With my base tongue, give to my noble heart
A lie, that it must bear? Well, I will do't:
Yet were there but this single plot to lofe,

3

This mould of Marcius, they to duft fhould grind it,
And throw it against the wind.-To the market-place:-
You have put me now to fuch a part, which never
I fhall difcharge to the life.

Com. Come, come, we'll prompt you.

*

Vol. I pr'ythee now, fweet fon; as thou haft faid,
My praises made thee firft a foldier, fo,

To have my praife for this, perform a part
Thou haft not done before 9.

Cor. Well, I must do't:

Away, my difpofition, and poffefs me

Some harlot's fpirit! My throat of war be turn'd,
Which quired with my drum', into a pipe
Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice

That babies lulls afleep! The fmiles of knaves
Tent in my cheeks; and fchool-boys' tears take
up
The glaffes of my fight! A beggar's tongue
Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd knees,
Who bow'd but in my ftirrop, bend like his

8

fingle plot- i. e. piece, portion, applied to a piece of earth; and here elegantly transferred to the body, carcafe. WARBURTON. such a part, which never, &c.] So, in K. Henry VI. P. III, Vol. VI. p. 297:

66 he would avoid fuch bitter taunts

"Which in the time of death he gave our father." Again, in the present scene:

But with fuch words that are but roted," &c.

This phrafeology was introduced by Shakspeare in the first of these paflages, for the old play on which the third part of K. Henry VI. was founded, reads-As in the time of death. The word as has been fubAituted for bich by the modern editors in the paffage before us.

9-perform a part

MALONE.

Thou haft not done before.] Our author is ftill thinking of his theatre.Cominius has juft faid, Come, come, we'll prompt you. MALONE. Which quired with my drum,] Which played in concert with my drum. JOHNSON.

2 Tent in my cheeks ;-] To tent is to take up refidence. JOHNSON..

That

That hath receiv'd an alms !-I will not do't:
Left I furcease to honour mine own truth3,
And, by my body's action, teach my mind
A moft inherent baseness.

Vol. At thy choice then :

To beg of thee, it is my more difhonour,
Than thou of them. Come all to ruin; let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear
Thy dangerous ftoutnefs; for I mock at death
With as big heart as thou. Do as thou lift.

Thy valiantnefs was mine, thou fuck'dft it from me;
But owe thy pride3 thyself.

Cor. Pray, be content;

Mother, I am going to the market-place;

Chide me no more.

I'll mountebank their loves,

Cog their hearts from them, and come home belov'd

Of all the trades in Rome. Look, I am going:

Commend me to my wife. I'll return conful;
Or never truft to what my tongue can do

I' the way of flattery, further.

Vol. Do your will.

[Exit.

Com. Away, the tribunes do attend you: arm yourself

To answer mildly; for they are prepar'd

With accufations, as I hear, more strong

Than are upon you yet.

Cor. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us go:

Let them accufe me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

Men. Ay, but mildly.

Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly.

3- to bonour mine own truth,]

[Exeunt

Πάλλων δὲ μάλις αἰσχύνεο σαυτον. Pythagoras. JOHNSON.

let

Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear

Thy dangerous floutnefs;] This is obfcure. Perhaps, the means, Go, do thy worft; let me rather feel the utmost extremity that thy pride can bring upon us, than live thus in fear of thy dangerous obftinacy.

JOHNSON.

5 But owe thy pride-] That is, own thy pride. See Vol. IV.

P. 473, n. 7. MALONE.

1

SCENE III.

The fame. The Forum.

Enter SICINIUS, and BRUTUS.

Bru. In this point charge him home, that he affects
Tyrannical power: If he evade us there,
Inforce him with his envy to the people;
And that the spoil, got on the Antiates,
Was ne'er diftributed.-

What, will he come?

Ed. He's coming.

Enter an Edile.

Bru. How accompanied?

Ed. With old Menenius, and thofe fenators

That always favour'd him.

Sic. Have you a catalogue

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,

Set down by the poll?

Ed. I have: 'tis ready.

Sic. Have you collected them by tribes?
Ed. I have.

Sic. Affemble prefently the people hither:
And when they hear me fay, It shall be fo

I' the right and ftrength o' the commons, be it either
For death, for fine, or banishment, then let them,
If I fay, fine, cry fine; if death, cry death;
Infifting on the old prerogative

19

And power i' the truth o' the cause 6.

Ed. I fhall inform them.

Bru. And when fuch time they have begun to cry,

Let them not ceafe, but with a din confus'd

Inforce the prefent execution

Of what we chance to fentence.

6

Ed. Very well.

Sic. Make them be ftrong, and ready for this hint,

the truth o' the cause.] This is not very easily understood. We might read:

o'er the truth of the cause. JOHNSON.

When

When we shall hap to give't them.

Bru. Go about it.

[Exit Edile.

Put him to choler ftraight: He hath been us'd
Ever to conquer, and to have his worth

Of contradiction: Being once chaf'd, he cannot
Be rein'd again to temperance; then he speaks
What's in his heart; and that is there, which looks
With us to break his neck.

Enter CORIOLANUS, MENENIUS, COMINI Us, Senators, and Patricians.

Sic. Well, here he comes.

Men. Calmly, I do befeech you.

Cor. Ay, as an oftler, that for the poorest piece Will bear the knave by the volume'.-The honour'd gods Keep Rome in fafety, and the chairs of justice Supply'd with worthy men! plant love among us! Throng our large temples 2 with the fhews of peace, And not our ftreets with war!

1. Sen. Amen, amen!

Men. A noble wish.

7- and to have his worth

Of contradiction] The modern editors fubftituted word; but the old copy reads worth, which is certainly right. He has been used to have his worth, or (as we fhould now fay) his pennyworth of contradiction; his full quota or proportion. So, in Romeo and Juliet:

You take your pennyworth [of fleep] now." MALONE. 8 Be rein'd again to temperance;] Our poet feems to have taken feveral of his images from the old pageants. In the new edition of Leland's Collectanea, Vol. IV. p. 190, the virtue temperance is reprefented "holding in hyr haund a bitt of an horse.” TOLLET.

9— which looks

With us to break his neck.] To look is to wait or expect. The fenfe I believe is, What be bas in bis beart is waiting there to help us to break his neck. JOHNSON.

Will bear the knave by the volume.] i. e. would bear being called knave as often as would fill out a volume. STEEVENS.

2 Throng our large temples-] The old copy reads-Through our,

&c. The emendation was made by Mr. Theobald.

The fhews of peace are multitudes of people peaceably assembled, either to hear the determination of caufes, or for other purposes of civil government. MALONE.

R 3

Re-enter

Re-enter Edile, with Citizens.

Sic. Draw near, ye people.

Ed. Lift to your tribunes; audience: Peace, I say.
Cor. First, hear me speak.

Both Tri. Well, fay.-Peace, ho.

Cor. Shall I be charg'd no further than this prefent? Muft all determine here?

Sic. I do demand,

If you fubmit you to the people's voices,
Allow their officers, and are content
To fuffer lawful cenfure for fuch faults
As fhall be prov'd upon you?

Cor. I am content.

Men. Lo, citizens, he says, he is content: The warlike fervice he has done, confider; Think upon the wounds his body bears,

Which thew like graves i' the holy church-yard. Cor. Scratches with briars, fcars to move laughter only.

Men. Confider further,

That when he speaks not like a citizen,
You find him like a foldier: Do not take
His rougher accents 3 for malicious founds,
But, as I fay, fuch as become a foldier,
Rather than envy you*.

Com. Well, well, no more.
Cor. What is the matter,

That being paft for conful with full voice,
I am so dishonour'd, that the very hour
You take it off again?

Sic. Anfwer to us.

Cor. Say then: 'tis true, I ought fo.

Sic. We charge you, that you have contriv'd to take

3 His rougher accents-] The old copy reads-actions. Theobald made the change. STEEVENS.

His rougher accents are the harsh terms that he ufes. MALONE. ♦ Rather than envy you.] Rather than import ill will to you. See p. 42, n. I.

MALONE.

From