and altogether unfit for any man's conversation. Yet men marvelling much at his constancy, that he was never overcome with pleasure, nor money; and how he would endure easily all manner of pains and travels, therefore they well liked and commended his shortness and temperancy. But for all that, they could not be acquainted with him, as one citizen would wish to be with another in the city, his behaviour was so unpleasant to them, by reason of a certain insolent and stern manner he had, which because he was too lordly was disliked..........As for others, the only respect that made them valiant was, that they hoped to have honour, but touching Marcius, the only thing that made him to love honour, was the joy he saw his mother did take of him. For that he thought nothing made him so happy and honourable, as that his mother might hear everybody praise and commend him, that she might always see him return with a crown upon his head, and that she might still embrace him with tears running down her cheeks for joy.": Compare, 1st Cit. First, you know Caius Marcius is the chief enemy to the people. All. We know it, we know it. He's a very dog to the commonalty. 2d Cit. Consider you what services he has done to his country? 1st Cit. Very well, and could be content to give *North, 185, 186. him good report for it, but that he pays himself with being proud. All. Nay, but speak not maliciously. 1st Cit. I say unto you, what he hath done fa mously, he did it to that end. Though soft-con say it was for his scienced men can be content to country; he did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud, which he is, even to the altitude of his mercy." There is nothing remarkable in the use made by Shakspeare of the affair of Corioli, as related by Plutarch.* Commentators+ have noticed an obvious anachronism, where the poet puts into the mouth of Titus Lartius, a contemporary of Coriolanus, a remark which Plutarch makes as from himself. For he was even such another as Cato would have a soldier and a captain to be, not only terrible and fierce to lay about him, but to make the enemy afraid with the sound of his voice, and grimness of his countenance." * Act i. Sc. 1, 2, 4 to 11. + Bosw. 35. For other passages in which Plutarch is followed, sometimes into error, see Bosw. 42, 63, 83, 102, 127; see also p. 86, where Warburton says that at the period of this story the people had no voice in the election of consuls. The bishop speaks with more confidence than any records justify. "Thou wast a soldier Even to Cato's wish; not fierce and terrible The refusal of the tenth part of the booty, the grant, by acclamation, of the surname, CORIOLANUS, the release of the poor man at whose house in Corioli the Roman general lodged, are all equally from Plutarch. Coriolanus stands for the consulate, being proposed by the consul Cominius, whom the poet makes the channel of Plutarch's own account of the warrior: following him so closely, as even to copy this remark upon the peculiar characteristic of the Romans : In those days valiantness was honoured in Rome above all other virtues; which they call virtus, by the name of virtue itself, as including in that general name all other special virtues besides." "Com. It is held That valour is the chiefest virtue, and Most dignifies the haver." And he then relates the youthful deeds of * According to Livy, Posthumus Cominius was consul in the 262d year of Rome. According to Dionysius, in the 261st. See Arnold, 552. Marcius, as recorded by Plutarch, who says, that the people, as well as the senate, were disposed to elect him. There was not a man among the people, but was ashamed of himself to refuse so valiant a man, and one of them said to another, ' We must needs choose him consul, there is no remedy.'" And so the poet : "If he do require our voices, we ought not to deny him. 2 Cit. We may, Sir, if we will. 1 Cit. We have power in ourselves to do it; but it is a power that we have no power to do: for if he show us his wounds, and tell us his deeds, we are to put our tongue into those wounds and speak for them; so if he tell us his noble deeds, we must also tell him our noble acceptance of them."* Plutarch says, that the plebeians at first elected Coriolanus, and afterwards rejected him. Shakspeare takes advantage of this, to represent the great commander addressing the electors with contumely and contempt; and the people speedily repenting of being cajoled out of their voices, and recalling them at the instigation of their tribunes. In this part of his play, Shakspeare evidently writes con amore; and it is not only in the *Act ii. Sc. 3. mouth of the proud candidate himself that he puts his favourite notions respecting popular applause; which, however, he qualifies with great propriety : 66 2 Officer. 'Tis thought of every one, Coriolanus 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 flatter'd the people that ne'er loved them, and there may be many they have loved, they knew not wherefore so that if they love they know not why, they flatter 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 betwixt 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 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, bonnetted, without any further deed, to heave them |