'And he that was surnamed Censorinus.'
The passage from Plutarch, to which Pope refers, stands as follows in North's translation of the Lives, p. 235, (ed. 1595): 'Of the same house were Publius, & Quintus, who brought to Rome their best water they had by conduites. Censorinus also came of that familie, that was so surnamed, because the people had chosen him Censor twise.'
The reading we have given in the text was first adopted by us in the Globe Edition. It leaves the words of the Folios still in their order, and introduces what must have been the significant fact that Censorinus was chosen 'by the people.' A stain or rent in the copy might have rendered parts of two lines illegible, the remainder being unskilfully pieced together by transcriber or printer.
Note VI.
III. 1. 97-101. Hanmer, followed by Capell, reads:
'If they have power,
Let them have cushions by you: if none, awake
Your dang'rous lenity: if you are learned,
Be not as common fools: if you are not,
Then vail your ignorance.'
In line 98, where Mr Collier, from his MS. corrector, reads 'impotence' for 'ignorance', Warburton interprets 'ignorance' as 'impotence; because it makes impotent.'
Note VII.
III. 1. 185-188. All editors follow the Folios in assigning the words 'Weapons, weapons, weapons!' to the second senator, and all, except Capell, continue the words 'Tribunes ... citizens!' to the same speaker. Capell assigned them to the First Senator. But surely the words are intended to express the tumultuous cries of the partisans on both sides, who are bustling about Coriolanus. The following words 'Peace, peace, peace' ... attributed to 'All' in the Folios, are spoken by some of the elder Senators endeavouring to calm the tumult.
Compare also Act V. Sc. 6. 121-123. There is a similar stage direction of the Folio, which was similarly misinterpreted, in The Tempest, I. 1. 57-59.