Was it not, to refresh the mind of man,
After his studies, or his usual pain?
Then give me leave to read philosophy,
And, while I pause, serve in your harmony.

Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.
Bian. Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong,
To strive for that which resteth in my choice:
I am no breeching scholar' in the schools;
I'll not be tied to hours, nor 'pointed times,
But learn my lessons as I please myself.
And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down:-
Take you your instrument, play you the whiles;
His lecture will be done ere you have tun'd.
Hor. You'll leave his lecture when I am in tune?
[To Bianca.-Hortensio retires.
Luc. That will be never;-tune your instrument.
Bian. Where left we last?

--

Luc. Here, madam :-
Hac ibat Simois; hic est Sigeia tellus;
Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis.

Bian. Construe them.

Luc. Hac ibat, as I told you before,-Simois, am Lucentio,-hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, -Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love; Hic steterat, and that Lucentio that comes a wooing,-Priami, is my man Tranio,-regia, bearing my port,-celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.2

Hor. Madam, my instrument's in tune.

Bian. Let's hear;

O fie! the treble jars.

[Returning. [Hortensio plays.

Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again.

263

A re, to plead Hortensio's passion;
B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord,
C faut, that loves with all affection;
D sol re, one cliff, two notes have 1;
Call you this-gamut ? tut! I like it not:
E la mi, show pily, or I die.
Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice,*
To change true rules for odd inventions.
Enter Servant.

Serv. Mistress, your father prays you leave your
books,

gone.

stav.

You know, to-morrow is the wedding-day.
And help to dress your sister's chamber up;
Bian. Farewell, sweet masters, both; I must be
[Exeunt Bianca and Servant.
Luc. 'Faith, mistress, then I have no cause to
Hor. But I have cause to pry into this pedant;
[Exit.
Methinks he looks as though he were in love:-
To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale,
Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble,
Seize thee, that list: If once I find thee ranging,
Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing.

[Exit.

SCENE II.-The same. Before Baptista's house. Enter Baptista, Gremio, Tranio, Katharina, Bianca, Lucentio, and attendants.

Bap. Signior Lucentio, [To Tranio.] this is the

'pointed dav

Bian. Now let me see if I can construe it: Hac And yet we hear not of our son-in-law: That Katharine and Petruchio should be married, ibat Simois, I know you not; hic est Sigeia tellus, What will be said? what mockery will it be, I trust you not,-Hic steteral Priami, take heed heo want the bridegroom, when the priest attends hear us not;-regia, presume not;-celsa senis, To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage? despair not. What says Lucentio to this shame of ours?

Hor. Madam, 'tis now in tune.
Luc.

All but the base.

Kath. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be fore'd

Hor. The base is right; 'tis the base knave that To give my hand, oppos'd against my heart,

jars.

How fiery and forward our pedant is!

Now, for my life, the knave doth court my love:
Pedascule, I'll watch you better yet.

acides

Bian. In time I may believe, yet I mistrust.
Luc. Mistrust it not; for, sure,
Was Ajax,-call'd so from his grandfather.
Bian. I must believe my master; else, I promise

you,

I should be arguing still upon that doubt:
But let it rest.-Now, Licio, to you:-
Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray,
That I have been thus pleasant with you both.
Hor. You may go walk, [To Lucentio.]
give me leave a while;

and

My lessons make no music in three parts.
Luc. Are you so formal, sir? well, I must wait,
And watch withal; for, but I be deceiv'd,
Our fine musician groweth amorous.

[Aside.

Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument,
To learn the order of my fingering,
I must begin with rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual,

Than hath been taught by any of my trade:
And there it is in writing, fairly drawn.

Bian. Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
Hor. Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.
Bian. [Reads.] Gamut I am, the ground of all
accord,

(1) No schoolboy, liable to be whipped.
(2) The old cully in Italian farces.

Unto a mad-brain'd rudesby, full of spleen ;
Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure.
I told you, I, he was a frantic fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour:
And, to be noted for a me ry man,
He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, yes, and proclaim the banns;
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd.
Now must the world point at poor Katharine,
And say,-Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife,
If it would please him come and marry her.
Tra. Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista
too;

non my life, Petruchio means but well,
Whatever fortune stays him from his word:
Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise;
Though he he merry, yet withal he's honest.

Kath. 'Would Katharine had never seen, him

Bion. Why, no, sir.

Bap. What then?
Bion. He is coming.

Bap. When will he be here?

Bin. When he stands where I am, and sees you there.

Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
Fie! doff this habit, shame to your estate,
An eye-sore to our solemn festival.

Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import Hath all so long detain'd you from your wife, And sent you hither so unlike yourself?

Tra. But, say, what:-To thine old news. Bion. Why, Petruchio is coming, in a new hat and an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches, thrice turned; a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town armoury, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with two broken points: His horse hipped with an old mothy saddle, the stirrups of no kindred: besides, possessed with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, full of wind-galls, sped with spavins, raied with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoil'd with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; swayed in the back, and shouldershotten; ne'er-legged before, and with a half- To me she's married, not unto my clothes: checked bit, and a head-stall of sheep's leather: Could I repair what she will wear in me, which, being restrained to keep him from stum-As I can change these poor accoutrements, bling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with Twere well for Kate, and better for myself. knots: one girt six times pieced, and a woman's But what a fool am I, to chat with you, crupper of velure, which hath two letters for her When I should bid good-morrow to my bride, name, fairly set down in studs, and here and there And seal the title with a lovely kiss? pieced with packthread.

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear:
Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word,
Though in some part enforced to digress:"
Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse
As you shall well be satisfied withal.
But, where is Kate? I stay too long from her;
The morning wears, 'tis time we were at church.
Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent
robes;

Go to my chamber, put on clothes of mine.
Pet. Not I, believe me; thus I'll visit her.
Bap. But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
Pel. Good sooth, even thus; therefore have done
with words;

[Exeunt Petruchio, Grumio, and Biondello. Tra. He hath some meaning in his mad attire:

Bap. Who comes with him? Biom. O, sir, his lackey, for all the world capa-We will persuade him, be it possible, risoned like the horse; with a linen stock on one To put on better ere he go to church. leg, and a kersey boot-hose on the other, gartered Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this. with a red and blue list: an old hat, and The humour of forty fancies pricked in't for a feather: a monster, a very monster in apparel; and not like a Christian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey. Tra. 'Tis some odd humour pricks him to this fashion;

Yet oftentimes he goes but mean apparell'd.

[Eri Tra. But, sir, to her love concerneth us to add Her father's liking: Which to bring to pass, As I before imparted to your worship, am to get a man,-whate'er he be,

I

It skills not much: we'll fit him to our turn,-
And he shall be Vincentio of Pisa;

Bap. I am glad he is come, nowsoe'er he And make assurance, here in Padua,

comes.

Bion. Why, sir, he comes not.

Bap. Didst thou not say, he comes?

Bion. Who? that Petruchio came?

Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

Of greater sums than I have promised.
So shall you quietly enjoy your hope,
And marry sweet Bianca with consent.

Luc. Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster
Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly,

Bion. No, sir; I say, his horse comes with him Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage; on his back.

Bap. Why, that's all one.

Bion. Nay, by Saint Jamy, I hold you a penny, A horse and a man is more than one, and yet not many.

Enter Petruchio and Grumio.

Which once perform'd, let all the world say-no,
I'll keep mine own, despite of all the world.

Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into,
And watch our vantage in this business:
We'll over-reach the greybeard, Gremio,
The narrow-prying father, Minola;
The quaint' musician, amorous Licio;

Pel. Come, where be these gallants? who is at All for my master's sake, Lucentio.

home?

Re-enter Gremio.

Signior Gremio! came you from the church?
Gre. As willingly as e'er I came from school.
Tra. And is the bride and bridegroom coming
home?

Gre. A bridegroom, say you? 'tis a groom, in-
deed,

A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find.
Tra. Curster than she? why, 'tis impossible.
Gre. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
Tra. Why, she's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam.
Gre. Tut! she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him.
I'll tell you, sir Lucentio; When the priest
Should ask-if Katharine should be his wife,
Ay, by gogs-wouns, quoth he; and swore so loud,

(3) Velvet. (4) Stocking.
(5) i. e. To deviate from my promise.
(6) Matters. (7) Strange.

Kath. I will be angry; What hast thou to do?Father, be quiet; he shall stay my leisure.

Gre. Ay, marry, sir: now it begins to work. Kath. Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner:I see a woman may be made a fool,

(1) It was the custom for the company present to drink wine immediately after the marriageceremony.

Curt. Away, you three-inch fool! I am no beast.) Gru. Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot; and so long am I, at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our mistress, whose hand (she being now at hand) thou shalt soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being slow in thy hot office.

Curt. I pr'ythee, good Grumio, tell me, How goes the world?

Gru. A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and, therefore, fire: Do thy duty, and have thy duty; for my master and mistress are almost frozen to death.

Curt. There's fire ready; And therefore, good Grumio, the news?

Gru. Why, Jack boy! ho boy! and as much news as thou wilt.

Gru. Call them forth.
Curt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my
master, to countenance my mistress.
Gru. Why, she hath a face of her own.
Curt. Who knows not that?

Gru. Thou, it seems; that callest for company to countenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Gru. Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.
Enter several Servants.

Nath. Welcome home, Grumio.
Phil. How now, Grumio?
Jos. What, Grumio!
Nich. Fellow Grumio!
Nath. How now, old lad?

Gru. Welcome, you ;-how now, you;-what, Curt. Come, you are so full of conycatching :-you ;-fellow, you; and thus much for greeting. Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught ex- Now, my spruce companions, is all ready, and all treme cold. Where's the cook? is supper ready, things neat?

the house trimmed, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept; Nath. All things is ready: How near is our the serving-men in their new fustian, their white master? stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and thereon? Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without, fore be not,-Cock's passion, silence!-I hear the carpets laid, and every thing in order? my master.

Curt. All ready; And therefore, I pray thee, news?

Gru. First, know, my horse is tired; my master and mistress fallen out.

Curt. How?

Enter Petruchio and Katharina.

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

To hold my stirrup, nor to take my horse?

Gru. Out of their saddles into the dirt; And Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?

thereby hangs a tale.

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

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

Gru. There.

[Striking him.

All Serv. Here, here, sir; here, sir.
Pet. Here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! here, sir!-
You logger-headed and unpolish'd grooms!"
What, no attendance? no regard? no duty ?—
Where is the foolish knave I sent before?

Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
Gru. And therefore 'tis called, a sensible tale:
and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and be-
seech listening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we came Did I not bid thee meet me in the park,
down a foul hill, my mastsr riding behind my mis-

Gru. Here, sir; as foolish as I was before.
Pet. You peasant swain! you whoreson malt-
horse drudge!

tress:

Curt. Both on one horse?
Gru. What's that to thee?

Curt. Why, a horse.

And bring along these rascal knaves with thee?
Gru. Nathaniel's coat, sir, 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:

Gru. Tell thou the tale:But hadst thou not There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Grecrossed me, thou shouldst have heard how her horse

gory;

fell, and she under her horse; thou should'st have The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly; heard, in how miry a place: how she was bemoil-Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you. ed; how he left her with the horse upon her; how Pet. Go, rascals, go, and fetch my supper in.he beat me because her horse stumbled; how she [Exeunt some of the Servants.

waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how Where is the life that late I led[Sings. he swore; how she prayed-that never prayed be- Where are those- -Sit down, Kate, and welcome. fore; how I cried; how the horses ran away; how Soud, soud, soud, soud!'

her bridle was burst; how I lost my crupper ;with many things of worthy memory; which now!

Re-enter Servants, with supper.

shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienced Why, when, I say?-Nay, good sweet Kate, be to thy grave.

merry.

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

Curt. By this reckoning, he is more shrew than Off with my boots, you rogues, you villains; When? she. [Sings. Gru. Ay; and that, thou and the proudest of you all shall find, when he comes home. But what Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry: talk I of this?-call forth Nathaniel, Joseph, Nich- Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.olas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop, and the rest; let [Strikes him. their heads be sleekly combed, their blue coats Be merry, Kate:-Some water, here; what, ho!brushed, and their garters of an indifferent knit: Where's my spaniel Troilus?-Sirrah, get you let them curtscy with their left legs; and not presume to touch a hair of my master's horse-tail, till And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither:they kiss their hands. Are they all ready?

Curt. They are.

(1) Bemired.

(2) Broken.

Not different one from the other. (4) A torch of pitch.

hence,

[Exit Servant. One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted with.

(5) A word coined by Shakspeare to express the noise made by a person heated and fatigued.

:

mour:

Where are my slippers ?-Shall I have some water? This is the way to kill a wife with kindness; A bason is presented to him. And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong huCome, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily [Servant lets the ewer fall. You whoreson villa! will you let it fall? [Strikes him. Kath. Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault unwilling.

Pet. A whoreson, beetle-headed, flap-ear'd knave! Come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach. Will you give thanks, sweet Kate; or else shall I?-I What is this? mutton?

Pet. 'Tis burnt; and so is all the meat:
What dogs are these?-Where is the rascal cook?
How durst you, villains, bring it from the dresser,
And serve it thus to me that love it not?
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all:

[Throws the meat, &c. about the stage.
You heedless joltheads, and unmanner'd slaves
What, do you grumble? I'll be with you straight.
Kath. I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet;
The meat was well, if you were so contented.

Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried

away;

And I expressly 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 choleric,-
Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh.
Be patient; to-morrow it shall be mended,
And, for this night, we'll fast for company:
Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.

[Exeunt Petruchio, Katharina, and Curtis. Nath. [Advancing.] Péter, didst ever see the like?

Peter. He kills her in her own humour.

Pet. Thus have I politicly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end successfully:
My falcon now is sharp, and passing empty;
And till she stoop, she must not be full-gorg'd,
For then she never looks upon her lure.'
Another way I have to man my haggard,2
To make her come, and know her keeper's call,
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites,
That bate, and beat, and will not be obedient,"
She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat;
Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not;
As with the meat, some undeserved fault
I'll find about the making of the bed;
And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets:-
Ay, and amid this hurly, I intend,

That all is done in reverent care of her;
And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night;
And, if she chance to nod, I'll rail, and brawl,
And with the clamour keep her still awake.

(1) A thing stuffed to look like the game which the hawk was to pursue.

(2) To tame my wild hawk.

He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
Now let him speak; 'tis charity to show. [Exit.
SCENE II.-Padua. Before Baptista's house.
Enter Tranio and Hortensio.
Tra. Is't possible, friend Licio, that Bianca
Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?
tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand.
Hor. Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said,
Stand by, and mark the manner of his teaching.
[They stand aside.

Enter Bianca and Lucentio.

Luc. Now, mistress, profit you in what you read?
Bian. What, master, read you? first resolve me

that.

Luc. I read that I profess, the art to love.
Bian. And may you prove, sir, master of your
art!

Luc. While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of
my heart.
[They retire,

Hor. Quick proceeders, marry! Now, tell me,
I pray,

You that durst swear that your mistress Bianca
Lov'd none in the world so well as Lucentio.
Tra. O despiteful love! unconstant woman-
kind!-

I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.

Hor. Mistake no more: I am not Licio,
Nor a musician, as I seem to be;
But one that scorn to live in this disguise,
For such a one as leaves a gentleman,
And makes a god of such a cullion;
Know, sir, that I am call'd-Hortensio,

Ta. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard
Of your entire affection to Bianca;
And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,
I will with you,-if you be so contented,-
Forswear Bianca and her love for ever."

Hor. See, how they kiss and court!——Signior
Lucentio,

Here is my hand, and here firmly vow-
Never to woo her more; but do forswear her,
As one unworthy all the former favours
That I have fondly flatter'd her withal,

Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath,-
Ne'er to marry with her though she would entreat:
Fie on her! see, how beastly she doth court him,
Hor. 'Would, all the world, but he, had quite
forsworn!

For me, that I may surely keep mine oath,
I will be married to a wealthy widow,
Ere three days pass; which hath as long lov'd me,
As I have lov'd this proud disdainful haggard:
And so farewell, signior Lucentio,-
Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks,
Shall win my love :-and so I take my leave,
In resolution as I swore before.

[Erit Hortensio.-Luc. and Bian. advance.
Tra. Mistress Bianca, bless you with such grace
As 'longeth to a lover's blessed case!
Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love;
And have forsworn you, with Hortensio.
Bian. Tranio, you jest; But have you both for-
sworn me?

Tra. Mistress, we have.
Luc.
Then we are rid of Licio,
Tra, I'faith, he'll have a lusty widow now,