HOR. I think, fhe'll fooner prove a foldier; Iron may hold with her, but never lutes.

BAP. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?

HOR. Why, no; for fhe hath broke the lute to

me.

I did but tell her, fhe miftook her frets,3
And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering;
When, with a moft impatient devilifh fpirit,
Frets, call you thefe? quoth fhe: I'll fume with
them:

And, with that word, fhe ftruck me on the head,
And through the inftrument my pate made way;
And there I ftood amazed for a while,
As on a pillory, looking through the lute:
While fhe did call me,-rafcal fiddler,
And-twangling Jack;4 with twenty fuch vile terms,
As fhe had 5 ftudied to mifufe me fo.

3

PET. Now, by the world, it is a lufty wench;

her frets,] A fret is that ftop of a mufical inftrument which causes or regulates the vibration of the string. JOHNSON. 4 And twangling Jack ;] Of this contemptuous appellation I know not the precife meaning. Something like it, however, occurs in Magnificence, an ancient folio interlude by Skelton, printed by Raftell:

ye wene I were some hafter,

"Or ellys fome jangelynge jacke of the vale."

STEEVENS.

To twangle is a provincial expreffion, and fignifies to flourish capriciously on an inftrument, as performers often do after having tuned it, previous to their beginning a regular compofition.

HENLEY.

Twangling Jack is, mean, paltry lutanift. MALONE. I do not fee with Mr. Malone, that twangling Jack means paltry lutanift," though it may " paltry musician." DOUCE.

-She had-] In the old copy these words are accidentally tranfpofed. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.

I love her ten times more than e'er I did:
O, how I long to have some chat with her!

BAP. Well, go with me, and be not fo difcomfited:

Proceed in practice with my younger daughter; . She's apt to learn, and thankful for good turns.Signior Petruchio, will you go with us;

Or fhall I fend my daughter Kate to you?

PET. I pray you do; I will attend her here,—
Exeunt BAPTISTA, GREMIO, TRANIO,

and HORTENSIO.

And woo her with fome spirit when fhe comes.
Say, that the rail; Why, then I'll tell her plain,
She fings as fweetly as a nightingale:

Say, that the frown; I'll fay, fhe looks as clear
As morning rofes newly wafh'd with dew:6
Say, fhe be mute, and will not speak a word;
Then I'll commend her volubility,

And fay-fhe uttereth piercing eloquence:
If the do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,
As though the bid me stay by her a week;
If the deny to wed, I'll crave the day

When I fhall ask the banns, and when be married :-
But here she comes; and now, Petruchio, speak.

Enter KATHARINA.

Good-morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear.

6 As morning rofes newly wafh'd with dew:] Milton has honoured this image by adopting it in his Allegro:

"And fresh-blown rofes wash'd in dew." STEEVENS. 7 Good-morrow, Kate; &c.] Thus, in the original play : "Feran. Twenty good-morrows to my lovely Kate. "Kate. You jeaft I am fure; is the yours already? "Feran. I tel thee Kate, I know thou lov'ft me well, VOL. IX.

G

KATH. Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing;8

They call me-Katharine, that do talk of me.

"Kate. The diver you do; who told you fo? "Feran. My mind, fweet Kate, doth fay I am the man, "Muft wed, and bed, and marrie bonnie Kate. "Kate. Was ever seene so groffe an affe as this? "Feran. I, to ftand fo long and never get a kiffe. "Kate. Hands off, I fay, and get you from this place; "Or I will fet my ten commandements in your face.

"Feran. I prithy do, Kate; they fay thou art a fhrew, "And I like thee better, for I would have thee fo.

"Kate. Let go my hand, for feare it reach your eare. "Feran. No, Kate, this hand is mine, and I thy love. "Kate. Yfaith, fir, no; the woodcoke wants his taile. "Feran. But yet his bil will serve, if the other faile. "Alfon. How now, Ferando? what [fays] my daughter? "Feran. Shee's willing, fir, and loves me as her life. "Kate. 'Tis for your fkin then, but not to be your wife. Alfon. Come hither, Kate, and let me give thy hand, "To him that I have chofen for thy love;

"And thou to-morrow fhalt be wed to him.

"Kate. Why, father, what do you mean to do with me, "To give me thus unto this brainficke man,

That in his mood cares not to murder me?

[She turnes afide and speaks.

"But yet I will confent and marry him,

66

(For I methinkes have liv'd too long a maide,)

"And match him too, or else his manhood's good.

Alfon. Give me thy hand: Ferando loves thee well,

"And will with wealth and ease maintaine thy state.

"Here Ferando, take her for thy wife,

"And Sunday next fhall be our wedding-day.

“Feran. Why fo, did I not tel thee I should be the man ≥ "Father, I leave my lovely Kate with

you.

"Provide yourselves againft our marriage day,

"For I must hie me to my country-house

"In hafte, to fee provifion may be made

"To entertaine my Kate when the doth come," &c.

STEEVENS

8 Well have you heard, but fomething hard of hearing ;] A poor quibble was here intended. It appears from many old English books that heard was pronounced in our author's time, as if it were written hard. MALONE.

PET. You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain

Kate,

And bonny Kate, and fometimes Kate the curft;
But Kate, the prettieft Kate in Christendom,
Kate of Kate-Hall, my fuper-dainty Kate,
For dainties are all cates: and therefore, Kate,
Take this of me, Kate of my confolation ;-
Hearing thy mildness prais'd in every town,
Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty founded,
(Yet not fo deeply as to thee belongs,)
Myfelf am mov'd to woo thee for my wife.

KATH. MOV'd! in good time: let him that mov'd you hither,

Remove you hence: I knew you at the first,
You were a moveable.

PET.

KATH. A joint-ftool."

PET.

Why, what's a moveable?

Thou haft hit it: come, fit on me. KATH. Affes are made to bear, and so are you. PET. Women are made to bear, and fo are you. KATH. No fuch jade, fir,' as you, if me you

mean.

A joint-stool.] This is a proverbial expreffion :

Cry you mercy, I took you for a join'd ftool." See Ray's Collection. It is likewife repeated as a proverb in Mother Bombie, a comedy, by Lyly, 1594, and by the Fool in King Lear. STEEVENS,

No fuch jade, fir,] The latter word, which is not in the old copy, was supplied by the editor of the second folio. MALONE.

Perhaps we fhould read-no fuch jack. However, there is authority for jade in a male fenfe. So, in Soliman and Perfeda, Pifton fays of Bafilifco, " He juft like a knight! He'll just like a jade." FARMER.

So, before, p. 68: "I know he'll prove a jade." MALONE,

PET. Alas, good Kate! I will not burden thee: For, knowing thee to be but young and light,KATH. Too light for fuch a fwain as you to

catch;

And yet as heavy as my weight fhould be.

PET. Should be? fhould buz.

KATH:

Well ta'en, and like a buzzard. PET. O, flow-wing'd turtle! fhall a buzzard take

thee?

KATH. Ay, for a turtle; as he takes a buzzard.* PET. Come, come, you wafp; i'faith, you are too

angry.

KATH. If I be wafpifh, beft beware my fting.
PET. My remedy is then, to pluck it out.
KATH. Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies.
PET. Who knows not where a wafp doth wear
his fting?

In his tail.

KATH.

PET.

In his tongue.

Whose tongue?

KATH. Yours, if you talk of tails ;3 and fo fare

well.

2 Ay, for a turtle; as he takes a buzzard.] Perhaps we may

read better

Ay, for a turtle, and he takes a buzzard.

That is, he may take me for a turtle, and he shall find me a hawk. JOHNSON.

1

This kind of expreffion likewife feems to have been proverbial. So, in The Three Lords of London, 1590:

66

haft no more kill,

"Than take a faulcon for a buzzard ?" STEEVENS.

3 Yours, if you talk of tails;] The old copy reads-tales, and it may perhaps be right.-" Yours, if your talk be no better than an idle tale." Our author is very fond of ufing words of