MEN. Nay, these are almost thoroughly per suaded; For though abundantly they lack discretion, MAR. They are dissolved: Hang'em! They said, they were an-hungry; sigh'd forth proverbs ; That, hunger broke stone walls; that, dogs must eat; That, meat was made for mouths; that, the gods sent not Corn for the rich men only :-With these shreds They vented their complainings; which being an swer'd, And a petition granted them, a strange one, (To break the heart of generosity,1 And make bold power look pale,) they threw their caps nounced in Staffordshire, where they say-picke me such a thing, that is, pitch or throw any thing that the demander wants. TOLLET. Thus, in Froissart's Chronicle, cap. C.lxiii. fo. lxxxii. b: "-and as he stouped downe to take up his swerde, the Frenche squyer dyd pycke his swerde at hym, and by hap strake hym through bothe the thyes." STEEVENS. So, in An Account of auntient Customes and Games, &c. MSS. Harl. 2057, fol. 10, b: "To wrestle, play at strole-ball, [stool-ball] or to runne, "To picke the barre, or to shoot off a gun." The word is again used in King Henry VIII. with only a slight variation in the spelling: "I'll peck you o'er the pales else." See Vol. XV. p. 210, n. 5. MALONE. 1 - the heart of generosity,] To give the final blow to the nobles. Generosity is high birth. JOHNSON. So, in Measure for Measure : "The generous and gravest citizens-." See Vol. VI. p. 381, n. 2. STEEVENS. c2 As they would hang them on the horns o'the moon, Shouting their emulation.3 MEN. What is granted them ? MAR. Five tribunes, to defend their vulgar wisdoms, Of their own choice: One's Junius Brutus, 2 MEN. This is strange. MAR. Go, get you home, you fragments! -hang them on the horns o' the moon,] So, in Antony and Cleopatra : 3 "Let me lodge Lichas on the horns o' the moon." STEEVENS. Shouting their emulation.] Each of them striving to shout louder than the rest. MALONE. Emulation, in the present instance, I believe, signifies faction. Shouting their emulation, may mean, expressing the triumph of their faction by shouts. Emulation, in our author, is sometimes used in an unfavourable sense, and not to imply an honest contest for superior excellence. Thus, in King Henry VI. P. I: 66 - the trust of England's honour "Keep off aloof with worthless emulation." Again, in Troilus and Cressida : " While emulation in the army crept." i. e. faction. STEEVENS. 4 - unroof'd the city,] Old copy-unroost. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE. * For insurrection's arguing.] For insurgents to debate upon. MALONE. Enter a Messenger. MESS. Where's Caius Marcius? MAR. Here: What's the matter? MESS. The news is, sir, the Volces are in arms. MAR. I am glad on't; then we shall have means to vent Our musty superfluity :-See, our best elders. Enter COMINIUS, TITUS LARTIUS, and other Senators; JUNIUS BRUTUS, and SICINIUS VE LUTUS. 1 SEN. Marcius, 'tis true, that you have lately told us; They have a leader, Tullus Aufidius, that will put you to't. I sin in envying his nobility: And were I any thing but what I am, I would wish me only he. Сом. You have fought together. MAR. Were half to half the world by the ears, and he Upon my party, I'd revolt, to make That I am proud to hunt. 6 'tis true, that you have lately told us; The Volces are in arms.] Coriolanus had been just told himself that the Volces were in arms. The meaning is, The intelligence which you gave us some little time ago of the designs of the Volces is now verified; they are in arms. JOHNSON. 1 SEN. Then, worthy Marcius, Attend upon Cominius to these wars. Com. It is your former promise. Sir, it is; And I am constant." -Titus Lartius, thou What, art thou stiff? stand'st out? TIT. No, Caius Marcius; I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other, Ere stay behind this business. MEN. O, true bred! 1 SEN. Your company to the Capitol; where, I know, Our greatest friends attend us. TIT. Lead you on : Follow, Cominius; we must follow you; Right worthy you priority. 8 Noble Lartius!" 1 SEN. Hence! To your homes, be gone. [To the Citizens. MAR. Nay, let them follow: The Volces have much corn; take these rats thither, To gnaw their garners : - Worshipful mutineers, constant.] i. e. immoveable in my resolution. So, in Julius Cæsar : "But I am constant as the northern star." STEEVENS. Right worthy you priority.] You being right worthy of precedence. MALONE. 8 Mr. M. Mason would read your priority. STEEVENS. 9 Noble Lartius!] Old copy-Martius. Corrected by Mr. Theobald. I am not sure that the emendation is necessary. Perhaps Lartius in the latter part of the preceding speech addresses Marcius. MALONE. Your valour puts well forth:1 pray, follow. [Exeunt Senators, COM. MAR. TIT. and MENEN. Citizens steal away. SIC. Was ever man so proud as is this Marcius? BRU. He has no equal. SIC. When we were chosen tribunes for the peo ple, BRU. Mark'd you his lip, and eyes ? SIC. Nay, but his taunts. BRU. Being mov'd, he will not spare to gird the gods. SIC. Be-mock the modest moon. BRU. The present wars devour him: he is grown Too proud to be so valiant.3 Your valour puts well forth:] That is, You have in this mutiny shown fair blossoms of valour. JOHNSON. 2 To-day he puts forth "The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms," &c. MALONE. to gird-] To sneer, to gibe. So Falstaff uses the noun, when he says, every man has a gird at me. JOHNSON. Again, in The Taming of the Shrew: " I thank thee for that gird, good Tranio." Many instances of the use of this word, might be added. STEEVENS. To gird, as an anonymous correspondent observes to me, " in some parts of England means to push vehemently. So, when a ram pushes at any thing with his head, they say he girds at it." To gird likewise signified, to pluck or twinge. Hence probably it was metaphorically used in the sense of to taunt, or annoy by a stroke of sarcasm. Cotgrave makes gird, nip, and twinge, synonymous. MALONE. 3 The present wars devour him: he is grown Too proud to be so valiant.] Mr. Theobald says, This is obscurely expressed, but that the poet's meaning must certainly be, that Marcius is so conscious of, and so elate upon the notion of |