Note to The Taming of the Shrew, 4.1.145: "It was the friar of orders grey"


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The Taming of the Shrew,
Act 4, Scene 1, line 145.

A marriage feast was often quite an elaborate affair, and Katherina's father prepared such a feast for her, but Petruchio stole her away from it on the pretext that her family was trying to kidnap her. Now, surrounded by Petruchio's shabby servants, Katharina hears Petruchio sing the opening words of the kind of song that was often heard at a marriage feast—a song of comic bawdy, such as "Inducas Inducas," printed and translated below. (The source of the text of "Inducas Inducas" is Peter Seng's The Vocal Songs of Shakespeare: A Critical History (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP, 1967).

The refrain of this song, "Inducas / in temptacionibus ("Lead us into temptation") is a laughable reversal of "ne nos inducas in tentationem," the part of The Lord's Prayer which is translated into English as "Lead us not into temptation."
               Inducas Inducas                    Lead us Lead us
               in temptacionibus                    into temptation
 
There was a frier of order grey     There was a Franciscan friar
   Inducas        Lead us
which loued a Nunne full meny a day      who had loved a nun full many a day
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
This fryer was lusty proper and yong     This friar was full of life, handsome, and young
   Inducas        Lead us
he offerd the Nunne to lerne her syng      he offered to teach the nun to sing
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
Othe re me fa the frier her tawght     "Do, Re, Mi, Fa" the friar taught her
   Inducas        Lead us
Sol la this nunne he kyst full oft      "So, La" this nun he kissed many a time
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
By proper chaunt and Segnory     By means of appropriate songs and his superior status
   Inducas        Lead us
This Nunne he groped with flattery      he found a way to take this nun in hand with flattery
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
The fryers first lesson was Veni ad me     The friar's first lesson was "Come to me"
   Inducas        Lead us
& ponam tollum meum ad te      "and I'll deposit my tribute to thee"
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
The frier sang all bemoll     The friar sang everything with bawdy intent
   Inducas        Lead us
Of the Nunne he begat a cristenyd sowle      On the nun he begat a Christian soul
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
The Nunne was tawℨght to syng depe     The nun was taught to sing sincerely
   Inducas        Lead us
lapides expungnauerunt me      stones have conquered me
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
Thus the fryer lyke a prety man     Thus the friar like a cunning man
   Inducas        Lead us
Ofte rokkyd the Nunnes Quoniam      Often rocked the nun's whatever.
   in temptacionibus        into temptation
 
               ffins short & swete                    end short and sweet