Gru. Nathanael's coat, Sir, was not fully made : And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i'th'heel: There was no link to colour Peter's hat ', And Walter's dagger was not come from fheathing: Yet as they are, here are they come to meet you. [Exeunt Servants. Where is the life that late I led? Where are thofe And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud2! Enter Servants with Supper. Why, when, I fay? nay, good sweet Kate, be merry. [Sings. Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry. [Strikes him. Be merry, Kate: fome water here; what hoa! Enter one with water. Where's my fpaniel Troilus? firrah, get you hence, One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted with. 1 Cath. Patience, I pray you, 'twas a fault unwilling. no link to colour Peter's bat,] Link, I believe, is the fame with what we now call lamp black. Soud, foud, &c.] That is, feet, fweet. Soot, good, and fometimes foth, is fweet. So in Milton, to fing foothly, is, to fing sweetly. Come, Come, Kate, fit down; I know, you have a ftomach. Will you give thanks, fweet Kate, or elfe fhall I?? What's this, mutton? 1 Ser. Yes. Pet. Who brought it? Ser. I. Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat: What dogs are thefe ? where is the rafcal cook? How durft you, villains, bring it from the dreffer, And ferve it thus to me that love it not? There, take it to you, trenchers, cups and all: [Throws the meat, &c. about the Stage. A You heedlefs jolt-heads, and unmanner'd flaves What, do you grumble? I'll be with you ftraight. T Cath. I pray you, husband, be not fo difquiet, The meat was well, if you were fo contented. T Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dry'd away, And I exprefly am forbid to touch it: For it ingenders choler, planteth anger; Than feed it with fuch over-rofted flefl: vow T Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber. [Exeunt. Enter Servants feverally. Nath. Peter, didft ever see the like? Enter Curtis, à Servant. Curt. İn her chamber, making a fermon of continency to her, And rails and fwears, and rates; that fhe, poor foul, Knows not which way to ftand, to look, to speak, VOL. III. F And 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, To make her come, and know her mafter's Call: 3 Exit. to man my haggard,]. A baggard is a wild hawk; to man a hawk is to tame her. SCENE S't poffible, friend Licia, that Bianca Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ? I tell you, Sir, the bears me fair in hand. Hor. To fatisfy you, Sir, in what I said, Stand by, and mark the manner of his teaching. [They ftand by Enter Bianca and Lucentio, Luc. Now, miftrefs, profit you in what you read? 4 İs't poffible, friend Licio, &c.] This Scene, Mr. Pope, upon what Authority I can't pretend to guefs, has in his Editions made the Firft of the Fifth Act: 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 firft Place, by thus fhuffling the Scenes out of their true Pofition, we find Hortenfio, in the fourth Aft, already gone from Baptifa's to Petruchio's Country-houfe; and afterwards in the beginning of the fifth Act we find him firft 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, regor werepor: But this is an Abuse of it, which the Rhetori cians 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 fhould think fit to applaud his Sagacity. I have replac'd the Scenes in that Order, in which I found them in the old Books. THEOBALD. F 2 Bian. Bian. What, mafter, read you? first, refolve me that. Luc. I read That I profefs the art of Love. Bian. And may you prove, Sir, mafter of your art! Luc. While you, fweet dear, prove mistress of my [They retire backward. Hor. Quick proceeders! marry! now, tell me, I pray, you that durft fwear that your mistress Bianca lov'd none in the world fo well as Lucentio. heart. Tra. Defpightful love, unconftant womankind! I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful. Hor. Mistake no more, I am not Licio, But One that scorns to live in this disguise, Tra. Signior Hortenfio, I have often heard And fince mine eyes are witness of her lightness, Forfwear Bianca and her love for ever. Hor. See, how they kifs and court! →→→→→→ Signior Lucentio, Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow Never to woo her more, ; but to forfwear her, Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath, Never to marry her, tho' fhe intreat. Fy on her fee, how beaftly the 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 |