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BODLEIR

21 JUL 1932

LIBRARY

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Characters in the Induction.

A Lord, before whom the Play is fuppos'd to be play'd.

Hoftefs.

Chriftopher Sly, a drunken Tinker.

Page, Players, Huntfmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

Baptifta, Father to Catharina and Bianca; very rich.
Vincentio, an old gentleman of Pisa.

Lucentio, Son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca.
Petruchio, a Gentleman of Verona, a fuitor to Catharina.
Gremio,

Hortenfio,

Tranio,

Biondello,

Pretenders to Bianca.

Servants to Lucentio.

Grumio, Servant to Petruchio.

Pedant, an old fellow fet up to perfonate Vincentio.

Catharina, the Shrew.

Bianca, ber Sifter.
Widow.

Taylor, Haberdashers; with Servants attending on
Baptifta, and Petruchio.

SCENE, fometimes in Padua; and fometimes in
Petruchio's Houfe in the Country.

THE

THE

TAMING of the SHREW.

INDUCTIO N..

SCENE I

Before an Alehoufe on a Heath.

Enter Hoftefs and Sly.

SLY.

"'LL pheese you,' in faith.

I'

Hoft. A pair of stocks, you rogue!

Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues. Look in the Chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror; therefore, paucus pallabris; let the world. nide: Seffa.

I'll pheese you,-] To pheeze or feafe, is to feparate a twift into fingle threads. In the figurative fenfe it may well enough be taken, like traze or toze, for to barrafs, to plague. Perhaps I'll pheeze you, may be equivalent to I'll comb your head, a phrafe vulgarly ufed by perfons of Sly's character on like occaficns.

2

no rogues.] That is, no vagrants, no mean fellows, but Gentlemen.

2-paucus pallabris; ] Sly, as an ignorant Fellow, is purpofely made to aim at Languages out of his Knowledge, and knock the words out of Joint. The Spaniards fay, pocas palabras, i. e. few words as they do likewife, Ceffa, i. e. be quiet. THEOB. B 2

Hoft.

Hoft. You will not pay for the glaffes you have burst? Sly. No, not a denier: go by, Jeronimo- go to thy cold bed, and warm thee. 3

Hoft. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the Thirdborough.

Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer him by law; I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly. [Falls afleep.

3 Go by S. Jeronimy, go to thy cold Bed, and warm thee.] All the Editions have coined a Saint here, for Sly to fwear by. But the Poet had no fuch Intentions. 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 hiftory, to make it underftood. There is a fustian old Play, call'd, Hieronymo; Or, The Spanish Tragedy: which, I find, was the common Butt of Rallery to all the Poets of Shakefeare's Time and a Paffage, that appear'd very ridiculous in that Play, is here humorously alJuded to. Hieronymo, thinking himself injur'd, applies to the King for Juftice; but the Courtiers, who did not defire his Wrongs fhould be fet in a true Light, attempt to hinder him from an Audience.

Hiero. Juftice, oh! juftice to
Hieronymo.
Lor. Back;-

-fee'st thou not,

the King is busy? Hiero. Oh, is he fo? King. Who is He, that interrusts cur Business ? Hiero. Not I: Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by. So Sly here, not caring to be dun'd by the Hofiefs, cries to her

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Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth Borough, &c.] This corrupt Reading had pafs'd 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 Hoflefs? How do third, or fourth, or fifth Borough relate to Headborough? The Author intended but a poor Witticism, and even That is loft. The Hoftefs would fay, that fhe'll fetch a Conftable: and this Officer fhe calls by his other Name, a Thirdborough: and upon this Term Sly founds the Conundrum in his Anfwer to her. Who does not perceive, at a fingle glance, fome Conceit ftarted by this certain Correction? There is an Attempt at Wit, tolerable enough for a Tinker, and one drunk too. Third-borough is a Saxon-term fufficiently explain'd by the Gloffaries and in our Statute-books, no farther back than the 28th Year of Henry VIIIth, we find it used to fignify a Confiable.

THEOBALD. SCENE

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