TRA. I'faith, he'll have a lufty widow now, That shall be woo'd and wedded in a day.

BIAN. God give him joy!

TRA. Ay, and he'll tame her."

BIAN.

He fays fo, Tranio.

TRA. 'Faith, he is gone unto the taming-fchool. BIAN. The taming-fchool! what, is there such a place?

TRA. Ay, miftrefs, and Petruchio is the master; That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,— To tame a fhrew, and charm her chattering tongue.*

Enter BIONDELLO, running.

BION. O mafter, mafter, I have watch'd fo long That I'm dog-weary; but at laft I fpied

An ancient angel' coming down the hill,
Will ferve the turn.

Ay, and he'll tame her, &c.] Thus in the original play :
-he means to tame his wife ere long.

"Val. Hee faies fo.

Aurel. Faith he's gon unto the taming-schoole. "Val. The taming-fchoole! why is there fuch a place? Aurel. I; and Ferando is the maister of the schoole."

STEEVENS,

2 charm ber chattering tongue.] So, in King Henry VI.

P. III:

"Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue."

STEEVENS.

3 An ancient angel-] For angel Mr. Theobald, and after him Sir T. Hanmer and Dr. Warburton, read engle. JOHNSON.

It is true that the word engble, which Sir T. Hanmer calls a gull, (deriving it from engluer, Fr. to catch with bird-lime,) is fometimes ufed by Ben Jonfon. It cannot, however, bear that meaning at prefent, as Biondello confeffes his ignorance of the quality of the perfon who is afterwards perfuaded to reprefent the father of Lucentio. The precife meaning of it is not afcertained in Jonfon, neither is the word to be found in any of the original

TRA.

What is he, Biondello?

BION. Mafter, a mercatantè, or a pedant,
I know not what; but formal in apparel,
In gait and countenance furely like a father."

copies of Shakspeare. I have alfo reafon to fuppofe that the true import of the word enghle is fuch as can have no connection with this paffage, and will not bear explanation.

Angel primitively fignifies a messenger, but perhaps this fenfe is inapplicable to the pailage before us. So, Ben Jonfon, in The Sad Shepherd:

-the dear good angel of the fpring,

"The nightingale

And Chapman, in his tranflation of Homer, always calls a meffenger an angel. See particularly B. xxiv.

In The Scornful Lady of Beaumont and Fletcher, an old ufurer is indeed called

old angel of gold."

It is poffible, however, that inftead of ancient angel, our author might have written-angel-merchant, one whofe bufinefs it was to negociate money. He is afterwards called a mercatantè, and profeffes himself to be one who has bills of exchange about him.

STEEVENS.

4 Mafter, a mercatantè, or a pedant,] The old editions read marcantant. The Italian word mercatantè is frequently used in the old plays for a merchant, and therefore I have made no fcruple of placing it here. The modern editors, who printed the word as they found it fpelt in the folio, were obliged to fupply a fyllable to make out the verse, which the Italian pronunciation renders unneceffary. A pedant was the common name for a teacher of languages. So, in Cynthia's Revels, by Ben Jonfon: "He loves to have a fencer, a pedant, and a musician, feen in his lodgings."

STEEVENS. Mercatante,] So, Spenfer, in the third Book of his Fairy Queen: "Sleeves dependant Albanese wife."

And our author has Veronesè in his Othello. FARMER.

-pedant,] Charon, the fage Charon, as Pope calls him, defcribes a pedant, as fynonymous to a household schoolmaster, and adds a general character of the fraternity by no means to their advantage. See Charon on Wisdom, 4to. 1640. Lennard's Tranflation, p. 158. REED.

5

furely like a father.] I know not what he is, fays the fpeaker, however this is certain, he has the gait and countenance of a fatherly man. WARBURTON.

Luc. And what of him, Tranio?

TRA, If he be credulous, and truft my tale,
I'll make him glad to feem Vincentio;
And give affurance to Baptifta Minola,
As if he were the right Vincentio.

Take in your love, and then let me alone."

[Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA,

Enter a Pedant.

PED. God fave you, fir!

TRA.

And you, fir! you are welcome. Travel you far on, or are you at the furtheft?

PED. Sir, at the furtheft for a week or two:
But then up further; and as far as Rome;
And fo to Tripoly, if God lend me life.
TRA. What countryman, I pray?

PED.

Of Mantua.

TRA. Of Mantua, fir?-marry, God forbid! And come to Padua, careless of your life?

PED. My life, fir! how I pray? for that goes hard. TRA. 'Tis death for any one in Mantua To come to Padua; Know you not the cause ? Your fhips are ftaid at Venice; and the duke

The editor of the fecond folio reads furly, which Mr. Theobald adopted, and has quoted the following lines, addreffed by Tranjo to the pedant, in fupport of the emendation:

"'Tis well; and hold your own in any cafe,

"With such aufterity as longeth to a father." MALONE. 6 Take in your love, and then let me alone.] The old copies exhibit this line as follows, disjoining it from its predeceffors.

Par. Take me your love, and then let me alone. STEEVENS, Corrected by Mr. Theobald. MALONE.

7 Tis death for any one in Mantua, &c.] So, in The Comedy of Errors:

if any Syracufan born

Come to the bay of Ephefus, he dies." STEEVENS.

(For private quarrel 'twixt your duke and him,)
Hath publish'd and proclaim'd it openly:
'Tis marvel; but that you're but newly come,
You might have heard it else proclaim'd about.
PED. Alas, fir, it is worse for me than so;
For I have bills for money by exchange
From Florence, and muft here deliver them.
TRA. Well, fir, to do you courtesy,
This will I do, and this will I advise you ;-
First, tell me, have you ever been at Pifa?

PED. Ay, fir, in Pifa have I often been;
Pifa, renowned for grave citizens.8

TRA. Among them, know you one Vincentio? PED. I know him not, but I have heard of him; A merchant of incomparable wealth.

TRA. He is my father, fir; and, footh to say, In countenance fomewhat doth resemble you. BION. As much as an apple doth an oyster, and all one.

TRA. To fave your life in this extremity, This favour will I do you for his fake;

[Afide.

And think it not the worst of all your fortunes,
That you are like to fir Vincentio.

His name and credit fhall you undertake,

And in my house you shall be friendly lodg'd ;-
Look, that you take upon you as you should;
You understand me, fir;-fo fhall you ftay
Till you have done your business in the city:
If this be courtefy, fir, accept of it.

PED. O, fir, I do; and will repute you ever
The patron of my life and liberty.

go

TRA. Then with me, This, by the way, I let you understand ;-

to make the matter good.

8 Pifa, renowned for grave citizens.] This line has been already ufed by Lucentio. See Act I. fc. i. RITSON.

8

My father is here look'd for every day,
To pafs affurance of a dower in marriage
'Twixt me and one Baptifta's daughter here:
In all these circumstances I'll instruct you:
Go with me, fir, to clothe you as becomes you.'

A Room in Petruchio's House.

Enter KATHARINA and GRUMIO.*

[Exeunt.

GRU. No, no, forfooth; I dare not, for my life.

KATH. The more my wrong, the more his fpite

appears:

"The com

8 To pass affurance-] To pass affurance means to make a conveyance or deed. Deeds are by law-writers called, mon affurances of the realm," because thereby each man's property is affured to him. So, in a fubfequent fcene of this act, they are bufied about a counterfeit assurance." MALONE.

9 Go with me, fir, &c.] Thus the fecond folio. The first omits the word-fir. STEEVENS.

Go with me, &c.] There is an old comedy called Suppofes. tranflated from Ariofto, by George Gafcoigne. Thence Shakfpeare borrowed this part of the plot, (as well as fome of the phrafeology) though Theobald pronounces it his own invention. There likewife he found the quaint name of Petruchio. My young mafter and his man exchange habits, and perfuade a Scenafe, as he is called, to perfonate the father, exactly as in this play, by the pretended danger of his coming from Sienna to Ferrara, contrary to the order of the government. FARMER.

In the fame play our author likewife found the name of Licio.

MALONE. 2 Enter Katharina and Grumio.] Thus the original play: "Enter Sander and his miftris.

"San. Come, miftris.

"Kate. Sander, I prethee helpe me to fome meat; "I am fo faint that I can scarcely ftand.

"San. I marry miftris: but you know my maister "Has given me a charge that you must eat nothing, "But that which he himself giveth you.