[256] Shakespeare, following North (“Martius accepted the gift of his horse”) makes it, instead of a horse, Cominius’ own horse, which would be a violation of antique usage. See Büttner as above.
[257] Unworked, untilled, from manoeuvrer.
[258] Coriolanus. (The Students’ Shakespeare, Cambridge University Press.) Volumnia indeed refers to “children” in her petition (v. iii. 118), but this seems merely a reminiscence of Plutarch’s language, for everywhere else young Marcius is treated as an only child.
[259] Placuit igitur oratorem ad plebem mitti Menenium Agrippam, facundum virum et, quod inde oriundus erat, plebi carum. (ii. 32 Weissenborn & Müller’s edition.)
[260] See especially the passage that describes his behaviour after he has been rejected for the consulship: “Coriolanus went home to his house, full fraighted with spite and malice against the people, being accompanied with all the lustiest young gentlemen, whose mindes were nobly bent, as those that came of noble race, and commonly used for to followe and honour him. But then specially they floct about him, and kept him companie, to his muche harme; for they dyd but kyndle and inflame his choller more and more, being sorie with him for the injurie the people offred him.”
[261] Reisebilder, 2ter Theil; “Italien, Reise nach Genua,” Cap. xxiv.
[262] There is no authority for taking this most characteristic utterance from Volumnia and assigning it to “a patrician” as some editions do.
Shall Rome stand under one man’s awe? What, Rome?