cession from the christening. The Porter-who has only one man to assist him-is endeavouring to keep the crowd of lookers-on in order. Port. You'll leave your noise anon, ye rascals! Do you take the Court for a bear"-garden? Ye rude slaves, leave your gaping." Some one in the crowd bawls out: Man. [Within. Good master Porter, I belong to the larder. Port. Belong to the gallows, and be hanged, you rogue!— Is this a place to roar in?-Fetch me a dozen crab-tree staves, and strong ones.-I'll scratch your heads! You must be seeing 'christenings? Do you look for ale and cakes 'here, you rude rascals? Man. Pray, sir, be patient: 't is as much impossible, (Unless we sweep them from the door with cannons,) To scatter them, as 't is to make them sleep On May-day morning;—which will never be. We may as well push 'gainst Saint Paul's as stir them. Port. How got they 'in, and be hanged? Man. Alas, I know not; how gets the 'tide in ? Port. Do you hear the noise they make? Keep the door close, sirrah. Man. What would you have me do? Port. What 'should you do, but knock 'em down by the dozens? Crowd. Hooray! hooray! The Lord Chamberlain enters. Cham. Mercy o' me, what a multitude are here, Port. As if we kept a fair! Where are these porters, These lazy knaves?—Ye have made a fine hand, fellows: Your faithful friends o' the suburbs? We shall have An 't please your honour, Cham. As I live, If the King blame 'me for 't, I'll lay ye all By the heels, and suddenly; and on your heads Clap round fines for neglect. Hark! the trumpets sound; They 're come already from the christening. a O. R. Parish. b Opening your mouths, shouting. Go, break among the press," and find a way out To let the troop pass fairly, or 'I'll find A Marshalsea,' shall hold you play these two months! Port. Make way there for the Princess! Crowd. Hooray! hooray! [Exeunt. With difficulty we press forward, through the crowd, into the interior of the Palace, in time to hear Garter King at Arms make this proclamation: Gart. Heaven, from thy endless goodness, send prosperous life, long, and ever happy, to the high and mighty Princess of England, Elizabeth! The Archbishop of Canterbury kneels. Cran. Sire, to your royal grace, and the good Queen, That Heaven e'er laid-up to make parents happy, K. Hen. Thank you, good lord Archbishop; What is her name? K. Hen. With this kiss take my blessing: God protect thee! Into whose hand I give thy life. Cran. Amen. The assemblage is then addressed by Cranmer : Let 'me speak, sir. Upon this land a thousand-thousand blessings, And all that shall 'succeed: Sheba was never Than this pure soul shall be: all princely graces Shall still be 'doubled on her: Truth shall 'nurse her; She shall be 'loved, and 'feared: her 'own shall bless her; Her foes, shake like a field of beaten corn, And hang their heads with sorrow. Good grows with her: 1 Throng. b A prison in London. c Queen of the South, contemporaneous with g Solomon (see 1 Kings, X). In 'her days, every man shall eat in 'safety, Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing K. Hen. And yet no day without a deed to 'crown it. 'Would I had known no more! . . . but she 'must 'dieShe must, the saints must have her ;— A most unspotted lily shall she pass To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her. K. Hen. O lord Archbishop, This oracle of comfort has so pleased me, That, when I am in heaven, I shall desire To 'see what this child does, and praise my Maker.— [Exeunt. EPILOGUE.a 'T is ten to one, this play can never please We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 't is clear, b The merciful construction of good 'women; END OF KING HENRY VIII. a Supposed to have been written by Ben Jonson. b In the character of Queen Katharine. THE TRAGEDY OF CORIOLANUS, THOUGH WRITTEN AFTER THE TWO OTHER ROMAN PLAYS, IS THE FIRST IN HISTORICAL ORDER: (see page 8). CORIOLANUS DIED ABOUT 448 YEARS B. C.; JULIUS CÆSAR, 44 YEARS B. C.; MARC ANTONY AND QUEEN CLEOPATRA, 30 YEARS B. C. CORIOLANUS. Shakespeare has written three Plays, illustrative of early Roman History-Coriolanus, Julius Cæsar, and Antony and Cleopatra. The tragedy of Coriolanus is supposed to have been written and performed in 1610, but it was first printed in the folio of 1623. The Story is taken from Plutarch's "Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans compared together, and done into English by Thomas North." The time of the supposed events-which Niebuhr, the greatest ancient historian of our age, places among the fabulous legends of Rome-is in the third century from the Building of the City, or nearly five hundred years before the Christian era. The old but ever-renewed struggle between Poverty and Property is the subject of this drama; its hero being considered by the Patricians a man of extraordinary valour and incorruptible integrity; by the Plebeians, the embodiment of pride and irascibility. The Characters retained in this Condensation are: CAIUS MARCIUS, afterwards CAIUS TITUS LARTIUS, Generals against MENENIUS AGRIPPA, Friend to TULLUS AUFIDIUS, General of the VOLUMNIA, Mother to Coriolanus. Roman and Volscian Senators, The Scene is partly in Rome and its neighbourhood; partly in Corioli and its neighbourhood; and partly in Antium; both cities being about thirty miles from Rome. The Time comprehends about four historical years; that is, from the Secession to the Mons Sacer, in the year of Rome 262, to the death of Coriolanus A. U. C. 266. The Play opens with a scene of tumult in the streets of Rome. The starving Citizens are clamorous against the Patricians, and chiefly against Caius Marcius, who had added to his pride of birth contemptuous disdain for the complaints of the people. One Citizen alone speaks in extenuation of the patrician warrior. 1 Cit. Before we proceed any further, hear 'me speak. All. Speak, speak! 1 Cit. You are all resolved rather to 'die than to famish? All. Resolved, resolved! 1 Cit. First, you know, Caius Marcius is chief 'enemy to the people? 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! The friendly Plebeian advances : 2 Cit. One word, good citizens. Would you proceed 'especially against Caius Marcius? 1 Cit. Against him 'first: he's a very 'dog to the commonalty. 2 Cit. Consider you what services he has done for his country? 1 Cit. Very well; and could be content to give him good 'report for 't, but that he pays 'himself-with being proud. What he hath done famously, he did it to please his mother, and partly to be 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 must in no way say he is 'covetous? 1 Cit. If I must not, I need not be 'barren of accusations; he hath faults, with 'surplus, to tire in repetition. [S] What shouts are these? The 'other side o' the city is 'risen: why stay 'we prating here? To the Capitol-Soft! Who comes here? Shouts 2 Cit. Worthy Menenius Agrippa; one that hath always 'loved the people. 1 Cit. 'He's one honest enough: would all the 'rest were so! Menenius Agrippa enters. Men. What work 's, my countrymen, in hand? Where go you? 1 Cit. Our business is not unknown to the Senate. They say, 'poor suitors have strong 'breaths: they shall know, we have strong arms too! Men. Why, my good friends, will you undo 'yourselves? Have the patricians of you. For your 'wants, a In arms. |