Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-30
Tanning n SIrew.

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The following is the origin of Shake
speare' idea of his drama, the Tanning
Of Shrew" which is found in an old
Spanish chronicle:
In certain town there is Moor OF
great respectability, who had son, the
best young man in the world, full OF
great projects, but so poor that he had
the will but not the means to execute
them. In the same place there was
another Moor, very rich, and he mad an
only daughter; but she was devil and
and nobody would marry her. The
young man came one day to his father
and said, Father, am weary of the
poor and wretched life lead | wish to
marry" The father said he would be
delighted if his son could find party
that suited him; upon which the young
man named his neighbors daughter. On
hearing this the father was much sur
prised but the son persisted in desiring
his father to speak to the Moor, who was
his intimate friend, and ask him for his
daughter.
The Moor said, when he was applied to,
that he had no objection; but that who
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dead than alive. The wedding day, how
ever, was fixed and the bride was led
away to the husbands house, and, accor-
ding to the Moorish custom, supper
was prepared, and the table was laid, and
the fathers and mothers left the bride and
bridegroom together until the next day.
not without great fear and suspicion that
they should find the bride and bride
groom in the morning dead, or not far
from it. As soon as they were gone, the
new married couple sat down to the
table, and before she could speak, he,
locking about him, saw one of his house
dogs, and calling to him with a loud
voice, ordered him to bring water to wash
his hands, which the dog not doing he
got up in a rage and drew his sword.
This the dog seeing, ran away and he
after him, till he caught him, and cut off
his head and legs, and his body in pieces,
and dashed the blood over the room,
| Then he came and seated himself at the
table. He looked around again, and saw
Maltese beagle and gave him the same
order; but on his not complying he first
threatened to serve him as he had done
the mastiff; then springing from the
chair, he caught him by the legs, and cut
him into hundred pieces He then re-
turned to the table, making horrid faces
and furious gestures, and staring wildly
around him.
The bride, who was an eyewitness OF
all this, was beside herself with fear, and
stupid, without being able to utter a syl-
liable. He then swore that he would
serve every living creature in the same
manner, not excepting his horse, which
was the only one remaining to him; then
having killed his horse, he came back to
the table with his sword reeking in blood,
and seeing no other animal to kill,
turned his eyes on his wife and cried,
with furious tone of voice, Get up
and bring me water to wash my handsl
She Immediately arose and brought him
water. Then he said, If you had not
done it, / would have served you as
have served the dogs and horse" He
then ordered her to help him, which she
did, but with so hurried an accent that
she still expected to have her head cut
off. In this manner they passed the
night together, and she never spoke; and
when they had slept some little while, he
said to his wife, ~ have not been able
to rest for rage tonight; see that nobody
disturbs me tomorrow morning, and I
take care that / have a good breakfast.
Early in the morning, the parents of
bride and bridegroom knocked at the |
door, and as no one answered, they con-
cluded that the bridegroom was either
killed or wounded; and when they saw
the bride come to the door without her
husband, they were confirmed in their
suspicious. As soon as she saw them,
she began to call them traitors, and asked
them how they dared come to the door
without speaking. MAKE no noise, or
you are all dead men" This astonished
them still more; and when they knew
how the night had been spent, they
thought very highly of the young man
for his great skill in governing his wife
and arranging his household; and from
that day forward she was so well man
aged that he lived perfectly well with
her; and the father-in-law took a hint
from his son, and killed a horse to keep
his wife in order.