1 HUN. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot

choose.

2 HUN. It would seem strange unto him when he

wak'd.

LORD. 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 ftraight,
And, with a low fubmiffive reverence,
Say, What is it your honour will command?
Let one attend him with a filver bason,
Full of rofe-water, and bestrew'd with flowers ;
Another bear the ewer, the third a diaper,
And fay, Will't please your lordship cool your

hands?

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:
Persuade him, that he hath been lunatick ;
And, when he fays he is, fay, that he dreams,
For he is nothing but a mighty lord.2

2

And, when he fays he is, fay, that he dreams,

For he is nothing but a mighty lord.] I rather think, (with Sir Thomas Hanmer) that Shakspeare wrote:

And when he fays he's poor, fay that he dreams. The dignity of a lord is then fignificantly oppofed to the poverty which it would be natural for Sly to acknowledge. STEEVENS. If any thing thould be inferted, it may be done thus:

And when he fays he's Sly, fay that he dreams.

This do, and do it kindly,3 gentle firs;
It will be paftime paffing excellent,
If it be husbanded with modefty.4

1 HUN. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play our
part,

As he fhall think, by our true diligence,
He is no less 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. A trumpet founds. Sirrah, go see what trumpet 'tis that founds :— [Exit Servant. Belike, fome noble gentleman; that means, Travelling fome journey, to repofe him here.

Re-enter a Servant.

How now? who is it?

SERV.

An it please your honour,

Players that offer fervice to your lordship.

The likeness in writing of Sly and fay produced the omiffion. JOHNSON.

This is hardly right; for how should the Lord know the beggar's name to be Sly? STEEVENS.

Perhaps the fentence is left imperfect, because he did not know by what name to call him. BLACKSTONE.

I have no doubt that the blank was intended by the author. It is obfervable that the metre of the line is perfect, without any fupplemental word. In The Tempeft a fimilar blank is found, which Shakspeare there alfo certainly intended :-" I should know that voice; it fhould be ; but he is drowned, and these are devils." MALONE.

3 This do, and do it kindly,] Kindly, means naturally.

M. MASON.

4 modefty.] By modefty is meant moderation, without fuffering our merriment to break into an excefs. JOHNSON,

LORD. Bid them come near :

Enter Players.5

Now, fellows, you are welcome.

1 PLAY. We thank your honour.

LORD. DO you intend to stay with me to-night? 2 PLAY. So please your lordship to accept our

duty."

LORD. With all my heart.-This fellow I remem

ber,

Since once he play'd a farmer's eldest son ;'Twas where you woo'd the gentlewoman fo well:

5 Enter Players.] The old play already quoted reads:

"Enter two of the plaiers with packs at their backs, and a boy.

"Now, firs, what store of plaies have you?

"San. Marry my lord you may have a tragicall,

"Or a commoditie, or what you will.

"The other. A comedie thou shouldst say, founs thou'lt shame us all.

"Lord. And what's the name of your comedie?

"San. Marrie my lord, 'tis calde The Taming of a Shrew : "'Tis a good leffon for us my L. for us that are married men," &c. STEEVENS.

6

to accept our duty.] It was in those times the custom of players to travel in companies, and offer their service at great houfes. JOHNSON.

In the fifth Earl of Northumberland's Household Book, (with a copy of which I was honoured by the late duchefs,) the following article occurs. The book was begun in the year 1512: "Rewards to Playars.

"Item, to be payd to the said Richard Gowge and Thomas Percy for rewards to players for playes playd in Chryftinmas by ftranegers in my houfe after xxd. every play by eftimacion fomme xxxiijs. iiijd. Which ys appoynted to be paid to the faid Richard Gowge and Thomas Percy at the said Chriftynmas in full contentacion of the faid rewardys xxxiijs. iiijd." STEEVENS.

I have forgot your name; but, fure, that part
Was aptly fitted, and naturally perform'd.

1 PLAY. I think, 'twas Soto 7 that your honour

means.

LORD. 'Tis very true;-thou didft 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. There is a lord will hear you play to-night:

7 I think, 'twas Soto-] I take our author here to be paying a compliment to Beaumont and Fletcher's Woman Pleafed, in which comedy there is the character of Soto, who is a farmer's fon, and a very facetious ferving-man. Mr. Rowe and Mr. Pope prefix the name of Sim to the line here spoken; but the first folio has it Sincklo; which, no doubt, was the name of one of the players here introduced, and who had played the part of Soto with applaufe. THEOBALD.

As the old copy prefixes the name of Sincklo to this line, why fhould we difplace it? Sincklo is a name elsewhere used by Shakfpeare. In one of the parts of King Henry VI. Humphrey and Sincklo enter with their bows, as forefters.

With this observation I was have replaced the old reading.

favoured by a learned lady, and STEEVENS.

It is true that Soto, in the play of Woman Pleased, is a farmer's eldeft fon, but he does not wooe any gentlewoman; fo that it may be doubted, whether that be the character alluded to. There can be little doubt that Sincklo was the name of one of the players, which has crept in, both here and in The Third Part of Henry VI. inftead of the name of the perfon represented. Again, at the conclufion of The Second Part of K. Henry IV: "Enter Sincklo and three or four officers." See the quarto, 1600. TYRWHITT.

If Soto were the character alluded to, the compliment would be to the person who played the part, not to the author.

M. MASON.

Sincklo or Sinkler, was certainly an actor in the fame company with Shakspeare, &c.-He is introduced together with Burbage, Condell, Lowin, &c. in the Induction to Marston's Malcontent, 1604, and was also a performer in the entertainment entitled The Seven Deadlie Sinns. MALONE.

But I am doubtful of your modefties;
Left, over-eying 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 fhould fmile, he grows impatient.

If

you,

firs,

1 PLAY. Fear not, my lord; we can contain our

felves,

Were he the verieft antick in the world.

8 in the world.] Here follows another insertion made by Mr. Pope from the old play. These words are not in the folio, 1623. I have therefore degraded them, as we have no proof that the first sketch of the piece was written by Shakspeare:

"San. [to the other.] Go, get a difhclout to make cleane your fhooes, and Ile fpeak for the properties.* [Exit Player.

My lord, we must have a fhoulder of mutton for a propertie, and a little vinegre to make our diuell rore."+

The Shoulder of mutton might indeed be neceffary afterwards for the dinner of Petruchio, but there is no devil in this piece, or in the original on which Shakspeare formed it; neither was it yet determined what comedy fhould be represented.

STEEVENS.

*Property] in the language of a playhouse, is every implement neceffary to the exhibition. JOHNSON.

ተ ------ a little vinegre to make our diuell rore.] When the acting the myfteries of the Old and New Teftament was in vogue, at the reprefentation of the mystery of the Paffion, Judas and the Devil made a part. And the Devil, wherever he came, was always to fuffer fome difgrace, to make the people laugh: as here, the buffoonery was to apply the gall and vinegar to make him roar. And the Paffion being that, of all the myfteries, which was moft frequently reprefented, vinegar became at length the ftanding implement to torment the Devil; and was used for this purpofe even after the mysteries ceased, and the moralities came in vogue; where the Devil continued to have a confiderable part. The mention of it here, was to ridicule fo abfurd a circumftance in these old farces. WARBURTON.

All that Dr. Warburton has faid relative to Judas and the vinegar, wants confirmation. I have met with no fuch circumftances in any myfteries, whether in MS. or in print; and yet both the Chester and Coventry collections are preserved in the British Museum. See MS. Harl. 2013, and Cotton MS. Vefpafian D. viii.

Perhaps, however, fome entertainments of a farcical kind might have been introduced between the Acts. Between the divifions of one of the Chester Mysteries, I meet with this marginal direction: Here the Boy and Pig; and perhaps the Devil in the intervals of this first comedy of The Taming of the