Ere in our own house I do shade my head,
The good patricians must be visited;

From whom I have receiv'd, not only greetings,
But with them change of honours.

Vol.

To see inherited my very wishes,
And the buildings of my fancy:

I have lived

Only there's one thing wanting, which I doubt not,
But our Rome will cast upon thee.

Cor.

Know, good mother,

I had rather be their servant in my way,

Than sway with them in theirs.

Com.

On, to the Capitol ! [Flourish. Cornets. Exeunt in state, as before. The Tribunes remain3.

Bru. All tongues speak of him, and the bleared

sights

Are spectacled to see him: your prattling nurse

Into a rapture lets her baby cry9

While she chats him: the kitchen malkin 10 pins
Her richest lockram 'bout her reechy neck',

Clambering the walls to eye him: stalls, bulks, windows,

Are smother'd up, leads fill'd, and ridges hors'd

8 The Tribunes remain.] In the old copies, the tribunes, Brutus and Sicinius, are made to "enter" after the departure of Coriolanus, &c. ; but they had in fact only stood back, or "aside" as the folio has it, on the entrance of Volumnia, Virgilia, and Valeria, and now come forward.

• Into a RAPTURE lets her baby cry] In reference to the word “rapture” in this line, Steevens made the following apposite quotation from "The Hospital for London's Follies," 1602, where Gossip Luce says, " Your darling will weep itself into a rapture, if you take not good heed."

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10 the kitchen MALKIN] Malkin," observes Ritson, is properly the diminutive of Mal (Mary); as Wilkin, Tomkin, &c. In Scotland, pronounced Maukin, it signifies a hare. Grey malkin (corruptly grimalkin) is a cat. The kitchen malkin is the same as the scullion. In Holloway's "Provincial Dictionary," 8vo, 1838, we are informed that Malkin or Maukin, in Norfolk and Suffolk, signifies a scarecrow," and that it is also applied to "a dirty ragged blouzy wench." Mr. Amyot confirms these explanations to me.

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1 Her richest LOCKRAM 'bout her REECHY neck,] "Lockram" was a species of cheap linen used by the lower orders, not unfrequently mentioned. "Reechy" means dirty or smoky.

With variable complexions, all agreeing

In earnestness to see him: seld-shown flamens
Do press among the popular throngs, and puff
To win a vulgar station: our veil'd dames
Commit the war of white and damask in
Their nicely-gawded cheeks to the wanton spoil
Of Phoebus' burning kisses: such a pother,
As if that whatsoever god, who leads him,
Were slily crept into his human powers,
And gave him graceful posture.

Sic.

I warrant him consul.

Bru.

On the sudden

Then our office may,

During his power, go sleep.

Sic. He cannot temperately transport his honours From where he should begin, and end; but will Lose those he hath won.

Bru.

In that there's comfort.

Sic. Doubt not, the commoners, for whom we stand, But they, upon their ancient malice, will

Forget, with the least cause, these his new honours;
Which that he'll give them, make I as little question
As he is proud to do't.

Bru.
I heard him swear,
Were he to stand for consul, never would he
Appear i' the market-place, nor on him put
The napless vesture of humility;

Nor, showing (as the manner is) his wounds.

To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

Sic.

"Tis right.

Bru. It was his word. O! he would miss it, rather Than carry it but by the suit o' the gentry to him, And the desire of the nobles.

Sic.

I wish no better,

Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it

In execution.

Bru.

'Tis most like, he will.

Sic. It shall be to him, then, as our good wills,

A sure destruction.

Bru.

So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,

We must suggest the people, in what hatred

He still hath held them; that to his power he would
Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and
Dispropertied their freedoms; holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more soul, nor fitness for the world,

Than camels in their war; who have their provand2
Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows

For sinking under them.

Sic.

This, as you say, suggested

At some time when his soaring insolence

Shall teach the people3, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,

As to set dogs on sheep) will be his fire

To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaze
Shall darken him for ever.

Enter a Messenger.

What's the matter?

Bru.

Mess. You are sent for to the Capitol. "Tis thought, That Marcius shall be consul. I have seen

The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind
To hear him speak: matrons flung gloves,

Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs,

Upon him as he pass'd; the nobles bended,
As to Jove's statue, and the commons made

A shower, and thunder, with their caps, and shouts.
I never saw the like.

"Provand" is the old word for protender,

which some editors have substituted. It is usually printed provant.

3 Shall TEACH the people,] Theobald plausibly read, "shall reach the people;" but no change seems necessary, if we take "teach the people" in the sense of "instruct the people to do what we desire."

Bru.

Let's to the Capitol ;

And carry with us ears and eyes for the time,
But hearts for the event.

Sic.

Have with you. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Same. The Capitol.

Enter Two Officers, to lay Cushions.

1 Off. Come, come; they are almost here. How many stand for consulships?

2 Off. Three, they say; but 'tis thought of every one Coriolanus will carry it.

1 Off. That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people.

2 Off. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore so that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground. Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him manifests the true knowledge he has in their disposition; and, out of his noble carelessness, lets them plainly see't.

1 Off. If he did not care whether he had their love or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing them neither good, nor harm; but he seeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him, and leaves nothing undone that may fully discover him their opposite. Now, to seem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love.

2 Off. He hath deserved worthily of his country; and his ascent is not by such easy degrees as those,

who, having been supple and courteous to the people, bonneted, without any farther deed to have them at all into their estimation and report: but he hath so planted his honours in their eyes, and his actions in their hearts, that for their tongues to be silent, and not confess so much, were a kind of ingrateful injury; to report otherwise were a malice, that, giving itself the lie, would pluck reproof and rebuke from every ear that heard it.

1 Off. No more of him: he is a worthy man. way, they are coming.

Make

A Sennet. Enter, with Lictors before them, COMINIUS the Consul, MENENIUS, CORIOLANUS, many other Senators, SICINIUS and BRUTUS. The Senators take their places; the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves*.

Men. Having determin'd of the Volsces, and To send for Titus Lartius, it remains,

As the main point of this our after-meeting,

To gratify his noble service, that

Hath thus stood for his country. Therefore, please

you,

Most reverend and grave elders, to desire

The present consul, and last general

In our well-found successes, to report
A little of that worthy work perform'd

By Caius Marcius Coriolanus3; whom

We meet here, both to thank, and to remember
With honours like himself.

1 Sen.

Speak, good Cominius: Leave nothing out for length, and make us think, Rather our state's defective for requital,

the Tribunes take theirs also by themselves.] The stage-direction of the folio adds, "Coriolanus stands," but at all events he takes his seat before we come to the stage-direction, " Coriolanus rises, and offers to go away."

5 By Caius Marcius Coriolanus ;] Here again the folio transposes the two first names. In the next line it reads met for "meet."