SIC. He cannot temperately transport his honours From where he should begin, and end;5 but will Lose those that he hath won.

BRU.

In that there's comfort.

SIC. Doubt not, the commoners, for whom we

stand,

But they, upon their ancient malice, will
Forget, with the least cause, these his new honours;
Which that he'll give them, make as little ques-

tion

As he is proud to do't."

BRU.

I heard him swear,

From where he should begin, and end;]

be read:

Perhaps it should

JOHNSON.

From where he should begin t'an end. Our author means, though he has expressed himself most licentiously, he cannot carry his honours temperately from where he should begin to where he should end. The word transport includes the ending as well as the beginning. He cannot begin to carry his honours, and conclude his journey, from the spot where he should begin, and to the spot where he should end." I have no doubt that the text is right.

The reading of the old copy is supported by a passage in Cymbeline, where we find exactly the same phraseology:

66

the

gap

"That we shall make in time, from our hence going

"AND our return, to excuse.

where the modern editors read- Till our return.

6

MALONE.

As he is proud to do't.] Proud to do, is the same as, proud

of doing. JOHNSON.

As means here, as that. MALone.

Were he to stand for consul, never would he
Appear i'the market-place, nor on him put
The napless vesture" of humility;

Nor, showing (as the manner is) his wounds
To the people, beg their stinking breaths.

SIC.

'Tis right.

BRU. It was his word: O, he would miss it,

rather

Than carry it, but by the suit o'the gentry to him, And the desire of the nobles.

SIC. It shall be to him then, as our good wills; A sure destruction.R

BRU.

So it must fall out

To him, or our authorities. For an end,

7

The napless vesture-] The players read-the Naples-.
STEEVENS.

The correction was made by Mr. Rowe. By napless Shakspeare means thread-bare. So, in King Henry VI. P.II: “Geo. I tell thee, Jack Cade the clothier means to dress the commonwealth, and turn it, and set a new nap upon it. John. So he had need; for 'tis thread-bare.”

Plutarch's words are "with a poore gowne on their backes.” p. 96, n. 1. MALONE.

See

9

It shall be to him then, as our good wills;

A sure destruction.] This should be written will's, for will is.

TYRWHITT.

It shall be to him of the same nature as our dispositions towards him; deadly. MALONE.

Neither Malone nor Tyrwhitt have justly explained this passage. The word-wills is here a verb; and as our "good wills" means,

as our advantage" requires. M. MASON.

We must suggest the people,' in what hatred
He still hath held them; that, to his power,' he
would

Have made them mules, silenc'd their pleaders, and
Dispropertied their freedoms: holding them,
In human action and capacity,

Of no more soul, nor fitness for the world,
Than camels in their war;2 who have their provand3

9suggest the people,] i. e. prompt them. So, in King Richard II:

"Suggest his soon-believing adversaries."

The verb-to suggest, has, in our author, many different shades of meaning. STEEVENS.

1

to his power,] i. e. as far as his power goes, to the utmost of it.

STEEVENS.

Of no more soul, nor fitness for the world, Than camels in their war;] In what war? beasts of burthen, and are never used in war.tainly read:

As camels in their way. M. MASON.

Camels are mere
-We should cer-

I am far from certain that this amendment is necessary. Brutus means to say that Coriolanus thought the people as useless expletives in the world, as camels would be in the war. I would read the instead of their. Their, however, may stand, and signify the war undertaken for the sake of the people.

Mr. M. Mason, however, is not correct in the assertion with which his note begins; for we are told by Aristotle, that shoes were put upon camels in the time of war. See Hist. Anim. II. 6. p. 165, edit. Scaligeri. STEEvens.

Their war may certainly mean, the wars in which the Roman people engaged with various nations; but I suspect Shakspeare wrote-in the war. MALONE.

3 their provand-] So the old copy, and rightly, though all the modern editors read provender. The following instances may serve to establish the ancient reading. Thus, in Stowe's Chronicle, edit. 1615, p. 737: “ the provaunte was cut off, and every soldier had half a crowne a weeke." Again: "The horsmenne had foure shillings the weeke loane, to find them and their horse, which was better than the provaunt." Again, in Sir Walter Raleigh's Works, 1751, Vol. II. p. 229. Again, in

Only for bearing burdens, and sore blows
For sinking under them.

SIC.

This, as you say, suggested At some time when his soaring insolence

Shall teach the people, (which time shall not want,
If he be put upon't; and that's as easy,

As to set dogs on sheep,) will be his fire"
To kindle their dry stubble; and their blaže
Shall darken him for ever.

BRU.

Enter a Messenger.

What's the matter?

MESS. You are sent for to the Capitol. 'Tis

thought,

That Marcius shall be consul: I have seen

Hakewil on the Providence of God, p. 118, or Lib. II. c. vii. sect. 1: 66 At the siege of Luxenburge, 1543, the weather was so cold, that the provant wine, ordained for the army, being frozen, was divided with hatchets," &c. Again, in Pasquill's Nightcap, &c. 1623:

"Sometimes seeks change of pasture and provant, "Because her commons be at home so scant." The word appears to be derived from the French, provende, provender. STEEVENS.

→ Shall teach the people,] Thus the old copy. "When his soaring insolence shall teach the people," may mean-When he with the insolence of a proud patrician shall instruct the people in their duty to their rulers. Mr. Theobald reads, I think, without necessity, shall reach the people, and his emendation was adopted by all the subsequent editors. MALONE.

The word-teach, though left in the text, is hardly sense, unless it means-instruct the people in favour of our purposes. I strongly incline to the emendation of Mr. Theobald.

5

STEEVENS.

will be his fire-] Will be a fire lighted by himself. Perhaps the author wrote-as fire. There is, however, no need of change. MALONE.

The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind To hear him speak: The matrons flung their gloves,6

Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs,
Upon him as he pass'd: the nobles bended,
As to Jove's statue; and the commons made
A shower, and thunder, with their caps, and shouts:
I never saw the like.

BRU.

Let's to the Capitol ; And carry with us ears and eyes for the time," But hearts for the event.

SIC.

Have with you.

[Exeunt.

To hear him speak: The matrons flung their gloves,] The words-The and their, which are wanting in the old copy, were properly supplied by Sir T. Hanmer to complete the verse. STEEVENS.

Matrons flung gloves

Ladies their scarfs-] Here our author has attributed some of the customs of his own age to a people who were wholly unacquainted with them. Few men of fashion in his time appeared at a tournament without a lady's favour upon his arm: and sometimes when a nobleman had tilted with uncommon grace and agility, some of the fair spectators used to fling a scarf or glove "upon him as he pass'd." MALONE.

7

carry with us ears and eyes &c.] That is, let us observe what passes, but keep our hearts fixed on our design of crushing Coriolanus. JOHNSON.