what, fir,—an fhe stand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and fo disfigure her with it, that she shall have no more eyes to fee withal than a cat: You know him not, fir.

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakspeare ufes ropery for roguery, and therefore certainly wrote rope-tricks.

Rope-tricks we may fuppofe to mean tricks of which the contriver would deferve the rope. STEEVENS.

Rope-tricks is certainly right.-Ropery or rope-tricks originally fignified abufive language, without any determinate idea; fuch language as parrots are taught to fpeak. So, in Hudibras: "Could tell what fubt'left parrots mean, "That speak, and think contrary clean; "What member 'tis of whom they talk,

"When they cry rope, and walk, knave, walk." The following paffage in Wilfon's Arte of Rhetorique, 1553, fhews that this was the meaning of the term: "Another good fellow in the countrey, being an officer and maiour of a toune, and defirous to speak like a fine learned man, having juft occafion to rebuke a runnegate fellow, faid after this wife in great heate: Thou yngram and vacation knave, if I take thee any more within the circumcifion of my damnacion, I will fo corrupte thee that all vacation knaves fhall take ill fample by thee." This the author in the margin calls "rope-ripe chiding." So, in May-day, a comedy by Chapman, 1611: "Lord! how you roll in your rope-ripe terms." MALONE.

7

ftand him- i. e. withstand, refift him.

STEEVENS.

that she shall have no more eyes to fee withal than a cat:] The humour of this paffage I do not understand. This animal is remarkable for the keennefs of its fight. In the Caftell of Laboure, however, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, 1506, is the following line: "That was as blereyed as a cat.”

There are two proverbs which any reader who can, may apply to this allufion of Grumio:

"Well might the cat wink when both her eyes were out." "A muffled cat was never a good hunter."

The firft is in Ray's Collection, the fecond in Kelly's.

STEEVENS.

It may mean, that he fhall fwell up her eyes with blows, till fhe fhall feem to peep with a contracted pupil, like a cat in the light. JOHNSON,

HOR. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee;
For in Baptifta's keep my treasure is :
He hath the jewel of my life in hold,
His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca;
And her withholds from me, and other more
Suitors to her, and rivals in my love: "
Suppofing it a thing impoffible,

(For those defects I have before rehears'd,)
That ever Katharina will be woo'd,
Therefore this order hath Baptifta ta'en;
That none fhall have accefs unto Bianca,
Till Katharine the curft have got a husband.
GRU. Katharine the curft!

A title for a maid, of all titles the worst.
HOR. Now fhall my friend Petruchio do me grace;
And offer me, difguis'd in fober robes,
To old Baptifta as a school-master
Well seen in mufick," to inftruct Bianca:
That so I may by this device, at least,

7 in Baptifta's keep-] Keep is cuftody. The strongest part of an ancient caftle was called the keep. STEEVENS.

8 And her withholds, &c.] It stood thus:

And her withholds from me.

Other more fuitors to her, and rivals in my love, &c. The regulation which I have given to the text, was dictated to me by the ingenious Dr. Thirlby. THEOBALD.

9 Therefore this order hath Baptifta ta'en;] To take order is to take measures. So, in Othello:

"Honeft Iago hath ta'en order for it." STEEVE NS.

9 Well feen in mufick,] Seen is verfed, practifed. So, in a very ancient comedy called The longer thou Liveft the more Fool thou art: "Sum would have you seen in ftories,

"Sum to feates of arms will you allure, &c.
"Sum will move you to reade Scripture.

Marry, I would have you seene in cardes and dife."

Again, in Spenfer's Faery Queen, B. IV. c. ii:

"Well feene in every fcience that mote bee."

STREVENS

Have leave and leifure to make love to her,
And, unfufpected, court her by herself.

Enter GREMIO; with him LUCENTIO disguised, with books under his arm.

GRU. Here's no knavery! See; to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, master, look about you: Who goes there? ha!

HOR. Peace, Grumio; 'tis the rival of my love:Petruchio, stand by a while.

GRU. A proper ftripling, and an amorous!

[They retire.
GRE. O, very well; I have perus'd the note.
Hark you, fir; I'll have them very fairly bound:
All books of love, fee that at any hand;*
And fee you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me:-Over and befide
Signior Baptifta's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largefs :-Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;
For she is sweeter than perfume itself,

To whom they go. What will you read to her?
Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you,
As for my patron, (stand you so affur'd,)
As firmly as yourself were ftill in place:
Yea, and (perhaps) with more fuccessful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, fir.

2

GRE. O this learning! what a thing it is!

at any hand;] i. e. at all events. So, in All's well that

let him fetch off his drum, in any hand."

STEEVENS.

3 To whom they go.] The old copy reads-To whom they go to.

STEEVENS.

GRU. O this woodcock! what an afs it is!

PET. Peace, firrah.

HOR. Grumio, mum!-God fave you, fignior Gremio!

GRE. And you're well met, fignior Hortenfio.
Trow you,

Whither I am going?-To Baptifta Minola.
I promis'd to enquire carefully

About a schoolmafter for fair Bianca:

2

And, by good fortune, I have lighted well

On this young man; for learning, and behaviour, Fit for her turn; well read in poetry,

And other books,-good ones, I warrant you.

HOR. 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman, Hath promis'd me to help me to another, A fine mufician to inftruct our mistress; So fhall I no whit be behind in duty To fair Bianca, fo belov'd of me.

GRE. Belov'd of me,—and that my deeds shall prove.

GRU. And that his bags fhall prove.

[Afide.

HOR. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love: Liften to me, and if you speak me fair, I'll tell you news indifferent good for either. Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met, Upon agreement from us to his liking, Will undertake to woo curft Katharine; Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please, GRE. So faid, fo done, is well :

Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults?

2

-for fair Bianca:] The old copy redundantly reads"for the fair Bianca." STEEVENS.

3 -help me-] The old copy reads-help one. STEEVENS. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.

PET. I know, the is an irkfome brawling fcold; If that be all, mafters, I hear no harm.

GRE. No, fay'ft me fo, friend? What countryman? PET. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon: 4 My father dead, my fortune lives for me; And I do hope good days, and long, to fee.

GRE. O, fir, fuch a life, with fuch a wife, were ftrange:

But, if you have a ftomach, to't o'God's name;
You shall have me affifting you in all.
But will you woo this wild cat?

Will I live?

PET.
GRU. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her.

[Afide.
PET. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you, a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the fea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with fweat?
Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard

Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang? s

5

old Antonio's fon :] The old

Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.

copy reads-Butonio's fon.

STEEVENS.

5 and trumpets' clang?] Probably the word clang is here ufed adjectively, as in the Paradife Loft, B. XI. v. 834, and not as a verb:

an ifland falt and bare,

"The haunt of feals, and orcs, and fea-mews clang."
T. WARTON.

I believe Mr. Warton is mistaken. Clang, as a fubftantive, is ufed in The Noble Gentleman of Beaumont and Fletcher:

"I hear the clang of trumpets in this house.”