Will I apply, that treats of happiness Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine, Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise. 7 Mi perdonate,] Old copy-Me pardonato. The emendation was suggested by Mr. Steevens. Malone. S - Aristotle's checks,] Are, I suppose, the harsh rules of Aristotle. Steevens. Such as tend to check and restrain the indulgence of the passions. Malone. 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. So, in Ben Jonson's Silent Woman, Act IV, sc. iv: " I, in some cases: but in these they are best, and Aristotle's ethicks." Steevens. 9 Talk logick -) Old copy-Balk. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. Malone. 1 - to quicken you;] i. e. animate. So, in All 's well that ends well: "Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary." Steevens. And take a lodging, fit to entertain 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, Gre. To cart her rather: She's too rough for me:- To make a stale of me amongst these mates? for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mould. Kath. I' faith, sir, you shall never need to fear; Hor. From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us! Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime to ward; That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward. Maids' mild behaviour and sobriety. Peace, Tranio. Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill. What I have said,-Bianca, get you in: 2 A pretty peat!] Peat or pet is a word of endearment from petit, little, as if it meant pretty little thing. Johnson. Put finger in the eye,-an she knew why. Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent.- Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak. [Aside. Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange?3 Sorry am I, that our good will effects Bianca's grief. Gre. Why, will you mew her up, Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell, Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd: Go in, Bianca. [Exit BIAN. And for I know, she taketh most delight In musick, instruments, and poetry, Schoolmasters will I keep within my house, I will be very kind and liberal To mine own children in good bringing-up; [Exit. This word is used in the old play of King Leir, (not Shakspeare's:) "Gon. I marvel, Ragan, how you can endure "To see that proud, pert peat, our youngest sister," &c. Again, in Coridon's Song, by Thomas Lodge; published in England's Helicon, 1600: "And God send every pretty peate, "Heigh hoe the pretty peate," &c. and is, I believe, of Scotch extraction. I find it in one of the proverbs of that country, where it signifies darling: "He has fault of a wife, that marries mam's pet." i. e. He is in great want of a wife who marries one that is her mother's darling. Steevens. - so strange?] That is, so odd, so different from others in your conduct. Johnson. 4- cunning men,] Cunning had not yet lost its original signification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the translation of the Bible. Johnson. Kath. Why, and I trust, I may go too; May I not? What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, belike, 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 nails toge\ther, and fast it fairly out; our cake 's dough on both sides. Farewel:- Yet, for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man, to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father. Hor. So will I, signior Gremio: But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brook'd parle, know now, upon advice,& it toucheth us both,that we may yet again have access to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca's love, -to labour and effect one thing 'specially. 5 Gre. What's that, I pray? Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister. Hor. I say, a husband. Gre. I say, a devil: Think'st thou, Hortensio, though -your gifts - Gifts for endowments. Malone. So, before in this comedy: a woman's gift, "To rain a shower of commanded tears." Steevens. 6-Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out;) I cannot conceive whose love Gremio can mean by the words their love, as they had been talking of no love but that which they themselves felt for Bianca. We must therefore read, our love, instead of their. M. Mason. Perhaps we should read-Your love. In the old manner of writing yr stood for either their or your. The editor of the third folio and some modern editors, with, I think, less probability, read our. If their love be right, it must mean-the good will of Baptista and Bianca towards us. Malone. 7- I will wish him to her father.] i. e. I will recommend him. So, in Much Ado about Nothing: 8 "To wish him wrestle with affection." Reed. - upon advice,] i. e. on consideration, or reflection. So, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona : "How shall I dote on her, with more advice, "That thus, without advice, begin to love her!" Steevens. her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell? Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience and mine, to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough. Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, -to be whipped at the high-cross every morning. Hor. 'Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten apples. But, come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained, till by helping Baptista's eldest daughter to a husband, we set his youngest free for a husband, and then have to 't afresh.-Sweet Bianca! - Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest, gets the ring. How say you, signior Gremio? 1 Gre. I am agreed: and 'would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on. [Exeunt GRE. and Hor. Tra. [advancing] I pray, sir, tell me,-Is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold? Luc. O Tranio, till I found it to be true, 9 Happy man be his dole!] A proverbial expression. It is used in Damon and Pithias, 1571. Dole is any thing dealt out or distributed, though its original meaning was the provision given away at the doors of great men's houses. Steevens. In Cupid's Revenge, by Beaumont and Fletcher, we meet with a similar expression, which may serve to explain that before us: "Then happy man be his fortune!" i. e. May his fortune be that of a happy man! Malone. 1 He that runs fastest, gets the ring.] An allusion to the sport of running at the ring. Douce. |