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 down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mistress. Curt. Both on one horse? But hadft thou not croft me, thou should'st have heard how her horse fell, and she under her horse: thou should'st have heard in how miry a place, how fhe was bemoil'd, how he left her with the horfe upon her, how he beat me because her horse stumbled, how the 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 shrew 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, Sugar fop, 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 master to countenance my mistress. Gru. The re Curt. Who knows not that? Gru. Why, the hath a face of her own. Yet as Pet. Gra. Thou, it seems, that call'ft for company to countenance her. Curt. I call them forth to credit her. Enter four or five Serving-men. Gru. Why, fhe comes to borrow nothing of them. Where Where And w Why, Off w 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 mafter? Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore -cock's paffion, filence! be not master. Enter Petruchio and Kate. Pet. Where be these 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. Out, Take Be me I hear my You loggerheaded and unpolish'd grooms: What? no attendance? no regard? no duty? Where is the foolish knave I fent before? Gru. Here, Sir, as foolish as I was before. Pet. You peafant fwain, you whorefon, malt-horfe drudge, Did not I bid thee meet me in the park, And bring along these rascal knaves with thee? And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' th' heel : There was no link to colour Peter's hat, The reft were ragged, old and beggarly, [Exeunt Servants. [Singing. Where is the life that late I led? Where are thofe And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud! Enter Servants with Supper. Why, when, I fay? nay, good fweet Kate, be merry. Off with my boots, you rogue: you villains, when? It was the Friar of Orders grey, As he forth walked on bis way. 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 spaniel 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 else shall I? What's this, mutton? I 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 heedlefs jolt-heads, and unmanner'd flaves ! For it engenders choler, planteth anger; Enter Servants feverally. Nath. Peter, didst ever see the like? Gru. Where is he? Enter Curtis, a Servant. [Ext Curt. In her chamber, making a fermon of continency to her, And rails and fwears, and rates; that fhe, poor foul,, Enter Petruchio. [Exeunt Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign, And And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster, Now let him speak, 'tis charity to fhew. SCENE, before Baptifta's House. Enter Tranio and Hortenfio. [Exit. TRANIO. I S't poffible, friend Licio, that Bianca (16). I tell (16) Is't poffible, friend Licio, &c.] This Scene, Mr. Pope, upon what Authority I can't pretend to guess, has in his Editions made the First of the Fifth A&t: in doing which, he has fhewn the very Power and Force of Criticifm. 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 Act, 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, Üstev @repov: 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 the very Heels of his Exit; and without any Interval of |