Page images
PDF
EPUB

the Jacks fair within, the Jills fair without, carpets laid, and every thing in order?

Curt. All ready and therefore, I pray thee, what

news?

Gru. First, know, my horfe is tired; my mafter and miftrefs fallen out.

Curt. How?

Gru. Out of their faddles into the dirt; and there by hangs a tale..

Curt. Let's ha't, good Grumio.

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

Gru. There.

[Strikes him. Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.

Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale: and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and befeech liftning. Now I begin: Inprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mistress:Curt. Both on one horse?

Gru. What's that to thee?
Curt. Why, a horfe..

Gru. Tell thou the tale :--But hadft thou not cross'd me, thou should'st have heard how her horfe fell, and the under her horfe: thou fhould'st have heard in how miry a place: how fhe was bemoil'd; how he left her with the harfe upon her; how he beat me because her horfe ftumbled; how fhe waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he fwore; how the pray'd that never pray'd before; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burft; how I loft my crupper; with many things of worthy me

-how he favore,

And bow he pray'd, that never pray'd before.] Thefe Mines, with little variation, are found in the old copy of K. Leir, published before that of Shakespeare, STEEVENS.

mory;

mory; which now fhall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienc'd to thy grave.

Curt. By this reckoning he is more fhrew than she. Gru. Ay; and that you and the proudeft of you all fhall find, when he comes home. But what talk I of this? call forth Nathaniel, Jofeph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarfop, and the reft: let their heads be fleekly comb'd, their blue coats brush'd, and their ? garters of an indifferent knit: let them curtfy with their left legs; and not prefume to touch a hair of my master's horse-tail, 'till they kiss their hands. Are they all ready?

Curt. They are.

Gru. Call them forth.

Curt. Do you hear, ho?

to countenance my mistress.

you

must meet my master,

Gru. Why, fhe hath a face of her own.

Curt. Who knows not that?

Gru. Thou, it seems; that call'ft for company to

countenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Enter four or five ferving-men.

Gru. Why, fhe comes to borrow nothing of them. Nath. Welcome home, Grumio.

Phil. How now, Grumio?

Jof. What, Grumio!
Nich. Fellow Grumio!
Nath. How now, old lad?

Gru. Welcome, you; how now, you; what, you; fellow, you; and thus much for greeting. Now, my fpruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat?

7 garters of an indifferent knit.] What is the fenfe of this I know not, unless it means, that their garters fhould be fellows; indifferent, or not different, one from the other. JOHNSON.

Nath.

Nath. All things are ready: how near is our mafter?

Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not-cock's paffion, filence!--I hear my mafter.

Enter Petruchio and Kate.

Pet. Where be these knaves? What, no man at
the door,

To hold my stirrup, nor to take my horse?
Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?--
All Serv. Here, here, fir; here, fir.

Pet. Here, fir! here, fir! here, fir! here, fir!
You loggerheaded and unpolifh'd grooms!
What? no attendance? no regard? no duty?
Where is the foolish knave I fent before?

Gru. Here, fir; as foolish as I was before.
Pet. You peafant fwain! you whorefon, malt-horse
drudge!

Did not I bid thee meet me in the park,
And bring along thefe rafcal knaves with thee?

Gru. Nathaniel's coat, fir, was not fully made; And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' the heel; There was no link, to colour Peter's hat;

And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing: There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory;

The reft were ragged, old, and beggarly;

Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you.
Pet. Go, rafcals, go, and fetch my fupper in.

Where is the life that late I led?

no link to colour Peter's hat,]

[Exeunt Servants. [Singing.

Link, I believe, is the

fame with what we now call lamp-black. JOHNSON.

A Link is a torch of pitch. Greene, in his Mihil Mumchance, fays" This cozenage is ufed likewife in felling olde hats found upon dunghills instead of newe, blackt over with the Smoake of an olde linke."

VOL. III.

STEEVENS,

[blocks in formation]

Where are those-fit down, Kate,

And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud!?

Re-enter Servants with fupper.

Why, when, I fay? nay, good fweet Kate, be merry.
Off with my boots, you rogues: you villains, when?

It was the friar of orders grey,'
As he forth walked on his way :-

[Sings.

Out, you rogue, you pluck my foot awry.
Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.
[Strikes him.
Be merry, Kate: Some water, here; what ho!

Enter one with water.

Where's my spaniel Troilus? Sirrah, get you hence, * And bid my coufin Ferdinand come hither :One, Kate, that you must kifs, and be acquainted with.

Where are my flippers? Shall I have some water?

Soud, foud, &c.] That is, fweet, sweet. Soof, and fometimes footh, is fweet. So in Milton, to fing footbly, is, to fing sweetly. JOHNSON.

It was the friar of orders grey.] Difperfed through Shakefpeare's plays are many little fragments of ancient ballads, the entire copies of which cannot now be recovered. Many of thefe being of the most beautiful and pathetic fimplicity, Dr. Percy has felected fome of them, and connected them together with a few supplemental ftanzas; a work, which at once fhews his own poetical abilities, as well as his refpect to the truly venerable remains of our most ancient bards. STEEVENS.

3 And bid my coufin Ferdinand come hither.] This coufin Ferdinand, who does not make his perfonal appearance on the fcene, is mentioned, I fuppofe, for no other reafon than to give Catharine a hint, that he could keep even his own relations in order, and make them obedient as his spaniel to his commands.

[blocks in formation]

Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily:
You, whorefon villain! will you let it fall?

Cath. Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault unwilling. Pet. A whorefon, beetle-headed, flap ear'd knave! Come, Kate, fit down; I know, you have a stomach. Will you give thanks, fweet Kate; or elfe fhall I? What's this? mutton?

I Ser. Ay.

Pet. Who brought it?
Ser. I.

Pet. 'Tis burnt; and fo is all the meat:

What dogs are these? Where is the rafcal cook?
How durit you, villains, bring it from the dreffer,
And ferve it thus to me that love it not?
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups and all:

[Throws the meat, &c. about the ftage.
You heedlefs jolt-heads, and unmanner'd flaves!
What, do you grumble? I'll be with you ftraight.
Cath. I pray you, husband, be not fo difquiet;
The meat was well, if you were fo contented.
Pet. I tell thee Kate, 'twas burnt, and dry'd away,
And I exprefly am forbid to touch it,

For it engenders choler, planteth anger:
And better 'twere, that both of us did fast,
Since, of ourselves, ourselves are cholerick,
Than feed it with fuch over-roafted flesh.
Be patient, to-morrow it fhall be mended,
And, for this night, we'll faft for company.
Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.

Enter Servants Severally.

Nath. Peter, didft ever see the like?
Peter. He kills her in her own humour.
Gru. Where is he?

[Exeunt

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »