Now humble, as the ripest mulberry,3 -waving thy head, (Which humble thus;) correcting thy stout heart, As there is no verb in this passage as it stands, some amendment must be made, to make it intelligible; and that which I now propose, is to read bow instead of now, which is clearly the right reading. M. Mason. I am persuaded these lines are printed exactly as the author wrote them, a similar kind of phraseology being found in his other plays. Which, &c. is the absolute case, and is to be understood as if he had written-It often, &c. So, in The Winter's Tale: 66 This your son-in-law, "And son unto the king, (whom heavens directing) Again, in King John: 66 66 he that wins of all, Of kings, and beggars, old men, young men, maids,— "Who having no external thing to lose, "But the word maid,-cheats the poor maid of that." In the former of these passages, "whom heavens directing," is to be understood as if Shakspeare had written, him heavens directing; (illum deo ducente;) and in the latter, "who having" has the import of They having. Nihil quod amittere possint, præter nomen virginis, possidentibus. See Vol. VII, p. 331, n. 6. This mode of speech, though not such as we should now use, having been used by Shakspeare, any emendation of this contested passage becomes unnecessary. Nor is this kind of phraseology peculiar to our author: for in R. Raignold's Lives of all the Emperours, 1571, fol. 5, b. I find the same construction: "- as Pompey was passing in a small boate toward the shoare, to fynde the kynge Ptolemey, he was by his commaundement slayne, before he came to land, of Septimius and Achilla, who hoping by killing of him to purchase the friendship of Cæsar.-Who now being come unto the shoare, and entering Alexandria, had sodainly presented unto him the head of Pompey the Great," &c. Again, in the Continuation of Hardyng's Chronicle, 1543, Signat. M m. ij: "And now was the kyng within twoo daies journey of Salisbury, when the duke attempted to mete him, whiche duke beyng accompaignied with great strength of Welshemen, whom he had enforced thereunto, and coherted more by lordly commaundment than by liberal wages and hire: whiche thyng was in deede the cause that thei fell from hym and forsoke him. Wherefore he," &c. See also Vol. VI, p. 324, n. 6. Mr. M. Mason says, that there is no verb in the sentence, and therefore it must be corrupt. The verb is go, and the sentence, not more abrupt than many others in these plays. Go to the people, says Volumnia, and appear before them in a supplicating attitude, with thy bonnet in thy hand, thy knees on the ground, (for in such cases action is eloquence, &c.) waving thy head; it, by its frequent bendings, (such as those that I now make) sub. That will not hold the handling: Or, say to them, As thou hast power, and person. Men. This but done, Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were yours :5 For they have pardons, being ask’d, as free As words to little purpose. Vol. Pr'ythee now, Go, and be rul❜d: although, I know, thou had'st rather Follow thine enemy in a fiery gulf, duing thy stout heart, which now should be as humble as the ripest mulberry: or, if these silent gestures of supplication do not move them, add words, and say to them, &c. Whoever has seen a player supplicating to be heard by the audience, when a tumult, for whatever cause, has arisen in a theatre, will perfectly feel the force of the words-"waving thy head." No emendation whatever appears to me to be necessary in these lines. Malone. All I shall observe respecting the validity of the instances adduced by Mr. Malone in support of his position, is, that as an.cient press-work seldom received any correction, the errors of one printer may frequently serve to countenance those of another, without affording any legitimate decision in matters of phraseology. Steevens. 3 humble, as the ripest mulberry,] This fruit, when thoroughly ripe, drops from the tree. Steevens. Eschylus (as appears from a fragment of his PTIEZ; EKTOPOX ATTPA, preserved by Athenæus, Lib. II,) says of Hector that he was softer than mulberries: 66 'Ανὴρ δ ̓ ἐκεῖνος ἦν πεπαίτερος μόρων.” and being bred in broils, Musgrave. Hast not the soft way,] So, in Othello, (folio 1623): 66 Rude am I in my speech, "And little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace; "And little of this great world can I speak, 66 More than pertains to feats of broils and battles." Malone. 5 Even as she speaks, why, all their hearts were yours:] The word all was supplied by Sir Thomas Hanmer to remedy the apparent defect in this line. I am not sure, however, that we might not better read, as Mr. Ritson proposes: Even as she speaks it, why their hearts were yours. Steevens. 6 in a fiery gulf,] i. e. into. So, in King Richard III: "But first, I'll turn yon fellow in his grave." Steevens. Than flatter him in a bower. Here is Cominius. Enter COMINIUS. Com. I have been i' the market-place: and, sir, 'tis fit You make strong party, or defend yourself By calmness, or by absence; all 's in anger. Men. Only fair speech. Com. I think, 'twill serve, if he Can thereto frame his spirit. 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, 7 Than flatter him in a bower.] A bower is the ancient term for a chamber. So Spenser, Prothalam. st. 8, speaking of The Temple: "Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers." See also Chaucer &c. passim. Steevens. 8 my unbarb'd sconce ?] The suppliants of the people used to present themselves to them in sordid and neglected dresses. Johnson. 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. "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 Polyelbion, Song XIII: "The lab'ring 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: 66 Barbyd like a nonne, for burnynge of the sonne." Steevens. 9 — single plot -] i. e. piece, portion; applied to a piece of earth, and here elegantly transferred to the body, carcase. Warburton. This mould of Marcius, they to dust should grind it, Com. 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, That babies lulls asleep! The smiles of knaves Make motion through my lips; and my arm'd knees, 1 such a part, which never &c.] So, in King Henry VI, P. III, Vol. X, p. 349: 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: the benefit "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-4s in the time of death. The word as has been substituted for which by the modern editors in the passage before us. Malone. 2 -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. So, in The Merchant of Venice: "Still quiring to the young-ey'd cherubins." Steevens. Tent in my cheeks;] To tent is to take up residence. Johnson. That hath receiv'd an alms! I will not do 't: Vol. Thy valiantness was mine, thou suck'dst it from me; Cor. Pray, be content; Chide me no more. I'll mountebank their loves, 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 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. 5 6 Men. Ay, but mildly. [Exeunt. Cor. Well, mildly be it then; mildly. to honour mine own truth,] σε Πάντων δὲ μάλις αἰσχύνεο 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. 7 -owe i. e. own. Reed. So, in Macbeth: "To throw away the dearest thing he owed, |