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That bring these tidings to this fair assembly.
Duke Frederick hearing, how that every day
Men of great worth reforted to this foreft,
Address'd a mighty power, which were on foot
In his own conduct purpofely to take

His brother here, and put him to the fword:
And to the fkirts of this wild wood he came,
Where meeting with an old religious man,
After fome question with him, was converted
Both from his enterprize, and from the world;
His Crown bequeathing to his banish'd brother,
And all their lands reftor'd to them again,
That were with him exil'd. This to be true,
I do engage my life.

Duke Sen. Welcome, young man :

Thou offer'ft fairly to thy brother's wedding;
To one, his lands with-held; and to the other,
A land itself at large, a potent Dukedom.
Firft, in this foreft, let us do those ends
That here were well begun, and well begot :
And after, every of this happy number,

That have endur'd fhrewd days and nights with us,
Shall share the good of our returned fortune,
According to the measure of their states.
Mean time, forget this new-fall'n dignity,
And fall into our ruftic revelry:

Play, mufic; and you brides and bridegrooms all,
With measure heap'd in joy, to th' measures fall.
Jaq. Sir, by your patience: if I heard you rightly,
The Duke hath put on a religious life,

And thrown into neglect the pompous Court.
Jaq. de B. He hath.

Jaq. To him will I: out of these convertites
There is much matter to be heard and learn'd.
You to your former Honour I bequeath, (To the Duke.
Your patience and your virtue well defeive it:
You to a love, that your true faith doth merit;

E 5

[To Orla.

You

You to your land, and love, and great allies;

[To Oli. [To Silv.

You to a long and well deferved bed;
And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage

[To the Clown.

Is but for two months victual'd: fo to your pleasures:
I am for other than for dancing measures.
Duke Sen. Stay, Jaques, ftay.

Jaq. To fee no paftime, I: what you would have, I'll ftay to know at your abandon'd Cave. [Exit. Duke Sen. Proceed, proceed; we will begin thefe

rites;

As, we do trust they'll end, in true delights.

EPILOGU U E.

Rof. It is not the fashion to fee the lady the Epilogue; but it is no more unhandfome, than to fee the lord the Prologue. If it be true, that good wine needs no bufh, 'tis true, that a good Play needs no Epilogue. Yet to good wine they do ufe good bufhes; and good Plays prove the better by the help of good Epilogues. What a cafe am I in then, that am neither a good Epilogue, nor can infinuate with you in the behalf of a good Play? I am not furnish'd like a beggar; therefore to beg will not become me. My way is to conjure you, and I'll begin with the women. I charge you, O women, for the love you bear to men, to like us much of this Play as pleases them: and I charge you, O men, for the love you bear to women, (as I perceive by your fimpring, none of you hate them) to like as much as pleases them: that between you and the women, the Play may pleafe. If I were a woman, I would kifs as many of you as had beards that pleas'd me, complexions that lik'd me, and breaths that I defy'd not: and, I am sure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or fweet breaths, will for my kind offer, when I make curt'fy, bid me farewel. [Exeunt omnes. THE

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A

Characters in the Induction.

Lord, before whom the Play is fuppos'd to be play'd.
Chriftopher Sly, a drunken Tinker.

Hoftefs.

Page, Players, Huntsmen, and other Servants attending on the Lord.

Dramatis Perfonæ.

Baptifta, Father to Catharina and Bianca; very rich. Vincentio, an old gentleman of Pisa.

Lucentio, Son to Vincentio, in love with Bianca. Petruchio, a gentleman of Verona, a fuitor to Catharina.

Gremio, Pretenders to Bianca.

Hortenfio,

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Grumio, Servant to Petruchio.

Pedant, an old fellow fet up to perfonate Vincentio.

Catharina, the Shrew.

Bianca, her Sifter.

Widow.

Taylor, Haberdashers; with Servants attending on
Baptifta and Petruchio.

SCENE, fometimes in Padua ; and fometimes in Petruchio's Houfe in the Country.

THE

THE

TAMING of the SHREW.

INDUCTION.

SCENE I.

Before an Alehoufe on a Heath.

Enter Hoftefs and Sly.

SLY.

'LL pheeze you, in faith.

Hoft. A pair of ftocks, you rogue!

Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues. Look in the Chronicles, we came in with Richard Conqueror ; therefore. paucus pallabris; let the world fide: Seffa. Hoft. You will not pay for the glaffes you have

burst.

*

Sly. No, not a deniere: Go by, S. Jeronimo—go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.

Hoft. I know my remedy; I must go fetch the Third-borough.

Sly. Third, or fourth, or fifth borough, I'll answer him by law; I'll not budge an inch, boy; let him come, and kindly. [Falls afleep.

* paucus pallabris ;]Meaning pocus palabras, Spanish, few words.

Mr. Theobald.

SCENE

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