Pet. Such wind as fcatters young men through the

world,

To feek their fortunes farther than at home,

'Where small experience grows. But, in a few,
Signior Hortenfio, thus it ftands with me,
Antonio my Father is deceas'd;

And I have thrust myfelf into this maze,
Happly to wive and thrive, as beft I may :
Crowns in my purfe I have, and goods at home,
And fo am come abroad to see the world.

Hor. Petruchio, fhall I then come roundly to thee,
And with thee to a fhrew'd ill favour'd wife?
Thou'dft thank me but a little for my counsel,
And yet, I'll promise thee, fhe fhall be rich,
And very rich but thou'rt too much my friend,
And I'll not wifh thee to her.

Pet. Signior Hortenfio, 'twixt fuch friends as us
Few words fuffice; and therefore if you know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife;
(As wealth is burthen of my wooing dance")
Be fhe as foul as was Florentius' love, 7
As old as Sibyl, and as curft and fhrewd

As Socrates' Xantippe, or a worse,

She moves me not; or not removes, at least,
'Affection's edge in me.
Were the as rough

5 Where Small experience grows but in a FEW.] This nonfenfe fhould be read thus:

Where Small experience grows

but in a MEW, i. e. a confinement at home. And the meaning is that no improvement is to be expected of those who never look out of doors. WARLURTON. Why this should feem nonfeafe, I cannot perceive. In a few means the fame as in fhort, in few words.

The burthen of a dance is an

As expreffion which I have never heard ; the burthen of his wooing fing had been more proper.

7 Be fhe as foul as was Floren tius' le.] This I fuppofe relates to a circumflance in fome Italian novel, an fhould be read, Flrentio's. WARBURTON.

8 Affection's EDGE in ME.] This man is a strange talker. He tells you he wants money only. And, as to affection, he thinks fo little of the matter, that give him but a rich mistress, and he will take her though incruited all

As are the fwelling Adriatick Seas,
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua:
If wealthily, then happily, in Padua.

Gru. Nay, look you, Sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is why, give him gold enough, and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet-baby, or an old Trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, tho' he have as many diseases as two and fifty horfes; why, nothing comes amifs, fo money comes withal.

Hor. Petruchio, fince we are ftept thus far in, I will continue That I broach'd in jeft.

I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and young and beauteous;
Brought up, as beft becomes a gentlewoman.
Her only fault, and that is fault enough,
Is, that she is intolerably curft:

And fhrewd, and froward, fo beyond all measure,
That, were my state far worfer than it is,

I would not wed her for a Mine of gold.

Pet. Hortenfio, peace; thou know'ft not gold's effect;

Tell me her Father's name, and 'tis enough:
For I will board her, tho' fhe chide as loud
As thunder, when the clouds in Autumn crack.
Hor. Her Father is Baptifta Minola:
An affable and courteous Gentleman;

over with the worst bad qualities of age, uglinefs and ill-manners. Yet, after this, he talks of Affection's edge being fo strong. in him that nothing can abate it. Some of the old copies indeed, inftead of me read time: this will direct us to the true reading, which I am perfuaded is this,

Affection SEIG'D IN COIN, i. e. placed, feated, fixed. This makes him fpeak to the purpose, that his affection is all love of money. The expreffion too is

Pet. Such wind as fcatters young men through the world,

To feek their fortunes farther than at home,

s Where small experience grows. But, in a few,
Signior Hortenfio, thus it ftands with me,
Antonio my father is deceas'd;

And I have thruft myself into this maze,
Happly to wive and thrive, as best I may :
Crowns in my purse I have, and goods at home,
And fo am come abroad to fee the world.

Hor. Petruchio, fhall I then come roundly to thee,
And with thee to a fhrew'd ill-favour'd wife?
Thou'dst thank me but a little for my counsel,
And yet, I'll promise thee, fhe shall be rich,
And very rich: but thou'rt too much my friend,
And I'll not wish thee to her.

Pet. Signior Hortenfio, 'twixt fuch friends as us
Few words fuffice; and therefore if you know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife;
(As wealth is burthen of my wooing dance")
Be fhe as foul as was Florentius' love, 7
As old as Sibyl, and as curft and fhrewd
As Socrates' Xantippe, or a worse,
She moves me not; or not removes, at least,
3 Affection's edge in me. Were fhe as rough

5 Where Small experience grows but in a FEW.] This nonfenfe fhould be read thus ; Where Small experience grows

but in a MEW, i. e. a confinement at home. And the meaning is that no improvement is to be expected of those who never look out of doors. WARBURTON.

Why this fhould seem nonfenfe, I cannot perceive. In a few means the fame as in fort, in few words.

6 The burthen of a dance is an VOL. III.

As

expreffion which I have never heard; the burthen of his wooing fang had been more proper.

7 Be fhe as foul as was Florentius' love.] This I fuppofe relates to a circumftance in fome Italian novel, and fhould be read, Florentio's. WARBURTON.

8 Affection's EDGE in ME.] This man is a ftrange talker. He tells you he wants money only. And, as to affection, he thinks fo little of the matter, that give him but a rich miftrefs, and he will take her though incrusted all C 5

over

As are the fwelling Adriatick Seas,
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua:
If wealthily, then happily, in Padua.

9

Gru. Nay, look you, Sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is why, give him gold enough, and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet-baby, or an old Trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, tho' fhe have as many difeafes as two and fifty horfes; why, nothing comes amifs, fo money comes withal.

Hor. Petruchio, fince we have ftept thus far in, I will continue That I broach'd in jeft.

I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and young and beauteous;
Brought up, as belt becomes a gentlewoman.
Her only fault, and that is fault enough,

Is, that he is intolerably curft:

And fhrewd, and froward, fo beyond all measure,
That, were my ftate far worfer than it is,

I would not wed her for a Mine of gold.

Pet. Hortenfio, peace; thou know'it not gold's
effect;

Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough:
For I will board her, tho' fhe chide as loud
As thunder, when the clouds in Autumn crack.
Hor. Her Father is Baptifta Minola,
An affable and courteous Gentleman;

over with the worst bad qualities of age, uglinefs and ill-manners. Yet, after this, he talks of Affe lion's edge being fo ftrong in him that nothing can abate it. Some of the old copies indeed, inhead of me read time: this will direct us to the true reading, which I am perfuaded is this,

Afection SIEG'D IN COIN, i. e. placed, feated, fixed. This makes him fpeak to the purpose, that his affection is all love of money. The expreffion too is

Her name is Catharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her fcolding tongue.

Pet.. I know her Father, tho' I know not her;
And he knew my deceased Father well.

I will not fleep, Hortenfio, 'till I fee her,
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

I

Gru. I pray you, Sir, let him go while the humour lafts. O'my word, an' fhe knew him as well as I do, she would think fcolding would do little good upon him. She may, perhaps, call him half a fcore knaves, or fo: why, that's nothing; an' he begin once, he'll rail-In his rope-tricks (I'll tell you what, Sir) an' she stand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and fo disfigure her with it, that the fhall have no more eyes to fee withal than a cat. You know him not, Sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee, For in Baptifta's house my Treasure is:

He hath the jewel of my life in hold,

His youngest Daughter, beautiful Bianca ;

• And her with-holds he from me, and others more.
Suitors to her, and Rivals in my love:
Suppofing it a thing impoffible,

For thofe defects I have before rehears'd,
That ever Catharina will be woo'd;
Therefore this order hath Baptifta ta'en,
That none fhall have accefs unto Bianca,
'Till Catharine the curft have got a husband.

An he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks.] This is obfcure. Sir Thomas Hanmer reads, he'll rail in his rhetorick; I'll tell you, &c. Rhetorick agrees very well with figure in the fucceeding part of the fpeech, yet I am inclined to believe that Rope-tricks is the true word.

2 It flood thus:

And her withholds he from me. Other more Suitors to her, and Rivals in my Love: &c] The Regulation, which I have given to the Text, was dictated to me by the ingenious Dr. Thirlby,

THEOBALD.

Gru.