PAGE. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing stuff.

SLY. What, houshold stuff?

PAGE. It is a kind of history.

SLY. Well, we'll see't: Come, madam wife, sit by my side, and let the world slip; we shall ne'er be younger. [They sit down.

trick?] Thus the old copies; the modern ones read—It is not a commodity, &c. Commonty for comedy, &c. STEEVENS.

In the old play the players themselves use the word commodity corruptly for a comedy. BLACKSTONE.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Padua. A public Place.

Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO.

Luc. Tranio, since-for the great desire. I had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy," The pleasant garden of great Italy; And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd With his good will, and thy good company, Most trusty servant, well approv'd in all; Here let us breathe, and happily institute A course of learning, and ingenious studies. Pisa, renowned for grave citizens, Gave me my being, and my father first, A merchant of great traffick through the world,

8

7

for fruitful Lombardy,] Mr. Theobald reads from. The former editions, instead of from had for. JOHNSON.

Padua is a city of Lombardy, therefore Mr. Theobald's emendation is unnecessary. STEEVens.

ingenious-] I rather think it was written-ingenuous studies, but of this and a thousand such observations there is little certainty. JOHNSON.

In Cole's Dictionary, 1677, it is remarked-" ingenuous and ingenious are too often confounded."

Thus, in The Match at Midnight, by Rowley, 1633:"Methinks he dwells in my opinion: a right ingenious spirit, veil'd merely with the variety of youth, and wildness.”

Again, in The Bird in a Cage, 1633:

"deal ingeniously, sweet lady."

Again, so late as the time of the Spectator, No. 437, 1st edit. "A parent who forces a child of a liberal and ingenious spirit," &c.

REED.

Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.9
Vincentio his son,' brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd,"
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue, and that part of philosophy3

9 Pisa, renowned for grave citizens, &c.] This passage, I think, should be read and pointed thus:

Pisa, renowned for grave citizens,

Gave me my being, and my father first,

A merchant of great traffick through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.

In the next line, which should begin a new sentence, Vincentio
his son, is the same as Vincentio's son, which Mr. Heath not
apprehending, has proposed to alter Vincentio into Lucentio.
may
be added, that Shakspeare in other places expresses the
genitive case in the same improper manner. See Troilus and
Cressida, Act II. sc. i: "Mars his ideot." And Twelfth-Night,
Act III. sc. iii: "The Count his gallies." TYRWHITT.

It

Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.] The old copy reads-Vincentio's. The emendation was made by Sir T. Hanmer. I am not sure that it is right. Our author might have written :

&

Vincentio's son, come of the Bentivolii.

If that be the true reading, this line should be connected with the following, and a colon placed after world in the preceding line; as is the case in the original copy, which adds some support to the emendation n now proposed:

Vincentio's son, come of the Bentivolii,
Vincentio's son brought up in Florence,
It shall become, &c. MALONE.

• Vincentio his son,] The old copy reads-Vincentio's.

STEEVENS.

Vincentio's is here used as a quadrisyllable. Mr. Pope, I suppose, not perceiving this, unnecessarily reads-Vincentio his son, which has been too hastily adopted by the subsequent editors. MALONE.

Could I have read the line, as a verse, without Mr. Pope's emendation, I would not have admitted it. STEEVENS.

2

to serve all hopes conceiv'd,] To fulfil the expectations of his friends. MALONE.

Virtue, and that part of philosophy-] Sir Thomas Han

Will I apply, that treats of happiness
By virtue 'specially to be achiev'd.
Tell me thy mind: for I have Pisa left,
And am to Padua come; as he that leaves
A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deep,
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.

TRA. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine,
I am in all affected as yourself;
Glad that you thus continue your resolve,
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy.
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,"

mer, and after him Dr. Warburton, read-to virtue; but formerly ply and apply were indifferently used, as to ply or apply his studies. JOHNSON.

The word ply is afterwards used in this scene, and in the same manner, by Tranio :

"For who shall bear your part, &c.

"Keep house and ply his book?" M. MASON,

So, in The Nice Wanton, an ancient interlude, 1560: "O ye children, let your time be well spent, "Applye your learning, and your elders obey." Again, in Gascoigne's Supposes, 1566: "I feare he applyes his study so, that he will not leave the minute of an houre from his booke." MALONE.

Mi perdonate,] Old copy-Me pardonato. The emendation was suggested by Mr. Steevens. MALONE.

*—— Aristotle's checks,] Are, I suppose, the harsh rules of Aristotle. STEEVENS.

Such as tend to check and restrain the indulgence of the passions. MALONE.

Tranio is here descanting on academical learning, and mentions by name six of the seven liberal sciences. I suspect this to be a mis-print, made by some copyist or compositor, for ethicks. The sense confirms it. BLACKSTONE.

So, in Ben Jonson's Silent Woman, Act IV. sc. iv: “I, in some cases; but in these they are best, and Aristotle's ethicks.'

"9

STEEVENS.

6

As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd:
Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practice rhetorick in your common talk:
Musick and poesy use, to quicken you ;7
The mathematicks, and the metaphysicks,

Fall to them, as you find your stomach serves you:
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en ;-
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

U

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise. If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore, We could at once put us in readiness; And take a lodging, fit to entertain Such friends, as time in Padua shall beget. But stay awhile: What company is this?

TRA. Master, some show, to welcome us to town.

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand

aside.

BAP. Gentlemen, impórtune me no further, For how I firmly am resolv'd you know; That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter, Before I have a husband for the elder: If either of you both love Katharina, Because I know you well, and love you well, Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

GRE. To cart her rather: She's too rough for

me:

There, there Hortensio, will you any wife?

Talk logick-] Old copy-Balk. Corrected by Mr. Rowe MALONE. 7-to quicken you;] i. e. animate. So, in All's well that ends well:

"Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary."

STEEVENS.