Bap. Content you, Gentlemen, I will compound this ftrife; 'Tis deeds must win the prize; and he, of Both, That can affure my daughter greatest dower, Shall have Bianca's love. Say, Signior Gremio, what can you affure her? Gre. Firft, as you know, my house within the city Is richly furnished with plate and gold, Bafons and ewers to lave her dainty hands: In ivory coffers I have ftufft my crowns; Fine linnen, Turkey cushions bofs'd with pearl; Sir, lift to me; Of fruitful land; all which shall be her jointure. What, have I pinch'd you, Signior Gremio? Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year of land! (14) (14) Gre. Two thousand Ducats by the year of Land! My Land amounts not to fo much in all: ] My Tho' all the Copies concur in this Reading, furely, if We examine the Reafoning, fomething will be found wrong. Gremio is startled at the high Settlement Tranio propofes; fays, his whole Eftate in Land can't match it, yet he'll fettle fo much a Year upon her, & This is Mock X 3 reasoning, My land amounts but to fo much in all: Tra. Gremio, 'tis known, my father hath no less Tra. Why, then the maid is mine from all the world, By your firm promife; Gremio is out-vied. Bap. I muit confefs, your offer is the beft; My daughter Catharine is to be married: And fo I take my leave, and thank you both. [Exit. Gre. Adieu, good neighbour.- Now I fear thee not: Sirrah, young gamefter, your father were a fool [Exit. reafoning, or I don't know what to call it. The Change of the negative Monofyllable in the 2d Line, which Mr. Warburton prefcrib'd, falves the Abfurdity, and fets the Paffage right. Gremio and Tranio are vyeing in their Offers to carry Bianca: The latter boldly proposes to fettle Land to the Amount of 2000 Ducats per Annum. Ay, fays the Other; My whole Eftate in Land amounts but to that Value: yet the fhall have That; I'll endow her with the Whole; and confign a rich Veffel to her Ufe, over and above. Thus all is intelligible, and he goes on to outbid his Rival. Tra. Tra. A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide! Do get their children; but in this cafe of wooing, Sly. Sim, when will the fool come again? Sly. Give's fome more drink here fter? here, Sim, eat some of these things. Sim. So I do, my Lord. Sly. Here, Sim, I drink to thee. where's the tap F ACT III.' SCENE, Baptifta's Houfe. Enter Lucentio, Hortenfio, and Bianca. LUCENTIO. Idler, forbear; you grow too forward, Sir: Have you fo foon forgot the entertainment Her fifter Catharine welcom'd you withal? Hor. [She is a Shrew, but,] Wrangling Pedant, this is (15) The Patronefs of Heavenly Harmony.] The There can be no Reafon, why Hortenfio fhould begin with an Hemiftich; but much less, why Mr. Pope fhould have yet curtail'd this Hemistich, against the Authority of all the old Copies, which read; But, wrangling Pedant, this is The Words which I have added to fill the Verfe, being purely by Con X 4 jecture, 1 The patronefs of heavenly harmony; Luc. Prepofterous afs! that never read fo far After his studies, or his usual pain? Then give me leave ro read philosophy, Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these Braves of thine. Luc. Here, Madam: Hac ibat Simois, hic eft Sigeia Hic fteterat Priami regia celfa fenis. Bian. Conftrue them, Luc. Hac ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am Lucentio, hic eft, fon unto Vincentio of Pifa, Sigeia tellus, difguifed thus to get your love, hic fteterat, and that Lucentio that comes a wooing, Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port, celfa fenis, that we might beguile the old Pantaloon. Hor. Madam, my inftrument's in tune. [Returning. Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again. jecture, and fupply'd by the Senfe that feems requir'd, without any Traces of a corrupted Reading left, to authorize or found them upon; I have for that Reafon inclofed them within Crotchets, to be embraced or rejected, at every Reader's pleasure. Bian. Now let me fee, if I can conftrue it: Hac ibat Simois, I know you not, hic eft Sigeia tellus, I trust you not, bic fteterat Priami, take heed he hear us not, regia, prefume not, celfa fenis, defpair not. Hor. Madam, 'tis now in tune. Luc. All but the base. Hor. The base is right, 'tis the base knave that jars. How fiery and how froward is our Pedant! Now, for my life, that knave doth court my love; Bian. In time I may believe, yet I miftruft. (16) Bian. I muft believe my mafter, elfe I promise you, I fhould be arguing still upon that doubt; But let it reft. Now, Licio, to you: Good mafters, take it not unkindly, pray, Hor. You may go walk, and give me leave a while; My leffons make no mufick in three parts. Luc. Are you fo formal, Sir? well, I must wait, And watch withal; for, but I be deceiv'd, Our fine musician groweth amorous. Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument, Bian. Why, I am paft my Gamut long ago. Bian. [reading] Gamut I am, the ground of all accord, (16) In time I may believe, yet I miftruft.] This and the 7 Verfes, that follow, have in all the Editions been ftupidly fhuffled and misplac'd to wrong Speakers: fo that every Word faid was glaringly out of Character. I first directed the true Regulation of them in my SHAKESPEARE reftor'd, and Mr. Pope has fince embraced it in his laft Edition. I ought to take notice, the ingenious Dr. Thirlby, without feeing my Book, had ftruck out the self-fame Regulation. Art, |