Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii 1.

Vincentio's son 2, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd3,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue, and that part of philosophy

4

Pisa, renowned for grave citizens, &c.] This passage, I think, should be read and pointed thus :

"Pisa, renowned for grave citizens,

"Gave me my being, and my father first,

"A merchant of great traffick through the world,

66

Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.'

In the next line, which should begin a new sentence, Vincentio his son, is the same as Vincentio's son, which Mr. Heath not apprehending, has proposed to alter Vincentio into Lucentio. It may be added, that Shakspeare in other places expresses the genitive case in the same improper manner. See Troilus and Cressida, Act II. Sc. I.: "Mars his ideot." And Twelfth-Night, Act III. Sc. III.: "The Count his gallies." TYRWHITT.

66

Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii." The old copy readsVincentio's. The emendation was made by Sir T. Hanmer. am not sure that it is right. Our author might have written : Vincentio's son, come of the Bentivolii.

I

If that be the true reading, this line should be connected with the following, and a colon placed after world in the preceding line; as is the case in the original copy, which adds some support to the emendation now proposed:

"Vincentio's son, come of the Bentivolii,
"Vincentio's son brought up in Florence,
"It shall become," &c. MALONE.

2 Vincentio's son,] Mr. Pope for the sake of the metre readsVincentio his son; and this alteration was adopted by Mr. Steevens. As there are, however, many other lines in this play exposed to the same metrical objection, the text of the original copy has been retained. Mr. Capell reads-Lucentio his son. BOSWELL.

3 to SERVE all hopes conceiv'd,] To fulfil the expectations of his friends. MALONE.

4 Virtue, and that part of philosophy-] Sir Thomas Hanmer, and after him Dr. Warburton, read-to virtue; but formerly ply and apply were indifferently used, as to ply or apply his studies." JOHNSON.

The word ply is afterwards used in this scene, and in the same manner, by Tranio :

Will I apply, that treats of happiness
By virtue 'specially to be achiev'd.
Tell me thy mind: for I have Pisa left,
And am to Padua come; as he that leaves
A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deep,
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.

TRA. Mi perdonate', gentle master mine,
I am in all affected as yourself;

Glad that you thus continue your resolve,
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy.
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,

"For who shall bear your part, &c.

66

Keep house and ply his book?'

M. MASON.

So, in The Nice Wanton, an ancient interlude, 1560:

66

66

O ye children, let your time be well spent,
Applye your learning, and your elders obey."

Again, in Gascoigne's Supposes, 1566" I feare he applyes his study so, that he will not leave the minute of an houre from his booke."

So in Turbervil's Tragick Tales:

"But often come himself to see,

"How she her wheele applyde." MALONE.

5 Mi perdonate,] Old copy-Me perdonato. The emendation was suggested by Mr. Steevens.

6

Aristotle's CHECKS,] Are, I suppose, the harsh rules of Aristotle. STEEVENS.

Such as tend to check and restrain the indulgence of the passions. MAlone.

So, in Hall's Satires, b. 6. sat. 1:

MALONE.

"Well might these checks have fitted former times, "And shoulder'd angry Skelton's breathless rimes." Tranio is here descanting on academical learning, and mentions by name six of the seven liberal sciences. I suspect this to be a mis-print, made by some copyist or compositor, for ethicks. The sense confirms it. BLACKSTONE.

So, in Ben Jonson's Silent Woman, Act IV. Sc. IV.: “I, in some cases: but in these they are best, and Aristotle's ethicks." STEEVENS.

As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd:

8

Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetorick in your common talk:
Musick and poesy use to quicken you;
The mathematicks, and the metaphysicks,
Fall to them, as you find your stomach serves you:
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en :-
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness;

And take a lodging, fit to entertain

Such friends, as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay awhile: What company is this?

TRA. Master, some show, to welcome us to town.

Enter BAPTISta, KatharinA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand aside.

BAP. Gentlemen, impórtune me no further,
For how I firmly am resolv'd you know;
That is,-not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
GRE. To cart her rather: She's too rough for

me:

7 TALK logick-] Old copy-Balk. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. MALONE.

I am by no means satisfied that the old reading is not the right one, although the word is now lost. It seems used in the same sense as here by Spenser, F. Q. b. iii. c. 2, st. 12:

"But to occasion him to further talk,

"To feed her humour with his pleasing style,

"Her list in stry full termes with him to balke." BoSWELL. to QUICKEN you ;] i. e. animate. So, in All's Well that Ends Well:

8

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Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary." STEEVENS.

There, there Hortensio, will you any wife?

KлTH. I pray you, sir, [To Bap.] is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates?? HOR. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you,

Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

KATH. I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear; I wis, it is not half way to her heart:

But, if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.

HOR. From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us!
GRE. And me too, good Lord!

TRA. Hush, master! here is some good pastime
toward :

That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward.
Luc. But in the other's silence I do see

Maids' mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

TRA. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill.

BAP. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good What I have said,-Bianca, get you in:

And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love the ne'er the less, my girl.
KATH. A pretty peat1! tis best

9 Kath. I pray you, sir, is it your will

you

To make a STALE of me amongst these MATES ?] She means to say, Do intend to make a strumpet of me among these companions?-But the expression seems to have been suggested by the chess-term of stalemate, which is used when the game is ended by the king being alone and unchecked, and then forced into a situation from which he is unable to move without going into check. This is a dishonourable termination to the adversary who thereby loses the game. Thus in Lord Verulam's twelfth essay "They stand still like a stale at chess, where it is no mate, but yet the game cannot stir."

A pretty PEAT!] Peat or pet is a word of endearment from petit, little, as if it meant pretty little thing. JOHNSON.

Put finger in the eye,-an she knew why.

BIAN. Sister, content you in my discontent.Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe;

My books, and instruments, shall be my company; On them to look, and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak. [Aside. HOR. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange1? Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

GRE.

Why, will you mew her up,
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
BAP. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd :-
Go in, Bianca.
[Exit BLANCA.
And for I know, she taketh most delight
In musick, instruments, and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house,
Fit to instruct her youth.-If you, Hortensio,
Or signior Gremio, you,-know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men'
I will be very kind and liberal

3

This word is used in the old play of King Leir, (not Shakspeare's):

"Gon. I marvel, Ragan, how you can endure

"To see that proud, pert peat, our youngest sister," &c. Again, in Coridon's Song, by Thomas Lodge; published in England's Helicon, 1600:

"And God send every pretty peate,

Heigh hoe the pretty peate," &c.

and is, I believe, of Scotch extraction, I find it in one of the proverbs of that country, where it signifies darling:

"He has fault of a wife, that marries mam's pet," i. e. He is in great want of a wife who marries one that is her mother's darling. STEVENS.

2

-so strange?] That is, so odd, so different from others in your conduct. JOHNSON.

3 CUNNING men,] Cunning had not yet lost its original signification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the translation of the Bible. JOHNSON.