against all noble fufferance. Sic. Pafs no further. Cor. Hah!-what is that! Bru. It will be dangerous to go on-no further. Cor. What makes this change? Men. The matter? Com. Hath he not pass'd the nobles and the commons ? Cor. Have I had childrens voices? Sen. Tribunes, give way; he shall to the market-place. Sic. Stop, Or all will fall in broil. Cor. Are these your herd? Must these have voices, that can yield them now, And ftraight difclaim their tongues? what are your offices Men. Be calm, be calm. Cor. It is a purpos'd thing, and grows by plot, Suffer't, and live with such as cannot rule, Bru. Call't not a plot; The people cry, you mock'd them; and, of late, Cor. Why, this was known before. Bru. Not to them all. Cor. Have you inform'd them fince? Bru. How! I inform them! Cor. You are like to do fuch bufinefs. Bru. Not unlike, each way, to better yours. Cor. Why then fhould I be conful? by yond clouds, Let 1 Let me deferve fo ill as you, and make me Sic. You fhew too much of that, For which the people ftir; if you will pafs To where you're bound, you must enquire your way Or never be fo noble as a conful, Nor yoke with him for tribune. Men. Let's be calm. Com. The people are abus'd.--Set on ;--this paltring(23) Becomes not Rome: nor has Coriolanus Deferv'd this fo difhonour'd rub, laid falfly I' th' plain way of his merit. Cor. Tell me of corn! This was my fpeech, and I will speak't again— Sen. Not in this heat, Sir, now. Cor. Now as I live, I will As for my nobler friends, I crave their pardons : Let them regard me, as I do not flatter, Which we ourselves have plow'd for, fow'd and scatter'd, Who lack not virtue, no, nor power, but that Which we have given to beggars. Men. Well, no more→→→ Sen. No more words, we beseech you Cor. How!-no more! As for my country I have fhed my blood, Not fearing outward force; fo fhall my lungs Coin words 'till their decay, against those measles, (23) The people are abus'd, fet on ;] This is pointed, as if the fenfe were, the people are fet on by the tribunes but I don't take that to be the poet's meaning. Cominius makes a fingle reflection, and then bids the train fet forward, as again afterwards; Well, on to th' market-place. And fo in Julius Cæfar; Set on, and leave no ceremony out. |