the family, became her known character in the neighbourhood, and deterred all her lovers from declaring themselves. However, in procefs of time, a gentleman of a plentiful fortune and long acquaintance, having obferved that quicknefs of fpirit to be her only fault, made his addreffes, and obtained her confent in due form. The lawyers finished the writings, (in which, by the way, there was no pin-money) and they were married. After a decent time" fpent in the father's houfe, the bridegroom went to prepare his feat for her reception. During the whole courfe of his courtship, though a man of the most equal temper, he had artificially lamented to her, that he was the moft paffionate creature breathing. By this one intimation, he at once made her understand warmth of temper to be what he ought to pardon in her, as well as that he alarmed her againft that conftitution in himself. She at the fame time thought herself highly obliged by the compofed behaviour" which he maintained in her prefence. Thus far he with great fuccefs foothed her from being guilty of violences, and still resolved to give her fuch a terrible apprehenfion of his fiery spirit, that she fhould never dream of giving way to her own. He returned on the day appointed for carrying her home; but instead of a coach and fix horfes, together with the gay equipage fuitable to the occafion, he appeared without a fervant, mounted on a skeleton of a horse, which his huntsman had the day before brought in to feast his dogs on the arrival of his new mittress, with a pillion fixed behind, and a cafe of pistols before him, attended only by a favourite hound. Thus equipped, he in a very obliging (but fomewhat pofitive) manner, defired his lady to feat herfelf on the cushion; which done, away they crawled. The road being obftructed by a gate, the dog was commanded to open it: the poor cur looked up and wagged his tail; but the mafter, to fhew the impatience of his temper, drew a piftol and fhot him dead. He had no fooner done it, but he fell into a thoufand apologies for his unhappy rafhnefs, and begged as many pardons for his exceffes before one for whom he had fo profound a respect. Soon after their steed ftumbled, but with fome difficulty recovered; however the bridegroom took occafion to fwear, if he frightened his wife fo again, he would run him through! And alas! the poor animal being now almost tired, made a fecond trip; immediately on which the careful husband alights, and with great ceremony, first takes off his lady, then the accoutrements, draws his fword, and faves the huntsman the trouble of killing him: then fays to his wife, Child, pr'ythee take up the faddle; which the readily did, and tugged it home, where they found all things in the greatest order, fuitable to their fortune and the present occafion. Some time after, the father of the lady gave an entertainment to all his daughters and their husbands, where, when the wives were retired, and the gentlemen paffing a toast about, our last married man took occafion to obferve obferve to the reft of his brethren, how much, to his great fatisfaction, he found the world mistaken as to the temper of his lady, for that she was the moft meek and humble woman breathing. The applause was received with a loud laugh; but as a trial which of them would appear the most master at home, he proposed they fhould all by turns fend for their wives down to them. A fervant was dispatched, and anfwer was made by one, Tell him I will come by and by; and another, That fhe would come when the cards were out of her hand; and fo on. But no fooner was her hufband's defire whispered in the ear of our laft married lady, but the cards were clapped on the table, and down fhe comes with, My dear, would you fpeak with me? He received her in his arms, and, after repeated careffes, tells her the experiment, confeffes his good-nature, and affures her, that fince the could now command her temper, he would no longer disguise his own." It cannot but seem strange that Shakespeare fhould be fo little known to the author of the Tatler, that he should fuffer this story to be obtruded upon him; or fo little known to the publick, that he could hope to make it pafs upon his readers as a real narrative of a tranfaction in Lincolnshire; yet it is apparent, that he was deceived, or intended to deceive, that he knew not himself whence the story was taken, or hoped that he might rob so obfcure a writer without detection. Of this play the two plots are fo well united, that they can hardly be called two without injury to the art with which they are interwoven. The attention is entertained with all the variety of a double plot, yet is not distracted by unconnected incidents. The part between Catharine and Petruchio is eminently spritely and diverting. At the marriage of Bianca the arrival of the real father, perhaps, produces more perplexity than pleasure. The whole play is very popular and diverting. JOHNSON. END OF THE THIRD VOLUME. |