ས Characters in the Induction. Lord, before whom the Play is fuppos'd to be play'd. A Chriftopher Sly, a drunken Tinker. Hoftefs. Page, Players, Huntsmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord. Dramatis Perfonæ. Baptifta, Father to Catharina and Bianca; very rich. Lucentio, Son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca. Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, a fuitor to Catharina. Gremio, } Pretenders to Bianca. Tranio, 2 Servants to Lucentio. Grumio, Servant to Petruchio. Pedant, an old fellow fet up to perfonate Vincentio. Taylor, Haberdashers; with Servants attending on SCENE, fometimes in Padua; and fometimes in KOROM THE " THE MING of the SHREW. NDUCTION: NE, before an Alehoufe on a Heath. Enter Hoftefs and Sly. SLY. 'LL pheeze you, in faith. Hoft. A pair of ftocks, you rogue! Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues. Look in the Chronicles, we can ein with Richard Conqueror; therefore, paucus pallabris; (1) let the world flide? Seña. . You will not pay for the glaffes you have burst? No, not a deniere: go by, Jeronimo cold bed, and warm thee. (2) go, Hoft. paucus pallabris.] Sly, as an ignorant Fellow, is purmade to aim at Languages out of his Knowledge, and the words out of Joint. The Spaniards fay pócas palae. few words as they do likewife, Ceffa, i. e. be quiet. Go by S. Jeronimy, go to thy cold Bed, and warm thee.] e Editions have coin'd a Saint here, for Sly to fwear by. But Hoft. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the Third-borough. (3) Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll anfwer him by law; I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly. [Falls afleep. But the Foet had no fuch Intentions. The Paffage has parti cular Humour in it, and must have been very pleafing at that time of day. But I must clear up a Piece of Stage history, to make it understood. There is a fustian old Play, call'd, Hieronymo; Or, The Spanish Tragedy: which, I find, was the common Eut of Rallery to all the Poets of Shakespeare's Time: and a Paffage, that appear'd very ridiculous in that Play, is here humourously alluded to. Hieronymo, thinking him'felf injur'd, applies to the King for Juftice; but the Courtiers, who did not defire his Wrongs fhould be fet in a true Light, attempt to hinder him from an Audience. Hiero. Justice, oh! juftice to Hieronymo. Lor. Back; - fee'st thou not, the King is bufie? King. Who is He, that interrupts our Business? Wind horns. 1 Lord. Hun Brach, Merr Hier. Not 1: Hieronymo, beware; go by, go by. So Sly here, not caring to be dun'd by the Hostess, cries to her in Effect, "Don't be troublefom, don't interrupt me, go by "; and, to fix the Satire in his Allusion, pleasantly calls her Jere (3) I must go fetch the Headborough. Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth Borough, &c.] This corrupt Reading had pafs'd down through all the Copies, and none of the Editors pretended to guess at the Poet's Conceit. What an infipid, unmeaning Reply does Sly make to his Hoftefs? How do third, or fourth, or fifth Borough relate to Headborough: The Author intended but a poor Witticism, and even That is loft. The Hoftefs would fay, that he'll fetch a Conftable: and this Officer fhe calls by his other Name, a Third-borough: and upon this Term Sly founds the Conundrum in his Answer to her. Who does not perceive, at a fingle glance, fome Conceit ftarted by this certain Correction? There is an Attempt at Wit, tolerable enough for a Tinker, and one drunk too. Third Grim death, 1 Hun. B wak'd. Lord. E Then take |