applied to a female, then meant a common woman. Love. ** Her solicitation concurring with ++May justly make me fast. Fellow.

that, he loved her,-for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talked of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what yet was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know.

King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: But thou art too fine in thy evidence: therefore stand aside.

This ring, you say, was yours?

Ay, my good lord.

Dia.
King. Where did you buy it? or who gave
it you?

Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not
buy it.

King. Who lent it you?
Dia.

It was not lent me neither.
King. Where did you find it then?
Dia.
I found it not.
King. If it were yours by none of all these
How could you give it him?
[ways,
Dia.
I never gave it him.
Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my
lord; she goes off and on at pleasure.
King. This ring was mine, I gave it his
first wife.
[I know.
Dia. It might be yours, or hers, for aught
King. Take her away, I do not like her now;
To prison with her: and away with him.-
Unless thou tell'st me where thou hadst this
Thou diest within this hour.
[ring,
Dia.
I'll never tell you.
King. Take her away.
Dia.
I'll put in bail, my liege.
King, I think thee now some commion cus-

tomer t.

Dia. By Jove, if ever I knew man, 'twas you. King. Wherefore hast thou accused him all this while?

He knows himself, my bed he hath defiled;
And at that time he got his wife with child:
Dead, though she be, she feels her young one
kick;

So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick :
And now behold the meaning.
Re-enter Widow, with HELENA.
King.
Is there no exorcist
Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes?
Is't real, that I see?
Hel.
No, my good lord;
'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see,
The name, and not the thing.

I

Ber.

Both, both; 0, pardon ! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid,

found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter; This it says, When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child, &c.-This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly,

I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly,

Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you!O, my dear mother, do I see you living?

Laf. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon:-Good Tom Drum, [TO PAROLLES.] lend me a handkerchief: So, I thank thee; wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee: Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones. King. Let us from point to point this story know,

To make the even truth in pleasure flow :-
If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower.
[TO DIANA.
Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy
dower;

For I can guess, that, by the honest aid,
Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.-
Of that, and all the progress, Laore and less,
Resolvedly more leisure shall express:
All yet seems well; and, if it end so meet,
The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet.
[Flourish.

Advancing,

The king's a beggur, now the play is done:
All is well ended, if this suit be won,
That you express content; which we will pay,
With strife to please you, day exceeding day:
Ours be your patience then, and yours our
parts;

Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; He knows, I am no maid, and he'll swear to't: I'll swear, I am a maid, and he knows not. Great king, I am no strumpet, by my life; I am either maid, or else this old man's wife. [Pointing to LAFEU. King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. [royal sir; Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, [Exit Widow. The jeweller, that owes the ring, is sent for, And he shall surety me. But for this lord, Who hath abused me, as he knows himself, Though yet he never harm'd me,here I quit him: Too artful. ↑ Common woman. without interruption, and take our parts, support and defend us. This play has many delightful scenes, though not sufficiently probable, and some happ characters, though not new, nor produced by any deep knowledge of human nature. Paroll is a boaster and a coward, such as has always been the sport of the stage, but perhaps never raised more laughter or contempt than in the hands of Shakspeare.

Your gentle hands lend us, and take our hearts.

Owns.

Enchanter.

[Exeun i. e., Hear us

I cannot reconcile my heart to Bertram; a man noble without generosity, and young without truth; who marries Helen as a coward, and leaves her as a profligate when she is dead by his unkindness, sneaks home to a second marriage, is accused by a woman whom he has wronged, defends himself by falsehood, and is dismissed to happiness.

The story of Bertram and Diana had been told before of Mariana and Angelo, and, to con fess the truth, scarcely merited to be heard a second time.-JOHNSON,

TAMING OF THE SHREW

Persons represented.

Hostess, Page, Players, Huntsmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord. § Induction.

Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on Baptista and Petruchio. Scene,-sometimes in Padua; and sometimes in Petruchio's House in the Country.

INDUCTION

line and the scrap of Spanish is used in burlesque from an old play called Hieronymo, or the Spanish Tragedy. An officer whose authority equals a constable. tt Strained.

Balm his foul head with warm distilled waters, | And so offend him; for I tell you, sirs, And burn sweet wood to make the lodging If you should smile, he grows impatient.

sweet:

Procure me music ready when he wakes,
To make a dulcet and a heavenly sound;
And if he chance to speak, be ready straight,
And, with a low submissive reverence,
Say,-What is it your honour will command?
Let one attend him with a silver bason, [ers;
Full of rose-water, and bestrew'd with flow-
Another bear the ewer, the third a diapert,
And say,-Will't please your lordship cool
your hands?

Some one be ready with a costly suit,
And ask him what apparel he will wear;
Another tell him of his hounds and horse,
And that his lady mourns at his disease:
Persuade him, that he hath been lunatic;
And, when he says he is-, say, that
dreams,

For he is nothing but a mighty lord.
This do, and do it kindly, gentle sirs;
It will be pastime passing excellent,
If it be husbanded with modesty §.

he

1 Hun. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play
our part,

As he shall think, by our true diligence,
He is no less than what we say he is.

Lord. Take him up gently, and to bed with
him;

And each one to his office, when he wakes.
[Some bear out SLY. A trumpet sounds.
Sirrah, go see what trumpet 'tis that sounds:
[Exit Servant.
Belike, some noble gentleman; that means,
Travelling some journey, to repose him here.
Re-enter a Servant.

How now? who is it?
Serv.
An it please your honour,
Players that offer service to your lordship.
Lord. Bid them come near:-
Enter Players.

Now, fellows, you are welcome.
1 Play. We thank your honour.
Lord. Do you intend to stay with me to-
night?

2 Play. So please your lordship to accept our duty.

i Play. Fear not, my lord; we can contain ourselves,

Were he the veriest antic in the world.

Lord. Go, sirrah, take them to the buttery, And give them friendly welcome every one: Let them want nothing that my house affords. [Exeunt Servant and Players. Sirrah, go you to Bartholomew my page, [To a Servant.

And see him dress'd in all suits like a lady:
That done, conduct him to the drunkard's
chamber,

And call him-madam, do him obeisance,
Tell him from me, (as he will win my love,)
He bear himself with honourable action,
Such as he hath observed in noble ladies
Unto their Lords, by them accomplished:
Such duty to the drunkard let him do,
With soft low tongue, and lowly courtesy;
And say,-What is't your honour will com-
mand,

Wherein your lady, and your humble wife,
May show her duty, and make known her
love?
[ing kisses,
And then-with kind embracements, tempt-
And with declining head into his bosom,-
Bid him shed tears, as being overjoy'd
To see her noble lord restored to health,
Who, for twice seven years, hath esteemed
him

No better than a poor and loathsome beggar:
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,
Shall in despite enforce a watery eye.
See this despatch'd with all the haste thon
canst;

Anon I'll give thee more instructions.

[Exit Servant. I know, the boy will well usurp the grace, Voice, gait, and action of a gentlewoman: I long to hear him call the drunkard, husband; And how my men will stay themselves from laughter,

When they do homage to this simple peasant. Lord. With all my heart.-This fellow II'll in to counsel them: haply ||, my presence May well abate the over-merry spleen, Which otherwise would grow into extrernes. [Exeunt.

remember,

Since once he play'd a farmer's eldest son;-
"Twas where you woo'd the gentlewoman so
well:

I have forgot your name; but, sure, that part
Was aptly fitted, and naturally performed.
1 Play. I think, 'twas Soto that your ho-
[lent.-

nour means.

Lord. 'Tis very true;-thou didst it excel-
Well, you are come to me in happy time;
The rather for I have some sport in hand,
Wherein your cunning can assist me much.
There is a lord will hear you play to-night:
But I am doubtful of your modesties;
Lest, over-eying of his odd behaviour,
(For yet his honour never heard a play,)
You break into some merry passion,

SCENE II. A Bedchamber in the Lord's
House.

SLY is discovered in a rich night gown,
with Attendants; some with apparel,
others with bason, ewer, and other ap
purtenances. Enter Lord, dressed like
a Servant.

Sly. For God's sake, a pot of small ale.
1 Serv. Will't please your lordship drink
a cup of sack?

2 Serv. Will't please your honour taste of
these conserves? [wear to-day?
3 Serv. What raiment will your honour

Sly. I am Christophero Sly; call not mehonour, nor lordship: I never 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, some-Like envious floods, o'er-ran her lovely face, times, more feet than shoes, or such shoes as She was the fairest creature in the world; my toes look through the over-leather. And yet she is inferior to none.

So_workmanly the blood and tears are drawn.
Lord. Thou art a lord, and nothing but a
Thou hast a lady far more beautiful [lord:
Than any woman in this waning age.
1 Serv. And, till the tears that she hath
shed for thee,

[ber, As beaten hence by your strange lunacy. For though you lay here in this goodly chamO, noble lord, bethink thee of thy birth; [ment, Yet would you say, ye were beaten out of door; Call home thy ancient thoughts from banish-And rail upon the hostess of the house; And banish hence these abject lowly dreams: Look how thy servants do attend on thee, Each in his office ready at thy beck. Wilt thou have music? hark! Apollo plays, [Music.