Come, Kate, fit down; I know, you have a stomach. 1 Ser. Yes. Pet. Who brought it? Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat: [Throws the meat, &c. about the Stage. For it ingenders choler, planteth anger; Enter Servants feverally. Nath. Peter, didft ever fee the like? Enter Curtis, a Servant. Curt. In her chamber, making a fermon of conti- And rails and fwears, and rates; that fhe, poor foul, F And t And fits as one new-rifen from a dream, Away, away, for he is coming hither. SCENE [Exeunt. III. Enter Petruchio. Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign, And 'tis my hope to end fuccessfully : My faulcon now is fharp, and paffing empty, And till she stoop, fhe muft not be full-gorg'd, For then she never looks upon her lure. Another way I have to man my haggard', To make her come, and know her master's Call; That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites, That bait and beat, and will not be obedient, She ate no meat to-day, nor none shall eat. Laft night she slept not, nor to-night fhall not : As with the meat, fome undeserved fault I'll find about the making of the bed. And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster, This way the coverlet, that way the fheets; Ay; and, amid this hurly, I'll pretend That all is done in reverend care of her, And, in conclufion, fhe fhall watch all night: And, if the chance to nod, I'll rail and brawl, And with the clamour keep her ftill awake. This is a way to kill a wife with kindness; And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour, He that knows better how to tame a Shrew, Now let him speak, 'tis charity to fhew. 3 [Exit. to man my haggard,] A baggard is a wild hawk ; to man ą hawk is to tame her. SCENE, Is SCENE IV. Before Baptifta's Houfe. Enter Tranio and Hortenfio. TRANIO. S't poffible, friend Licio, that Bianca + I tell you, Sir, fhe bears me fair in hand. Enter Bianca and Lucentio. Luc. Now, miftrefs, profit you in what you read? 4 I't poffible, friend Licio, &c.] This Scene, Mr. Pope, upon what Authority, I can't pretend to guefs, has in his Editions made the First of the Fifth A&t: in doing which, he has fhewn the very Power and Force of Criticifm. The Confequence of this judicious Regulation is, that two unpardonable Abfurdities are fix'd upon the Author, which he could not poffibly have committed. For, in the first Place, by thus fhuffling the Scenes out of their true Pofition, we find Hortenfio, in the fourth Act, already gone from Baptifla's to Petruchio's Country-houfe; and afterwards in the beginning of the fifth Act we find him first forming the Refolution of quitting Bianca; and Tranio immediately informs us, he is gone to the Taming-School to Petruchio. There is a Figure, indeed, in Rhetorick, call'd, regon weórapov: But this is an Abuse of it, which the Rhetoricians will never adopt upon Mr, Pope's Authority. Again, by this Mifplacing, the Pedant makes his firft Entrance, and quits the Stage with Tranio in order to go and drefs himself like Vincentio, whom he was to perfonate: but his fecond Entrance is upon the very Heels of his Exit; and without any Interval of an A, or one Word intervening, he comes out again equipp'd like Vincentio. If fuch a Critick be fit to publish a Stage-Writer, I fhall not envy Mr. Pope's Admirers, if they should think fit to applaud his Sagacity. I have replac'd the Scenes in that Order, in which I found them in the old Books. F 2 THEOBALD. Bian. Bian. What, mafter, read you? firft, refolve me that. Luc. I read That I profefs the art of Love. heart. Hor. Quick proceeders! marry! now, tell me, I pray, you that durft fwear that your miftrefs Bianca lov'd none in the world fo well as Lucentio. Tra. Defpightful love, unconftant womankind! I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful. Hor. Mistake no more, I am not Licio, But One that fcorns to live in this difguife, Tra. Signior Hortenfio, I have often heard And fince mine eyes are witness of her lightness, Hor. See, how they kifs and court! Lucentio, Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow Signior Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath, Never to marry her, tho' fhe intreat. Fy on her! fee, how beaftly fhe doth court him. Hor. 'Would all the world, but he, had quite forfworn her! For me, that I may furely keep mine oath, I will be married to a wealthy widow, Ere three days pafs, which has as long lov'd me, Kind Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, [Exit. Hor. Tra. Miftrefs Bianca, blefs you with fuch grace, As longeth to a lover's bleffed cafe : Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle Love, And have forfworn you with Hortenfio. Lucentio and Bianca come forward.] Bian. Tranio, you jeft: but have you both forfworn me? Tra. Miftrefs, we have. Luc. Then we are rid of Licio. Tra. I'faith, he'll have a lufty widow now, That fhall be woo'd and wedded in a day. Bian. God give him joy! Tra. Ay, and he'll tame her. Bian. He fays fo, Tranio Tra. 'Faith, he's gone unto the Taming school. Bian. The Taming fchool? what, is there fuch a place? Tra. Ay, miftrefs, and Petruchio is the mafter; That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty lòng, To tame a Shrew, and charm her chattering tongue. SCENE V. Enter Biondello, running. Bion. Oh master, mafter, I have watch'd fo long, That I'm dog-weary; but at laft I fpied An ancient angel going down the hill, Will ferve the turn. Tra. What is he, Biondello? Bion. Mafter, a mercantant, or else a pedant; I know not what; but formal in apparel; 5 An ancient Angel.] For an- Sir T. Hanmer, and Dr. Warbur gel Mr. Theobald, and after him___ton read Engle. |