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Untitled Article
sally scouted by the common consent of mankind , as they tehd to sap the foundations of social life . Treachery is a peculiar attribute of mean and malicious natured women , and almost always of slaves . The reason is , that all freedom of action is denied them , and they thus revenge themselves . Amongst savage nations the greatest affront that can be offered to a man is to liken him to a woman , i . e . to call him a powerless being . In civilized life , to call a man a traitor means this and more also . To call Coriolanus a traitor was sure to induce defiance and recklessness of all consequences . He could seek no favour from those who could not respect his high qualities . * I would not buy Their mercy at the price of one fair word , Nor check my courage for what they can give 9 To have ' t with saying good morrow /
ment of nobleness . They sot on the worthless curs who dog their heels to hunt out at . the gates the foremost man in Rome with every species of contumely which petty spite can suggest . The fourth act commences , and he is taking leave of his friends , ' the beast with many heads butts him away / The shrew Volumnia has wrought her work , and is now cast down at her failure . The courage of Coriolanus is equal to the trial , but his vaunting mother can but repine and scold . Virgilia , his wife , wrings her hands , and calls out ' Oh , heavens ! Oh , heavens ! ' like the waggoner in the fable ; and Coriolanus , somewhat disgusted with her , silences her with Nay , I prithee , woman . '
He is by foul contrivance banished from that country for which he had so often shed his blood , that country which he had loved , that country on which he had prided himself as being one of its citizens . He is banished by the acclamations of the very people whom he had disinterestedly served ; banished with injurious taunts by the voices of the ignorant , set on by the designing * . That act has so operated on him as to turn all his love to gall , his patriotism into a selfish desire of vengeance at whatever cost .
It is another argument to show that true greatness of mind does not consist in impulse alone . A generous spirit , nurtured on philosophical conviction , is the only true wear which will stand all tests , and remain unharmed . Coriolanus was no philosopher . Terrible is the closing speech wherewith he scares away the ignoble crowd whose breath has banished him . Fearful is the
purpose which he expresses by saying , ' There is a world elsewhere . ' Slowly he turns on his heel , like a lion at bay , facing about to scare his foes with his looks of terrible meaning . Even then the base tribunes cannot refrain from meanness , cannot feel a senti-
Untitled Article
Coriolanus no Aristocrat 295
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1834, page 295, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2632/page/67/
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