THE TAMING O F THE SHRE W, A COMEDY, by SHAKESPEARE. AN INTRODUCTION, AND NOTES CRITICAL and ILLUSTRATIve, ARE ADDED, BY THE AUTHORS of the DRAMATIC CENSOR. B LONDON: Printed for JOHN BELL, near Exeter-Exchange, in the Strand} and C. ETHERINGTON, at York. MDCCLXXIV. THE TAMIN G OF THE SHRE W. INTRODUCTION. THIS piece has many incidents, fome characters; and a confiderable share of dialogue of peculiar merit ; but the drunken tinker rather appears an absurd intrufion; an excrefcence on the general defign. Mr. Garrick, whom we have had frequent occafion to mention as a moft judicious and fuccessful reformer of our author, has in a mafterly manner collected and compacted the perfonages, pafJages, and fituations of this piece most worthy notice, into the compass of three acts, under the title of Catherine and Petruchio; the fuccefs of which, in reprefentation, juftifies fome opinions we advance, and defervedly confirms his judgment. Petruchio, Grumio, Biondello, and Catherine, are finely delineated, and equally supported ; the other perfonages rife not above mediocrity. Five other Servants; a Pedant; Taylor; CATHERINE. BIANCA. Widow. Other Attendants, Guefts, Players, &c. Scene, Sometimes in Padua; Sometimes at Petruchio's Country-Houfe. THE TAMING OF THE SHRE W*. INDUCTION+. SCENE I. A Hedge-Alehouse. "SLY upon a Bench before it; Hostess standing by him. "SLY. 'LL pheeze you, in faith. "I'LL 66 "Hoft. A pair of stocks, you rogue. Sly. Y'are a baggage; the Slies are no rogues: Look "in the chronicles; we came in with Richard con"queror. Therefore, paucas pallabris; let the world. "flide: Sea! 66 Heft. You will not pay for the glaffes you have burft? Sly. No, not a deniere: Go by, Jeronimy ;-Go "to thy cold bed, and warm thee. "Hoft. I know my remedy, I must go fetch the third"borough. [Exit. This title is fo far fortunate as to furnish confiderable latitude for comic ideas; pleasant fituations and laughable incidents. + This introductory scrap is furely too trifling and insignificant, to deferve utterance or notice. VOL. VI. E |