Jaq. To fee no pastime, I :--what you would

have

I'll stay to know at your abandon'd cave. [Exit. Duke Sen. Proceed, proceed: we will begin these rites,

As we do truft they'll end, in true delights.

EPILOGUE.

finuate with you in the behalf of a good play!—I am not furnish'd like a beggar, therefore to beg will not become me: my way is, to conjure you : and I'll begin with the women. I charge you, O 5 women, for the love you bear to men, to like as much of this play as pleases them; and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women, (as I perceive by your fimpering, none of you hate them) that between you and the women, the play may pleafe. If I were a woman 3, I would kifs as many of you as had beards that pleas'd me, complexions that lik'd me, and breaths that I defy'd not: and, I am fure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind

Rof. It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue: but it is no more unhandsome, than to fee 10 the lord the prologue. If it be true, that good wine needs no bufh', 'tis true, that a good play needs no epilogue: Yet to good wine they do ufe good bushes; and good plays prove the better by the help of good epilogues. What a cafe am I in 15 offer when I make curtfy, bid me farewel. then, that am neither a good epilogue, nor can in

[Exeunt omnes.

It is even now the custom in fome of the midland counties, (particularly Staffordshire) to hang a bush at the door of an ale-house, or, as it is there called, mug-house. 2 i. e. dreffed. 3 In our author's time, the parts of women were always performed by men or boys.

TAMING

Taylor, Haberdasher; with Servants attending on Baptifta and Petruchio.
SCENE, fometimes in Padua; and sometimes in Petruchio's House in the Country.

i. e. I'll barrafs or plague you; or perhaps I'll pbeefe you, may have a meaning fimilar to the vulgar phrase of I'll comb your bead. 2 Meaning, no vagrants, but gentlemen. 3 Sly, as an ignorant fellow, is purposely made to aim at languages out of his knowledge, and knock the words out of joint. The Spaniards fay, pocas palabras, i. e. few words: as they do likewife, Ceffa, i. e. be quiet. Mr. Steevens fays, this is a burlefque on Hieronymo, which Theobald speaks of in a following note. A proverbial expreffion. 5 i. e. broke. 6 Mr. Theobald's comment on this fpeech is thus: "The paffage has particular humour in it, and must have been very pleasing at that time of day. "But I must clear up a piece of stage hiftory, to make it understood. There is a fuftian old play, "called Hicronymo; or, The Spanish Tragedy: which, I find, was the common butt of raillery to all the "poets in Shakspeare's time: and a passage, that appeared very ridiculous in that play, is here hu"mourously alluded to. Hieronymo, thinking himself injured, applies to the king for justice; but "the courtiers, who did not defire his wrongs should be fet in a true light, attempt to hinder him "from an audience. Hiero. Jufice, ob! justice to Hieronimo. Lor. Back;—fee'ft thou not the

Haft. I know my remedy, I must go fetch the thirdborough '.

[Exit. Sly. Third, fourth, or fifth borough, I'll anfwer him by law: I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly. [Falls afleep. 5 Wind borns. Enter a Lord from bunting, with a train. Lord. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my

hounds:

Brach 2 Merriman,-the poor cur is imbost 3,-
And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach.
Saw'st thou not, boy, how Silver made it good
At the hedge-corner, in the coldeft fault?
I would not lofe the dog for twenty pound.

Hun. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord;
He cried upon it at the meereft lofs,
And twice to-day pick'd out the dulleft fcent:
Trust me, I take him for the better dog.

Lord. Thou art a fool; if Eccho were as fleet,
I would efteem him worth a dozen fuch.
But fup them well, and look unto them all;
To-morrow I intend to hunt again.

Hun. I will, my lord.

Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe?

[And, with a low fubmiffive reverence,

Say, What is it your honour will command ?
Let one attend him with a filver bason,
Full of rofe-water, and beftrew'd with flowers;
Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper,
And fay,Will 't please your lordship cool
your hands?

Some one be ready with a coftly fuit,

And ask him what apparel he will wear;
Another tell him of his hounds and horse,
And that his lady mourns at his disease:
Perfuade him that he hath been lunatick;
And, when he says he is,-say that he dreams,
For he is nothing but a mighty lord.
This do, and do it kindly, gentle firs;

It will be paftime paffing excellent,

If it be hufbanded with modesty 4.

1 Hun. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play our part, As he fhall think, by our true diligence,

20 He is no less than what we fay 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. Sound trumpets.
Sirrah, go fee what trumpet 'tis that founds :-

2 Hun. He breathes, my lord: Were he not 25 Belike, fome noble gentleman, that means,

warm'd with ale,

This were a bed but cold to fleep fo foundly.

Lord. O monftrous beast! how like a fwine he

lies!

Grim death, how foul and loathfome is thine 30
image!-

Sirs, I will practise on this drunken man.-
What think you, if he were convey'd to bed,
Wrap'd in sweet cloaths, rings put upon his fingers,
A moft delicious banquet by his bed,
And brave attendants near him when he wakes,
Would not the beggar then forget himself?

1 Hun. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot chufe.
2 Hun. It would feem ftrange unto him when
he wak'd.

Lord. Even as a flattering dream, or worthlefs
fancy.

Then take him up, and manage well the jeft:-
Carry him gently to my faireft chamber,
And hang it round with all my wanton pictures:
Balm his foul head with warm diftilled waters,
And burn fweet wood to make the lodging sweet:
Procure me mufick ready when he wakes,
To make a dulcet and a heavenly found;
And if he chance to fpeak, be ready ftraight,

35

40

45

[Exeunt Servant. Travelling fome journey, to repofe him here.Re-enter a Servant.

Lord. 'Tis very true;-thou didst it excellent.-
Well, you are come to me in happy time;
The rather for I have fome sport in hand,
150]Wherein your cunning can affist me much.

"king is bufy Hiero. Ob, is be fo? King. Who is be that interrupts our business? Hiero. Nat I: Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by." So Sly here, not caring to be dunn'd by the Hostess, cries to her in effect, "Don't be troublefome, don't interrupt me, go by." 1 The thirdborough of ancient times was an officer fimilar to the prefent conftable. 2 Mr. Edwards explains Brach to fignify a bound in general; while Mr. Steevens thinks it to have been a particular fort of hound: and Mr. Tollet obferves, that bracke originally meant a bich; and adds, from Ulirius, that "bitches having a "fuperior fagacity of nofe; hence, perhaps, any hound with eminent quickness of scent, whether dog "or bitch, was called brache, for the term bracke is fometimes applied to males. Our ancestors hunted "much with the large fouthern hounds, and had in every pack a couple of dogs peculiarly good and "cunning to find game, or recover the fcent. To this cuftom Shakspeare seems to allude, by naming two braches, which, in my opinion, are beagles; and this difcriminates brache from the lym, a blood"hound mentioned together with it, in the tragedy of King Lear." 3 Imboft is a term in hunting, When a dog is ftrained with hard running (especially upon hard ground) he will have his knees fwelled, and then he is faid to be embofs'd; from the French word boffe, fignifying a tumour. 4 Meaning, with

moderation.

There

And at that fight shall fad Apollo weep,

So workmanly the blood and tears are drawn.
Lord. Thou art a lord, and nothing but a lord :
Thou haft a lady far more beautiful

Than any woman in this waining age.

1 Man. And, 'till the tears, that she hath shed
for thee,

Like envious floods, o'er-ran her lovely face,
She was the fairest creature in the world;
And yet she is inferior to none.

Sly. Am I a lord? and have I such a lady?
Or do I dream? or have I dream'd 'till now?
I do not fleep; I fee, I hear, I speak;

I smell fweet favours, and I feel soft things :-
Upon my life, I am a lord, indeed;
And not a tinker, nor Christopher Sly.-
Well, bring our lady hither to our fight;
And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale.

2 Man. Will't please your mightiness to wash
your hands?

Oh, how we joy to see your wit restor❜d!

Oh! that once more you knew but what you are!
These fifteen years you have been in a dream!
Or, when you wak'd, fo wak'd as if you flept.

15

I am your wife in all obedience.

Sly. I know it well :-What must I call her?
Lord. Madam.

[ladies.

Sly. Alce madam, or Joan madam?
Lord. Madam, and nothing else; fo lords call
Sly. Madam wife, they say, that I have dream'd
and slept

Above fome fifteen years and more.

Lady. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me;
Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.
Sly. 'Tis much ;-Servants, leave me and her
alone.-

20 Madam, undress you, and come now to bed.
Lady. Thrice noble lord, let me intreat of you,
To pardon me yet for a night or two;
Or, if not fo, until the fun be fet :
For your phyficians have expressly charg'd,

Sly. These fifteen years! by my fay, a goodly 25 In peril to incur your former malady,

nap.

But did I never speak of all that time?

1 Man. Oh, yes, my lord; but very idle words :For though you lay here in this goodly chamber, Yet would you fay, ye were beaten out of door; And rail upon the hoftefs of the house; And fay you would prefs her at the leet', Because she brought stone-jugs, and no feal'd quarts:

That I fhould yet abfent me from your bed:
I hope this reason stands for my excufe.

Sly. Ay, it stands fo, that I may hardly tarry fo long. But I would be loth to fall into my dreams 30 again; I will therefore tarry, in defpight of the flesh and the blood.

Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Hacket. 35
Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house.

3 Man. Why, fir, you know no house, nor no
fuch maid;

Nor no fuch men, as you have reckon'd up,-
As Stephen Sly, and old John Naps of Greece2,
And Peter Turf, and Henry Pimpernell;
And twenty more such names and men as these,
Which never were, nor no man ever saw.

Sly. Now, Lord be thanked for my good amends!
All. Amen.

Sly. I thank thee; thou shalt not lose by it.
Enter the Page, as a lady, with attendants.
Lady. How fares my noble lord? [enough.
Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer
Where is my wife?

Enter a Messenger.

Meff. Your honour's players, hearing your
amendment,

Are come to play a pleasant comedy,
For fo your doctors hold it very meet;
Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,
And melancholy is the nurse of phrenzy,

Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play, 40 And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

45

Sly. Marry I will; let them play it: Is not a commonty 3 a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick?

Lady. No, my good lord, it is more pleasing stuff.
Sly. What, houshold stuff?

Lady. It is a kind of history.

Sly. Well, we'll fee it: Come, madam wife, fit by my fide, and let the world flip; we shall Isolne'er be younger.

Meaning, the Court lett, or courts of the manor. 2 Greece feems here to be no more than a quibble or pun (of which our author was remarkably fond) upon greafe; when the expreffion will only imply that John Naps was a fat Man. 3 Commonty is here probably put for comedy.

ACT