KATHARINE AND PETRUCHIO. A COMEDY; TAKEN BY DAVID GARRICK FROM THE TAMING OF A SHREW. ILLUSTRATED WITH ORIGINAL DESIGNS BY ROBERT CRUIKSHANK, ENGRAVED BY P. CRUIKSHANK, KIRCHNER AND WRIGHT. WITH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. LONDON: JOSEPH THOMAS, 1, FINCH LANE, CORNHILL. SOLD BY SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, STATIONERS' COURT. 1838. DAVID Garrick had no more to do with the authorship of "Katharine and Petruchio," than in altering it from Shakespeare's "Taming of a Shrew," which although highly comic in its humour, and filled with numerous beauties, had been long thrown aside by the managers of our theatres. Dr. Johnson, says of the original comedy, that "its two plots are so well united that they can hardly be called two without injury to the art with which they are interwoven." We differ however with the learned critic, so far as to think that the untwisting of the said plots has greatly added to the value of the play as an acting drama; and that by judicious retrenchment, alteration and transposition, it has gained much more in regularity than it has lost in the variety he so highly praises. Garrick has in our opinion executed his task with much skill and fidelity; preserving all the spirit of his great original, yet never deviating from, or adding to his words, while the knowledge which he possessed of theatrical conduct, and scenic effect, has gone far to render the piece the stock favorite it continues to be. Malone assigns the date of 1606, to the “Taming of a Shrew," and supposes it to be the twenty-ninth dramatic production of our immortal bard; who, as appears to have been no uncommon practice with him, not having the fear of "Serjeant Talfourd's Bill" before his eyes, to furnish him with Legal Hints on Dramatic Etiquette, founded it on a piece of the same name, entered on the books of Stationers' Hall, the 24th of May, 1594, as a "Pleasant conceited Historie, called the Taming of a Shrew." This old play is variously attributed; but that it was popular would appear from a work published in 1596, by Sir John Harrington, who says, "read the booke of Taming of a Shrew, which hath made a number of us so perfect, that now every one can rule a shrew in our country, save he that hath her." The oldest edition of Shakespeare's play, is the folio of 1623, but a quarto edition was published in 1631. It has formed the foundation of several later pieces as " Sawney the Scot," brought out by Lacy in 1698; Charles Johnson's "Cobbler of Preston," produced in 1716, and Garrick's “Katharine and Petruchio," first acted at Drury Lane in 1756. The induction to the Taming of a Shrew, which is omitted in the following play, has been traced to an old ballad in the Pepysian library, called "The Frolicksome Duke or the Tinker's good fortune," 1570, black letter; and finally to the Arabian tale of "The Sleeper Awakened. In 1647, Beaumont and Fletcher published, "The Woman's Prize, or the Tamer Tamed," in which Petruchio is subdued by a second wife. J. T. Characters and Costume. PETRUCHIO.-White kerseymere shape dress. Cloak of the same trimmed with scarlet and green. Black velvet sword belt, white tights and shoes. Black hat and white feathers. Second dress. White dimmity body with blue sleeves, red breeches, leather sword belt, old gloves, odd boots, broken-hilted sword, hat and red feathers. BAPTISTA.-Blue velvet dress spangled with crimson puffs, red scarlet stockings, shoes. White hat and feathers. HORTENSIO.-Brown and pink Spanish dress. Hat and boots, white tights. MUSIC MASTER.-A light blue Romaldo dress, with dark blue sleeves, white pantaloons and boots. GRUMIO. Brown jacket drab binding and red stockings, black breeches mock mended, yellow binding, russet shoes. BIONDELLO & PEDRO.-Blue and crimson livery, short breeches, crimson stockings, white shoes. TAILOR.-Black jacket, light blue breeches, scarlet stockings, red night-cap, small cloak. SIX SERVANT S.-Green and yellow liveries. FOUR GENTS.-Romaldo shirts. White tights. Hats and feathers. Russet boots. KATHARINE.-White satin dress, pink vandykes. Blue cloak and petticoat covered with mud. BIANCA.-Pink satin dress. Black vandykes. Stage Directions. R. means Right.-L. Left.-C. Centre. Second dress. The lines distinguished by inverted commas (") are omitted in the representation. KATHARINE AND PETRUCHIO. ACT I. SCENE-BAPTISTA's House.-A Hall. Enter BAPTISTA, PETRUCHIO. L.—“ and GRUMIO, who waits behind." BAP. Thus have I, 'gainst my own self-interest, Repeated all the worst you're to expect From my shrewd daughter, Katharine :-if you'll venture, Maugre my plain and honest declaration, You have my free consent, win her and wed her. You knew him well, and, knowing him, know me, |