Where is the life that late I led~°

Where are those- -Sit down, Kate, and welcome

Soud, soud, soud, soud !P

Re-enter Servants, with supper.

[Sings.

Why, when, I say?-Nay, good sweet Kate, be merry. Off with my boots, you rogues, you villains; When? It was the friar of orders grey,

As he forth walked on his way:

Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry:
Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.-

[Strikes him.

Be merry, Kate: Some water, here; what, ho!-
Where's my spaniel Troilus ?-Sirrah, get you hence,
And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither:

[Exit Servant. One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted with.Where are my slippers ?—Shall I have some water? [A bason is presented to him.

Come, Kate, and wash,' and welcome heartily:

[Servant lets the ewer fall. [Strikes him.

You whoreson villain! will you let it fall?
Kath. Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault unwilling.
Pet. A whoreson, beetle-headed, flap-ear'd knave!
Come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach.
Will you give thanks, sweet Kate; or else shall I ?
What is this? mutton?

• Where, &c.] A scrap of some old ballad. Ancient Pistol elsewhere quotes the same line. In an old black letter book intituled, A gorgeous Gallery of gallant Inventions, London, 1578, 4to. is a song to the tune of Where is the life that late I led.-RITSON.

P Soud, soud, &c.] This, I believe, is a word coined by our poet, to express the noise made by a person fatigued.—MALONE.

a It was the friar of orders grey,] Dispersed through Shakspeare's plays are many little fragments of ancient ballads, the entire copies of which cannot now be recovered. Many of these being of the most beautiful and pathetic simplicity, Dr. Percy has selected some of them, and connected them together with a few supplemental stanzas; a work, which at once demonstrates his own poetical abilities, as well as his respect to the truly venerable remains of our most ancient bards.-STEEVENS.

Come, Kate, and wash,] It was the custom of our author's time, (and long before,) to wash the hands immediately before dinner and supper, as well as afterwards.-MALONE. As our ancestors eat with their fingers, which might not be over-clean before meals, and after them must be greasy, we cannot wonder at such repeated ablutions.-STEEVENS.

Pet. 'Tis burnt; and so is all the meat :

What dogs are these?—Where is the rascal cook?
How durst you, villains, bring it from the dresser,
And serve it thus to me that love it not?
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all:

[Throws the meat, &c. about the stage.
You heedless joltheads, and unmanner'd slaves!
What, do you grumble? I'll be with you straight.
Kath. I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet;
The meat was well, if you were so contented.

Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away;
And I expressly am forbid to touch it,
For it engenders choler, planteth anger;
And better 'twere that both of us did fast,-
Since, of ourselves, ourselves are cholerick,-
Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.
Be patient; to-morrow it shall be mended,
And, for this night, we'll fast for company :-
Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.

[Exeunt PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, and
CURTIS.

Nath. [advancing.] Peter, didst ever see the like?
Peter. He kills her in her own humour.

Re-enter CURTIS.

Gru. Where is he?

Curt. In her chamber,

Making a sermon of continency to her:

And rails, and swears, and rates; that she, poor soul,
Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak;

And sits as one new-risen from a dream.

Away, away! for he is coming hither.

Re-enter PETRUCHIO.

Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign,

And 'tis my hope to end successfully:

[Exeunt.

My falcon now is sharp, and passing empty :
And, till she stoop, she must not be full-gorg'd,
For then she never looks upon her lure."
Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come, and know her keeper's call,
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites,
That bate," and beat, and will not be obedient.
She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat;
Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not ;
As with the meat, some undeserved fault

I'll find about the making of the bed ;

And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets :-
Ay, and amid this hurly, I intend,*

That all is done in reverend care of her;

And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night:
And, if she chance to nod, I'll rail, and brawl,
And with the clamour keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness;

And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour :-
He that knows better how to tame a shrew,

Now let him speak; 'tis charity to show.

[Exit.

Tra. Is't possible, friend Lucio, that mistress Bianca Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand.

Hor. Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said, Stand by, and mark the manner of his teaching.

[They stand aside.

-full-gorg'd, &c.] A hawk too much fed was never tractable. The lure was only a thing stuffed like that kind of bird which the hawk was designed to pursue. The use of the lure was to tempt him back after he had flown.-STEevens.

tto man my haggard,] A haggard is a wild-hawk; to man a hawk is to tame her.-JOHNSON.

bate,] i. e. Flutter.

་

*——— amid this hurly, I intend,] Intend is sometimes used by our author for pretend.-MALONE.

Enter BIANCA and LUCENTIO.

Luc. Now, mistress, profit you in what you read? Bian. What, master, read you? first resolve me that. Luc. I read that I profess, the art to love.

Bian. And may you prove, sir, master of your art! Luc. While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of my heart. [They retire. Hor. Quick proceeders, marry! Now, tell me, I pray, You that durst swear that your mistress Bianca Lov'd none in the world so well as Lucentio.

Tra. O despiteful love! unconstant womankind!

I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.

Hor. Mistake no more: I am not Licio,

Nor a musician, as I seem to be;

But one that scorn to live in this disguise,
For such a one as leaves a gentleman,
And makes a god of such a cullion :
Know, sir, that I am call'd-Hortensio.

Tra. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard

Of your entire affection to Bianca;

And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,
I will with you, if you be so contented,-
Forswear Bianca and her love for ever.

-Signior Lucentio,

Hor. See, how they kiss and court!-
Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow-
Never to woo her more; but do forswear her,
As one unworthy all the former favours
That I have fondly flatter'd her withal.

Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath,
Ne'er to marry with her though she would entreat :
Fye on her! see, how beastly she doth court him.

Hor. 'Would all the world, but he, had quite forsworn! For me, that I may surely keep mine oath,

I will be married to a wealthy widow,

Ere three days pass; which hath long lov'd me,
As I have lov'd this proud disdainful haggard :

And so farewell, signior Lucentio.

cullion:] A term of degradation, with no very decided meaning: a despicable fellow, a fool, &c.-STEEVENS.

Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks,
Shall win my love:-and so I take my leave,
In resolution as I swore before.

[Exit HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and BIANCA advance.

Tra. Mistress Bianca, bless you with such grace

As 'longeth to a lover's blessed case!

Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love;

And have forsworn you, with Hortensio.

Bian. Tranio, you jest; But have you both forsworn me? Tra. Mistress, we have.

Luc.

Then we are rid of Licio.

Tra. I'faith, he'll have a lusty widow now,
That shall be woo'd and wedded in a day.

Bian. God give him joy!
Tra. Ay, and he'll tame her.
Bian.

He says so, Tranio.

Tra. 'Faith, he is gone unto the taming-school.

Bian. The taming-school! what, is there such a place?
Tra. Ay, mistress, and Petruchio is the master;

That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,-
To tame a shrew, and charm her chattering tongue.

Enter BIONDELLO, running.

Bion. O master, master, I have watch'd so long That I'm dog-weary; but at last I spied

An ancient engle" coming down the hill,

Will serve the turn.

Tra.

What is he, Biondello?

Bion. Master, a mercatantè, or a pedant,

I know not what; formal in apparel,

In gait and countenance surly like a father.

· engle-] A simpleton or gull, from engluer, French, to catch with birdlime. The old copy, and all the recent editions read angel. In admitting this alteration, which was proposed by Theobald, I have the authority of Mr. Gifford. See Ben Jonson, vol. ii. p. 430. note.

The

a mercatantè, or a pedant,] The old editions read marcantant. Italian word mercatantè is frequently used in the old plays for a merchant, and therefore I have made no scruple of placing it here. Pedant was the common name for a teacher of languages.-STEEVENS.

bsurly-] This is the reading of the second folio; the other editions read surely.