north, fouth; and their confent of one direct way fhould be at once to all the points o' the compaís.

2. CIT. Think you fo? Which way, do you judge, my wit would fly?

3. CIT. Nay, your wit will not fo foon out as another man's will, 'tis ftrongly wedg'd up in a block-head: but if it were at liberty, 'twould, fure, fouthward.

2. CIT. Why that way?

3. Cir. To lofe itself in a fog; where being three parts melted away with rotten dews, the fourth would return for confcience fake, to help to get thee a wife.

2. CIT. You are never without your tricks :You may, you may.'

3. CIT. Are you all refolved to give your voices? But that's no matter, the greater part carries it. I fay, if he would incline to the people, there was never a worthier man.

Enter CORIOLANUS and MENENIUS.

Here he comes, and in the gown of humility; mark his behaviour. We are not to stay all together,

their flying to every point of the compafs, is a juft description of the variety and inconfiftency of the opinions, withes, and actions of the multitude. M. MASON.

6 — and their confent of one direct way-] See Vol. VII. P. 403, n. 3; and Vol. IX. p. 506, n. 5. STEEVENS.

You may, you may.] This colloquial phrafe, which feems to fignify-You may divert yourself, as you please, at my expence,-has occurred already in Troilus and Creffida:

"Hel. By my troth, fweet lord, thou haft a fine forehead. "Pan. Ay, you may, you may." STEEVENS.

but to come by him where he stands, by ones, by twos, and by threes. He's to make his requests by particulars; wherein every one of us has a fingle honour, in giving him our own voices with our own tongues: therefore follow me, and I'll direct you how you fhall go by him.

ALL. Content, content.

[Exeunt.

MEN. O fir, you are not right: have you not

known

The worthieft men have done't?

COR.

What must I say?

I pray, fir,-Plague upon't! I cannot bring

My tongue to fuch a pace:-Look, fir;-my wounds ;

1

got them in my country's fervice, when Some certain of your brethren roar'd, and ran From the noife of our own drums.

MEN.

O me, the gods!

You must not speak of that; you must desire them

To think upon you.

COR.
I would they would forget me, like the virtues
Which our divines lofe by them."

MEN.

Think upon me? Hang 'em!

You'll mar all;

[Exit.

I'll leave you: Pray you, speak to them, I pray you, In wholesome manner."

I wish they would forget me, like the virtues

Which our divines lofe by them.] i. e. I wish they would forget me as they do thofe virtuous precepts, which the divines preach up to them, and lose by them, as it were, by their neglecting the practice. THEOBALD.

In wholesome manner.] So, in Hamlet: "If it shall please you to make me a wholesome anfwer." STEEVENS.

COR.

Enter two Citizens.

Bid them wash their faces,

And keep their teeth clean.-So, here comes a

brace.

You know the caufe, fir, of my standing here.

1. CIT. We do, fir; tell us what hath brought

poor with begging.

'Twas never my defire yet, to trouble

The

I. CIT. You must think, if we give you any

thing,

We hope to gain by you.

8

COR. Well then, I pray, your price o' the confulfhip?

not

Mine own defire.] The old copy-but mine own defire. If but be the true reading, it muft fignify, as in the North-without.

STEEVENS.

But is only the reading of the first folio: Not is the true reading. RITSON.

The answer of the citizen fully fupports the correction, which was made by the editor of the third folio. But and not are often confounded in these plays. See Vol. VI. p. 37, n. 7. and Vol. VIII. p. 579, n. 6.

In a paffage in Love's Labour's Loft, Vol. V. p. 276, n. 7, from the reluctance which I always feel to depart from the original copy, I have fuffered not to remain, and have endeavoured to explain the words as they stand; but I am now convinced that I ought to have printed

By earth, fhe is but corporal; there you lie." MALONE. VOL. XIL

H

1. CIT. The price is, fir, to ask it kindly.

COR.

Kindly!

Sir, I pray, let me ha't: I have wounds to show

you,

Which shall be yours in private.-Your good voice,

fir;

What fay you?

2. CIT.

You fhall have it, worthy fir.

COR. A match, fir:

There is in all two worthy voices begg'd:

I have your alms; adieu.

1. CIT.

But this is fomething odd.

2. CIT. An 'twere to give again,-But 'tis no [Exeunt two Citizens.

matter.

Enter two other Citizens.

COR. Pray you now, if it may ftand with the tune of your voices, that I may be conful, I have here the customary gown.

try,

1. CIT. You have deferved nobly of your counand you have not deserved nobly.

COR. Your enigma?

1. CIT. You have been a fcourge to her enemies, you have been a rod to her friends; you have not, indeed, loved the common people.

COR. You fhould account me the more virtuous, that I have not been common in my love. I will,

7 The price is, fir, &c.] The word-fir, has been fupplied by one of the modern editors to complete the verfe. STEEVENS.

8 But this is fomething odd.] As this hemiftich is too bulky to join with its predeceffor, we may fuppofe our author to have written only

This is fomething odd;

and that the compofitor's eye had caught-But, from the fucceeds ing line. STEEVENS.

fir, flatter my fworn brother the people, to earn a dearer estimation of them; 'tis a condition they account gentle: and fince the wisdom of their choice is rather to have my hat than my heart, I will practise the infinuating nod, and be off to them most counterfeitly; that is, fir, I will counterfeit the bewitchment of fome popular man, and give it bountifully to the defirers. Therefore, befeech you, I may be conful.

2. CIT. We hope to find you our friend; and therefore give you our voices heartily.

1. CIT. You have received many wounds for your country.

COR. I will not feal your knowledge with fhowing them. I will make much of your voices, and fo trouble you no further.

BOTH CIT. The gods give you joy, fir, heartily! [Exeunt.

COR. Moft fweet voices!

Better it is to die, better to ftarve,

Than crave the hire which first we do deserve. Why in this woolvish gown' fhould I stand here,

9 I will not feal your knowledge-] I will not ftrengthen or compleat your knowledge. The feal is that which gives authenticity to a writing. JOHNSON.

2

the hire-] The old copy has higher, and this is one of the many proofs that feveral parts of the original folio edition of thefe plays were dictated by one and written down by another.

MALONE. 3 this woolvib gown-] Signifies this rough hirfute gown. JOHNSON.

The first folio reads-this wol-vih tongue. Gorn is the reading of the fecond folio, and, I believe, the true one.

Let us try, however, to extract fome meaning from the word exhibited in the elder copy.

The white robe worn by a candidate was made, I think, of white lamb-fkins. How comes it then to be called woolish, unless in allufion to the fable of the wolf in sheep's clothing? Perhaps the