“ Bia. Farewel, sweet masters both; I must be gone.

[Exeunt Ser. and Bia. .“ Luc. 'Faith, mistress, then I have no cause to stay.

[Exit Lucentio. “ Hor. But I have cause to pry into this pedant; “ Methinks, he looks as though he were in love :" Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble, " To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every ftale, “ Seize thee, that list; if once I find thee ranging, “ Horte:fio will be quit with thee by changing.

'[Exit *.'

ACT III.

SIGN

SCENE I. The fame. Court before the House. Enter Baptifta, Gremio, 'Tranio, Catherine, Bianca, and Attendants ; Lucentio, and Hortensio among

them.
BAPTISTA.
IGNIOR Lucentio, (to Tra.) this is the 'pointed day

That Catherine and Petruchio Mould be marry'd,
And yet we hear not of our son-in-law :
What will be said ? what mockery will it be,
To want the bridegroom, when the priest attends
To speak the ceremonial sites of m marriage ?
What says Luceniio to this shame of curs?

Cat. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forc'd
To give my hand, oppos'd against my heart,
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen;
Who woo'd in hafte, 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 merry man,

# The whole of this scene is so immaterial, so improbable, and fo Atrained for humour, that our idcas consign it to neglect : the act, from Petrucbio's courthif, mult ever please, and rises cookderably above the first,

He'll

He'll wod 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 Catherine ;
And say, -L0! there is mad Petruchio's wife,
If it would please him come and marry ber.

Tra. Patience, good Catherine, and Baptista too;
Upon my life, Petruchio means but well,
Whatever fortune itays him from his word :
Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise ;
Though he be merry, yet withal he's honeft.
Cat. 'Would, Catherine had never seen him though!

[Exit, weeping : is followed by Bianca, Gremio,

Hortenfio, and others. Bap. Go, girl ; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For such an injury would vex a saint, Mach more a shrew of thy impatient temper.

Enter Biondello, bastily. Bio. Master, master, (to Tra.) news, old news, and such news as you never heard of!

Bap. Is it new and old too ? how may that be?

Bio. Why, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio's coming ?

Bap. Is he come?
Bio. Why, no, fir.
Bap. What then?
Bio. He is coming.
Bap.' When will he be here?
Bio. When he stands where I am, and fees

you

there. Tra. But say, what be thine old news ? Bio. 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 lac'd; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless, with two broken points: His horse hip'd with an old mothy faddle, the stirrops of no kindred : besides, poffeft with the glanders, and like to mofe in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the falhions, full of wind.

galls,

galls, Sped with spavins, ray'd with the yellows, paft core of the vives, stark spoild with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; fway'd in the back, and shoulder-Thotten; near-leg'd before, and with a half-check'd bit, and a bead-fall of Theep's-leather ; which, being restrain's to keep him from fumbling, hach been often burst, and now.repaired with knots; one girth fix times piec'd, and a woman's crupper of velure ; which hath two let. ters for her name, fairly set down in ftuds, and here and there piec'd with pack.thread.

Bap. Who comes with him?

Bio. O, fir, his lacquey, for all the world caparison'd
like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg, and a
kersey boot-hose on the other, garter'd with a red and
blue lift ; an old hat, and the humour of forty fancies
prick'd in't for a feather : a monster, a very monster in
apparel; and not like a christian foot-boy, or a gentle-
man's lacquey,
Tra. 'Tis fome odd humour pricks him to this

fashion ;
Yet oftentimes he goes but mean apparel'd.

Bap. I am glad, he's come though, howsoe'er he comes.
Bia Why, fir, he comes not.
Bap. Didit thou not say, he comes :
Bio. Who? that Petruchio came ?
Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

Bio. No, fir; I say, that his horfe comes, with him
On his back.

Bap. Why, that's all one.

Bio. Nay, by faint Jamy ; I hold you a penny,
A horse and a man is more than one, and yet not many.
Erter Petruchio, and his man Grumio, eddly habited both
Pet. Come, where be thefe gallants here who's at

home?

• This speech contains a whimgical luxuriance of risible description; there is abundant peculiarity of grotesque idea; Biondello requires great and uncommon distinctness and volubility, which are rarely fouad together.

Bap. And

Bap. You are welcome, fir.
Pet. And yet I come not well.

yet you

halt not. Tra. Not so well appareld As I could wilh you were.

Pet. Tut! were it better, I should rush in thas. But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride How does my father ! --Gentles, methinks, you frown. And wherefore gaze this goodly company; As if they saw some wond'rous monument, Some comet, or unusual prodigy}

Bap. Why, fir, you know, this is your wedding-day: Firft were we fad, fearing you would not come ; Now fadder, that you come fo unprovided. Fie! doff this habit, tame to your eftate, An eye-fore to our folemn festival.

Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import Hath all so long detain’d you from your wife, And sent you hither so volike yourfelfi

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear i Sofficeth, I am come to keep my word: “ Though, in some part, enforced to digress; “ Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse " As you fall well be fatisfy'd 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 cloaths of mine.

Pet. Not I, believe me ; thus I'll visit her.
Bap. But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
Pet. Good footh, even thus ; therefore, have don,

with words;
To me she's marryd, not unto my cloaths:
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 Pet. Gru, and Bio.

Tra. He hath fome meaning in his mad attire:
We will persuade him, be it poflible,
To put on better ere he

go

to church.
Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this,

[Exeunt Bap. and. Attendants. Tranio follows;

but is beckoned back by Lucentio, who con

verses awhile apart.
Tra. But to her love, fir, concerneth us to add
Her father's liking: Which, to bring to pass,
As I before imparted to your worthip,
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 Pifa;
And make assurance, here in Padua,
Of greater sums than I have promised.
So all you, quietly enjoy your hope,
And marry fweet Bianca with conlent.

Luc. Were it'not that my fellow, schoolmaster
Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly,
"Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage ;
Which once performa'd, let all the world fy-nog
I'll keep mine own, despight of all the world.

Tra. That, by degrees; we mean to look into,
And watch pur yantage in this, bufinels :-
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, laughing.
Now, 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 thall-find.

Ira. Curlter than the ? why, 'tis impossible.
Gre. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
Fra. Why, the'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 alk-if Gatherine should be his wife,

Ay,