Lord. We'll fhew thee Io, as fhe was a maid; And how fhe was beguiled and furpris'd, As lively painted as the deed was done. 3 Man. Or Daphne, roaming through a thorny wood; Scratching her legs, that one fhall fwear the bleeds: So workmanly the blood and tears are drawn. Than any woman in this waining age. 1 Man. And 'till the tears that the hath fhed for Like envious floods o'er-ran her lovely face, Shy. Am I a lord? and have I such a lady? And not a Tinker, not Chriftophero Sly.- 2 Man. Will't pleafe your mightiness to wash your hands? Oh, how we joy to fee your wits reftor'd! 1 Man. Oh, yes, my lord; but very idle words:- And 8 And fay, you would prefent her at the Leet, 3 Man. Why, fir, you know no houfe, nor no fuch Nor no fuch men, as you have reckon'd up; Sly. Now, Lord be thanked for my good amends! Enter lady, with attendants. Sly. I thank thee;-thou shalt not lose by it. Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer enough. Lady. Here, noble lord: What is thy will with her? My men fhould call me-lord, I am your good-man. 8 Sly. I know it well: What must I call her? Leet,] As the Court leet, or courts of the manor. JOHNSON. In this place, Mr. Pope, and after him other editors, had introduced the three following speeches, from the old edition 1607, I have already obferved that it is by no means certain, that the former comedy of the Taming the Shrew was written by Shakefpeare, and have therefore removed them from the text. Sly. By the mafs, I think I am a lord indeed, "What is thy name? "Man. Sim, an it please your honour. Sly. Sim? that's as much as to fay, Simeon, Sly. Alce madam, or Joan madam? Lord. Madam, and nothing elfe, fo lords call ladies. I Sly. Madam wife, they fay that I have dream'd, and slept Above fome fifteen years and more. Lady. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me, Madam, undress you, and come now to-bed. Sly. Ay, it ftands fo, that I may hardly tarry fo long. But I would be loth to fall into my dreams again: I will therefore tarry in defpight of the flesh and the blood. Enter a Meffenger. Meff. Your honour's players, hearing your amend ment, Are come to play a pleasant comedy, Seeing too much fadnefs hath congeal'd your blood, Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play, * Mr. Pope, as I fuppofe, made likewife the following addition to this fpeech, for I cannot find the paffage in either of the old copies, though it has been inferted in all the modern editions of Shakespeare. "Sly. Come, fit down on my knee. Sim, drink to her." Madam, &c. STEEVENS. 2 ―come now to-bed.] Here Mr. Pope adds again—Sim, drink saber. STEEVENS. And And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life. Sly. Marry, I will; let them play: Is not a Commonty, a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick? Lady. No, my good lord; it is more pleafing stuff. Sly. What, houshold stuff? Lady. It is a kind of history. Sly. Well, we'll fee't: come, madam wife, fit by my fide, and let the world flip, we fhall ne'er be younger. 3 Is not a commonty, a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick?] Thus the old copies; the modern ones read, It is not a commodity, &c. Commonty for comedy, &c. STEEVENS. ACT ACT I. SCENE I. A Street in Padua. Flourish. Enter Lucentio and his man Tranio. T LUCENTIO. RANIO, fince-for the great defire I had I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,' And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd Gave me my being; and my father firft, A merchant of great traffick through the world: from fruitful Lombardy.] So Mr. Theobald. The former editions, inftead of from, had for. JOHNSON. Padua is a city of Lombardy, therefore Mr. Theobald's emendation is unneceflary. STEEVENS. 2 -ingenious] I rather think it was written ingenuous ftudies, but of this and a thousand fuch observations there is little certainty. JOHNSON. 3 Pifa, renowned for grave citizens.] This paffage, I think, fhould be read and pointed thus: Fifa, renowned for grave citizens, Gave me my being, and my father first, A merchant of great traffick through the world, In the next line, which should begin a new fentence, Vincentio bis fon, is the fame as Vinlentio's fon, which the author of the Revifal not apprehending, has propofed to alter Vincentio into Lu centio. Obfervations and Conjectures, &c. printed at Oxford, 1766. |