Lord. We'll shew thee Io, as she was a maid; And how she was beguiled and surpris’d, As lively painted as the deed was done. 3 Man. Or Daphne, roaming through a thorny

wood; Scratching her legs, that one shall swear the bleeds : And at that light shall fad Apollo weep, So workmanly the blood and tears are drawn.

Lord. Thou art a lord, and nothing but a lord:
Thou hast a lady far more beautiful
Than any woman in this waining age.
i Man. And 'till the tears that she hath shed for

thee,
Like envious foods o'er-ran her lovely face,
She was the faireít 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 sleep: I fee, I hear, I speak;
I smell sweet favours, and I feel soft things :
Upon my life, I am a lord, indeed ;
And not a Tinker, not Christophero Sly:-
Well, bring our lady hither to our fight;
And once again, a pot o'the smalleft ale.
2 Man. Will't please your mightiness to walh your

hands? Oh, how we joy to see your wits 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, so wak'd as if you slept.

Sly. These fifteen years ! by my fay, a goodly nap. Eut did I never speak of all that time?

i Man. Oh, yes, my lord; but very idle words:For tho' you lay here in this goodly chamber, Yet would you say, ye were beaten out of door; And rail'd upon the hostess of the house;

And

And say, you would present her at the $ Leet,
Because she bought itone-jugs, and no seal'd quarts
Sometimes, you would call out for Cicely Hacket.

Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house.

3 Man. Why, fir, you know no house, nor no such Nor no such men, as you have reckon’d up; As Stephen Sly, and old John Naps of Greece, 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. 9

maid ;

Enter lady, with attendants.
Sly. I thank thee ;--thou shalt not lose by it.
Lady. How fares my noble lord ?

Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer enough. Where is my wife?

Lady. Here, noble lord : What is thy will with her? Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call me-hus

band ? My men should call me--lord, I am your good-man.

Lady. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband, I am your wife in all obedience.

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

8

- Leet,] As the Court leet, or courts of the manor.

JOHNSON. 9 In this place, Mr. Pope, and after him other editors, had introduced the three following peeches, from the old edition 1697, I have already observed that it is by no means certain, that the former comedy of the Taming the Shrew was written by Shakespeare, and have therefore removed them from the text.

Sly. By the mass, I think I am a lord indeed, “ What is thy name?

" Man. Sim, an it please your honour.

Sly. Sim? that's as much as to say, Simeon,
“ or Simon. Put forth thy hand, and fill the pot."

STEEVENS.

Sly. Alce madam, or Joan madam?
Lord. Madam, and nothing else, so lords call la-

dies.
Sly. 'Madam wife, they say that I have dream'd,

and Nept Above some 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. 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 so, until the sun be set : For your physicians have exprefly charg'd, In peril to incur your former malady, That I should yet absent me from your bed. I hope, this reason stands for my excuse.

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

Enter a Messenger. Mel. Your honour's players, hearing your amend

ment, 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 frenzy, Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play,

Mr. Pope, as I fuppose, made likewise the following addition to this speech, for I cannot find the passage in either of the old copies, though it has been inserted in all the modern editions of Shakespeare.

“ Sly. Come, fit down on my knee. Sim, drink to her.” Madam, &c. STEEVENS.

come now to-bed.] Here Mr. Pope adds again-Sim, drink HuberSTEEVENS.

And

And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

Sly. Marry, I will; let them play : Is not a Commonty, 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 see't : come, madam wife, sit by my side, and let the world nip, we shall ne'er be younger.

3 Is not a commonty, a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick ?] Thus the old copies; the modern ones read, It is not a commodity, &c. Commonly for comedy, &c. STEEVENS.

Аст

ACT I.

SCENE I.

A Street in Padua.

T

Flourish. Enter Lucentio and bis man Tranio.

LUCENT I O.
RANIO, since—for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,-

I am arriv’d for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy ;
And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd
With his good will, and thy good company:
Most trusty servant, well approv'd in all,
Here let us breathe, and happily institute
A course of learning, and ingenious studies.
Pisa, renowned for grave citizens, 3
Gave me my being; and my father first,
A merchant of great traffick through the world:

from fruitful Lombardy.) So Mr. Theobald. The former editions, instead of from, had for. JOHNSON.

Padua is a city of Lombardy, therefore Mr. Theobald's emendation is unnecessary. Steevens.

-ingenious) I rather think it was written ingenuous ftudies, but of this and a thousand such observations there is little certainty.

JOHNSON. 3 Pisa, rinowned for grave citizens.] This paffage, I think, fhould be read and pointed thus :

Fifa, renowned for grave citizens,
Gave me my being, and my father forf,
A merchant of great traffick through ihe world,

Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii. In the next line, which should begin a new sentence, Vincentio bis fon, is the same as Vinlentio's son, which the author of the Reviral not apprehending, has proposed to alter Vincentio into Lucentio. Observations and Conjectures, &c. printed at Oxford, 1766.

Vin

2