CHARACTERS IN THE INDUCTION, A Lord, before whom the Play is supposed to be piay'd. CHRISTOPHER SLY, a drunken Tinker. Page, Players, Huntsmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord. Taylor, Haberdasher; with Servants attending on Baptifla and Petruchio. SCENE, fometimes in Padua; and fometimes in Petrucbia's House in the Country. IN D SCENE I. Before an Alebouse on a Heath. Sly. 'LL Hofl. Enter Hoftefs and Sly. 1 you, in faith. A pair of stocks, you rogue! UCTION.. Look in the chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror. Therefore, paucas pallabris 3: let the world flide 4: Seffa! Hoft. You will not pay for the glaffes you have burst 5? Sly. No, not a denier: Go by, Jeronimy; Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no 2 rogues: Go to thy cold bed, and warm thee. Hoft. 1 i. e. I'll harrafs or plague you; or perhaps I'll pheese you, may have a meaning fimilar to the vulgar phrase of I'll comb your head. 2 Meaning, no vagrants, but gentlemen. 3 Sly, as an ignorant fellow, is purposely made to aim at languages out of his knowledge, and knock the words out of joint. The Spaniards say, pocas palabras, i. e. few words: as they do likewife, Ceffa, i. e. be quiet.-Mr. Steevens fays, this is a burlesque on Hieronymo, which Theobald speaks of in a following note. 4 A proverbial expreffion, 5 i. c. broke. 6 Mr. Theobald's comment on this speech thus: "The passage has particular humour in it, and must have been very pleasing at that time of "day. But I must clear up a piece of itage history, to make it understood. There is a fustian old play, "called Hieronymo; or, The Spanish Tragedy: which, I find, was the common butt of raillery to all the poets in Shakfpeare's time: and a pailage, that appeared very ridiculous in that play, is here hu"mouroufly alluded to. Hieronymo, thinking himself injured, applies to the king for juftice; but "the courtiers, who did not defire his wrongs should be fet in a true light, attempt to hinder him # from an audience, Hiero. Justice, oh! justice to Hieronimo. Lor. Back-fee'st thou not the ! Hoft. I know my remedy, I must go fetch the And, with a low fubmiffive reverence, thirdborough . [Exit. Say, What is it your honour will command? Sly. Third, fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer Let one attend him with a filver bafon, him by law: I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him Full of rose-water, and bestrew'd with flowers; come, and kindly. [Falls afteep. Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper, Wind barns. Enter a Lord from bunting, with a train. And fay, Will 't please your lordfinip coul Lord. Huntiman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds: Brach Merriman, -the poor cur is imbost 35- Hur. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord; Lord. Thou art a fool; if Eccho were as fleet, Hun. I will, my lord. Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe? 2 Hun. He breathes, my lord: Were he not This were a bed but cold to fleep fo foundly. Lord. O monftrous beaft! how like a fwine Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man. 1 H. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot chuse. he wak'd. Lerd. Even as a flattering dream, or worthless Then take him up, and manage well the jeit:- your hands? 1 Hun. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play our part, Lord. Take him up gently, and to bed with him; And each one to his office when he wakes. [Some bear out Sly. Sourd trumpets, Sirrah, go fee what trumpet 'tis that founds :Belike, fome noble gentleman, that means, [Exit Sovant Ser. An't please your honour, players, Lord. With all my heart. This fellow I re- Since once he play'd a farmer's eldeft fon:-- Sinklo. I think, 'twas Soto that your honour means. I ord. 'Tis very true;-thou didst it excellent.- "king is busy? Hiero. Oh, is he fo? King. Who is he that interrupts our business? Hiero. Not Is -Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by." So Sly here, not caring to be dunn'd by the Hoftefs, cries to her in effect, "Don't be troulle fome, don't interrupt me, go by" I The thirdborough of ancient times was an officer fimilar to the prefent conftable. 2 Mr. Edwards explains Brach to fignify a hound in general; while Mr. Steevens thinks it to have been a particular fort of hound: and Mr. Tollet obferves, that brache originally meant a bitch; and adds, from Ulitius, that "bitches having a fu perior fagacity of nofe; hence, perhaps, any hound withe minent quicknefs of scent, whether dog or "bitch, was called brache, for the term brache is fometimes applied to males. Our ancestors hunted "much with the large fouthern hounds, and had in every pack a couple of dogs peculiarly good and "cunning to find game, or recover the scent. To this custom Shakspeare seems to allude, by " naming two braches, which, in my opinion, are beagles; and this difcriminates brache trom the tum, a blo d-hound mentioned together with it, in the tragedy of King Lear." 3 Imbeft is a term in hunting. When a dog is ftrained with hard running (efpecially upon hard ground) he will have his knees swelled, and then he is faid to be emboss'd; from the French word teffe, fignifying a tuj nour. 4 Meaning, with moderation. There There is a lord will hear you play to-night: Lerd. Go, firrah, take them to the buttery, Sirrab, go you to Bartholomew my page, See tiris difpatch'd with all the hafte thou canft; Sly. I am Chriftopher Sly; -call not me-honour, nor lordship: I ne'er drank fack in my life; and if you give me any conferves, give me conferves of beef: Ne'er ask me what raiment I'll wear; for I have no more doublets than backs, no more stockings than legs, nor no more fhoes than feet; nay, fometimes, more feet than fhoes, or fuch shoes as my toes look through the over leather. Lord. Heaven cease this idle humour in your honour ! Oh, that a mighty man, of fuch defcent, Sly. What, would you make me mad? Am not I Christopher Sly, old Sly's fon of Burtonheath by birth a pedlar, by education a cardmaker, by tranfmutation a bear-herd, and now by present profeffion a tinker? Afk Marian Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot, if the know me not: if the fay I am not fourteen-peace on the fcore for theer ale, score me up for the lying it knave in Christendom. What, I am not befraught: Here's mourn. I Man. Oh, this it is that makes your lady [droop. 2 Man. Oh, this it is that makes your fervants Lord. Hence comes it that your kindred shun And twenty caged nightingales do fing: Anon I'll give thee more instructions. - [Ex. Ser. Or wilt thou fleep? we'll have thee to a couch, I know, the boy will well ufurp the grace, Softer and fweeter than the luftful, bed Voine, gait, and action of a gentlewoman: On purpose trimm'd up for Semiramis. I song to hear him call the drunkard, hufband; [ter, Say, thou wilt walk; we will bestrow the ground: And how my men will stay themielves from laugh-Or wilt thou ride? thy hories shall be trapp'l, W..en they do homage to this fimple peafant. Their harness studded all with gold and pearl. Tu in to countel them: haply, my prefence May well abate the over-merry fpleen, Which otherwife would grow into extremes, Doft thou love hawking? thou haft hawks will foar Above the morning lark: Or wilt thou hunt? Thy hounds shall make the welkin anfwer them, [Exit Lord. And fetch shrill echoes from the hollow earth. 3 Mrs. What raiment will your honour wear to-day? are as fwift 3 Man. Or Daphne, roaming through a thorny Scratching her legs, that one thall swear the bleeds: • Perhaps we ought to read, distraught, i. e, distracted. And And at that fight shall fad Apollo weep, Lord. Thou art a lord, and nothing but a lord: Thou haft a lady far more beautiful I Man. And, 'till the tears, that the hath shed for thee, Like envious floods, o'er-ran her lovely face, Sly. Am I a lord? and have I fuch a lady? 2 Man. Will't please your mightiness to wash Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Hacket. Nor no fuch men, as you have reckon'd up,- Sly. Now, Lord be thanked for my good amends! Sly. I thank thee; thou shalt not lofe by it. Lady. How fares my noble lord ? [enough. Lady. Here, noble lord; What is thy will with her? Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call mehusband? My men should call me-lord, I am your good-man. Lady. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband; I am your wife in all obedience. Sly. I know it well :- What must I call her? Sly. Alce madam, or Joan madam? and flept Above fome fifteen years and more. Lady. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me; Being all this time abandon'd from your bed. Sly. 'Tis much; Servants, leave me and her alone. Madam, undress you, and come now to-bed. Lady. Thrice noble lord, let me intreat of you, To pardon me yet for a night or two; Or, if not fo, until the fun be fet: For your phyficians have exprefsly charg'd, In peril to incur your former malady, That I should yet absent me from your bed: I hope this reason stands for my excuse. Sty. Ay, it stands fo, that I may hardly tarry fo long. But I would be loth to fall into my dreams again; I will therefore tarry, in despight of the fieth and the blood. Enter a Meffenger. Meff. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment, Are come to play a pleafant comedy, Sly. Marry I will; let them play it: Is not a commonty 3 a Chriftmas gambol, or a tumbling trick? Lady. No, my good lord, it is more pleasing stuff. Sly. Well, we'll fee it: Come, madam wife, Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer fit by my fide, and let the world flip; we shall Where is my wife? ne'er be younger. • Meaning, the Court leet, or courts of the manor. 2 Greece feems here to be no more than a quibble or pun (of which our author was remarkably fond) upon grease; when the expreffion will only imply that John Naps was a fat man. 3 Commenty is here probably put for comedy. ACT SCENE A Street in Padua. I. Flourish. Enter Lucentio, and bis man Tranio. Lac. For how I firmly am refolv'd you know; TRANIO, fince for the great defire I Because I know you well, and love you well, To fee fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy, The pleafant garden of great Italy; And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd studies. With his good will, and thy good company, Vincentio his fon 2, brought up in Florence, Tra. Me pardonato, gentle mafter mine, Taik logick with acquaintance that you have, Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well doft thou advife. , Biondello, thou wert come afhore, We could at once put us in readiness; And take a lodging, fit to entertain Sach friends as time in Padua shall beget. Leur Baptista, with Katharina and Bianca. Leave shall you have to court her at your pleafure. Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mould. Kath. I' faith, fir, you shall never need to fear; Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us! Tra. Hush, master! here is fome good pastime That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward. Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety. [fl. Tra. Well faid, master; mum! and gaze your Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.- Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva fpeak. Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange 72 Gre. Why, will you mew her up, And, for I know the taketh moft delight Tra. Maiter, fome shew to welcome us to town. Or fignior Gremio, you,-know any fuch, we and Hortenfia. Lucentio and Tranio stand by. I will be very kind, and liberal. 4 The 1 Perhaps we ought to read, ingenuous. 2 i. e. Vincentio's fon. 3 i. e. will I apply to. correct Italian words are, "Mi perdonate." 5 Meaning his rules. 6 Peat, or pet, is a word of endearmen, from petit, little. 7 i. e. fo fingular. 8 Cunning here retains its original fignification of learned; oned in which fenfe it is ufed in the tranflation of the Bible. And |