An epitome of you, which, enlarged by the commentaries of time, may equal you in magnitude. JOHNSON. 280. With the consent of supreme Jove,- -] This is inserted with great decorum. Jupiter was the tutelary God of Rome. WARBURTON. 283. every flaw,] i. e. every gust, every storm. JOHNSON. 306. 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 Shakspere, 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 thrown 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 easily bewray to thee what life we haue led at home, since thy exile and abode abroad. But thinke now with thyself, howe much more unfortunately, then all the women liuing 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 self to see my sonne, and my daughter here, her husband, besieging the walles of his natiue countrie. So as that which is the only comfort to all other in their adversitie and miserie, to pray unto the goddes, and and to call to them for aide, is the only 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 harde choyce is offered thy wife and children, forgoe the one of the two: either to lose the persone of thy selfe, or the nurse of their natiue contrie. For my self (my sonne) I am determined not to tarrie, till fortune in my life time doe make an ende of this warre. For if I cannot persuade thee, rather to doe good unto both parties, then to ouerthrowe and destroye the one, preferring loue and nature before malice and calamitie of warres; thou shalt see, my sonne, and trust unto it, thou shalt no soner marche forward to assault thy countrie, but thy foot shall tread upon thy mother's wombe, that brought thee first into this world." FARMER. 312. Constrains them weep, and shake▬▬] i. e. constrains the eye to weep, and the heart to shake. 391. Does reason our petition--] Does argue for us and our petition. JOHNSON. 398. Mother, mother!] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "Oh mother, what have you done to to me? And holding her harde by the right hande, oh mother, sayed he, you have wonne a happy victorie for your countrie, but mortall and unhappy for your sonne: for I see myself vanquished by you alone." STEEVENS. Myself a former fortune.] I will take advantage of this concession to restore myself to my former cre dit and power.. 421. read think. JOHNSON. -drink together ; -] Perhaps we should FARMER. 425. 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. 444. his dam. STEEVENS. -than an eight year old horse.]remembers WARBURTON. 449. He sits in his state, -] His state means his chair of state. MALONE. 478. Ne'er through an arch so hurry'd the blown tide, As the recomforted through the gates.--] So in our author's Rape of Lucrece : "As through an arch the violent roaring tide "Out-runs the eye that doth behold his haste.” Blown in the text is swell'd. So, in Antony and Cleopatra: "There is a vent of blood, and something blown." 546. He wag'd me with his countenance, MALONE. -] This A& V. is obscure. The meaning, I think, is, he prescribed to me with an air of authority, and gave me his countenance for my wages; thought me sufficiently rewarded with good looks. JOHNSON. The verb, to wage, is used in this sense in the Wise Woman of Hogsden, by Heywood, 1638: -I receive thee gladly to my house, "And wage thy stay. Again, in Green's Mamillia, 1593: -by custom common to all that could wage her honesty with the appointed price." To wage a task was, anciently, to undertake a task for wages. So, in Geo. Wither's Verses prefixed to Drayton's Polyolbion: "Good speed befall thee who hast wag'd a task, "That better censures, and rewards doth ask." Again in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. II. c. vii. must wage "Thy works for wealth, and life for gold engage." STEEVENS. 553. For which my sinews shall be stretch'd—] This is the point on which I will attack him with my utmost With our own charge; JOHNSON. -] i. e. rewarding us with our own expences; making the cost of war its re compence. JOHNSON. 621. Auf. No more. e.] This should rather be given to the first lord. It was not the business of Aufidius to put a stop to the altercation. TYRWHITT. |