Petruchio. I tell thee, I, that thou hast marr'd her gown. Tailor. Your worship is deceiv'd; the gown is made

Just as my master had direction:

Grumio gave order how it should be done.

Grumio. I gave him no order, I gave him the stuff.

Petruchio. Will it not be?

'Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll wring it; I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

[He wrings Grumio by the ears.] Grumio. Help, masters, help! my master is mad.

Act 1. Sc. 2.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL:

A COMEDY, BY WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE,

The Remidie of Love, translated from Ovid, 1600, has a passage which shews the antiquity of the title of this Comedy as a sententious expression: “You may take the old proverb, with a right application, for my just excuse, All's well that ends well, and so end I." The story of the plot was originally taken from Boccaccio; but came immediately to Shakspeare from the tale of Giletta of Narbonne, in the first volume of William Painter's Palace of Pleasure, London, 1566, 4to. To this novel, however, Shakspeare is indebted for only a few leading circumstances of the more serious parts of his drama; the comic scenes, and especially Párolles, appearing to be entirely of his formation.

It is supposed by Malone, that this Comedy was written in 1606; but the many passages of rhyme scattered through it, seem to mark it as an earlier production. In 1598, Meres refers to a play of Shakspeare's, called Love's Labour Wonne, which title singularly well applies to the present, though to no other of his writings; and it's date may therefore be placed a year or two before that period. A circumstance of much earlier date is alluded to by the Clown in Act i. Scene 3., since he refers to the objection of the Puritans to wearing the surplice; but this dispute, though it commenced in 1589, was much agitated throughout the whole reign of Elizabeth, Of this play there is no earlier edition than the first folio.

The story of the drama is conducted with great spirit, and it's several incidents are supported by an equal degree of vivacity in the delineation of character. Parolles, says Dr. Johnson, "has many of the lineaments of Falstaff, and seems to be the character which Shakspeare delighted to draw; a fellow having more wit than virtue." Helena is all constancy, modesty, and devoted, yet unpretending, love; whilst Bertram, whom Johnson has censured, is defended by Schlegel on the principle that Shakspeare intended to leave him the same brave, gay, and hardy, nobleman, distinguished only by his valour; which was more in accordance with a knowledge of human nature, than if his previous character had been softened, in the conclusion, into contrition and fondness. The scene of this piece lies in France and Tuscany.

A modern adaptation of All's Well that Ends Well was produced by F. Pilon at the Haymarket in 1785, and by J. P. Kemble at Drury-Lane in 1793, and Covent-Garden in 1811: though it has never maintained long possession of the stage.

1 Lord. I have told your lordship already; the stocks carry him. But, to answer you as you would be understood; he weeps, like a wench that had shed her milk: he hath confessed himself to Morgan, whom he supposes to be a friar, from the time of his remembrance, to this very instant disaster of his setting i'the stocks.

Mct 4. Se. 8.

TWELFTH-NIGHT; OR, WHAT YOU WILL:

A COMEDY, BY WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.

STEEVENS derives the serious part of this play from some old translation of Belleforest's Histoires Tragiques, and supposes that the incident of the Duke sending his page to court for him a lady, who becomes enamoured of the messenger, might have been taken from some verses in the 5th of the Eclogues of Barnaby Googe, published in 1563. The comic scenes and characters appear to have been entirely of Shakspeare's invention; and the second title of What you will, is supposed to have been adopted from a play so named, by Marston, published in 1607.

Malone considered that Twelfth-Night was written at leisure, in 1614, when the author had retired from the Theatre, the very last of his plays, and about three years before his death; and there are in it several allusions which refer it to about that period of time. In Act iii. Scene 4, Sir Toby Belch uses the phrase "if you be an Undertaker, I am for you;" which Tyrwhitt conjectures refers to certain agents so called in the Journals of the House of Commons of the above year, who undertook to manage the election of Knights and Burgesses to Parliament, so as to secure a majority for the Court. Maria, in speaking of Malvolio, mentions "the new map with the augmentation of the Indies;" which, however, Steevens assigns to one engraven for Linschoten's Voyages, published in English in 1598, being the first in which the Eastern Islands are included. "Mrs. Mall's picture" probably alludes to the portrait of the notorious Moll Cutpurse, well known in London in 1611; and the mention of "the Sophy" is thought to refer to Sir Robert Shirley, Ambassador from the Sophy of Persia in 1612. Some expressions in Act iii. of Ben Jonson's Every Man out of his Humour, have been considered as intended to ridicule this drama; but the passage is not in point, and was probably written at the least twelve years previous.

This play was adapted to the modern stage by J. P. Kemble, and produced by him at Covent-Garden; and on November 8th, 1820, it was brought out at the same Theatre with songs selected from the author's works, and the music composed by H. R. Bishop.

It is said that Charles I., whose admiration of Shakspeare was a crime with the Puritans, gave this play the title of Malvolio; had he seen Mrs. Jordan perform in it he would perhaps rather have called it Viola. The effect of it's performance must have been greatly heightened, when Mrs. Henry Siddons, and her brother, Mr. W. Murray, gave their fine and remarkably personal likeness to the brother and sister of the drama.

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Twelfth Night; or, What you Will.

Duke. [to Viola.] Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times,

Thou never should'st love woman like to me.

Viola. And all those sayings will I over-swear;

And all those swearings keep as true in soul,
As doth that orbed continent the fire

That severs day from night.

Duke. Give me thy hand;

And let me see thee in thy woman's weeds.

Act 5. Sc. 1.

Sir Andrew. Here's the challenge, read it; I warrant, there's vinegar and pepper in't.

Fabian. Is't so saucy?

Sir And. Ay, is it, I warrant him: do but read.

Sir Toby. Give me. [Reads.] Youth, whatsoever thou art, thou art but a scurvy fellow.

Aet 3. Sc. 4.

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