VOL.

He must, and will:-
Pr'ythee, now, say, you will, and go about it.
COR. Must I go show them my unbarb'd sconce?*
Must I

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 lose,
This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind
it,

8

my unbarb'd sconce ?] The suppliants of the people used to present themselves to them in sordid and neglected dresses. STEEVENS.

Unbarbed, bare, uncovered. In the times of chivalry, when a horse was fully armed and accoutred for the encounter, he was said to be barbed; probably from the old word barbe which Chaucer uses for a veil or covering. HAWKINS.

Unbarbed sconce is untrimmed or unshaven head. To barb a man, was to shave him. So, in Promos and Cassandra,

1578:

"Grim. you are so clean a young man.
"Row. And who barbes you, Grimball?
"Grim. A dapper knave, one Rosco.

"Row. I know him not, is he a deaft barber?”

To barbe the field was to cut the corn. So, in Drayton's Polyolbion, Song XIII:

"The labring hunter tufts the thick unbarbed grounds." Again, in The Malcontent, by Marston:

"The stooping scytheman that doth barbe the field." But (says Dean Milles, in his comment on The Pseudo-Rowley, p. 215:)" would that appearance [of being unshaved] have been particular at Rome in the time of Coriolanus ?" Every one, but the Dean, understands that Shakspeare gives to all countries the fashions of his own.

Unbarbed may, however, bear the signification which the late Mr. Hawkins would affix to it. So, in Magnificence, an interlude by Skelton, Fancy, speaking of a hooded hawk, says:

9

"Barbyd like a nonne, for burnynge of the sonne."

STEEVENS. single plot-] i. e. piece, portion; applied to a piece of earth, and here elegantly transferred to the body, carcase. WARBURTON.

And throw it against the wind.-To the market

place:

You have put me now to such a part, which never1 I shall discharge to the life.

Сом.

Come, come, we'll prompt you.

VOL. I pr'ythee now, sweet son; as thou hast

said,

My praises made thee first a soldier, so,
To have my praise for this, perform a part
Thou hast not done before.2

COR.

Well, I must do't:

Away, my disposition, and possess me

Some harlot's spirit! My throat of war be turn'd, Which quired with my drum,3 into a pipe

1

such a part, which never &c.] So, in King Henry VI. P. III. Vol. XIV. p. 95:

66 - he would avoid such bitter taunts

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

"But with such words that are but roted," &c. Again, in Act V. sc. iv:

"Which thou shalt thereby reap, is such a name,
"Whose repetition will be dogg'd with curses."

i. e. the repetition of which

Again, in Act V. sc. iii:

66 - no, not with such friends,
"That thought them sure of you."

This phraseology was introduced by Shakspeare in the first of these passages, for the old play on which The Third Part of King Henry VI. was founded, reads-As in the time of death. The word as has been substituted for which by the modern editors in the passage before us. MALONE.

-perform a part

Thou hast not done before.] Our author is still thinking of his theatre. Cominius has just said, Come, come, we'll prompt you. MALOne.

3 Which quired with my drum,] Which played in concert with my drum. JOHNSON.

up

Small as an eunuch, or the virgin voice
That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves
Tent in my cheeks; and school-boys' tears take
The glasses of my sight! A beggar's tongue
Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd
knees,

Who bow'd but in my stirrop, bend like his
That hath receiv'd an alms!I will not do't:
Lest I surcease to honour mine own truth,5
And, by my body's action, teach my mind
A most inherent baseness.

VOL.
At thy choice then:
To beg of thee, it is my more dishonour,
Than thou of them. Čome all to ruin; let
Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear
Thy dangerous stoutness; for I mock at death
With as big heart as thou. Do as thou list.
Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me;
But owe thy pride thyself.

COR.

6

Pray, be content;

So, in The Merchant of Venice:
"Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubins."

STEEVENS.

JOHNSON.

• Tent in my cheeks ;] To tent is to take up residence.

5

6

to honour mine own truth,],

« Πάντων δὲ μάλις' αἰσχύνει σαύτον.” Pythag. JOHNSON.

let

Thy mother rather feel thy pride, than fear

Thy dangerous stoutness ;] This is obscure. Perhaps, she means:-Go, do thy worst; let me rather feel the utmost extremity that thy pride can bring upon us, than live thus in fear of thy dangerous obstinacy. JOHNSON.

"To throw away the dearest thing he owed,
"As 'twere a careless trifle." STEEVENS.

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 consul;
Or never trust 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 accusations, as I hear, more strong
Than are upon you yet.

COR. The word is, mildly:-Pray you, let us go: Let them accuse me by invention, I

Will answer in mine honour.

MEN.

Ay, but mildly.

COR. Well, mildly be it then; mildly. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same. The Forum.

Enter SICINIUS and BRUTus.

BRU. In this point charge him home, that he affects

Tyrannical power: If he evade us there,
Enforce him with his envy to the people;

―envy-] i. e. malice, hatred. So, in K. Henry VIII:
66 no black envy
"Shall make my grave."

See Vol. XV. p. 64, n. 2. STEEVENS.

And that the spoil, got on the Antiates,
Was ne'er distributed.-

ED. With old Menenius, and those senators That always favour'd him.

SIC.

Of all the voices that we have procur'd,

Set down by the poll?

ED.

Have you a catalogue

SIC. Have you

I have; 'tis ready, here." collected them by tribes?

I have.

ED.

SIC. Assemble presently the people hither: And when they hear me say, It shall be so·

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

And power i' the truth o' the cause.1

9

'tis ready, here.] The word here, which is wanting

in the old copies, was supplied by Sir Thomas Hanmer.

1

STEEVENS.

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

o'er the truth o' the cause. JOHNSON.

As I cannot understand this passage as it is pointed, I should suppose that the speeches should be thus divided, and then it will require no explanation:

Sic. Insisting on the old prerogative

And power.

Ed. In the truth of the cause

I shall inform them.

That is, I will explain the matter to them fully. M. Mason.