We muft fuggeft the people, in what hatred He ftill hath held them; that, to his power,' he would Have made thein mules, filenc'd their pleaders, and Of no more foul, nor fitnefs for the world, 9 fuggeft the people,] i. e. prompt them. So, in King Richard II: Suggeft his foon-believing adverfaries." The verb-to fuggeft, has, in our author, many different fhades of meaning. I STEEVENS. to his power,] i. e. as far as his power goes, to the utmoft of it. STEEVENS. 2 Of no more foul, nor fitness for the world, Than camels in their war ;] In what war? Camels are mere beafts of burthen, and are never used in war.-We should certainly read: As camels in their way. M. MASON. I am far from certain that this amendment is neceffary. 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 inftead of their. Their, however, may stand, and fignify the war undertaken for the fake of the people. Mr. M. Mafon, however, is not correct in the affertion with which his note begins; for we are told by Aristotle, that shoes were put upon camels in the time of war. See Hift. 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 fufpect Shakspeare wrote in the war. MALONE. 3 their provand-] So the old copy, and rightly, though all the modern editors read provender. The following inftances may serve to establish the ancient reading. Thus, in Stowe's Chronicle, edit. 1615, p. 737 : " the provaunte was cut off, and every foldier had half a crowne a weeke." Again: "The horfmenne had foure fhillings 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 fore blows SIC. This, as you fay, fuggefted At fome time when his foaring infolence Shall teach the people,4 (which time shall not want, BRU. Enter a Meffenger. What's the matter? MESS. You are fent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought, That Marcius fhall be conful: I have seen Hakewil on the Providence of God, p. 118, or Lib. II. c. vii. fect 1: " At the fiege of Luxenburge, 1543, the weather was fo cold, that the provant wine, ordained for the army, being frozen, was divided with hatchets," &c. Again, in Pafquill's Nightcap, &c. 1623 : "Sometimes feeks change of pasture and provant, The word appears to be derived from the French, provende, provender. STEEVENS. 1 "When his 4 Shall teach the people,] Thus the old copy. foaring infolence fhall teach the people," may mean-When he with the infolence of a proud patrician fhall inftruct the people in their duty to their rulers. Mr. Theobald reads, I think, without neceflity, shall reach the people, and his emendation was adopted by all the fubfequent editors. MALONE. The word-teach, though left in the text, is hardly fense, unlefs it means-inftruct the people in favour of our purposes. I ftrongly incline to the emendation of Mr. Theobald. 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 fee him, and the blind To hear him fpeak: The matrons flung their gloves,6 Ladies and maids their scarfs and handkerchiefs, BRU. Let's to the Capitol ; And carry with us ears and eyes for the time," 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 properly supplied by Sir T. Hanmer to complete the verse. copy, were STEEVENS. Matrons flung glovesLadies-their fearfs-] 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 fometimes when a nobleman had tilted with uncommon grace and agility, fome of the fair fpectators 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 obferve what paffes, but keep our hearts fixed on our defign of crushing Coriolanus. JOHNSON. 1 SCENE II. The fame. The Capitol. Enter Two Officers, to lay Cushions. 1 OFF. Come, come, they are almost here: How many ftand for confulfhips? 2 OFF. Three, they fay but 'tis thought of every one, Coriolanus will carry it. 1 OFF. That's a brave fellow; but he's vengeance proud, and loves not the common people. 2 OFF. 'Faith, there have been many great men that have flattered the people, who ne'er loved them; and there be many that they have loved, they know not wherefore: fo that, if they love they know not why, they hate upon no better a ground: Therefore, for Coriolanus neither to care whether they love or hate him, manifefts the true knowledge he has in their difpofition; and, out of his noble carelessness, let's them plainly fee't. 1 OFF. If he did not care whether he had their love, or no, he waved indifferently 'twixt doing Enter two Officers, &c.] The old copy reads: "Enter two officers to lay cufhions, as it were, in the capitoll." STEEVENS. This as it were was inferted, because there being no scenes in the theatres in our author's time, no exhibition of the infide of the capitol could be given. See The Account of our old Theatres, Vol. II. MALONE. In the fame place, the reader will find this pofition controverted STEEVENS. 9 he waved-] That is, he would have waved indifferently. JOHNSON. them neither good, nor harm; but he feeks their hate with greater devotion than they can render it him; and leaves nothing undone, that may fully discover him their oppofite. Now, to feem to affect the malice and displeasure of the people, is as bad as that which he dislikes, to flatter them for their love. 2 1 OFF. He hath deserved worthily of his country: And his afcent is not by fuch eafy degrees as thofe, who, having been fupple and courteous to the people, bonnetted,3 without any further deed to heave them at all into their eftimation and report: I their oppofite.] That is, their adversary. See Vol. V. p. 331, n. 7, and p. 352, n. 2. MALONE. 2 3 as thofe,] That is, as the afcent of those. MALONE. fupple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, &c.] Bonnetter, Fr. is to pull off one's cap. See Cotgrave. So, in the academick ftyle, to cap a fellow, is to take off the cap to him. M. MASON. who, having been fupple and courteous to the people, bonnetted, without any further deed to have them at all into their eftimation and report:] I have adhered to the original copy in printing this very obfcure paffage, because it appears to me at leaft as intelligible, as what has been fubftituted in its room. Mr. Rowe, for having, reads have, and Mr. Pope, for have in a fubfequent part of the fentence, reads heave. Bonnetted, is, I apprehend, a verb, not a participle, here. They humbly took off their bonnets, without any further deed whatsoever done in order to have them, that is, to infinuate themselves into the good opinion of the people. To have them, for to have themselves or to wind themselves into,-is certainly very harth; but to heave themselves, &c. is not much less fo. MALONE. I continue to read-heave. Have, in King Henry VIII. (See Vol. XV. p. 74, n. 2.) was likewife printed instead of heave, in the first folio, though corrected in the fecond. The phrafe in queftion occurs in Hayward: "The Scots heaved up into high hope of victory," &c. Many inftances of Shakspeare's attachment to the verb heave, might be added on this occafion. STEEVENS. |