Re-enter Curtis. Curt. In her chamber, making a fermon of continency to her, And rails, and fwears, and rates; that the, poor foul, Re-enter Petruchio. [Exeunt. Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign, way Another That all is done in reverend care of her; 3 -to man my baggard,] A baggard is a wild bawk; to man a hawk is to tame her. JOHNSON. So in a comedy called The Ifle of Gulls, 1606. Haggard, I'll make your proud heart ftoop to the lure of obe"dience." STEEVENS. This This is a way to kill a wife with kindnefs ;- SCENE II. Before Baptifta's house. Enter Tranio and Hortenfio. [Exit. Tra. Is't poffible, friend Licio, that miftrefs Bianca+ Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ? I tell you, fir, fhe bears me fair in hand. Hor. Sir, to fatisfy you in what I have faid, Stand.by, and mark the manner of his teaching. [They ftand by. 4 Is't poffible, friend Licio, &c.] This fcene, Mr Pope, upon what authority I can't pretend to guefs, has in his editions made the first of the fifth act: in doing which, he has fhewn the very power and force of criticifm. The confequence of this judicious regulation is, that two unpardonable abfurdities are fixed upon the author, which he could not poffibly have committed. For, in the first place, by this fhuffling the fcenes out of their true pofition, we find Hortenfio, in the fourth act, already gone from Baptifla's to Petruchio's country-houfe; and afterwards in the beginning of the fifth act we find him first forming the refolution of quitting Bianca; and Tranio immediately informs us, he is gone to the Taming-fchool to Petruchio. There is a figure, indeed, in rhetorick, call'd, sagov góregov; but this is an abuse of it, which the rhetoricians will never adopt upon Pope's authority. Again, by this mifplacing, the Pedant makes his first entrance, and quits the ftage with Tranio in order to go and dress himself like Vincentio, whom he was to perfonate: but his fecond entrance is upon the very heels of his exit; and without any interval of an act, or one word intervening, he comes out again equipp'd like Vincentio. If fuch a critick be fit to publish a ftage-writer, I fhall not envy Mr. Pope's admirers, if they fhould think fit to applaud his fagacity. I have replaced the scenes in that order, in which I found them in the old books. Enter Bianca and Lucentio. Luc. Now, miftress profit you in what you read? Bian. What, mafter, read you? firft, refolve me that. Luc. I read That I profess, the art to love. heart, Hor. Quick proceeders, marry! now, tell me, I pray You that durft fwear that your mistress Bianca Hor. Miftake no more: I am no Licio, Of And fince mine eyes are witness of her lightness, Hor. See, how they kifs and court!--Signior Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath, fworn! For For me, that I may furely keep mine oath, Ere three days pafs; which has as long lov'd me, Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks, [Exit Hor. Tra. Miftrefs Bianca, bless you with fuch grace, As longeth to a lover's bleffed cafe! Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love, And have forfworn you, with Hortenfio, [Lucentio and Bianca come forward. Bian. Tranio, you jeft: but have you both forfworn me? Tra. Mistress, we have. Luc. Then we are rid of Licio. Tra. I'faith, he'll have a lufty widow now, That fhall be woo'd and wedded in a day. Bian. God give him joy! Tra. Ay, and he'll tame her. Bian. He fays fo, Tranio. Tra. 'Faith he is gone unto the taming school. Bian. The taming fchool! what, is there fuch a place? Tra. Ay, mistress, and Petruchio is the master; That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long, To tame a fhrew, and charm her chattering tongue. Enter Biondello, running. Bion. Oh master, mafter, I have watch'd fo long, That I'm dog-weary; but at laft I spied * An ancient angel going down the hill, Will 4 An ancient angel.] For angel Mr. Theobald, and after him Sir T. Hanmer and Dr. Warburton read engle. JOHNSON. E e 4 It Will ferve the turn. Tra. What is he, Biondello? 5 Bion. Mafter, a mercatante, or a pedant, Tra. If he be credulous, and truft my tale, Take in your love, and then let me alone. [Exeunt Lucentio and Bianca, Enter a Pedant. Ped. God fave you, fir! Tra. And you, fir! you are welcome. Ped. Of Mantua. It is true that the word engble, which Hanmer calls a gull, deriving it from engluer, Fr. to catch with bird-lime) is fometimes ufed by B. Jonfon. It cannot, however, bear that meaning at prefent, asBiondello confeffes his ignorance of the quality of the perfon who is afterwards perfuaded to reprefent the father of Lucentio. The precife meaning of it is not afcertained in Jonfon, neither is the word to be found in any of the original copies of Shakespeare. STEEVENS. 5 Mafter, a mercatante, or a pedant.] The old editions read marcantant. The Italian word mercatante is frequently ufed in the old plays for a merchant, and therefore I have made no fcruple of placing it here. The modern editors, who printed the word as they found it fpelt in the folio and quarto, were obliged to fupply a fyllable to make out the verfe, which the Italian pronunciation renders unneceffary. STEEVENS. Surely, like a father.] I know not what he is, fays the peaker, however this is certain, he has the gait and countenance of a fatherly man. WARBURTON. Tra |