Gru. Out of their faddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a tale. Curt. Let's ha't, good Grumio. Gru. Lend thine ear. Curt. Here. Gru. There. [Strikes him. Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale. Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale: and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and befeech liftning. Now I begin imprimis, we came master riding behind my mistress. down a foul hill, my But hadft thou not Gru. Tell thou the tale. ---croft me, thou should'st have heard how her horse fell, and fhe under her horfe: thou fhould't have heard in how miry a place, how fhe was bemoil'd, how he left her with the horse upon her, how he beat me because her horfe ftumbled, how fhe waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he fwore, how the pray'd that never pray'd before; how I cry'd; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burft; how I loft my crupper; with many things of worthy memory, which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienc'd to thy grave. Curt. By this reckoning he is more fhrew than fhe. Gru. Ay, and that thou and the proudest of you all fhall find, when he comes home. But what talk I of this call forth Nathaniel, Jofeph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarfop, and the reft: let their heads be fleekly comb'd, their blue coats brufh'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them curt'fie with their left legs, and not prefume to touch a hair of my master's horfe-tail, 'till they kifs their hands. Are they all ready? Curt. They are. Gru. Call them forth. Curt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my mafter to countenance my mistress. Gru. Gru, Why, the hath a face of her own. Curt. Who knows not that ? Gru. Thou, it feems, that call'ft for company to countenance herr Curt. I call them forth to credit her. Enter four or five Serving-men. Gru. Why, fhe comes to borrow nothing of them. Nat. Welcome home, Grumio. Phil. How now, Grumio? fof. What, Grumio! Nich. Fellow Grumio! Nath. How now, old lad. Gru. Welcome, you; how now, you; what, you; fellow, you; and thus much for greeting. Now, my fpruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat? Nat. All things are ready; how near is our master ? Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore -cock's paffion, filence! I hear my be not mafter. Enter Petruchio and Kate. Pet. Where be thefe knaves? what, no man at door to hold my ftirrup, nor to take my horfe? where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip? All Serv. Here, here, Sir; here, Sir. Pet. Here, Sir, here, Sir, here, Sir, here, Sir? What? no attendance? no regard? no duty? Gru. Here, Sir, as foolish as I was before. Pet. You peasant fwain, you whorefon, malt-horfe drudge, Did not I bid thee meet me in the park, And bring along these rascal knaves with thee? Gru. Nathaniel's coat, Sir, was not fully made: And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' th' heel : There was no link to colour Peter's hat, And Walter's dagger was not come from fheathing: There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory's The The reft were ragged, old and beggarly, [Exeunt Servants. [Singing. Where is the life that late I led? Where are those And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud! Enter Servants with Supper. Why, when, I fay? nay, good fweet Kate, be merry. It was the Friar of Orders grey, Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry. [Sings. [Strikes him. Be merry, Kate: fome water, here; what hoa! Enter one with water. Where's my fpaniel Troilus? firrah, get you hence, One, Kate, that you must kifs, and be acquainted with. Cath. Patience, I pray you, 'twas a fault unwilling. Pet. A whorefon, beatle-headed, flap-ear'd knave: Come, Kate, fit down; I know, you have a ftomach. Will you give thanks, fweet Kate, or elfe fhall I? What's this, mutton? 1 Ser. Yes. Pet. Who brought it ? Ser. I. Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat: [Throws the meat, &c about the Stage. You You heedless jolt-heads, and unmanner'd slaves ! For it engenders choler, planteth anger; Enter Servants feverally. Nath. Peter, didft ever fee the like? Enter Curtis, a Servant. [Exe Curt. In her chamber, making a sermon of conti nency to her, And rails and fwears, and rates; that fhe, poor foul, Enter Petruchio. Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign, [Exeunt. To make her come, and know her keeper's Call: And And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster, SCENE, before Baptifta's Houfe. Enter Tranio and Hortenfio. [Exit. TRANIO. S't poffible, friend Licio, that Bianca (16) I tell (16) Is't possible, friend Licio, &c.] This Scene, Mr. Pope, up◄ on what Authority I can't pretend to guefs, has in his Editions made the First of the Fifth A&t: in doing which, he has shewn the very Power and Force of Criticism. The Confequence of this judicious Regulation is, that two unpardonable Abfurdities are fix'd upon the Author, which he could not poffibly have committed. For, in the first place, by this fhuffling the Scenes out of their true Pofition, we find Hortenfio, in the fourth A&t, already gone from Baptifta's to Petruchio's Country-house; and afterwards in the Beginning of the Fifth Act we find him first forming the Refolution of quitting Bianca; and Tranio immediately informs Us, he is gone to the Taming-School to Petruchio. There is a Figure, indeed, in Rhetorick, call'd, üseggy werepov: But this is an Abuse of it, which the Rhetoricians will never adopt upon Mr. Pope's Authority. Again, by this Mifplacing, the Pedant makes his firft Entrance, and quits the Stage with Tranio in order to go and dress himself like Vincentio, whom he was to perfonate: but his Second Entrance is upon very Heels of his Exit; and without any Interval the of |