Enter a Servant. Serv. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment, Are come to play a pleasant comedy, For so your doctors hold it very meet; Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood, And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy, 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 a Christmas gambol, or a tumblingtrick?? Page. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing stuff. Sly. What, houshold stuff? Page. It is a kind of history. Sly. Well, we'll see't: Come, by my side, and let the world slip; younger. madam wife, sit we shall ne'er be [They sit down. 7 Is not a commonty a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick?] Thus the old copies; the modern ones read-It is not a commodity, &c. Commonty for comedy, &c. STEEVENS. In the old play the players themselves use the word commodity corruptly for a comedy. BLACKSTONE. ACT I. SCENE I. Padua. A public Place. Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO. Luc. Tranio, since-for the great desire I had To see 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 Gave me my being, and my father first, Vincentio his son, brought up in Florence, 8- ingenious] It was probably written ingenuous studies, but of this and a thousand such observations there is little certainty. In Cole's Dictionary, 1677, it is remarked-“ ingenuous and ingenious are too often confounded." .9 to serve all hopes conceiv'd,] To fulfil the expectations of his friends. Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine, Glad that you thus continue your resolve, 1 Talk logick with acquaintance that you have, Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise. Tra. Master, some show, to welcome us to town. Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand aside. Bap. Gentlemen, impórtune me no further, Aristotle's checks,] Tranio is here descanting on academical learning, and mentions by name six of the seven liberal sciences. I suspect this to be a mis-print, made by some copyist or compositor, for ethicks. The sense confirms it. BLACKSTONE. to quicken you ;] i. e. animate. 2 Because I know you well, and love you well, me: There, there Hortensio, will you any wife?" Kath. I pray you, sir, [To BAP.] is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates? Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mould. Kath. I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear; But, if it were, doubt not her care should be Gre. And me too, good Lord! Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime toward; That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward. Peace, Tranio. Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill. Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good · What I have said,-Bianca, get you in: And let it not displease thee, good Bianca; Put finger in the eye,-an she knew why. Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent. Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe: 3 A pretty peat!] Peat or pet is a word of endearment from petit, little, as if it meant pretty little thing. My books, and instruments, shall be my 'company; On them to look, and practise by myself. speak. Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva [Aside. Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange ?* Sorry am I, that our good will effects Bianca's grief. Gre. Why, will you mew her up, And make her bear the penance of her tongue? To mine own children in good bringing-up; not? What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, be like, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha! [Exit. Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are so good, here is none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our so strange? That is, so odd, so different from others in your conduct. JOHNSON. 5 cunning men-] Cunning had not yet lost its original signification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the transla tion of the Bible. JOHNSON. 6 your gifts ] Gifts for endowments. |