And none must know thereof but Kate and I, Come to my Chamber and there sute thy selfe, As any in Athens and as richlie wrought And this from them haue I made choise to weare. Before thou goste vnto the church with vs To put some other sute vpon thy backe. Feran. Not for the world if I might gaine it so, And therefore take me thus or not at all. 170 et seq.:-The custom of taking wine and sops (wafers or cakes dipped in the wine) immediately after the marriage ceremony in the Church is very ancient. It existed even among our Gothic ancestors, and is mentioned in the ordinances of the household of Henry VII. "For the Marriage of a Princess": "Then pottes of Ipocrice to be ready, and to bee put into cupps with soppe, and to be borne to the estates; and to take a soppe and drinke." The custom was practised at the marriage of Philip and Mary, in Winchester Cathedral, 1554; and at the marriage of the Elector Palatine to the daughter of James I. in 1613. In Jonson's Magnetic Lady the cup is called a knitting cup; in Middleton's No Wit like a Woman's the contracting cup. The kiss was also part of the ancient marriage ceremony, as appears from a rubric in one of the Salisbury Missals. ACT FOURTH. Scene I. 24, 25. beast, etc. :-Grumio calls himself a beast, and Curtis one also by inference in calling him fellow. Grumio is think ing of the proverbial saying, "Wedding, and ill-wintering, tame both man and beast." 115. Where be these knaves?—The following is from the old play: Enter Ferando and Kate. Feran. Now welcome Kate: where's these villains San. Now, ad sum, sir. Feran. Come hether you villaine Ile cut your nose, Hurts my foote? pull easely I say; yet againe. He beates them all. They couer the bord and fetch in the meate. Sounes? burnt and skorcht who drest this meate? Will. Forsouth Iohn cooke. He throwes downe the table and meate and all, and beates them. Feran. Go you villaines bringe you me such meate, Out of my sight I say, and beare it hence. Come Kate wele haue other meate prouided, San. I forsooth. Exit Ferando and Kate. Manent seruing men and eate vp all the meate. Tom. Sounes? I thinke of my conscience my Masters Mad since he was maried. Will. I laft what a boxe he gaue Sander For pulling of his bootes. 129. no link to colour Peter's hat:-That is, to blacken it anew. So in Mihil Mumchance, formerly supposed to be the work of Greene: "This cozenage is used likewise in selling old hats found upon dunghills, instead of newe, blackt over with the smoake of an old linke." 140, 141. Bishop Percy constructed his beautiful ballad, The Friar of Orders Grey, from the various fragments and hints dispersed through Shakespeare's plays, with a few supplemental stanzas. 149. Come, Kate, and wash::-"Table-knives," according to Brandes, "had been in general use since about 1563; but forks were still unknown in Shakespeare's time-fingers supplied their place. In a description of five months' travels on the Continent, published by Coryat in 1611, he tells how surprised he was to find the use of forks quite common in Italy: 'I obserued a custome in all those Italian Cities and Townes through which I passed, that is not vsed in any other country that I saw in my trauels, neither doe I thinke that any other nation of Christendome doth vse it, but only Italy. The Italian and also most strangers that are commorant in Italy doe alwaies at their meales vse a little forke when they cut their meate. For while with their knife which they hold in one hand they cut the meate out of the dish, they fasten their forke which they hold in their other hand vpon the same dish, so that whatsoeuer he be that sitting in the company of any others at meale, should vnaduisedly touch the dish of meate with his fingers from which all at the table doe cut, he will giue occasion of offence vnto the company, as hauing transgressed the lawes of good manners, in so much that for his error he shall be at the least brow-beaten, if not reprehended in wordes. . . The reason of this their curiosity is, because the Italian cannot by any means indure to haue his dish touched with fingers, seing all men's fingers are not alike cleane.' We see, too, that Coryat was the first to introduce the new appliance into his native land. He tells us that he thought it best to imitate the Italian fashion not only in Italy and Germany, but often in England' after his return; and he relates how a learned and jocular gentleman of his acquaintance rallied him on that account and called him 'Furcifer.' In one of Ben Jonson's plays, The Devil is an Ass, dating from 1614, the use of forks is mentioned as lately imported from Italy, in order to save napkins. We must conceive, then, that Shakespeare was as unfamiliar with the use of the fork as a Bedouin Arab of to-day." 151. Patience, etc. :-" This little speech of Katharina's," says Clarke, "affords an evidence of what, to our minds, Shakespeare subtly conveys in the drawing of her character-that she is not intrinsically of so bad a nature as she is generally supposed to be. Her first word in deprecation of her husband's violence is not a complaint for herself, but is uttered on behalf of another—a servant. Moreover, she finds that he does not treat her roughly, but does all avowedly for her sake; also, while rating and raving at others, he addresses her as good, sweet Kate and sweet Kate; thus maintaining the impression of his personal regard and con sideration for her amid all his general turbulence. The fact is, that Petruchio practically shows Katharina how ugly violent temper is in its manifestations; and she has the sense to read the lesson, and take its teaching home." 168. both of us :-Clarke bids us observe "that Petruchio-or rather Shakespeare through him-well knew the magic power of the little words 'both of us,' 'ourselves,' 'we,' in a husband's mouth to a wife, or in a wife's to a husband. Likewise, by the kindly ingenuity of making Kate's special fault his own as well as hers, in this admission that they both would do well to try and avoid those things that tend to foster it, Petruchio adopts one of the best means of leading to its cure, and of inducing her to join him in effecting this. Surely Shakespeare's subtlety was one of his finest characteristics, so essentially does he manifest it in his moral delineations." Scene II. 54. the taming-school:-The old play has this dialogue here:Val. But tell me my Lord, is Ferando married then? Aurel. He is: and Polidor shortly shall be wed, Vale. He saies so. Aurel. Faith he's gon vnto the taming schoole. Vale. The taming schoole; why is there such a place? Scene III. [Enter Katharina.] Here the old play : Enter Sander and his Mistres. San. Come Mistris. Kate. Sander, I prethe helpe me to some meate, Has giuen me a charge that you must eate nothing, Kate. Why man thy Maister needs neuer know it. What say you to a peese of beeffe and mustard now? Kate. Why I say tis excellent meate, canst thou helpe me to some? San. I, I could helpe you to some but that I doubt the mustard is too cholerick for you, But what say you to a sheepes head and garlick? Kate. Why any thing, I care not what it be. San. I but the garlicke I doubt will make your breath stincke, and then my maister will course me for letting You eate it: But what say you to a fat Capon? Kate. Thats meate for a King sweet Sander helpe Me to some of it. San. Nay ber lady then tis too deere for vs, we must Kate. Out villaine dost thou mocke me, Take that for thy sawsinesse. She beates him. San. Sounes are you so light fingerd with a murrin, Kate. I tell thee villaine Ile tear the flesh of Thy face and eate it and thou prates to me thus. San. Here comes my Maister now hele course you. Enter Ferando with a peece of meate vppon his daggers point, and Polidor with him. Feran. Se here Kate I haue prouided meate for thee Goe sirra? take it awaie againe you shal be Kate. Why I thanke you for it. Feran. Nay now tis not worth a pin go sirray and take it hence I say. San. Yes sir Ile Carrie it hence: Maister let her Haue none for she can fight as hungrie as she is. Pol. I pray you sir let it stand, for Ile eate Some with her my selfe. Feran. Well sirra set it downe againe. |