Kath. Fye, fye! unknit that threat'ning unkind brow; And dart not scornful glances from those eyes, To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor: It blots thy beauty, as frosts do bite the meads; Confounds thy fame, as whirlwinds shake fair buds; And in no sense is meet or amiable. 1 A woman mov'd, is like a fountain troubled, But that our soft conditions and our hearts, That is, the gentle qualities of our minds. To bandy word for word, and frown for frown: My hand is ready, may it do him ease. Pet. Why, there's a wench!-Come on, and kiss Landme, Kate. Luc. Well, go thy ways, old lad; for thou shalt TRA ha't. Vin. 'Tis a good hearing, when children are toward. Luc. But a harsh hearing when women are froward. Pet. Come, Kate, we'll to bed: We three are married, but you two are sped9. "Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white10; [TO LUCENTIO. And, being a winner, God give you good night! [Exeunt PETRUCHIO and KATH. Hor. Now go thy ways, thou hast tam'd a curst shrew. Luc. "Tis a wonder, by your leave, she will be tam'd so, [Exeunt11. 8 Vail your stomachs, abate your pride, your spirit, it is no boot, i. e. it is profitless, it is no advantage. Thus in King Richard II. Act i. Sc. 1:— J 'Norfolk, throw down; we bid; there is no boot.' 9 i. e. the fate of you both is decided; for you both have wives who exhibit early proofs of disobedience. 10 The white was the central part of the mark or butt in archery. Here is also a play upon the name of Bianca, which is white in Italian. 11 The old play continues thus :— Then enter two, bearing SLIE in his own apparel againe, and leaves him where they found him, and then goes out: then enters the Tapster. Tapster. Now that the darksome night is overpast, And dawning day appeares in christall skie, Now must I haste abroade: but softe! who's this? What, Slie? O wondrous! hath he laine heere all night? Ile wake him; I thinke he's starred by thie, But that his belly was so stufft with ale: What now, Stie? awake for shame. Slie. Awaking.] Sim, give's more wine-What all the players gone?-Am I not a lord? Tap. A lord, with a murrain ? Come, art thou drank still? that ever thou Top Yea, marry, but thou hadst best get thee home, for your wife will curse you for dreaming here all night. Slie. Will she? I know how to tame a shrew. I dreamt upon it all this night, and thou hast wak'd me out of the best dream that ever I had; but I'll to my wife, and tame her too, if she auger me, Or this play the two plots are so well united that they can hardly be called two, without injury to the art with which they are interwoven. The attention is entertained with all the variety of a double plot, yet is not distracted by unconnected incidents. The part between Katharina and Petruchio is eminently spritely and diverting. At the marriage of Bianca the arrival of the real father, perhaps, produces more perplexity than pleasure. The whole play is very popular and diverting. JOHNSON. |