Like to a bowl upon a subtle ground,1

I have tumbled past the throw; and in his praise
Have, almost, stamp'd the leasing: Therefore, fellow,
I must have leave to pass.

1 G. 'Faith, sir, if, you had told as many lies in his behalf, as you have uttered words in your own, you should not pass here: no, though it were as virtuous to lie, as to live chastely. Therefore, go back.

Men. Pr'ythee, fellow, remember my name is Menenius, always factionary on the party of your general.

2 G. Howsoever you have been his liar, (as you say, you have,) I am one that, telling true under him, must say, you cannot pass. Therefore, go back.

Men. Has he dined, can'st thou tell? for I would not speak with him till after dinner.

1 G. You are a Roman, are you?

Men. I am as thy general is.

1 G. Then you should hate Rome, as he does. Can you, when you have pushed out your gates the very defender of them, and, in a violent popular ignorance, given your enemy your shield, think to front his revenges with the easy groans3 of old women, the virginal palms of your daughters, or with the palsied intercession of such

1 upon a subtle ground,] Subtle, means smooth, level. So, Ben Jonson, in one of his Masques :

Tityus's breast is counted the subtlest bowling ground in all Tartarus."

Subtle, however, may mean artificially unlevel, as many bowling-greens are. Steevens.

May it not have its more ordinary acceptation, deceitful?

2 and in his praise

Malone.

Have, almost, stamp'd the leasing:] i. e. given the sanction of truth to my very exaggerations. This appears to be the sense of the passage, from what is afterwards said by the 2 Guard:

"Howsoever you have been his liar, as you say you have.” Leasing occurs in our translation of the Bible. See Psalm iv, 2. Henley. Have, almost, stamp'd the leasing:] I have almost given the lie such a sanction as to render it current. Malone.

3

easy groans-] i. e. slight, inconsiderable. So, in King Henry VI, P. II:

4

these faults are easy, quickly answer'd." Steevens. the virginal palms of your daughters,] The adjective virginal is used in Woman is a Weathercock, 1612:

“Lav'd in a bath of contrite virginal tears.”

a decayed dotants as you seem to be? Can you think to blow out the intended fire your city is ready to flame in, with such weak breath as this? No, you are deceived; therefore, back to Rome, and prepare for your execution: you are condemned, our general has sworn you out of reprieve and pardon.

Men. Sirrah, If thy captain knew I were here, he would use me with estimation.

2 G. Come, my captain knows you not.

Men. I mean, thy general.

1 G. My general cares not for you. Back, I say, go, lest I let forth your half pint of blood;-back,-that 's the utmost of your having:-back.

Men. Nay, but fellow, fellow,

Enter CORIOLANUS and AUFIDIUS.

Cor. What 's the matter?

Men. Now, you companion, I'll say an errand for you; you shall know now that I am in estimation; you shall perceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus: guess, but by my entertainment with him, if thou stand'st not i' the state of hanging, or of some death more long in spectatorship, and crueller in suffering; behold now presently, and swoon for what's to come upon thee. The glorious gods sit in hourly synod about

8

Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. II, c. ix:

"She to them made with mildness virginal." Steevens. Again, in King Henry VI, P. II.

tears virginal

"Shall be to me even as the dew to fire." Malone.

5 -a decayed dotant-] Thus the old copy. Modern editors have read-dotard. Steevens.

6

companion,] See p. 132, n. 9. Steevens.

7 — a Jack guardant-] This term is equivalent to one still in use-a Jack in office; i. e. one who is as proud of his petty consequence, as an excise-man. Steevens.

See Vol. VIII, p. 284, n. 1. Malone.

8 -guess but by my entertainment with him,] [Old copybut.] I read: Guess by my entertainment with him, if thou standest not i' the state of hanging. Johnson.

Mr. Edwards had proposed the same emendation in his MS. notes already mentioned. Steevens.

The same correction had also been made by Sir T. Hanmer. These editors, however, changed but to by. It is much more probable that by should have been omitted at the press, than confounded with but. Malone.

thy particular prosperity, and love thee no worse than thy old father Menenius does! O, my son! my son! thou art preparing fire for us; look thee, here 's water to quench it. I was hardly moved to come to thee; but being assured, none but myself could move thee, I have been blown out of your gates with sighs; and conjure thee to pardon Rome, and thy petitionary countrymen. The good gods assuage thy wrath, and turn the dregs of it upon this varlet here; this, who, like a block, hath denied my access to thee..

Cor. Away!

Men. How! away?

Cor. Wife, mother, child, I know not. My affairs Are servanted to others: Though I owe

My revenge properly, my remission lies

In Volcian breasts. That we have been familiar,
Ingrate forgetfulness shall poison, rather

Than pity note how much.-Therefore, be gone.
Mine ears against your suits are stronger, than
Your gates against my force. Yet, for I lov'd thee,2
Take this along; I writ it for thy sake, [Gives a letter.
And would have sent it. Another word, Menenius,
I will not hear thee speak.-This man, Aufidius,
Was my beloved in Rome: yet thou behold'st
Auf. You keep a constant temper.

[Exeunt COR. and AUF.

1 G. Now, sir, is your name Menenius.

2 G. 'Tis a spell, you see, of much power: You know the way home again.

1 G. Do you hear how we are shent3 for keeping your greatness back?

9 The glorious gods sit in hourly synod &c.] So, in Pericles: "The senate house of planets all did sit" &c. Steevens. Though I owe

1

My revenge properly,] Though I have a peculiar right in revenge, in the power of forgiveness the Volcians are conjoined.

·for I lov'd thee,] i. e. because. So, in Othello:

Johnson.

- Haply, for I am black-." Steevens.
•how we are shent -] Shent is brought to destruction.

Johnson.

Shent does not mean brought to destruction, but shamed, disgra ced, made ashamed of himself. See the old ballad of The Heir of Linne, in the second volume of Reliques of ancient English Poetry :

2 G. What cause, do you think, I have to swoon? Men. I neither care for the world, nor your general: for such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, you are so slight. He that hath a will to die by himself, fears it not from another. Let your general do his worst. For you, be that you are, long; and your misery increase with your age! I say to you, as I was said to, Away! [Exit. 1 G. A noble fellow, I warrant him.

2 G. The worthy fellow is our general: He is the rock, the oak not to be wind-shaken. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The Tent of Coriolanus.

Enter CORIOLANUS, AUFIDIUS, and Others.
Cor. We will before the walls of Rome to-morrow
Set down our host.-My partner in this action,
You must report to the Volcian lords, how plainly
I have borne this business.5

Auf.
Only their ends
You have respected; stopp'd your ears against
The general suit of Rome; never admitted
A private whisper, no, not with such friends
That thought them sure of you.

Cor.
This last old man,
Whom with a crack'd heart I have sent to Rome,
Loved me above the measure of a father;

Nay, godded me, indeed. Their latest refuge
Was to send him for whose old love, I have

"Sorely shent with this rebuke

Sorely shent was the heir of Linne;

"His heart, I wis, was near-to brast

"With guilt and sorrow, shame and sinne." Percy.

See Vol. III, p. 42, n. 3. Steevens.

Rebuked, reprimanded. Cole, in his Latin Dict. 1679, renders

to shend, increpo. It is so used by many of our old writers.

Malone.

5

by himself,] i. e. by his own hands. Malone.

how plainly

I have borne this business.] That is, how openly, how remotely from artifice or concealment. Johnson.

6

-for whose old love,] We have a corresponding expression in King Lear:

to whose young love

"The vines of France," &c. Steevens.

(Though I show'd sourly to him) once more offer'd
The first conditions, which they did refuse,
him only,

And cannot now accept, to grace

That thought he could do more; a very little

I have yielded too: Fresh embassies, and suits,
Nor from the state, nor private friends, hereafter

Will I lend ear to.-Ha! what shout is this? [Shout within,
Shall I be tempted to infringe my vow

In the same time 'tis made? I will not.

Enter, in mourning Habits, VIRGILIA, VOLUMNIA, leading young MARCIUS, VALERIA, and Attendants.

My wife comes foremost; then the honour'd mould
Wherein this trunk was fram'd, and in her hand
The grand-child to her blood. But, out, affection!
All bond and privilege of nature, break!

Let it be virtuous, to be obstinate.—

What is that curt'sy worth? or those doves' eyes,? Which can make gods forsworn?—I melt, and am not Of stronger earth than others. My mother bows;

As if Olympus to a molehill should

In supplication nod: and my young boy
Hath an aspect of intercession, which

Great nature cries, Deny not.-Let the Volces
Plough Rome, and harrow Italy; I'll never
Be such a gosling to obey instníct; but stand,
As if a man were author of himself,

And knew no other kin.

Vir. My lord and husband! Cor. These eyes are not the same I wore in Rome. Vir. The sorrow, that delivers us thus chang'd, Makes you think so.9

7

those doves' eyes,] So, in the Canticles, v. 12: “ - his eyes are as the eyes of doves." Again, in The Interpretation of the Names of Goddes and Goddesses, &c. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde: He speaks of Venus:

Cryspe was her skyn, her eyen columbyne." Steevens.

8 Olympus to a molehill-] This idea might have been caught from a line in the first Book of Sidney's Arcadia:

"What judge you doth a hillocke shew, by the lofty Olym pus ?" Steevens.

9 The sorrow, that delivers us thus chang'd,

Makes you think so.] Virgilia makes a voluntary misinterpretation of her husband's words. He says, These eyes are not the same, meaning, that he saw things with other eyes, or other dis