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.

Pel. Not I, believe me: thus I'll visit her.
Bap. But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
Pet. Good sooth, even thus ; therefore have done
with words:

To me she's married, not unto my clothes.
Could I repair what she will wear in me,
As I can change these poor accoutrements,
'Twere well for Kate, and better for myself.
But what a fool am I to chat with you,
When I should bid good-morrow to my bride,
And seal the title with a lovely kiss!

[Exeunt PETRUchio, Grumio, and BIONDELLO.
Tra. He hath some meaning in his mad attire.
We will persuade him, be it possible,
To put on better ere he go to church.
Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this.

[Exit.

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

It skills not much, we'll fit him to our turn,—
And he shall be Vincentio of Pisa,
And make assurance, here, in Padua,
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,
"Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage;
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 grey-beard, Gremio,
The narrow-prying father, Minola,
The quaint musician, amorous Licio;
All for my master's sake, Lucentio.
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 indeed; 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, That, all amaz'd, the priest let fall the book, And, as he stoop'd again to take it up,

This mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff, That down fell priest and book, and book and priest: "Now take them up," quoth he, "if any list."

Tra. What said the wench when he arose again? Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd,

and swore,

As if the vicar meant to cozen him.

But after many ceremonies done,

He calls for wine :-"A health!" quoth he; as if He had been aboard, carousing to his mates

After a storm :-quaff'd off the muscadel,
And threw the sops all in the sexton's face;
Having no other reason,

But that his beard grew thin and hungerly,
And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking.
This done, he took the bride about the neck,
And kiss'd her lips with such a clamorous smack,
That, at the parting, all the church did echo:
And I, seeing this, came thence for very shame;
And after me, I know, the rout is coming:
Such a mad marriage never was before.
Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play. [Music.
Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, BAP-
TISTA, HORTENSIO, GRUMIO, and Train.
Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank

pains.

you for

your

I know, you think to dine with me to-day,
And have prepar'd great store of wedding cheer;
But, so it is, my haste doth call me hence,
And therefore here I mean to take my leave.

Bap. Is't possible you will away to-night?
Pet. I must away to-day, before night come.
Make it no wonder if you knew my business,
You would entreat me rather go than stay.—
And, honest company, I thank you all,
That have beheld me give away myself
To this most patient, sweet, and virtuous wife :
Dine with my father, drink a health to me,
For I must hence; and farewell to you all.
Tra. Let us entreat you stay till after dinner.
Pet. It may not be.

Kath. Nay, then,

Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day;
No, nor to-morrow, till I please myself.
The door is open, sir, there lies your way;
You may be jogging whiles your boots are green;
For me, I'll not be gone, till I please myself.—
'Tis like you'll prove a jolly surly groom,
That take it on you at the first so roundly.

Pet. O, Kate! content thee: pr'ythee, be not angry.

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, If she had not a spirit to resist.

Pet. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command.

Obey the bride, you that attend on her:
Go to the feast, revel and domineer,
Carouse full measure to her maidenhead,
Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves.
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret;
I will be master of what is mine own.
She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,
My household-stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;

And here she stands; touch her whoever dare:
I'll bring mine action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua.-Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon; we're beset with thieves:
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man.—

Fear not, sweet wench; they shall not touch thee,
Kate:

I'll buckler thee against a million.

[Exeunt PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, and GRUMIO.

Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones. Gre. Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing.

48

Tra. Of all mad matches never was the like!
Luc. Mistress, what's your opinion of your sister?
Bian. That, being mad herself, she's madly mated.
Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.
Bap. Neighbours and friends, though bride and
bridegroom wants

For to supply the places at the table,

You know, there wants no junkets at the feast.Lucentio, you shall supply the bridegroom's place, And let Bianca take her sister's room.

Tra. Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it? Bap. She shall, Lucentio.-Come, gentlemen; let's go. [Exeunt.

27

SCENE I.-A Hall in PETRUCHIO's Country-house.

Enter GRUMIO.

Gru. Fie, fie, on all tired jades, on all mad masters, and all foul ways! Was ever man so beaten? was ever man so rayed? was ever man so weary ? I am sent before to make a fire, and they are coming after to warm them. Now, were not I a little pot, and soon hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a fire to thaw me; but, I, with blowing the fire, shall warm myself, for, considering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold. Holla, hoa! Curtis!

Enter CURTIS.

Curt. Who is that, calls so coldly?

Gru. A piece of ice: if thou doubt it, thou may'st slide from my shoulder to my heel, with no greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis.

Curt. Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio? Gru. O! ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire:

cast on no water.

Curt. Is she so hot a shrew as she's reported? Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this frost; but, thou know'st, winter tames man, woman, and beast, for it hath tamed my old master, and my new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.

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.

Curt. Come, you are so full of cony-catching.Gru. Why, therefore, fire: for I have caught extreme cold. Where's the cook? is supper ready, the house trimmed, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept: the serving-men in their new fustian, the white stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on?

Be the Jacks fair within, the Jills fair without, the carpets laid, and every thing in order? Curt. All ready; and therefore, I pray thee, news? Gru. First, know, my horse is tired; my master and mistress fallen out.

Curt. Both of one horse?
Gru. What's that to thee?
Curt. Why, a horse.

Gru. Tell thou the tale :-but hadst thou not crossed me, thou should'st have heard how her horse fell, and she under her horse; thou should'st have heard, in how miry a place; how she was bemoiled; how he left her with the horse upon her; how he beat me because her horse stumbled; how she waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he swore; how she prayed, that never prayed before; how I cried; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; how I lost my crupper;with many things of worthy memory, which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienced to thy grave.

Curt. By this reckoning he is more shrew than

she.

Gru. Ay; and that thou and the proudest of you all shall find, when he comes home. But what talk I of this?-Call forth Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop, and the rest: let

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?

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

Did I not bid thee meet me in the park,
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:
There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gre-
gory;

The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly;
Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you.
Pet. Go, rascals, go, and fetch my supper in.
[Exeunt some of the Servants.
"Where is the life that late I led"-
Where are those-? Sit down, Kate, and welcome.
Soud, soud, soud, soud!

Re-enter Servants, with supper.

Why, when, I say?-Nay, good sweet Kate, be merry.

Off with my boots, you rogues! you villains, when?

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., at them. 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. Peter, didst ever see the like? Peter. He kills her in her own humour.

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 reverend 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.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness;
And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
Now let him speak: 'tis charity to shew.

SCENE II.-Padua.

[Exit.

Before BAPTISTA's House.

Enter TRANIO, and HORTENSIO.

Tra. Is't possible, friend Licio, that mistress Bianca

Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I 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. [Coming forward.] Quick proceeders, mar

ry! 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 womankind!

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 scorns 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.

Tra. 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 I 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, Never 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,