Dramatis Perfonæ. CAIUS MARCIUS CORIOLANUS, a no ble Roman. Titus Lartius,} Generals against the Volfcians. Menenius Agrippa, Friend to Coriolanus. Sicinius Velutus, Tribunes of the People. Tullus Aufidius, General of the Volfcians, Lieutenant to Aufidius. Young Marcius, Son to Coriolanus. Confpirators with Aufidius. Volumnia, Mother to Coriolanus. Virgilia, Wife to Coriolanus. Valeria, Friend to Virgilia. Roman and Volfcian Senators, Ædiles, Littors, Soldiers, Common People, Servants to Aufidius, and other Attendants. The SCENE is partly in Rome; and partly in the Territories of the Volfcians, and Antiates. The whole hiftory exactly followed, and many of the principal fpeeches exactly copied from the life of Coriolanus in Plu tarch.. POPE. Of this play there is no edition before that of the players, in folio, in 1623. CORIOLANUS. CORIOLANUS. ACT I. SCENE I. A Street in ROME. ¡ Enter a company of mutinous Citizens with ftaves, clubs, and other weapons. B I CITIZEN. EFORE we proceed any further, hear me All. Speak, fpeak. 1 Cit. You are all refolv'd rather to die, than to famish? All. Refolv'd, refolv'd. 1 Cit. First, you know, Caius Marcius is the chief enemy to the people. All. We know't, we know't. 1 Cit. Let us kill him, and we'll have Corn at our own price. Is't a Verdict? All. No more talking on't, let it be done. Away, away. 2 Cit. One word, good Citizens. 1 Cit. We are accounted poor Citizens; the Patricians, good. What authority furfeits on, would relieve us. If they would yield us but the fuperfluity, while it were wholefome, we might guefs, they re 1i 4 lieved lieved us humanely; but they think, we are too dear! The leanness that afflicts us, the object of our misery, is as an inventory to particularize their abundance; our fufferance is a gain to them. Let us revenge this with our Pikes, 3ere we become Rakes; for the Gods know, I fpeak this in hunger for bread, not in thirst for revenge... 2 Cit. Would you proceed especially against Caius Marcius? All. Againft him firft. He's a very dog to the Commonalty. 2 Cit. Confider you, what fervices he has done for his Country? Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good report for't, but that he pays himself with being proud. All. Nay, but fpeak not maliciously. 1 Cit. I fay unto you, what he hath done famoufly, he did it to that end. Though foft confcienced Men can be content to fay, it was for his Country, he did but they think, we are too dear:] They think that the charge of maintaining us is more than we are worth. 2 Let us revenge this with our Pikes, ere sue become Rakes ;] It was Shake/pear's defign to make this fellow quibble all the way. But time, who has done greater things, has here ftified a miferable joke; which was then the fame as if it had been now wrote, Let us revenge this with forks ere we become rakes: For Pikes then fignified the fame as Forks does now. So Jewel in his own tranflation of his pology, turns Chriftianas ad furcas condemnare, to,-To condemn Chrisians to the pikes. But the Oxford Editor, without knowing any thing of this, has with great fagacity found out the joke, and reads on his own authority, Pitch forks. WARBURTON. 3ere we become Rakes;] It is plain that, in our authour's time, we had the proverb, as lean as a Rake. Of this proverb the ori ginal is obfcure. Rake now fig nifies a diffolute man, a man worn out with difeafe and debauchery, But this fignification is, I think, much more modern than the proverb. Rakel, in Islandick, is faid to mean a cur-dag, and this was probably the first ufe among us of the word Ruke; as lean as a Rake is, therefore, as lean as a dog too worthlefs to be fed. It to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue. 2 Cit. What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him. You muft in no way fay, he is covetous. 1 Cit. If I muft not, I need not be barren of accufations; he hath faults, with furplus, to tire in repetition. [Shouts within.] What fhouts are thofe? the other fide o'th' City is rifen; why ftay we prating here? To the Capitol All. Come, come. 1 Cit. Softwho comes here? SCENE II. Enter Menenius Agrippa. 2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa, one that hath always lov'd the People. 1 Cit. He's one honeft enough; 'would all the reft were fo! Men. What Work's, my Countrymen, in hand? Where go you With bats and clubs? The matter? Speak, I pray you. 2 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the Senate, they have had inkling, this fortnight, what we intend to do, which now we'll fhew 'em in deeds. They fay, poor Suiters have strong breaths; they fhall know, we have ftrong arms too. Men. Why, Mafters, my good Friends, mine ho neft neighbours, Will you undo yourselves? 2 Cit. We cannot, Sir, we are undone already. Men. I tell you, Friends, moft charitable care Have the Patricians of you. For your wants, Your fufferings in this Dearth, you may as well Strike at the heavens with your ftaves, as lift thei Against the Roman State; whofe Courfe will on |