THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. (WRITTEN ABOUT 1597.) INTRODUCTION. This comedy first appeared in the folio of 1623, but it is in some way closely connected with a play published in 1594, and bearing the almost identical title, The Taming of A Shrew. Pope was of the opinion that Shakespeare wrote both plays, but this is hardly plausible. The play in the folio is certainly an enlargement and alteration of the earlier play, and it only remains to ask, was Shakespeare the sole reviser and adapter, or did his task consist of adding and altering certain scenes, so as to render yet more amusing and successful an enlarged version of the play of 1594, already made by some unknown hand? The last seems upon the whole the opinion best supported by the interhal evidence. In The Taming of the Shrew three parts may be distinguished: (1) The humorous Induction, in which Sly, the drunken tinker, is the chief person; (2) A comedy of character, the Shrew and her tamer, Petruchio, being the hero and heroine; (3) A comedy of intrigue the story of Bianca and her rival lovers. Now the old play of A Shrew contains, in a rude form, the scenes of the Induction and the chief scenes in which Petruchio and Katharina (named by the original writer Ferando and Kate) appear; but nothing in the old play corresponds with the intrigues of Bianca's disguised lovers. It is, however, in the scenes concerned with these intrigues that Shakespeare's Land is least apparent. It may be said that Shakespeare's genius goes in and out with the person of Katharina. We would therefore conjecturally assign the intrigue-comedy to the adapter of the old play, reserving for Shakespeare a title to those scenes in the main enlarged from the play of A brew-in which Katharina, Petruchio, and Grumio are speakers. Turning this statement into gures we find that Shakespeare's part in The Taming of the Shrew is comprised in the following Portions: Induction; Act II., Sc. I., L. 169-326; Act III., Sc. II., L. 1-125, and 151-241; Act IV., Sc. 1. 11. and IIL; Act V., Sc. 11., LL. 1-180. Such a division, it must be borne in mind, is no more than a concture, but it seems to be suggested and fairly indicated by the style of the several parts of the medy. However this may be, it is clear that Shakespeare cared little for the other charneta in comparison with Sly, Katharina, and Petruchio. The play is full of energy and busing movement; and the characters of Katharina and Petruchio in particular, are firmly and hely drawn, the scenes in which they appear, though infinitely amusing, never quite passing into wnright farce. Widely separated dates have been assigned for The Taming of the Shrew, from 34 to 1606. The best portions are in the manner of Shakespeare's comedies of the second period; and attributing the Bianca intrigue-comedy to a writer intermediate between the author of the play Shrew and Shakespeare, there is no difficulty in supposing that the Shakespeare scenes were ritten about 1597. Fletcher wrote a humorous continuation of Shakespeare's play, entitled The oman's Prize, or the Tamer Tamed, in which Petruchio reappears. INDUCTION. SCENE I. Before an alehouse on a heath. Sly. I'll pheeze you, in faith. Host. A pair of stocks, you rogue! Sly. Ye are a baggage: the Slys are no rogues; look in the chronicles; we came in with Richard Conqueror. Therefore paucas pallabris; let the world slide: sessa! Host. You will not pay for the glasses you have burst ? Sly. No, not a denier. Go by, Jeronimy: go to thy cold bed, and warm thee. 10 Host. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the third-borough. [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. [Falls asleep. Horns winded. Enter a Lord from hunting, with his train. Lord. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds: †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? 20 I would not lose the dog for twenty pound. First Hun. Why, Belınan is as good as he, my lord; He cried upon it at the merest loss Lord. Thou art a fool: if Echo were as Carry him gently to my fairest chamber And hang it round with all my wanton pie tures: Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters And burn sweet wood to make the lodging sweet: Procure me music ready when he wakes, 50 Some one be ready with a costly suit play our part, As he shall think by our true diligence And each one to his office when he wakes. Belike, some noble gentleman that means, How now! who is it? An't please your honor, playe That offer service to your lordship. 30 Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk ? See, doth he breathe? Sec. Hun. He breathes, my lord. Were he not warm'd with ale, Players. We thank your honor. Now, fellows, you are welcom This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly. fingers, A most delicious banquet by his bed, And brave attendants near him when he 40 wakes, Would not the beggar then forget himself? First Hun. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose. Sec. Hun. It would seem strange unto him when he waked. less fancy. Lord. Even as a flattering dream or worth Then take him up and manage well the jest: night? A Player. So please your lordship to ace our duty. Lord. With all my heart. This fellow I member, Since once he play'd a farmer's eldest son: 'Twas where you woo'd the gentlewomar well: I have forgot your name; but, sure, that t Was aptly fitted and naturally perform'd. A Player. I think 'twas Soto that 31 honor means. Lord. "Tis very true: thou didst it ex lent. Well, you are come to me in happy time; The rather for I have some sport in hand Wherein your cunning can assist me m There is a lord will hear you play to-night And then with kind embracements, tempting And if the boy have not a woman's gift To rain a shower of commanded tears, An onion will do well for such a shift, Which in a napkin being close convey'd Stall in despite enforce a watery eye. canst: Sly. I am Christopher Sly; call not me 'honor' nor 'lordship:' I ne'er drank sack in my life; and if you give me any conserves, give me conserves of beef: ne'er ask me what raiment I'll wear; for I have no more doublets than backs, no more stockings than legs, nor no more shoes than feet; nay, sometimes more feet than shoes, or such shoes as my toes look through the over-leather. Lord. Heaven cease this idle humor in your honor! O, that a mighty man of such descent, Sly. What, would you make me mad? Am not I Christopher Sly, old Sly's son of Burtonheath, by birth a pedlar, by education a cardmaker, by transmutation a bear-herd, and now by present profession a tinker? Ask Marian Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot, if she know me not: if she say I am not fourteen pence on the score for sheer ale, score me up for the lyingest knave in Christendom. What! I am not bestraught here's Third Serv. O, this it is that makes your lady mourn! Sec. Serv. O, this is it that makes your servants droop! Lord. Hence comes it that your kindred shuns your house, 30 As beaten hence by your strange lunacy. ment And banish hence these abject lowly dreams. See this dispatch'd with all the haste thou And twenty caged nightingales do sing : [Exit a Servingman. now the boy will well usurp the grace, Voice, gait and action of a gentlewoman : ag to hear him call the drunkard husband, And how my men will stay themselves from laughter When they do homage to this simple peasant. in to counsel them; haply my presence My well abate the over-merry spleen Which otherwise would grow into extremes. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A bedchamber in the Lord's house. Enter aloft SLY, with Attendants; some with apparel, others with basin and ewer and other appurtenances; and Lord. Sly. For God's sake, a pot of small ale. First Serv. Will't please your lordship drink a cup of sack? Sec. Serv. Will't please your honor taste of these conserves ? Third Serv. What raiment will your honor wear to-day? Or wilt thou sleep? we'll have thee to a couch Softer and sweeter than the lustful bed 40 On purpose trimm'd up for Semiramis. Say thou wilt walk; we will bestrew the ground: Or wilt thou ride? thy horses shall be trapp'd, Their harness studded all with gold and pearl. Dost thou love hawking? thou hast hawks will soar Above the morning lark: or wilt thou hunt? Thy hounds shall make the welkin answer them And fetch shrill echoes from the hollow earth. First Serv. Say thou wilt course; thy greyhounds are as swift As breathed stags, ay, fleeter than the roe. 50 Sec. Serv. Dost thou love pictures? we will fetch thee straight Adonis painted by a running brook, And Cytherea all in sedges hid, Which seem to move and wanton with her And slept above some fifteen year or more. Page. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me, Being all this time abandon'd from your bed. Sly. 'Tis much. Servants, leave me and her alone. Madam, undress you and come now to bed. Page. Thrice noble lord, let me entreat of you 120 To pardon me yet for a night or two, Sly. Ay, it stands so that I may hardly tarry so long. But I would be loath to fall into my dreams again: I will therefore tarry in despite of the flesh and the blood. Enter a Messenger. 150 SCENE I. Padua. A public place. Enter LUCENTIO and his man TRANIO Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii. Vincentio's son brought up in Florence It shall become to serve all hopes conceived, Tra. Mi perdonato, gentle master mine, As Ovid be an outcast quite abjured: I wis it is not half way to her heart; Gre. And me too, good Lord! time toward: That wench is stark mad or wonderful fro ward. Luc. But in the other's silence do I see 70 20 Maid's mild behavior and sobriety. Peace, Tranio! Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill. Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make What I have said, Bianca, get you in: Kath. A pretty peat! it is best 30 Put finger in the eye, an she knew why. Fall to them as you find your stomach serves Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore, And take a lodging fit to entertain Such friends as time in Padua shall beget. Tra, Master, some show to welcome us to Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GRE- Bian. Sister, content you in my discon- Goin, Bianca : 90 [Exit Bianca. And for I know she taketh most delight Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no far- Prefer them hither; for to cunning men ther, For how I firmly am resolved you know; Because I know you well and love you well, 51 Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure. too rough for me. Gre. [Aside] To cart her rather: she's There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife? make a stale of me amongst these mates? | may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly |