ing of the Elizabethan period, and was probably at its first erection a manorial residence, but at no period in the memory of the neighbourhood has it ever been used as an alehouse. The house of the "fat ale-wife of Wincot" is not therefore here to be found; but its site may perhaps be indicated by a few square patches of rank dark-coloured grass, which, at the distance of a quarter of a mile from the farm, and near the road-side, are all that remain to corroborate the memories of the villagers of Clifford, (the parish in which the hamlet stands,) who say that "a house once stood there." Wincot is a wild place, in which sworddances are still prevalent, and annual fights continue to be held to adjust the quarrels of the year. We believe, however, that in this passage, as in

Henry IV., Part II., the place to which Shakspere alludes is the hamlet of Wilmecote, anciently Wylmyncote, about three miles to the north of Stratford, in the parish of Aston-Cantlow. Here lived Robert Arden, our poet's maternal grandfather; and his youngest daughter, the mother of Shakspere, inherited a house and lands here situate. It is most probable, therefore, that this hamlet, which Malone says (though he gives no authority) was also called Wyncote, was in Shakspere's thoughts. The matter is of little consequence here; and in our life of Shakspere we shall present a view of Wilmecote, a straggling village with a few old houses, amongst whose secluded fields our poet no doubt passed many of his boyish hours.

SCENE I.-Padua. A public Place.

Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO.

Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,'
I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy;2
And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd
With his good will, and thy good company,
My trusty servant, well approv'd in all;
Here let us breathe, and haply institute
A course of learning, and ingenious studies.
Pisa, renowned for grave citizens,
Gave me my being, and my father first,

A merchant of great traffic through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio's son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds: b
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue, and that part of philosophy
Will I apply, that treats of happiness
By virtue 'specially to be achiev'd.
Tell me thy mind: for I have Pisa left,

a My. So the folio. The word has been changed by the modern editors to most.

b This passage has been a source of perplexity to the commentators; but it appears to us sufficiently clear: Pisa gave me my being, and also first gave my father being-that father was Vincentio, &c. It shall become Vincentio's son, that he may fulfil the hopes conceived of him, to deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds.

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 stoics, nor no stocks, I pray ;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,"
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd:
Balk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk:
Music and poesy use to quicken you;
The mathematics, and the metaphysics,
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.

a Checks. Sir W. Black stone proposes to read ethicks. In Ben Jonson's 'Silent Woman' we have "Aristotle's ethicks." Aristotle's "checks" are his ethical principles, as opposed to the excitements of Ovid. (While.)

b Balk. This word of the original has been changed into talk, corrected by Mr. Rowe." By this correction the meaning of the passage has been destroyed. Tranio draws a distinction between the dry and the agreeable of the liberal sciences. Balk logic-pass over logic-with your acquaintance, but practise rhetoric in your common talk;-use (in the legitimate sense of resorting to frequently) music and poetry to quicken you, but fall to mathematics and metaphysics as you find your inclination serves.

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 farther, 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 plea

sure.

Gre. To cart her rather: She's too rough for

me:

а

There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?
Kath. I pray you, sir, [to BAP.] is it your will
To make a stale of me amongst these mates? a
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 do I 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 thee ne'er the less, my girl. Kath. A pretty peat; b 't is best Put finger in the eye-an she knew why.

a Douce says that this expression seems to have been suggested by the chess term of stale-mate. Surely the occurrence of mates and stale in the same line does not warrant this assertion. A stale is a thing stalled-exposed for common sale. Baptista, somewhat coarsely, has offered Katharine to Gremio and Hortensio, "either of you;" and she is justly indignant at being set up for the bidding of these companions.

b Peat-pet-spoiled child.

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 strange? Sorry am I that our good will effects Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why, will you mew her,
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 BIANCA.
And, for I know she taketh most delight
In music, 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

To mine own children in good bringing-up;
And so farewell. Katharina you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca. [Erit.
Kath. Why, and I trust I may go too. May

I not?

What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, belike,

I knew not what to take, and what to leave! Ha! [Exit.

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are so good here is none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out; our cake's dough on both sides. Farewell:-Yet, for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him° to her father.

Hor. So will I, signior Gremio: But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet

Cunning-knowing-learned. Cunning, conning, was originally knowledge, skill; and is so used in our translation of the Bible. Shakspere, in general, uses cunning in the modern sense, as in Lear:

"Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides." But in this play the adjective is used in two other instances in the same way as in the passage before us: (See Act 11. Sc. 1.)

"Cunning in music and the mathematics."
"Cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages."

b Their love. Mason would read our love; Malone, your love. Their love, it appears to us, refers to the affection between Katharine and her father, who have been jarring throughout the scene. Baptista has resolved that Bianca shall not wed till he has found a husband for his elder daughter. Gremio and Hortensio, who aspire to Bianca, think that there is so little love between the Shrew and her father, that his resolve will change, while they blow their nails together-while they submit to some delay. c Wish him-commend him.