Luc. And what of him, Tranio? Tra. If he be credulous, and trust my tale, Take in your love, and then let me alone. [Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA. Enter a Pedant. Ped. God save you, Tra. sir ! And you, sir! you are welcome. Travel you far on, or are you at the furthest? Ped. Sir, at the furthest for a week or two: But then up further; and as far as Rome; And so to Tripoly, if God lend me life. Tra. What countryman, I pray? Ped. 'Of Mantua. Tra. Of Mantua, sir ?-marry, God forbid ! And come to Padua, careless of your life? Ped. My life, sir! how, I pray? for that goes hard. To come to Padua: Know you not the cause? Tra. Among them, know you one Vincentio? Tra. He is my father, sir; and, sooth to say, In countenance somewhat doth resemble you. Bion. As much as an apple doth an oyster, and all one. Tra. To save your life in this extremity, [Aside. This favour will I do you for his sake; And think it not the worst of all your fortunes, His name and credit shall you undertake, And in my house you shall be friendly lodg'd;— Ped. O, sir, I do; and will repute you ever Tra. Then go with me, to make the matter good. This, by the way, I let you understand ;— My father is here look'd for every day, To pass assurance of a dower in marriage Go with me, sir, to clothe you as becomes you. [Exeunt. SCENE III. A Room in Petruchio's House. Enter KATHARINA and GRUMIO. Gru. No, no; forsooth, I dare not, for my life. Kath. The more my wrong, the more his spite appears: What, did he marry me to famish me? Beggars, that come unto my father's door, Upon entreaty, have a present alms : If not, elsewhere they meet with charity : To pass assurance-] i. e. To make a conveyance or deed. Deeds are by lawwriters called, "The common assurances of the realm," because thereby each man's property is assured to him.-MALONE. d Go with me, &c.] There is an old comedy called Supposes, translated from Ariosto, by George Gascoigne. Thence Shakspeare borrowed this part of the plot, (as well as some of the phraseology,) though Theobald pronounces it his own invention. There, likewise, he found the names of Petruchio and Licio. My young master and his man exchange habits, and persuade a Scenase, as he is called, to personate the father, exactly as in this play, by the pretended, danger of his coming from Sienna to Ferrara, contrary to the order of the government.-FARMER. But I,-who never knew how to entreat, Am starv'd for meat, giddy for lack of sleep; As who should say,-if I should sleep, or eat, Kath. 'Tis passing good; I pr'ythee let me have it. Kath. I like it well; good Grumio, fetch it me. What say you to a piece of beef, and mustard? Gru. Ay, but the mustard is too hot a little. Kath. Why, then the beef, and let the mustard rest. Gru. Nay, then I will not; you shall have the mus tard, Or else you get no beef of Grumio. Kath. Then both, or one, or any thing thou wilt. That feed'st me with the very name of meat: That triumph thus upon my misery! Go, get thee gone, I say. [Beats him. Enter PETRUCHIO with a dish of meat; and HORTENSIO. Pet. How fares my Kate? What, sweeting, all amort ?' Hor. Mistress, what cheer? Kath. 'Faith, as cold as can be. - phlegmatick—] This is the reading of the second folio. The first reads, cholerick. f all amort?] i. e. Sunk and dispirited. This gallicism is common to many of the old plays. Pet. Pluck up thy spirits, look cheerfully upon me. Here, love; thou see'st how diligent I am, To dress thy meat myself, and bring it thee: [Sets the dish on a table. I am sure, sweet Kate, this kindness merits thanks. What, not a word? Nay then, thou lovʼst it not; And all my pains is sorted to no proof: Here, take away this dish. Kath. 'Pray you, let it stand. Pet. The poorest service is repaid with thanks; And so shall mine, before you touch the meat. Kath. I thank you, sir. Hor. Signior Petruchio, fye! you are to blame! Come, mistress Kate, I'll bear you company. Pet. Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lov'st me.-[Aside. Much good do it unto thy gentle heart! Kate, eat apace :-And now, my honey love, And revel it as bravely as the best, With silken coats, and caps, and golden rings, Enter Tailor. Come, tailor, let us see these ornaments ;1 Enter Haberdasher. Lay forth the gown.-What news with you, sir? And all my pians is sorted to no proof:] And all my labour has ended in nothing, or proved nothing. "We tried an experiment but it sorted not." Bacon.— JOHNSON. h ruffling-] i. e. Rustling. i Come, tailor, let us see these ornaments;] In our poet's time, women's gowns were usually made by men.--MALONE. k A velvet dish;] Velvet caps of a diminutive size were for many years in Why, 'tis a cockle, or a walnut-shell, Kath. I'll have no bigger; this doth fit the time, Pet. When you are gentle, you shall have one too, And not till then. Hor. That will not be in haste. [Aside. Kath. Why, sir, I trust, I may have leave to speak; And speak I will; I am no child, no babe: Your betters have endur'd me say my mind; And, if you cannot, best you stop your ears. My tongue will tell the anger of my heart; Or else my heart, concealing it, will break; And, rather than it shall, I will be free Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words. Pet. Why, thou say'st true; it is a paltry cap, A custard-coffin,' a bauble, a silken pie: I love thee well, in that thou lik'st it not. Kath. Love me, or love me not, I like the cap; And it I will have, or I will have none. Pet. Thy gown? why, ay;-Come, tailor, let us see't. O mercy, God! what masking stuff is here? What's this? a sleeve? 'tis like a demi-cannon: Tai. You bid me make it orderly and well, [Aside. According to the fashion, and the time. Pet. Marry, and did; but if you be remember'd, I did not bid you mar it to the time. fashion with the citizens' wives and daughters. This fashion is alluded to by Ben Jonson, Every Man in his Humour. A custard-coffin,] A coffin was, the ancient culinary term for the raised crust of a pie or custard.-STEEVENS. censer- -] I learn from an ancient print, that these censers resembled in shape our modern brasieres. They had pierced covers, and stood on feet. They not only served to sweeten a barber's shop, but to keep the water warm, and dry his cloths on.-STEEVENS. |