But, since you have made the days and nights as | fortune's close-stool to give to a nobleman! Look, here he comes himself. one, To wear your gentle limbs in my affairs, This man may help me to his majesty's ear, Enter LAFEU. Here is a pur of fortune's, sir, or of fortune's cat, (but not a musk-cat,) that has fallen into the unclean fishpond of her displeasure, and, as he says, is muddied withal: Pray you, sir, use the carp as you may; for he looks like a poor, decayed, ingehis dis Hel. Sir, I have seen you in the court of France. nious, foolish, rascally knave. I leave him to Gent. I have been sometimes there. Hel. I do presume, sir, that you are not fallen The use of your own virtues, for the which Gent. What's your will? Hel. That it will please you Gent. The king's not here. Hel. Not here, sir? Gent. Wid. Lord, how we lose our pains! I do beseech you, whither is he gone? Gent. Marry, as I take it, to Rousillon; Hel. you. Gent. Whate'er falls more.- We must to horse again; [Exeunt. SCENE II. Rousillon. The inner Court of the Countess's Palace. Enter Clown and PAROL LES. Par. Good Monsieur Lavatch, give my Lord Lafeu this letter: I have ere now, sir, been better known to you, when I have held familiarity with fresher clothes; but I am now, sir, muddied in fortune's mood, and smell somewhat strong of her strong displeasure. Clo. Truly, fortune's displeasure is but sluttish, if it smell so strong as thou speakest of: I will henceforth eat no fish of fortune's buttering. Pr'ythee, allow the wind." Par. Nay, you need not stop your nose, sir; spake but by a metaphor. Clo. Indeed, sir, if your metaphor stink, I will stop my nose; or against any man's metaphor. Pr'ythee, get thee further. Par. Pray you, sir, deliver me this paper. Clo. Foh, pr'ythee, stand away; A paper from 1 i. e. a gentleman falconer, called in Juliana Barnes' Book of Huntyng, &c. Ostreger. The term is applied particularly to those that keep goshawks. 2. e. they will follow with such speed as the means which they have will give them ability to exert.' 3 Perhaps a corruption of La Vache. 4 Warburton changed mood, the reading of the old copy, to moat, and was followed and defended by Steevens; but though the emendation was ingenious and well supported, it appears unnecessary. Fortune's Rood is several times used by Shakspeare for the whimsical caprice of fortune. 5 i. e. stand to the leeward of me. 6 Warburton observes, that Shakspeare throughout his writings, if we except a passage in Hamlet, has carce a metaphor that can offend the most squeamish reader." tress in my smiles' of comfort, and [Exit Clown. Par. My lord, I am a man whom fortune hath cruelly scratched. Laf. And what would you have me to do? 'tis too late to pare her nails now. Wherein have you played the knave with fortune, that she should scratch you, who of herself is a good lady, and would not have knaves thrive long under her? There's a quart d'ecu for you: Let the justices make you and fortune friends; I am for other bu siness. Par. I beseech your honour, to hear me one single word. Laf. You beg a single penny more: come, you shall ha't save your word. Par. My name, my good lord, is Parolles. Laf. You beg more than one word then."-Cox' my passion! give me your hand :-How does your drum? Par. O my good lord, you were the first that found me. Laf. Was I, in sooth? and I was the first that lost thee. Par. It lies in you, my lord, to bring me in some grace, for you did bring me out. [Exeunt. Laf. Out upon thee, knave! dost thou put upon me at once both the office of God and the devil? one brings thee in grace, and the other brings thee out. [Trumpets sound.] The king's coming, I know by his trumpets.Sirrah, inquire further after me: I had talk of you last night: though you are a fool and a knave, you shall eat; go to, follow." Par. I praise God for you. SCENE III. The same. A Room in the Countess's Palace. Flourish. Enter King, Countess, LAFEU, Lords, Gentlemen, Guards, &c. Was made much poorer by it: but your son, King. We lost a jewel of her; and our esteem1o As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know Her estimation home.11 Count. And I beseech your majesty to make it 7 Warburton says we should read, similes of com fort,' such as calling him fortune's cat, carp, &c. 8 A quibble is intended on the word Parolles, which in French signifies words. 9 Johnson justly observes that Parolles has many of the lineaments of Falstaff, and seems to be a character that Shakspeare delighted to draw, a fellow that had more wit than virtue. Though justice required that he should be detected and exposed, yet his vices sit so fit in him that he is not at last suffered to starve." 10 i. c. in losing her we lost a large portion of our esteen, which she possessed. 11 Completely, in its full extent. 12 The old copy reads blade. Theobald proposed the present reading. Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took cap-|The main consents are had; and here we'll stay My high-repented blames, Dear sovereign, pardon to me. King. All is whole; Not one word more of the consumed time. Ber. Admirably my liege: at first King. Well excus'd: That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away 1 So in As You Like It :--to have seen much and to have nothing, is to have rich eyes and poor hands.' Those who have seen the greatest number of fair women might be said to be the richest in ideas of beauty. 2 i. e. the first interview shall put an end to all recollection of the past. 3 i. e. a seasonable day; a mixture of sunshine and hail, of winter and summer, is unseasonable. 4 Faults repented of to the utmost. 5 This obscure couplet seems to mean that "Our love awaking to the worth of the lost object too late laments our shauneful hate or dislike having slept out the period when our fault was remediable.' court.' 6 The last time that ever I took leave of her at 7 Malone quarrels with the construction of this pas. sage I bade her, &c.-that by this token,' &c. but Shakspeare uses I bade her for I told her. To see our widower's second marriage-day. Count. Which better than the first, O dear hea ven, bless! Or, ere they meet, in me, O nature, cease! Ber. Hers it was not. Laf. I am sure, I saw her wear it. Ber. You are deceiv'd, my lord, she never saw it: In Florence was it from a casement thrown me Wrapp'd in a paper, which contain❜d the name, Of her that threw it: noble she was, and thought I stood ingag'd: but when I had subscrib'di To mine own fortune, and inform'd her fully, I could not answer in that course of honour And she had made the overture, she ceas'd, In heavy satisfaction, and would never Receive the ring again. King. Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine, Ber. She never saw it. And mak'st conjectural fears to come into me, We'll sift this matter further. 8 Johnson remarks that Bertram still continues to have too little virtue to deserve Helen. He did not know it was Helen's ring, but he knew that he had it not from a window. 9 Ingag'd, i. e. pledged to her, having received her pledge. 10 Subscrib'd, i. e. submitted. See Troilus and Cressida, Act ii. Sc. 3. 11 The philosopher's stone. Plutus, the great alchymist, who knows the secrets of the elixir and philoss pher's stone, by which the alchymists pretended that base metals might be transmuted into gold. 12 Then if you have the proper consciousness of your own actions, confess, &c. 13 The proofs which I have already had are sufficient to show that my fears were not rain and irrational. I have unreasonably feared too little. Ber. If you shall prove This ring was ever hers, you shall as easy [Exit BERTRAM, guarded. King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll for this; I'll none of him. King. The heavens have thought well on thee, To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these suitors :- [Exeunt Gentleman, and some Attendants. Good my lord, King. What say'st thou to her? Ber. She's impudent, my lord; Count. He blushes, and 'tis it :" You saw one here in court could witness it. He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, Enter BERTRAM, guarded. King. I wonder, sir, since wives are monsters to And that you fly them as you swear them lordship, Re-enter Gentleman, with Widow, and DIANA. women? If Ber. My lord, I neither can, nor will deny marry, That she, which marries you, must marry me, Laf. Your reputation [To BERTRAM] comes too short for my daughter; you are no husband for her. Are motives of more fancy; and, in fine, Dia. You that turned off a first so noble wife, Ber. I have it not. The same upon your finger. King. Know you this ring? this ring was his of late. I have spoke the truth. term when applied to a female:- 'Tis a catalogue Of all the gamesters in the court and city, 6 i. e. value. Removes are journeys or post stages; she had been able to overtake the king on the road. The second folio reads:-'I will buy me a son-inlaw in a fair, and toll for him: for this, I'll none of him.' prefer the reading of the first folio, as in the text. The asion is to the custom of paying toll for the liberty of and that in many of our old chronicles he had found hit 7 Malone remarks that the old copy reads, 'tis hit, eling in a fair, and means, I will buy me a son-in-printed instead of it. It is not in our old chronicles alone, in a fair, and sell this one; pay toll for the liberty but in all our old writers that the word may be found in selling him.' The emendation is Mr. Tyrwhitt's. As in the succeed- which love is heightened, and to conclude her solicitation concurring with her common or ordinary grace she got Dia. Do you know, he promis'd me marriage? Par. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak. King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st ? Par. Yes, so please your majesty: I did go between them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her, for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talk'd of Satan, and of limbo, and of furies, and I know not what yet I was in that credit with them at that time, that I knew of their going to bed; and of other motions, as promising her marriage, and things that would derive me ill will to speak of, therefore I will not speak what I know. King. Thou hast spoken all already, unless thou canst say they are married: But thou art too fine? in thy evidence: therefore stand aside.This ring, you say, was yours? Dia. Ay, my good lord. King. Where did you buy it? or who gave it you? Dia. It was not given me, nor I did not buy it. King. Who lent it you? Dia. It was not lent me neither. King. Where did you find it then? Dia. I found it not. King. If it were yours by none of all these ways, How could you give it him? Dia I never gave it him. Laf. This woman's an easy glove, my lord; she goes off and on at pleasure. King. This ring was mine, I gave it his first wife. Dia. King. Take her away. Dia. I'll never tell you. I'll put in bail, my liege. Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty; 1 i. c. fellow. 2 In the French sense trop fine. King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal [Exit Widow. sir; The jeweller that owes the ring is sent for, Who hath abus'd me, as he knows himself, Re-enter Widow, with HELENA. Is't real that I see? King. Beguiles the truer office of mine eyes? Hel. No, my good lord; 'Tis but the shadow of a wife you see, The name, and not the thing. you Ber. Both, both: O, pardon! Hel. O, my good lord, when I was like this maid, I found 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, 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: For I can guess, that, by thy honest aid, Thou kept'st a wife herself, thyself a maid.Of that, and all the progress, more and less, Resolvedly more leisure shall express; and if it end so meet, All yet seems well; The bitter past, more welcome is the sweet. Advancing. [Flourish THIS play has many delightful scenes, though not saf 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 bas always been the sport of the stage, but perhaps neret raised more laughter or contempt than in the hands of Shakspeare. without generosity, and young without truth; who marI cannot reconcile my heart to Bertram; a man ble ries Helen as a coward, and leaves her as a proffice: when she is dead by his unkindness, sneaks home a second marriage, is accused by a woman he has wrunge defends himself by falsehood, and is dismissed to hippiness. The story of Bertram and Diana had been told befre of Mariana and Angelo, and, to confess the truth, scarce ly merited to be heard a second time. JOHNSON. 5 Thus, in Julius Cæsar, Ligarius says :-Thou like an exorcist hast conjur'd up My mortified spirit.' Exorcist and conjurer were synonymous in Shak 3 i. c. common woman, with whom any one may be speare's time. familiar. 4 Owns 6 i. e. hear us without interruption, and take our pars, i. c. support and defend us. TAMING OF THE SHREW. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Felicitie of Man, printed in 1598; but the frolic, as Mr. THERE is an old anonymous play extant with the same title, first printed in 1596, which (as in the case of King John and Henry V.) Shakspeare rewrote, adopting the order of the scenes, and inserting little more than a few lines which he thought worth preserv- Of the story of the Taming of the Shrew no immediing, or was in too much. haste to alter.' Malone, with ate English source has been pointed out. Mr. Douce great probability, suspects the old play to have been the has referred to a novel in the Piacevoli Notti of Strapaproduction of George Peele or Robert Greene. Pope rola, notte 8, fav. 2, and to El Conde Lucanor, by Don ascribed it to Shakspeare, and his opinion was current Juan Manuel, Prince of Castile, who died in 1362, as for many years, until a more exact examination of the containing similar stories. He observes that the charoriginal piece (which is of extreme rarity) undeceived acter of Petruchio bears some resemblance to that of those who were better versed in the literature of the time | Pisardo in Straparola's novel, notte 8, fav. 7. of Elizabeth than the poet. It is remarkable that the In- Schlegel remarks that this play has the air of an duction, as it is called, has not been continued by Shak- Italian comedy; and indeed the love intrigue of Luspeare so as to complete the story of Sly, or at least it centio is derived from the Suppositi of Ariosto, through has not come down to us; and Pope therefore supplied the translation of George Gascoigne. Johnson has obthe deficiencies in this play from the elder performance; served the skilful combination of the two plots, by they have been degraded from their station in the text, which such a variety and succession of comic incident as in some places incompatible with the fable and Dra- is ensured without running into perplexity. Petruchio matis Persona of Shakspeare; the reader will, how-is a bold and happy sketch of a humorist, in which ever, be pleased to find them subjoined to the notes. Schlegel thinks the character and peculiarities of an The origin of this amusing fiction may probably be Englishman are visible. It affords another example of traced to the sleeper awakened of the Arabian Nights: Shakspeare's deep insight into human character, that but similar stories are told of Philip the good Duke of in the last scene the meek and mild Bianca shows she Burgundy, and of the Emperor Charles the Fifth. is not without a spice of self-will. The play inculcates Marco Polo relates something similar of the Ismaelian a fine moral lesson, which is not always taken as it Prince Alo-eddin, or chief of the mountainous region, should be. whom he calls, in common with other writers of his Every one, who has a true relish for genuine humour, time, the old man of the mountain. Warton refers must regret that we are deprived of Shakspeare's conto a collection of short comic stories in prose, set forth tinuation of this Interlude of Sly, who is indeed of kin by maister Richard Edwards, master of her majesties to Sancho Panza.' We think with a late elegant writer, revels in 1570 (which he had seen in the collection of the character of Sly, and the remarks with which he Collins the poet), for the immediate source of the fable accompanies the play, as good as the play itself." of the old drama. The incidents related by Heuterus in It appears to have been one of Shakspeare's earliest his Rerum Burgund. lib. iv. is also to be found in Gou-productions, and is supposed by Malone to have been lart's Admirable and Memorable Histories, translated produced in 1594. by E. Grimeston, 4to. 1607. The story of Charles V. is related by Sir Richard Barckley, in A Discourse on the * There was a second edition of the anonymous play in 1607; and the curious reader may consult it, in Six old Plays upon which Shakspeare founded, &c.' published by Steevens, Dr. Drake suggests that some of the passages in which Sly is introduced should be adopted from the old Drama, and connected with the text, so as to complete his story; making very slight alteration, and distinguishing the borrowed parts by some mark. ALPHONSUS, A Merchant of Athens. JEROBEL, Duke of Cestus. Daughters to Alphonsus. Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants to Ferando and AURELIUS, his Son, Suitors to the Daughters of SCENE, Athens; and sometimes Ferando's Coun FERANDO, POLIDOR, Alphonsus. try House. |