May hang upon your hardness: therefore hear us. We have led since thy exíle. Think with thyself, Are we come hither: since that thy sight, which should shall have been made to you, the blame, &c. Mr. Pope, whe altered every phrase that was not conformable to modern phraseology, changed you to we; and his alteration has been adopted in all the subsequent editions. Malone. 3 Should we be silent and not speak, our raiment, &c.] "The speeches copied from Plutarch in Coriolanus, may (says Mr. Pope) be as well made an instance of the learning of Shakspeare, as those copied from Cicero, in Catiline, of Ben Jonson's." Let us inquire into this matter, and transcribe a speech for a specimen. Take the famous one of Volumnia; for our author has done little more, than throw the very words of North into blank verse. "If we helde our peace (my sonne) and determined not to speake, the state of our poore bodies, and present sight of our rayment, would easely bewray to thee what life, we haue led at home, since thy exile and abode abroad. But thinke now with thy selfe, howe much more unfortunately than all the women liuinge we are come hether, considering that the sight which should be most pleasaunt to all other to beholde, spitefull fortune hath made most fearful to us: making my selfe to see my sonne and my daughter here, her husband, besieging the walles of his native countrie. So as that which is the only comfort to all other in their adversitic and miserie, to pray unto the goddes, and to call to them for aide, is the onely thinge which plongeth us into most deep perplexitie. For we cannot (alas) together pray, both for victorie, for our countrie, and for safety of thy life also: but a worlde of grievous curses, yea more than any mortall enemie can heape uppon us, are forcibly wrapt up in our prayers. For the bitter soppe of most hard choyce is offered thy wife and children, to forgoe the one of the two: either to lose the persone of thy selfe, or the nurse of their natiue countrie. For my selfe (my sonne) I am determined not to tarrie, till fortune in my life doe make an ende of this warre. For if I cannot persuade thee, rather to doe good unto both parties, than to ouerthrowe and destroye the one, preferring loue and nature before the malice and calamite of warres; thou shalt see, my sonne, and trust unto it, thou shalt no soner marche forward to assault thy countrie, but thy foote shall tread upon thy mother's wombe, that brought thee first into this world." Farmer. Making the mother, wife, and child, to see Our wish, which side should win: for either thou With manacles thorough our streets; or else These wars determine: if I cannot persuade thee Than seek the end of one, thou shalt no sooner (Trust to 't, thou shalt not,) on thy mother's womb, Vir. Ay, and on mine,6 That brought you forth this boy, to keep your name Living to time. Boy. He shall not tread on me; Vol. Nay, go not from us thus. If it were so, that our request did tend To save the Romans, thereby to destroy [Rising. 4 Constrains them weep, and shake-] That is, constrains the eye to weep, and the heart to shake. Johnson. 5 These wars determine:] i. e. conclude, end. So, in King Henry IV, P. II: 6 "Till thy friend sickness have determin'd me." Steevens. and on mine,] On was supplied by some former editor, to complete the measure. Steevens. The Volces whom you serve, you might condemn us, To tear with thunder the wide cheeks o' the air, 7 the fine strains -] The niceties, the refinements. Johnson. The old copy has five. The correction was made by Dr. Johnson. I should not have mentioned such a manifest error of the press, but that it justifies a correction that I have made in Romeo and Juliet, Act I, another in Timon of Athens; and a third that has been made in A Midsummer Night's Dream. See Vol. II, p. 341, n. 7. Malone. 8 And yet to charge thy sulphur -] The old copy has change. The correction is Dr. Warburton's. In The Taming of the Shrew, Act iii, sc. i, charge is printed instead of change. Malone. The meaning of the passage is, To threaten much, and yet be merciful. Warburton. Like one i the stocks.] Keep me in a state of ignominy talking to no purpose. Johnson. Has cluck'd thee to the wars, and safely home, Thou art not honest; and the gods will plague thee, Like him by chance:-Yet give us our despatch: And then I'll speak a little. Cor, O mother, mother!2 I'll frame convenient peace. Now, good Aufidius, 1 Does reason our petition-] Does argue for us and our petition. Johnson. 20 mother, mother!] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "Oh mother, what have you done to me? And holding her harde by the right hande, oh mother, sayed he, you have wonne a hap、 py victorie for your countrie, but mortall and unhappy for your sonne: for I see myself vanquished by you alone." Steevens. 3 heard is here used as a dissyllable. The modern editors read-say, would you have heard. Malone. As my ears are wholly unreconciled to the dissyllabificationse-arl, he-ard, &c. I continue to read with the modern editors. Say, in other passages of our author, is prefatory to a question. So, in Macbeth: A mother less? or granted less, Aufidius? Cor. I dare be sworn, you were: And, sir, it is no little thing, to make Mine eyes to sweat compassion. But, good sir, Auf. I am glad, thou hast set thy mercy and thy honour [Aside. [The Ladies make signs to COR. Ay, by and by; [To VOL. VIR. &c. Cor. SCENE IV. Rome. A Publick Place. Enter MENENIUS and SICINIUS. [Exeunt. Men. See you yond' coign o' the Capitol; yond' cornerstone? Sic. Why, what of that? "Say, if thou hadst rather hear it from our mouths, I'll work Myself a former fortune.] I will take advantage of this concession to restore myself to my former credit and power. Johnson. 5-drink together;] Perhaps we should read-think. Farmer. Our author, in King Henry IV, P. II, having introduced drinking as a mark of confederation: "Let's drink together friendly, and embrace -;" the text may be allowed to stand; though at the expence of female delicacy, which, in the present instance, has not been sufficiently consulted. Steevens. 6 To have a temple built you:] Plutarch informs us, that a temple dedicated to the Fortune of the Ladies, was built on this occasion by order of the senate. Steevens. |