Re-enter Catherine, with Bianca, and the Widow.

See, where he comes; and brings your froward wives-
As prifoners to her womanly perfuafion.-

Catherine, that cap of yours becomes you not;
Off with that bauble, throw it under foot.

[Cat. pulls off her cap, and throws it down. Wid. Lord, let me never have a cause to figh, 'Till I be brought to fuch a filly pass!

Bia. Fie! what a foolish duty call you this?
Luc. I would, your duty were as foolish too :
The wifdom of your duty, fair Bianca,
Coft me a hundred crowns fince fupper-time.

Bia. The more fool you, for laying on my duty.
Pet. Catherine, I charge thee, tell thefe head-ftrong

women

What duty they do owe their lords and husbands. Wid. Come, come, you're mocking; we will have no telling.

Pet. Come on, I fay; and first begin

Wid. She fhall not.

Pet. I fay, the fhall;-and first begin with her.

Cat. Fie, fie! unknit that threat'ning unkind brow 3.

[to the Widow.

And dart not scornful glances from those eyes,
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor :
It blots thy beauty, as froits bite the meads;
Confounds thy fame, as whirlwinds fhake fair buds ;:
And in no fenfe is meet, or amiable.

"A woman mov'd, is like a fountain troubl'ð,

Muddy, ill-feeming, thick, bereft of beauty;,

"And, while it is fo, none fo dry or thirsty
"Will deign to fip, or touch one drop of it.
Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy fovereign; one that cares for thee,.
And for thy maintenance: commits his body
To painful labour, both by fea and land;
To watch the night in ftorms, the day in cold,
Whilft thou ly't warm at home, fecure and fafe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands,
But love, fair looks, and true obedience,-

Too little payment for fo great a debt.
Such duty as the fubject owes the prince,
Even fuch a woman oweth to her husband:
And, when she's froward, peevish, fullen, four,
And not obedient to his honeft will,

What is fhe, but a foul contending rebel,
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I am afham'd, that women are fo fimple,
To offer war where they should kneel for peace;
Or feek for rule, fupremacy, and fway,

When they are bound to ferve, love, and obey *.
Why are our bodies fcft, and weak, and fmooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world;

66

"But that our foft conditions, and our hearts,
"Should well agree with our external parts?
"Come, come, you froward and unable worms!
"My mind hath been as big as one of yours,

My heart as great; my reafon, haply, more, "To bandy word for word, and frown for frown: "But now, I fee, our lances are but ftraws; "Our strength is weak, our weakness paft compare,"That feeming to be moft, which we indeed least are. "Then vail your ftomachs, for it is no boot;

"And place your hands below your husband's foot : "In token of which duty, if he pleafe,

་་

My hand is ready, may it do him ease.

Kate.

Pet. Why, there's a wench !-Come on, and kiss me, [Pulls her to him, and kiffes her. Luc. Well, go thy ways, old lad; for thou fhalt ha’t. Vin. 'Tis a good hearing, when children are toward. Luc. But a harsh hearing, when women are froward. Pet. Come, Kate, we'll to bed :We three are marry'd, but you two are sped. 'Twas I won the wager, though you hit the white; And, being a winner, Heav'n give you good night! [Exit, leading out Catherine,

[Rifing

This fpeech muft ever ftamp credit on its author. There is a fine difplay of relative knowledge, thrown out in a nervous, yet very intelligi le manner; and we wish that, not only every unmarried, but alfo married lady, were perfect in the words and practice; how ever, it is too long for stage utterance.

"Hor. Now go thy ways, thou haft tam'd a curft

"fhrew.

"Luc. 'Tis a wonder, by your leave, fhe will be "tam'd fo. [Exeunt omnes.

"SCENE III. The Alehouse. Sly upon his Bench as before; Tapfter at the Door.

Sly. [waking.] Sim, give's fome more wine.-What! "all the players gone?-Am not I a lord?

"Tap. A lord, with a murrain!-Come, art thou "drunk ftill? [rouzing him. "Sly. Who's this? tapfter?-O, I have had the "braveft dream that ever thou heard'ft in all thy life. "Tap. Yea, marry; but thou hadst beft get thee bome, "for your wife will courfe you for dreaming here all night. "Sly. Will he? I know how to tame a forew; 1 "dreamt upon it all this night, and thou haft wak'd me "out of the best dream that ever I had. But I'll to my wife, and tame her too, if she anger me †• [Exeunt.

66

This piece fhould undoubtedly end at the line marked note (*) in the preceding page; all that follows is monftrously infipid; and we are rather forry to add, that the fifth A&t does not rife above the others as it ought; in point of merit we think it stands but second,

End of the TAMING OF THE SHREW.