King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. Stay, royal sir; [Exit Widow. Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail. The jeweller, that owes 5 the ring, is sent for, King. Re-enter Widow, with HELENA. Is there no exorcist Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes ? Is't real, that I see? No, my good lord; 'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, The name, and not the thing. Ber. Both, both; O, pardon! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found you wondrous kind. There is your ring, And, look you, here's your letter; This it says, When from my finger you can get this ring, And are by me with child, &c. This is done: Will you be mine, now you are doubly won? Ber. If she, my liege, can make me know this clearly, I'll love her dearly, ever, ever dearly. Hel. If it appear not plain, and prove untrue, Deadly divorce step between me and you! 5 Owns. 6 Enchanter. O, my dear mother, do I see you living? Laf. Mine eyes smell onions, I shall weep anon: -Good Tom Drum, [TO PAROLLES.] lend me a handkerchief: So, I thank thee; wait on me home, I'll make sport with thee: Let thy courtesies alone, they are scurvy ones. King. Let us from point to point this story know, To make the even truth in pleasure flow :If thou be'st yet a fresh uncropped flower, [TO DIANA. Choose thou thy husband, and I'll pay thy dower; All yet seems well; and, if it end so meet, Advancing. The king's a beggar, now the play is done : [Flourish.. All is well ended, if this suit be won, [Exeunt. 6 i. e. Hear us without interruption, and take our parts, support and defend us. This play has many delightful scenes, though not suf ficiently probable, and some happy characters, though not new, nor produced by any deep knowledge of human nature. Parolles is a boaster and a coward, such as has always been the sport of the stage, but perhaps never raised more laughter or contempt than in the hands of Shakspeare. I cannot reconcile my heart to Bertram; a man noble without generosity, and young without truth; who marries Helen as a coward, and leaves her as a profligate: when she is dead by his unkindness, sneaks home to a second marriage, is accused by a woman whom he has wronged, defends himself by falsehood, and is dismissed to happiness. The story of Bertram and Diana had been told before of Mariana and Angelo, and, to confess the truth, scarcely merited to be heard a second time. JOHNSON. TAMING PERSONS REPRESENTED. A Lord. Christopher Sly, a drunken tinker. Hostess, Page, Players, Huntsmen and other servants attending on the Lord. } Persons in Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua. Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, a suitor to Kath Gremio, Hortensio, Tranio, Biondello, Grumio, Curtis, rina. suitors to Bianca. servants to Lucentio. servants to Petruchio. Pedant, an old fellow set up to personate Vincentio. SCENE, sometimes in Padua; and sometimes in Petruchio's House in the Country. |