8 Commit the war of white and damask, in & Commit the war of white and damask, in Their nicely-garded cheeks,] Dr. Warburton, for war, abfurdly reads ware. MALONE. Has the commentator never heard of roses contending with lilies for the empire of a lady's cheek? The oppofition of colours, though not the commixture, may be called a war. JOHNSON. So, in Shakspeare's Tarquin and Lucrece : "The filent war of lilies and of roses, "Which Tarquin view'd in her fair face's field." Again, in The Taming of the Shrew: "Such war of white and red," &c. Again, in Chaucer's Knight's Tale, Mr. Tyrwhitt's edit. v. 1040: "For with the rofe colour frof hire hewe." Again, in Damatas' Madrigal in Praife of his Daphnis, by John Wootton; published in England's Helicon, 1600: Amidft her cheekes the rofe and lilly ftrive," Again, in Maflinger's Great Duke of Florence: the lillies Contending with the rofes in her cheek." STEEVENS. Again, in our author's Venus and Adonis : "To note the fighting conflict of her hue, "How white and red each other did deftroy." MALONE. Cleaveland introduces this, according to his quaint manner: her cheeks, 66 "Where rofes mix: no civil war "Between her York and Lancafter." FARMER. 9 As if that whatever god,] That is, as if that god who leads him, whatfoever god he be. JOHNSON. So, in our author's 26th Sonnet: "Till whatsoever ftar that guides my moving, Again, in Antony and Cleopatra: "-he hath fought to-day, "As if a god in hate of mankind had "Destroy'd in fuch a fhape." MALONE. SIC. I warrant him conful. BRU. On the fudden, Then our office may, During his power, go fleep. 2 SIC. He cannot temperately transport his honours From where he should begin, and end; but will Lose those that he hath won. BRU. In that there's comfort. SIC. Doubt not, the commoners, for whom we ftand, But they, upon their ancient malice, will Forget, with the leaft caufe, thefe his new honours ; Which that he'll give them, make I as little quef tion As he is proud to do't.3 BRU. I heard him fwear, Were he to ftand for conful, never would he Appear i'the market-place, nor on him put 2 From where he should begin, and end;] Perhaps it fhould be read: From where he should begin t'an end. JOHNSON. Our author means, though he has expreffed himself moft licentioufly, 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 fpot where he should begin, and to the fpot where he should end. I have no doubt that the text is right. The reading of the old copy is fupported by a paffage in Cymbeline, where we find exactly the fame phrafeology: 66 the gap "That we shall make in time, from our hence going "AND our return, to excufe," where the modern editors read-Till our return. MALONE. 3 As he is proud to do't.] Proud to do, is the fame as, proud of doing. JOHNSON. As means here, as that. MALONE. The napless vesture of humility; Nor, fhowing (as the manner is) his wounds. SIC. 'Tis right. BRU. It was his word: O, he would mifs it, ra ther Than carry it, but by the fuit o' the gentry to him, And the defire of the nobles. SIC. I wish no better, Than have him hold that purpose, and to put it In execution. BRU. 'Tis most like, he will. SIC. It fhall be to him then, as our good wills; A fure deftruction." BRU. So it muft fall out To him, or our authorities. For an end, ♦ The naplefs 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 drefs the commonwealth, and turn it, and fet 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." See p. 91, n. 5. MALONE. s It shall be to him then, as our good wills; A fure deftruction.] This fhould be written will's, for will is. TYRWHITT. It fhall be to him of the fame nature as our difpofitions towards him; deadly. MALONE. 6 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 shades of meaning. STEEVENS. He still hath held them; that, to his power,' he would Have made them mules, filenc'd their pleaders, and Of no more foul, nor fitness for the world, to his power,] i. e. as far as his power goes, to the utmoft of it. STEEVENS. 6 Of no more foul, nor fitness for the world, Than camels in their war;] In what war? Camels are mere beasts 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 instead of their. Their, however, may ftand, and fignify the war undertaken for the fake of the people. 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. 66 7 their provand] So the old copy, and rightly, though all the modern editors read provender. The following inftances may ferve 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 Hakevil 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 Pafquil's Nightcap, &c. 1623: "Sometimes feeks change of pasture and provant, "Because her commons be at home fo fcant." The word appears to be derived from the French, provende, provender. STEEVENS. For finking under them. SIC. This, as you fay, suggested At fome time when his foaring infolence 8 Shall teach the people, (which time shall not want, If he be put upon't; and that's as easy, As to fet dogs on sheep,) will be his fire To kindle their dry ftubble; and their blaze BRU. Enter a Meffenger. What's the matter? MES. You are fent for to the Capitol. 'Tis thought, That Marcius fhall be conful: I have seen The dumb men throng to see him, and the blind To hear him speak: The matrons flung their gloves,1 "When his foar • Shall teach the people,] Thus the old copy. ing 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 neceffity,-fhall reach the people, and his emendation was adopted by all the fubfequent editors. MALONE. The word-teach, though left in the text, is hardly fenfe, unless it means-inftruct the people in favour of our purposes. 9 I strongly 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. 2 To hear him fpeak: The matrons flung their gloves,] The words -The and their, which are wanting in the old copy, were properly fupplied by Sir Thomas Hanmer to complete the verse. STEEVENS. Matrons flung gloves Ladies-their fearfs-] Here our author has attributed fome 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 à tournament without a lady's favour upon his arm: and fometimes |