PERSONS REPRESENTED.

A Lord.
CHRISTOPHER Sly, a drunken tinker.
Hostess, Page, Players, Huntsmen, and persons in the

Induction.
other servants attending on the Lord.)
BAPTISTA, a rich gentleman of Padua.
VINCENTIO, an old gentleman of Pisa.
LUCENT10, son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca.
PETRUCHIO, a gentleman of Verona, a suitor to Katharina.
GREMIO,

} suitors to Bianca. HORTENSIO, TRANIO,

servants to Lucentio. BIONDELLO, GRUMIO,

servants to Petruchio. CURTIS, PEDANT, an old fellow set up to personate Vincentio.

}
}

Katharina, the shrew ; } daughters to Baptista.

BIANCA, her sister,
Widow.

Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista

and Petruchio.

Scene, sometimes in Padua ; and sometimes in

PETRŮCHIO's House in the Country.

LE NEW YOR POBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATION

TAMING OF THE SHREW.

INDUCTION.

Scene I.-Before an Alehouse on a Heath.

Enter Hostess and SLY.

Sly. I'll pheese' you, in faith.
Host. 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, paucas pallabris ;6 let the world slide : Sessa!

Host. You will not pay for the glasses you have burst?c

Sly. No, not a denier: Go by, says Jeronimy ;Go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.d

Host. I know my remedy, I must go fetch the thirdborough.

[Exit. 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. [Lies down on the ground, and falls asleep. Wind Horns. Enter a Lord from hunting, with

Huntsmen and Servants. Lord. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds :

pheese) i. e. Chastise, beat, humble ; the word is still in use in the west of England. -GIFFORD's Ben Jonson, vol. iv. p. 189.

- 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 pallabras, i. e. few words: as they do likewise, cessa, i. e. be quiet.—THEOBALD.

you have burst?] To burst and to break were anciently synonymous. d Go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.] These words are used by Edgar in King Lear; they appear to have been taken from Kyd's play of Hieronymo, as it originally was acted. It was altered by Ben Jonson, and by him this line was perhaps omitted; as it no longer has a place in that tragedy.

the thirdborough.] The office of thirdborough is the same with that of constable, except in places where there are both, in which case the former is little more than the constable's assistant.--Ritson.

b

с

f

Brach Merriman,—the poor cur is emboss'd,
And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach.
Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it good
At the hedge corner, in the coldest fault?
I would not lose the dog for twenty pound.

1 Hun. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;
He cried upon it at the merest loss,
And twice to-day pick'd out the dullest scent:
Trust me, I take him for the better dog.

Lord. Thou art a fool ; if Echo were as fleet,
I would esteem him worth a dozen such.
But sup them well, and look unto them all;
To-morrow I intend to hunt again.
1 Hun. I will, my lord.

. Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth

he breathe? 2 Hun. He breathes, my lord : Were he not warm'd

with ale, This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly.

Lord. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies! Grim death, how foul and loathsome is thine image! Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man. What think you, if he were convey'd to bed, Wrapp'd in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers, A most delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near him when he wakes, Would not the beggar then forget himself?

1 Hun. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose. 2 Hun. It would seem strange unto him when he wak’d.

Lord. Even as a flattering dream, or worthless fancy. Then take him up, and manage well the jest :Carry him gently to my fairest chamber, And hang it round with all my wanton pictures : Balm his foul head with warm distilled waters, And burn sweet wood to make the lodging sweet : Procure me musick ready when he wakes, To make a dulcet and a heavenly sound;

f Brach Merriman,—the poor cur is emboss'd,] Brach is a lurcher, or a beagle, or any dog of a fine scent, from the German bract, a scenting dog.-Emboss' is applied to a deer or any other animal when fatigued and foaming at the mouth.