PERSONS represented. A Lord. on Perfons in the W. W. Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua. A Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, a fuitor to Katha F Gremio, rina. Hortenfio, Suitors to Bianca. ir. Tranio, Biondello, Pedant, an old fellow set up to perfonate Vincentio. 11. Katharina, the Shrew; } Daughters to Baptifsta. Bianca, her fifter, Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista and Petruchio. SCENE, fometimes in Padua; and fometimes in Petruchio's House in the Country. Characters in the Induction to the Original Play of The Taming of a Shrew, entered on the Stationers' books in 1594, and printed in quarto in 1607. A Lord, &c. Sly. A Tapster. Page, Players, Huntsmen, &c. PERSONS represented. Alphonfus, a merchant of Athens. Jerobel, Duke of Cestus. Aurelius, bis fon, Suitors to the daughters of Al Ferando, Polidor, phonfus. Valeria, fervant to Aurelius. Sander, fervant to Ferando. Phylotus, a merchant who perfonates the Duke. Before an Alehouse on a Heath. Enter Hostess and SLY. Str. I'll pheese you, in faith. I'll pheese you,] To pheese or fease, is to separate a twist into fingle threads. In the figurative sense it may well enough be taken, like teaze or toze, for to harrass, to plague. Perhaps I'll pheeze you, may be equivalent to I'll comb your head, a phrafe vulgarly used by perfons of Sly's character on like occafions. The following explanation of the word is given by Sir Thomas Smith, in his book de Sermone Anglico, printed by Robert Stephens, 4to: "To feize, means in fila diducere." JOHNSON. Shakfpeare repeats his use of the word in Troilus and Cressida, where Ajax fays he will pheese the pride of Achilles: and Lovewit in The Alchemist employs it in the same sense. Again, in Puttenham's Arte of English Poesie, 1589: "Your pride ferves you to feaze them all alone." Again, in Stanyhurst's version of the first book of Virgil's Æneid: "We are touz'd, and from Italye feaz'd." Italis longe disjungimur oris. Again, ibid: "Feaze away the droane bees," &C. STEEVENS. Str. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues: Look in the chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror. Therefore, paucas pallabris ; let the world flide: Seffa! HOST. You will not pay for the glasses you have burst? 6 To pheeze a man, is to beat him; to give him a pheeze, is, to give him a knock. In The Chances, Antonio says of Don John, "I felt him in my small guts; I am sure he has feaz'd me." M. MASON. To touze or toaze had the fame fignification. See Florio's Italian Dictionary, 1598: "Arruffare. To touze, to tug, to bang, or rib-baste one. MALONE. 3 دو - no rogues:) That is, vagrants, no mean fellows, but gentlemen. JOHNSON. One William Sly was a performer in the plays of Shakspeare, as appears from the lift of comedians prefixed to the folio, 1623. This Sly is likewife mentioned in Heywood's Actor's Vindication, and the Induction to Marston's Malecontent. He was also among those to whom James I. granted a licence to act at the Globe theatre in 1603. STEEVENS. 4 paucas pallabris ;) Sly, as an ignorant fellow, is purposely made to aim at languages out of his knowledge, and knock the words out of joint. The Spaniards say, pocas palabras, i. e. few words: as they do likewise, Cefssa, i. e. be quiet. THEOBALD. This is a burlesque on Hieronymo, which Theobald speaks of in a following note: "What new device have they devised now? Pocas pallabras." In the comedy of The Roaring Girl, 1611, а cut-purse makes use of the fame words. Again, they appear in The Wise Woman of Hogsden, 1638, and in fome others, but are always appropriated to the lowest characters. STEEVENS. 5 - let the world flide:] This expression is proverbial. It is used in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit without Money: 6 will you go drink, "And let the world flide, uncle?" STEEVENS. -you have burst?] To burst and to break were anciently synonymous. Falstaff says, that "John of Gaunt burst Shallow's head for crowding in among the marshal's men." Again, in Soliman and Perfeda: "God save you, fir, you have burst your shin." |