a To the pot, I warrant him.] Mr. Collier's annotator reads,— "To the port, I warrant him," and Mr. Collier defends the substitution in this wise,-"In the folio, 1623, the letter r had dropped out in 'port,' and it was always ridiculously misprinted pot, To the pot, I warrant him.' To what pot? To go to pot,' is certainly an old vulgarism, but here it is not to pot,' but 'to the pot,' as if some particular pot were intended." This is strange oblivion. "To the pot," as Mr. Collier, better than anyone else, ought to know, was one of the most familiar expressions in our early dramatists. Take only the following examples, from plays which that gentleman must be familiar with:"Thou mightest sweare, if I could, I would bring them to the pot.""New Custome," Act II. Sc. 3. "For goes this wretch, this traitor, to the pot."

b

G. PEELE'S" Edward I." DYCE's ed. p. 115, Vol. I. they go to the pot for 't."

44

WEBSTER'S " White Devil," &c. DYCE's ed. p. 117, Vol. I. Who, sensible, outdares his senseless sword,

And, when it bows, stands up !]

The old text has,

"Who sensibly

In the old text, "Even to Calues wish;" the correction, Theobald's, is established by the relative passage in North's Plutarch: -"But Martius being there [before Corioli] at that time, ronning out of the campe with a fewe men with him, he slue the first enemies he met withall, and made the rest of them staye upon a sodaine, crying out to the Romaines that had turned their backes, and calling them againe to fight with a lowde voice. For he was even such another, as Cato would have a souldier and a captaine to be not only terrible and fierce to laye about him, but to make the enemie afeard with the sounde of his voyce, and grimnes of his countenaunce."

dthat do prize their hours-] Pope changed the word "hours" to honours, but, as Steevens pointed out, Shakespeare followed his authority, Plutarch.-"The cittie being taken in this sorte, the most parte of the souldiers beganne incontinently to spoyle, to carie away, and to looke up the bootie they had wonne. But Martius was marvelous angry with them, and cried out on them, that it was no time now to looke after spoyle, and to roune stragling here and there to enriche themselves."

stand'st up.'

COм. 'Tis not a mile; briefly we heard their drums:

How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour,
And bring thy news so late?
MESS.
Spies of the Volsces
Held me in chase, that I was forc'd to wheel
Three or four miles about; else had I, sir,
Half an hour since brought my report.
COM.
Who's yonder,
That does appear as he were flay'd? O gods!
He has the stamp of Marcius; and I have
Before-time seen him thus.

We have made to endure friends, that you directly

Set me against Aufidius and his Antiates:
And that you not delay the present; but,
Filling the air with swords advanc'd and darts,
We prove this very hour.

Сом.

Though I could wish You were conducted to a gentle bath, And balms applied to you, yet dare I never Deny your asking; take your choice of those That best can aid your action.

MAR.
Those are they
That most are willing.-If any such be here,
(As it were sin to doubt) that love this painting
Wherein you see me smear'd; if any fear
Lesser + his person than an ill report;

If any think brave death outweighs bad life,
And that his country's dearer than himself;
Let him alone, or so many so minded,
Wave thus, [Waving his sword.] to express his
disposition,

think.

(*) Old text, Antients.

(4) Old text, Lessen

Thou'lt not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it,
Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles;
Where great patricians shall attend, and shrug,
I' the end, admire; where ladies shall be frighted,
And, gladly quak'd, hear more; where the dull
tribunes,

That, with the fusty plébeians, hate thine honours, Shall say, against their hearts,-We thank the gods,

Our Rome hath such a soldier !—

Yet cam'st thou to a morsel of this feast,
Having fully din'd before.

you have done, that's what I can; induc'd you have been,-that's for my country: He that has but effected his good will,

Hath overta'en mine act.

COM.

You shall not be The grave of your deserving; Rome must know The value of her own: 't were a concealment Worse than a theft, no less than a traducement, To hide your doings; and to silence that, Which, to the spire and top of praises vouch'd, Would seem but modest: therefore, I beseech you,

(In sign of what you are, not to reward What you have done,) before our army hear me. MAR. I have some wounds upon me, and they

smart

To hear themselves remember'd.

COM. Should they not, Well might they fester 'gainst ingratitude, And tent themselves with death. Of all the horses,

(Whereof we have ta'en good, and good store)

of all

The treasure in this field achiev'd and city,
We render you the tenth; to be ta'en forth,
Before the common distribution,
At your only choice.

MAR.
I thank you, general;
But cannot make my heart consent to take
A bribe to pay my sword: I do refuse it;
And stand upon my common part with those
That have beheld the doing.

better read," More than thy fame I hate and envy." So ir Plutarch-" Martius knew very well that Tullus did more malice and envy him than he did all the Romains besides."

[A long flourish. They all cry " MARCIUS! MARCIUS!" cast up their caps and lances : COMINIUS and LARTIUS stand bare. MAR. May these same instruments, which you profane,

[shall Never sound more! when drums and trumpets I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be Made all of false-fac'd soothing!

When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk,
Let him be made an overture for the wars! a
No more, I say! For that have not wash'd
My nose that bled, or foil'd some debile wretch,-
Which, without note, here's many else have
done,-

manacles,

You shout me forth in acclamations hyperbolical;
As if I lov'd my little should be dieted
In praises sauc'd with lies.
COM.
Too modest are you;
More cruel to your good report, than grateful
To us that give you truly: by your patience,
If 'gainst yourself you be incens'd, we'll put you
(Like one that means his proper harm) in
[known,
Then reason safely with you.-Therefore, be it
As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius
Wears this war's garland: in token of the which,
My noble steed, known to the camp, I give him,
With all his trim belonging; and from this time,
For what he did before Corioli, call him,
With all the applause and clamour of the host,
CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS! +-Bear
The addition nobly ever!

[Flourish.

Trumpets sound, and drums. ALL. Caius Marcius Coriolanus !† COR. I will go wash ;

:

And when my face is fair, you shall perceive Whether I blush, or no: howbeit I thank you :I mean to stride your steed; and at all times, To undercrest your good addition

To the fairness of my power.

Сом.
So, to our tent;
Where, ere we do repose us, we will write
To Rome of our success.-You, Titus Lartius,
Must to Corioli back: send us to Rome
The best, with whom we may articulate,
For their own good and ours.

LART.
I shall, my lord.
COR. The gods begin to mock me. I that now

(*) Old text, shoot.

(†) Old text, Marcus Cains Coriolanus. when drums and trumpets shall

I' the field prove flatterers, let courts and cities be
Made all of false-fac'd soothing!

When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk,
Let him be made an overture for the wars !]

In the last line of this much-controverted passage, Warburton proposed,

"Let hymns be made an overture for the wars," Tyrwhitt would read,—

"Let this [that is, silk] be made a coverture for the wars;"

Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg Of my lord general.

Сом.

Take it 't is yours. What is 't? COR. I sometime lay here in Corioli At a poor man's house; he us'd me kindly : He cried to me; I saw him prisoner; But then Aufidius was within my view, And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity: I request you

To give my poor host freedom.

COM.
O, well begg'd!
Were he the butcher of my son, he should
Be free as is the wind.-Deliver him, Titus.
LART. Marcius, his name?
COR.

By Jupiter! forgot:-
I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd.—
Have we no wine here?

"Let it be made a coverture for the wars.

If an alteration be absolutely needed, that of "a coverture" for "an overture," understanding "him" to be used for the neuter it, is the least objectionable; but we are strongly disposed to think that "overture," if not a misprint for ovation, is employed here in the same sense, and that the meaning is,-When steel grows soft as the parasite's silk, let him be made, i. e. let there be made for him, a triumph, as for a successful warrior. bhis proper harm)-] His peculiar or personal harm. The best, with whom we may articulate,-] The chief personages of Corioli, with whom we may enter into articles