As mad in folly, lack'd the sense to know Her estimation home. Count. "Tis past, my liege: And I beseech your majesty to make it Natural rebellion, done i' the blaze of youth; When oil and fire, too strong for reason's force, O'erbears it, and burns on. King. My honour'd lady, Laf. Of richest eyes; whose words all ears took captive; King. Praising what is lost, Makes the remembrance dear. [hither ;Well, call him We are reconcil'd, and the first view shall kill The incensing relics of it: let him approach Gent. I shall, my liege. [Exit Gentleman. King. What says he to your daughter? have you spoke ? My high-repented blames, Dear sovereign, pardon to me. King. All is whole; Not one word more of the consumed time. Ber. Admiringly, my liege: at first King. Well excus'd: That thou didst love her, strikes some scores away From the great compt: But love, that comes too late, Like a remorseful pardon slowly carried, To the great sender turns a sour offence, Crying, That's good that's gone: our rash faults Make trivial price of serious things we have, Not knowing them, until we know their grave: Oft our displeasures, to ourselves unjust, Destroy our friends, and after weep their dust. Count. Which better than the first, O dear heaven Hers it was not. Son, on my life, I have seen her wear it; and she reckon❜d it Laf. King. Plutus himself, That knows the tinct and multiplying medicine, Hath not in nature's mystery more science, Than I have in this ring: 'twas mine, 'twas Helen's, Whoever gave it you: Then, if you know That you are well acquainted with yourself, Confess 'twas hers, and by what rough enforcement You got it from her she call'd the saints to surety, That she would never put it from her finger, Unless she gave it to yourself in bed, (Where you have never come,) or sent it us Upon her great disaster. Ber. She never saw it. [nour; King. Thou speak'st it falsely, as I love mine ho And mak'st conjectural fears to come into me, Which I would fain shut out: If it should prove That thou art so inhuman,-'twill not prove so ;And yet I know not :-thou didst hate her deadly, And she is dead; which nothing, but to close Her eyes myself, could win me to believe, More than to see this ring.-Take him away.[Guards seize BERTRAM. My fore-past proofs, howe'er the matter fall, Shall tax my fears of little vanity, Having vainly fear'd too little.-Away with him ;We'll sift this matter further. Enter a Gentleman. King. I am wrapp'd in dismal thinkings. Vanquish'd thereto by the fair grace and speech me. King. [Reads.] Upon his many protestations to marry me, when his wife was dead, I blush to say it, he won Now is the count Rousillon a widower; his vows are forfeited to me, and my honour's paid to him. He stole from Florence, taking no leave, and I follow him to his country for justice: Grant it me, Ő king; in you it best lies; otherwise a seducer flourishes, and a poor DIANA CAPULET. Laf. I will buy me a son-in-law in a fair, and toll him for this, I'll none of him. maid is undone. King. The heavens have thought well on thee, Lafeu, To bring forth this discovery.-Seek these suitors :Go, speedily, and bring again the count. [Exeunt Gentleman, and me Attendants. I am afeard, the life of Helen, dy, Was foully snatch'd. Count. Yet Now, justice on the doers! Enter BERTRAM, guarded. King. I wonder, sir, since wives are monsters to you, And that you fly them as you swear them lordship, you desire to marry.-What woman's that? Re-enter Gentleman, with Widow, and DIANA. Dia. I am, my lord, a wretched Florentine, Derived from the ancient Capulet; My suit, as I do understand, you know, And therefore know how far I may be pitied. Wid. I am her mother, sir, whose age and honour Both suffer under this complaint we bring, And both shall cease, without your remedy. [women? King. Come hither, count; Do you know these Ber. My lord, I neither can, nor will deny But that I know them: Do they charge me further? Dia, Why do you look so strange upon your wife? Ber. She's none of mine, my lord. Dia. If you shall marry, You give away this hand, and that is mine; You give away heaven's vows, and those are mine; You give away myself, which is known mine; For I by vow am so embodied yours, That she, which marries you, must marry me, Either both or none. Laf. Your reputation [to BERTRAM.] comes too short for my daughter, you are no husband for her. Ber. My lord, this is a fond and desperate creature, Whom sometime I have laugh'd with: let your highLay a more noble thought upon mine honour, [ness Than for to think that I would sink it here. King. Sir, for my thoughts, you have them ill to friend, Till your deeds gain them: Fairer prove your honour, Than in my thought it lies! Dia. Good my lord, Ask him upon his oath, if he does think He had not my virginity. King. What say'st thou to her? Ber She's impudent, my lord; | And was a common gamester to the camp. Dia. He does me wrong, my lord; if I were so, He might have bought me at a common price: Do not believe him: O, behold this ring, Whose high respect, and rich validity, Did lack a parallel: yet, for all that, He gave it to a commoner o' the camp, If I be one. Count. He blushes, and 'tis it: Of six preceding ancestors, that gem Conferr'd by testament to the sequent issue, Hath it been ow'd and worn. This is his wife; That ring's a thousand proofs. King. Methought, you said, You saw one here in court could witness it. What of him! He's quoted for a most perfidious slave, Are motives of more fancy; and, in fine, Dia. Ber. I have it not. King. What ring was yours, I pray you? Sir, much like Dia. The same upon your finger. King. Know you this ring? this ring was his of late Dia. And this was it 1 gave him, being a-bed. King. The story then goes false, you threw it him Out of a casement. Dia. I have spoke the truth. Enter PAROLLes. Ber. My lord, I do confess, the ring was hers. King. You boggle shrewdly, every feather starts Is this the man you speak of? [you. Dia. Ay, my lord. King. Tell me, sirrah, but, tell me true, I charge Not fearing the displeasure of your master, [you, (Which, on your just proceeding, I'll keep off,) By him, and by this woman here, what know you? Par. So please your majesty, my master hath been an honourable gentleman; tricks he hath had in him, which gentlemen have. King. Come, come, to the purpose: Did he love this woman? Par. 'Faith, sir, he did love her; But how? Par. He did love her, sir, as a gentleman loves a King. As thou art a knave, and no knave :What an equivocal companion is this? Par. I am a poor man, and at your majesty's command. Laf. He's a good drum, my lord, but a naughty orator. Dia. Good mother, fetch my bail.-Stay, royal sir; [Exit Widow. The jeweller, that owes the ring, is sent for, And he shall surety me. But for this lord, Who hath abus'd me, as he knows himself, Though yet he never harm'd me, here I quit him: Dia. Do you know, he promised me marriage? He knows himself my bed he hath defil'd; Par. 'Faith, I know more than I'll speak. And at that time he got his wife with child: King. But wilt thou not speak all thou know'st? Dead though she be, she feels her young one kick; Par. Yes, so please your majesty; I did go between So there's my riddle, One, that's dead, is quick; them, as I said; but more than that, he loved her,-And now behold the meaning. for, indeed, he was mad for her, and talked 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 Ay, my good lord. It was not lent me neither. 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. I'll never tell you. King. Take her away. while? Dia. Because he's guilty, and he is not guilty : [Pointing to LAFEU. King. She does abuse our ears; to prison with her. King. Re-enter Widow, with HELENA. Is there no exorcist Hel. Ber. Both, both; O, pardon! 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, (Advancing.) The king's a beggar, non the play is done: THIS play has many delightful scenes, though not sufficiently 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 OF THE SHREW. MR. MALONE supposes this comedy to have been written in 1596. It is founded on an anonymous play of nearly the same title, "The Taming of a Shrew," which was probably written about the year 1590, either by George Peele, or Robert Green. The outline of the induction may be traced, as Mr. Douce observes, through many intermediate copies, to the Sleeper Awaked of the Arabian Nights. It has been doubted by Dr. Warburton and Dr. Farmer whether this comedy is really the production of Shakspeare. They have no other grounds for their opinion, but the inferiority of its style. The play, as s whole, is certainly not in our author's best manner, but in the induction and in the scenes between Katharine and Petruchio the traces of his hand are strongly marked. If it be not Shakspeare's, to whom can it be attributed? Beaumont and Fletcher have written a sequel to this comedy, called The Woman's Prize, or the Tamer l'amed," in which a character bearing the name of Petruchio (for nothing but the name remains to him,) is subdued by a second wife. PERSONS REPRESENTED. A LORD. CHRISTOPHER SLY, a drunken Tinker. and other Servants attending on BAPTISTA, a rich gentleman of Padua. VINCENTIO, an old gentleman of Pisa. Persons in the LUCENTIO, son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca. Pedant, an old fellow set up to personate Vincentio. KATHARINA, the shrew; daughters to Baptista. Widow. Tailor, Haberdasher, and Servants attending on SCENE,-sometimes in PADUA; and sometimes in INDUCTION. SCENE I.-Before an Alehouse on a Heath. Sly. I'll pheese you, in faith. Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues: Host. You will not pay for the glasses you have burst! Sly. No, not a denier: Go by, says Jeronimy ;Go to thy cold bed, and warm thee. Host. I know my remedy, I must go fetch the thirdborough. [Exit. Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer him by law I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly. [Lies down on the ground, and falls asleep. Wind horns. Enter a LORD from hunting, with Huntsmen and Servants. Lord. What's here? one dead, or drunk? See, doth he breathe? [with ale, 2 Hun. He breathes, my lord: Were he not warm'd This were a bed but cold to sleep so soundly. Lord. O monstrous beast! how like a swine he lies! 1 Hun. Believe me, lord, I think he cannot choose. Lord. Even as a flattering dream, or worthless fancy. 1 Hun. My lord, I warrant you, we'll play our part, As he shall think, by our true diligence, Lord. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my He is no less than what we say he is. hounds: Brach Merriman,-the poor cur is emboss'd, I would not lose the dog for twenty pound. Lord. Take him up gently, and to bed with him; [Exit Servant. Belike, some noble gentleman: that means, 1 Hun. Why, Belman is as good as he, my lord; | Travelling some journey, to repose him here. |