Stockdale's edition of Shakespeare, with explanatory notes

Haft. I know my remedy, I must go fetch the And, with a low fubmiffive reverence, thirdborough I. [Exit. Say,What is it your honour will command ? Sly. Third, fourth, or fifth borough, I'll anfwer Let one attend him with a filver bason, him by law: I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him Full of rofe-water, and beftrew'd with flowers; come, and kindly. [Falls afleep. Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper, Wind borns. Enter a Lord from hunting, with a train. And fay,Will 't please your lordship cool Lord. Huntfman, I charge thee, tender well my your hands? hounds:

Brach 2 Merriman,-the poor cur is imbost 3-
And couple Clowder with the deep-mouth'd brach.
Saw' 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 mecreft 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.

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

Some one be ready with a coftly fuit,
And ask him what apparel he will wear;
Another tell him of his hounds and horfe,
And that his lady mourns at his disease:
Perfuade him that he hath been lunatick ;
And, when he fays he is,-fay that he dream
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 modefty 4.

1 Han. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play our part,
As he thall think, by our true diligence,
He is no lefs 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 Belike, fome noble gentleman, that means,

warm'd with ale,

This were a bed but cold to fleep fo foundly.

Lord. O monftrous beaft! how like a fwine he lies!

Grim death, how foul and loathfome is thine image!

Sirs, I will practife on this drunken man.

What think you, if he were convey'd to bed,
Wrap'd in tweet 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.

Lerd. Even as a flattering dream, or worthless
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 fweet:
Procure me mufick ready when he wakes,
To make a dulcet and a heavenly found;

And if he chance to speak, be ready straight,

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

How now? who is it?

Ser. An't please your honour, players,
That offer fervice to your lordfhip.
Lord. Bid them come near :-

Enter Players.

Now, fellows, you are welcome.
Play. We thank your honour.

Lord. Do you intend to ftay with me to-night?
2 Play. So pleafe your lordship to accept our
duty.

Lord. With all my heart. This fellow I re
member,

Since once he play'd a farmer's eldest fon;---
'I was where you woo'd the gentlewoman fo well;
I have forgot your name; but, fure, that part
Was aptly fitted, and naturally perform'd.

Sinckio. I think, 'twas Soto that your honour

means.

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,
Wherein your cunning can affift me much.

king is bufy? Hiero. Oh, is he fo? King. Who is he that interrupts our bufinefs? Hiero. Not 1: "Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by." So Sly here, not caring to be dunn'd by the Hoftefs, cries to her in effect, "Don't be trouble fome, don't interrupt me, go by " The thirdborough of

ancient times was an officer fimilar to the prefent conftable. 2 Mr. Edwards explains Brach to fig nify a hound in general; while Mr. Steevens thinks it to have been a particular fort of hound: and Mr. Tollet obferves, that bracke originally meant a bitch; and adds, from Ulitius, that "bitches having a fu"perior fagacity of nofe; hence, perhaps, any hound withe minent quicknefs of fcent, whether dog or "bitch, was called brache, for the term brache 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 feems to allude, by 44 naming tao braches, which, in my opinion, are beagles; and this difcriminates brache from the ym, a blo d-hound mentioned together with it, in the tragedy of King Lear." 3 Imboft is a term in hunting. When a dog is trained with hard running (efpecially upon hard ground) he will have his knees fwelled, and then he is faid to be emboss'd; from the French word be, fignifying a Lumour. 4 Meaning, with moderation.

There

There is a lord will hear you play to-night:
But I am doubtful of your modefties;
Left, over-eyeing of his odd behaviour,
(For yet his honour never heard a play)
You break into fome merry paffion,
And fo offend him; for I tell you, firs,
If you thould fmile, he grows impatient.

Play. Fear not, my lord; we can contain ourselves, Were he the verieft antick in the world.

Lord. Go, firrah, take them to the buttery, And give them friendly welcome every one; Let them want nothing that my houfe affords.— [Exit one with the Players. Sirrah, go you to Bartholomew my page, And fee him drefs'd in all fuits like a lady: That done, conduct him to the drunkard's chamber, And call him-madam, do him obeisance. Tell him from me, (as he will win my love) He bear himself with honourable action, Such as he hath observ'd in noble ladies Unto their lords, by them accomplished: Such duty to the drunkard let him do, With foft low tongue, and lowly courtesy; And fay, What is 't your honour will command, Wherein your lady, and your humble wife, May thew her duty, and make known her love? And then with kind embracements, tempting And with declining head into his bofom,- [kiffes, Bid him shed tears, as being over-joy'd To fee her noble lord reftor'd to health, Who for twice feven years hath esteemed him No better than a poor and loathfome beggar: And if the boy have not a woman's gift, To rain a fhower of commanded tears, A1 onion will do well for fuch a shift; Which in a napkin being close convey'd, Shall in defpight enforce a watry eye. See this difpatch'd with all the hafte thou canft; Anon I'll give thee more inftructions.

[Ex. Ser.

I know, the boy will well ufurp the grace,
Voice, gait, and action of a gentlewoman:
I long to hear him call the drunkard, husband; [ter,
And how my men will stay themfelves from laugh-
When they do homage to this fimple peasant.
I'll in to counfel them: haply, my prefence
May well abate the over-merry spleen,
Which otherwife would grow into extremes.
[Exit Lord.

Sly. I am Chriftopher Sly ;-cal! not me-ho nour, nor lordship: I ne'er drank fack in my life; and if you give me any conferves, give me conferves of beef: Ne'er afk me what raiment I'll wear; for I have no more doublets than backs, no more ftockings than legs, nor no more shoes than feet; nay, fometimes, more feet than fhoes, or such shoes as my toes look through the overleather.

Lord. Heaven ceafe this idle humour in your

honour!

Oh, that a mighty man, of fuch descent,
Of fuch poffeffions, and fo high esteem,
Should be infufed with fo foul a fpirit!

Sly. What, would you make me mad? Am not I Chriftopher Sly, old Sly's fon of Burtonheath: by birth a pedlar, by education a cardmaker, by tranfmutation a bear-herd, and now by prefent profeffion a tinker? Afk Marian Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot, if the know me not: if the fay I am not fourteen-pence on the fcore for fheer ale, fcore me up for the lying'ft knave in Christendom. What, I am not betraught: Here's➖➖

1 Man. Oh, this it is that makes your lady [droop.

mourn.

2 Man. Oh, this it is that makes your fervants Lord. Hence comes it that your kindred thun your houfe,

As beaten hence by your ftrange lunacy.
Oh, noble lord, bethink thee of thy birth;
Call home thy ancient thoughts from banishment,
And banish hence thefe abject lowly dreams:
Look, how thy fervants do attend on thee,
Each in his office ready at thy beck.

Wilt thou have mufick? hark! Apollo plays,

[Mujick.

And twenty caged nightingales do fing:
Or wilt thou fleep? we'll have thee to a couch,
Softer and fweeter than the luftful bed
On purpose trimm'd up for Semiramis.
Say, thou wilt walk; we will beftrow the ground:
Or wilt thou ride? thy horfes fhall be trapp'd,
Their harness ftudded all with gold and pearl.
Doft thou love hawking? thou haft hawks will foar
Above the morning lark: Or wilt thou hunt?
Thy hounds fhall make the welkin anfwer them,
And fetch thrill echoes from the hollow earth.

1 Man. Say, thou wilt courfe; thy greyhounds
are as fwift

As breathed itags, ay, fleeter than the roe.

2 Man. Doft thou love pictures ? we will fetch
thee straight

Adonis, painted by a running brook;
And Cytherea all in fedges hid;
Which feem to move and wanton with her breath,
Even as the waving fedges play with wind.

Lord. We'll fhew thee lo, as the was a maid;
And how fhe was beguiled and furpris'd,
As lively painted as the deed was done.

fwood;

3 Man. Or Daphne, roaming through a thorny Scratching her legs, that one fhall (wear the bleeds:

* Perhaps we ought to read, diftraught, i. e. diftrated.

And

And at that fight fhall 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 the hath shed
for thee,

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

Sly. Am I a lord? and have I fuch a lady?
Or do I dream? or have I dream'd 'till now?
I do not fleep; I fee, I hear, I speak;
I fmell fweet favours, and I feel soft things
Upon my life, I am a lord, indeed;
And not a tinker, nor Chriftopher Sly.-
Well, bring our lady hither to our fight;
And once again, a pot o'the fsmallest ale.

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

Oh, how we joy to fee your wit reftor'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.

But did I never fpeak of all that time?

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

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

Lady. Here, noble lord; What is thy will with her?

Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call me→ husband?

My men fhould 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.

[ladies.

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

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.

Madam, undrefs 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 exprefsly charg'd, In peril to incur your former malady, That I fhould yet abfent me from your bed: I hope this reafon ftands 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 again; I will therefore tarry, in defpight of the flesh and the blood.

3 Man. Why, fir, you know no house, nor no Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,

fuch maid;

Nor no fuch 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 fuch names and men as thefe,
Which never were, nor no man ever faw.

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

Sly. I thank thee; thou shalt not lose by it. lady, with attendants.

Enter the Page, as a

Lady. How fares my noble lord?

[enough.

And melancholy is the nurfe of phrenzy, Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play, And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

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, houthold stuff?
Lady. It is a kind of hiftory.

Sly. Well, we'll fee it: Come, madam wife, Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer fit by my fide, and let the world flip; we shall Where is my wife?

ne'er be younger.

2 Greece feems here to be no more than a

1 Meaning, the Court leet, or courts of the manor. quibble or pun (of which our author was remarkably fond) upon greafe; when the expreflion will only imply that John Naps was a fat man, 3 Commonly is here probably put for comedy.

ACT

ACTI.

To fee 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,
Moft trufty fervant, well approv'd in all;
Here let us breathe, and happily institute
A course of learning, and ingenious studies.
Pifa, renowned for grave citizens,
Gave me my being, and my father first,

A merchant of great traffick through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio his fon 2, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to ferve all hopes conceiv'd,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue, and that part of philosophy
Will I apply 3, that treats of happiness
By virtue 'fpecially to be atchiev'd.
Tell me thy mind: for I have Pifa left,
And am to Padua come; as he that leaves
A fhallow plath, to plunge him in the deep,
And with fatiety feeks to quench his thirst.
Tra. Me pardonato 4, gentle mafter mine,
I am in all affected as yourfelf;

Glad that you thus continue your refolve,
To fuck the fweets of fweet philofophy.
Only, good matter, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral difcipline,
Let's be no ftoicks, nor no ftocks, I pray;
Or fo devote to Ariftotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcaft quite abjur'd:
Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practite rhetorick in your common talk;
Mufick, and poefy, ufe to quicken you;
The mathematicks, and the metaphyficks,
Fall to them, as you find your ftomach serves you
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta’en ;---
In brief, fir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well doft thou advife.
If, Biondello, thou wert come afhore,
We could at once put us in readiness ;
And take a lodging, fit to entertain
Such friends as time in Padua fhall beget.
But ftay a while: What company is this
Tra. Matter, fome thew to welcome us to town.
Enter Baptifta, with Katharina and Bianca. Ge-
mia and Hortenfia. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by.
Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,

For how I firmly am refolv'd you know;
That is, not to bettow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder :
If either of you both love Katharina,
Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave fhall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather: She's too rough for me:
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?

Kath. I pray you, fir, is it your will

To make a ftale of me amongst thefe mates?
Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no
mates for you,

Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

Kath. I' faith, fir, you thall never need to fear;
I-wis, it is not half way to her heart :
But, if it were, doubt not, her care fhall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd ftool,
And paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.

Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us!
Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Huh, mafter! here is fome good pastime
toward;

That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward.
Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee
Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.
Peace, Tranio.

[fill.

Tra. Well faid, mafter; mum! and gaze your

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good
What I have faid-Bianca, get you in:
And let it not difplease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl.

Kath. A pretty peat! 'tis beft

Put finger in the eye,-an fhe knew why.
Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe:
My books, and inftruments, fhall be my company;
On them to look, and practife by myfelf.

fpeak.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva
[Afide.
Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange 7?
Sorry am I that our good will affects
Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why, will you mew her up,
Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue!
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am refolv'd :--
Go in, Bianca.
[Exit Bianca.
And, for I know she taketh most delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry,
Schoolmafters will I keep within my houfe,
Fit to inftruct her youth.-If you, Hortenfio,-
Or fignior Gremio, you,-know any fuch,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men 8
I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing-up;

1 Perhaps we ought to read, ingenuous. 2 i. e. Vincentio's fon. 3 i. e. will I apply to. 4 The correct Italian words are, "Mi perdonite." 5 Meaning his rules. 6 Peat, or pet, is a word of endearment, from petit, little. 7 i. e. fo fingular. Cunning here retains its original fignification of knowing, learned; in which fenfe it is ufed in the tranflation of the Bible.

And

That art to me as fecret, and as dear,
As Anna to the queen of Carthage was,
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,

And fo farewel. Katharina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca. [Exit.
Kath. Why, and I truft, I may go too, May I
not? What, fhall I be appointed hours; as though, If I atchieve not this young modeft girl:
belike, I knew not what to take, and what to
leave? Ha!

[Exit.

Counfel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;
Atlift me, Tranie, for I know thou wilt.
Tra. Mafter, it is no time to chide you now;

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts
are fo good, here is none will hold you. Their Affection is not rated from the heart;
love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow
our nails together, and faft it fairly out; our cake's
dough on both fides. Farewell:-Yet, for the
love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any mean.
light on a fit man, to teach her that wherein the
delights, I will with him to her father.

If love have touch'd2 you, nought remains but so,
Redime te captum quam queas minimo. [tents;

Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward: this con-
The reft will comfort, for thy counsel's found.
Tra. Malter, you look'd fo longly on the maid,
Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
Luc. O yes, I faw fweet beauty in her face,
Such as the daughter of Agenor 3 had,

Hor. So will 1, fignior Gremio: But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel never yet brook'd parle, know now, upon advice, it touch-That made great Jove to humble him to her hand, When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan ihand. Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her filter

eth us both, that we may yet again have access to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca's love, to labour and effect one thing 'fpecially. Gre. What's that, I pray?

Began to fcold; and raise up such a storm,

Hor. Marry, fir, to get a husband for her fifter. That mortal ears mig'it hardly endure the din? Gre. A hufband! a devil.

Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I fay, a devil: Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell?

Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move, And with her breath fhe did perfume the air; Sacred, and iweet, was all I faw in her.

Tra. Nay then, 'tis time to ftir him from his

trance.

ftands:

Hor. Tah, Gremio! though it pafs your pa-I pray, awake, fir; If you love the maid, tience, and mine, to endure her loud alarums, why, Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all her faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell: but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition,-to be whipp'd at the high crois every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's fmall choice in rotten apples. But, come; fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd, till by helping Baptifta's eldeft dang}-| ter to a husband, we fet his youngeft free for a hufband, and then have to't afreth.-Sweet Bianca !---Happy man be his dole1! He that runs fafteft, gets the ring. How fay you, fignior Gremio ?

Gre. I am agreed: and 'would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her.

Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio.
Manent Tranio and Lucentio.
Tra. I pray, fir, tell me,-Is it poffible
That love fhould of a fudden take fuch hold?

Luc. Oh, Tranio, till I found it to be true,
I never thought it poffible, or likely;
But fee! while idly I ftood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness;
And now in plainnefs do confess to thee,-

Her eldeft fitter is fo curft and fhrewd,
That, till the father aid his hands of her,
Mafter, your love muft live a maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because the fhall not be annoy'd with fuitors.

Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took fome care
To get her cunning schoolmafters to inftruct her?
Tra. Ay, mariy, am I, fir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tia. Matter, for my hand,
Both our inventions meet and jump in one.
Luc. Tell me thine firft.

Tra. You will be schoolmafter,
And undertake the teaching of the maid:
That's your device.

Luc. It is: May it be done?

Tra. Not ponible; For who fhall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon;
Keep houfe, and ply his book; welcome his friends;
Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Bafta 4; content thee; for I have it full.
We have not yet been feen in any house;
Nor can we be diftinguith'd by our faces,
For man, or mafter: then it follows thus ;-
Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my ftead,
Keep houfe, and port 5, and fervants, as 1 fhould:

I A proverbial expreffion. Dele originally meant, the provifion given away at the doors of great men's houses. 2 That is, taken you in his toils, his nets; alluding to the captus eft, habet, of Lilly. 3 Europa, to poffefs whom Jupiter is fabled to have transformed himlelf into a bull. 4 An Italian and Spanish word, fignifying, enough. 5 Port means figure, Jhow, appearance.

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