II.i.84 (330,1) set up the bloody flag against all patience] That is, declare war against patience. There is not wit enough in this satire to recompense its grossness.
II.i.105 (331,2) herdsmen of beastly Plebeians] As kings are called [Greek: poimenes laon].
II.i.115 (331,3) Take my cap, Jupiter, and I thank thee] [W: cup] Shakespeare so often mentions throwing up caps in this play, that Menenius may be well enough supposed to throw up his cap in thanks to Jupiter.
II.i.146 (333,4) possest of this?] Possest, in our authour’s language, is fully informed.
II.i.178 (334,6) Which being advanc’d, declines] Volumnia, in her boasting strain, says, that her son to kill his enemy, has nothing to do but to lift his hand up and let it fall.
II.i.232 (337,3) Commit the war of white and damask, in/Their nicely gawded cheeks] [W: wars] Has the commentator never heard of roses contending with lilies for the empire of a lady’s cheek? The opposition of colours, though not the commixture, may be called a war.
II.i.235 (338,1) As if that whatsoever God] That is, as if that God who leads him, whatsoever God he be.
II.i.241 (338,2) From where he should begin, and end] Perhaps it should be read,
From where he should begin t’an end.—
II.i.247 (338,3) As he is proud to do’t] [I should rather think the author wrote prone: because the common reading is scarce sense or English. WARBURTON.] Proud to do, is the same as, proud of doing, very plain sense, and very common English.
II.i.285 (340,4) carry with us ears and eyes] That is, let us observe what passes, but keep our hearts fixed on our design of crushing Coriolanus.
II.ii.19 (340,5) he wav’d indifferently] That is, he would wave indifferently.
II.ii.29 (341,6) supple and courteous to the people; bonnetted] The sense, I think, requires that we should read, unbonnetted. Who have risen only by pulling off their hats to the people. Bonnetted may relate to people, but not without harshness.
II.ii.57 (342,7) Your loving motion toward the common body] Your kind interposition with the common people.
II.ii.64 (342,9) That’s off, that’s off] That is, that is nothing to the purpose.
II.ii.82 (343,1) how can he flatter] The reasoning of Menenius is this: How can he be expected to practice flattery to others, who abhors it so much, that he cannot bear it even when offered to himself.
II.ii.92 (343,2) When Tarquin made a head for Rome] When Tarquin, who had been expelled, raised a power to recover Rome.
II.ii.113 (344,6) every motion/Was tim’d with dying cries] The cries of the slaughter’d regularly followed his motions, as musick and a dancer accompany each ether.
II.ii.115 (345,7) The mortal gate] The gate that was made the scene of death.