A Characters in the Induction. Lord, before whom the Play is Juppos'd to be play'd. Hoftefs. Page, Players, Huntfmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord. Dramatis Perfonæ. Baptifta, Father to Catharina and Bianca, very rich.“ Vincentio, an old gentleman of Pisa. Lucentio, Son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca. Petruchio, a Gentleman of Verona, a fuitor to Catharina, Gremio, Hortenfio, Tranio. Biondello. Pretenders to Bianca. Servants to Lucentio. Grumio, Servant to Petruchio.. Pedant, an old fellow fet up to perfonate Vincentio.. Catharina, the Shrew.. Bianca, her Sifter. Widow. Taylor, Haberdashers; with Servants attending on.. SCENE, fometimes in Padua; and sometimes inPetruchio's Houfe in the Country. THE THE TAMING of the SHREW.. INDUCTION. SCENE, before an Ale-house, on a Heath. Enter Hoftefs and Sly, S.LY "'LL pheeze you, in faith. Hof, A pair of ftocks, you rogue! : Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues. Look in the Chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror; therefore. paucus pallabris; (1) let the world flide: Sea.. Hoft. You will not pay for the glaffes you have burst? Sly. No, not a depiere: go by, Jeronimo go to. thy cold bed, and warm thee. (2) Hoft (1) paucus pallabris.] &ly, as an ignorant fellow, is purposely made to aim at languages out of his knowledge, and knock the words out of joint. The Saniards fay, pocas palabras, i. e. few words: as they do likewife, Cefla, i. e. be quiet. *(2) Go by S. Jeronimy, go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.] All the editions have coin'd a faint here, for Sly to fwear by. But the poethad no fuch intentions. The paffage has particular humour in it, and must have been very pleafing at that time of day. But I muft clear up a piece of ftage-history, to make it understood. There is a fuftian old, Hoft. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the Third borough. (3) [Exit. Sty old play, call'd, Hieronymo; or, The Spanish Tragedy: which, I find,. was the common butt of rallery to all the poets of Shakespeare's time: and a paffage, that appear'd very ridiculous in that play, is here bu morously alluded to. Hieronymo, thinking himself injur'd, applies to the King for juftice; but the courtiers, who did not defire his wrongs fhould be fet in the true light, attempt to hinder him from an audience.. Hiero. Juftice, oh juftice to Hieronymo. Lor. Back;-fee'st thou not, the King is bufy? King. Who is he, that interrupts our business? Hier. Not I:: Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by. So Sly here, not caring to be dun'd by the Hofiefs, cries to her in effect, "Don't be troublesome, don't interrupt me, go by"; and, to fix the fatire in his allufion, pleafantly calls her Feronymo. What he fays. farther to her, go to thy cold bed and warm thee, I take likewife to be abanter upon another verse in that play.. Hier. What outcry calls me from my naked bed? But this particular paffage of---Go, by, Hieronymo ;- --v ---was fo ftrong: a ridicule, that most of the poets of that time have had a fling at it.. For inftance; B. Jobnfon, in his Every Man in his Humour; Go by, Hieronymo ! And Beaumont and Fletcher, in their Captain: and whoot at thee;. And call thee bloody-bones, and spade, and spitfire ; So Marfion, in the induction to his Antonio and Mellida; Nay, if you cannot bear two fubtle fronts under one hood, ideot 4 go by, go by, off this world's ftage.. For 'tis plain, tho' Jeronymo is not mention'd, the paffage is here. alluded to. And Decker in his Weftward-boe has rallied it very neatly by way of Simily. A woman, when there be rofes in her cheeks, cherries on her lips, civet in her breath, ivory in her teeth, lilies in her hand, and liquorih in her heart, why, fhe's like a play if new, very good company, very good company: but if ftale, like old Jeronymo,---go by, go by. (3) -I must go fetch the Headborough., Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, &c.] This corrupt readinghad pafs'd down through all the copies, and none of the editors pretended to guess at the poet's conceit. What an infipid, unmeaning reply does Sly make to his hoftefs? how do third, or fourth or fifib borough relate to Headborough: the author intended but a poor wit ticifm, |
