Characters in the Induction. A LORD, before whom the play is fuppofed to be played. Hoftefs. Page, Players, Huntfmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord. Dramatis Perfonæ. BAPTISTA, father to Catharina and Bianca, very rich. Lucentio, fon to Vincentio, in love with Bianca. Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, a fuitor to Catharina. Gremio, }pretenders to Bianca. Hortenfio, Grumio, fervant to Petruchio. Pedant, an ald fellow fet up to perfonate Vincentio. Catharina, the Shrew. Bianca, her Sifter. Widow. Tailor, Haberdafkers; with Servants attending on Baptifta and Petruchio. SCENE, fometimes in Padua, and sometimes in Petruchio's Houfe in the Country. SCENE, before an Alehoufe, on a Heath. Enter HOSTESS and SLY. SLY. 'LL pheeze you, in faith. I' Hoft. A pair of stocks, you rogue! Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slys are no rogues. Look in the Chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror; therefore paucus pallabris; (1) let the world flide: Sela. Hoft. You will not pay for the glaffes you have burst? Sly. No, not a deniere: go by, Jeronimo. to thy cold bed, and warm thee. (2) go (1) -pucus pallabris.] Sly, as an ignorant fellow, is pur pofely made to aim at languages out of his knowledge, and knock the words out of joint. The Spaniatus fay pocas pa labras, i. e, few words: as they do likewife, Ceffa, i. e be quiet. (2) Go by St Jeronimy, go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.] All the editions have coined a faint here, for Sly to fwear by: but the Poet had no fuch intention. The paffage has particular humour in it, and must have been very pleafing at that time of day. But I must clear up a piece of stage hi Hoft. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the Third-borough. (3) [Exit. ftory to make it underfood. There is a fuftian old play, called Hieronymo; or, The Spanish Tragedy, which I find was the common butt of raillery to all the posts of Shakespeare's time and a paffage that appeared very ridiculous in that play is here humorously alluded to. Hieronymo, thinking himfelf injured, applies to the King for juftice; but the courtiers, who did not defire his wrongs fhould be fet in the true light, attempted to hinder him from an audience. Hr. Jeftice, oh! juftice to Hieronymo. 1r. Back; Hier, Uh, is he fo? fceft thou not the King is bufy? King. Who is he that interrupts our business? Hier. Not 1:- Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by. So Sly here, not caring to be dunned by the Hofteis, cries to her in effect, Don't be troublefome, don't interrupt me, go by; and to fix the fatire in his allufion, pleasantly calls her Feronym. What he fays farther to her, go to thy cold bed and warm thee, I take likewife to be a bauter upon another verfe in that play. Hier. What outery calls me from my naked bed? But this particular paffage of Go by, Hieronymo ;- B. Johnson, in his Every Man in bis Humour ; Go by, Hieronymo ! And Beaumont and Fletcher, in The Captain: and whoot at thee; Ard call thee bloody-bones, and fpade, and spitfire; So Marston, in the induction to his Antonio and Melida; Nay, if you cannot bear two fubtle fronts-under one hoed, ideot, go by, go by, off this world's ftage. For 'tis plain, though Jeronymo is not mentioned, the paffage is here alluded to. And Decker, in his Wefiward-bee, has rallied it very neatly by way of fimile. A woman, when there be rofes in her cheeks, cherries on her lip, civet in her breath, ivory in her teeth, lilies in her hands, and liquorih in her heart, why, fhe's like a play: if new, very good company, very good company; but if fale, like old Jeronymo,- go by, go by. (3)- -1 must go jetch the Headborough. Shy. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, &c.] This corrupt Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll anfwer him by law; I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly." [Falls asleep. Wind horns. Enter a Lord from hunting, with a Train. ELT Lord. Huntfman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds;.. (Brach, Merriman !-the poor car is imboft;) I would not lose the dog for twenty pound reading had paffed down through all the copies, and none of the editors pretended to guess at the Poet's conceit. What an infipid, unmeaning reply does Sly make to his hoftefs! how do third, or fourth, or fifth borough relate to Headborough ? the Author intended but a poor witticism, and even that is loft. The hostess would say that she'll fetch a Constable; and this officer the calls by his other name, a Third-borough; and upon this term Sly founds the connundrum in his anfwer to her. Who does not perceive, at a fingle glance, fome conceit started by this certain correction? there is an attempt to wit, tolerable enough for a tinker, and one drunk too. Third-borough is a Saxon term fufficiently explained by the Glossaries; and in our Statute-books, no farther back than the 28th year of Henry VIIIth, we find it ufed to fignify a Conftable. The word continued current in people's mouths to our Author's times, and he has again employed it in another of his plays, viz. Love's Labour's loft. Dull. I myself reprehend his own perfon; for I am his Grace's Tarborough. The word, 'tis true, is corrupted here; but this is done on purpose. Dull represents the character of an ignorant Con ftable; and to make him appear more truly fuch, the Poet humouroufly makes him corrupt the very name of his office; and blunder Thirdborough into Tarborough, as he does reprefent into reprehend. I made this emendation when I publifhed my Shakespeare Reftored; and Mr Pope has vouchfafed to adopt it in his last edition. e VOL. IV. Hunt. Why, Belman is as good as he, my Lord; He cried upon it at the meereft lofs, And twice to-day picked out the dulleft fcent: Lord. Thou art a fool; if Echo were as fleet, Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? fee, 2 Hunt. He breathes, my Lord. warmed with ale, Were he not. This were a bed but cold, to fleep fo foundly. Lord. O monftrous beast! how like a fwine he lyes! Grim death, how foul and loathfome is thine image! Sirs, I will practife on this drunken man. What think you, if he were conveyed to bed, Wrapt in fweet cloaths; rings put upon his fingers; A moft delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near him, when he wakes; Would not the beggar then forget himself? Hun, Believe me, Lord, I think he cannot chuse. 2 Hun. It would feem ftrange unto him when he waked. Lord. Even as a flattering dream, or worthless Then take him up, and manage well the jeft: And hang it round with all my wanton pictures; |