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 Pifa,

And make affurance here in Padua
Of greater fums than I have promised:
So fhall you quietly enjoy your hope,
And marry fweet Bianca with confent.

Luc. Were it not, that my fellow school-mafter Doth watch Bianca's fteps fo narrowly,

'Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage;
Which once perform'd, let all the world fay, no,
I'll keep my own, defpight 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 fake, Lucentio.

SCENE VI.

Enter Gremio.

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, fay you? 'tis a groom, indeed,
A grumbling groom, and that the girl fhall find.
Ira. Curfter than fhe? why, 'tis impoffible.
Gre. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
Tra. Why, fhe's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam,
Gre. Tut, fhe's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him.
I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio; when the Priest
Should afk, if Catharine fhould be his wife?
Ay, by gogs-woons, quoth he; and fwore fo loud,
That, all-amaz'd, the Priest let fall the book;
And as he ftoop'd again to take it up,

G 6

This

This mad-brain'd Bridegroom took him fuch a cuff, That down fell priest and book, and book and prieft. Now take them up, quoth he, if any lift.

Tra. What faid the wench, when he rose up again?
Gre. Trembled and fhook; for why, he stamp'd
and fwore,

As if the Vicar meant to cozen him.
But after many ceremonies done,

He calls for wine: a health, quoth he; as if
H'ad been aboard carousing to his Mates
After a ftorm; quafft off the muscadel,
And threw the fops all in the fexton's face;
Having no other caufe, but that his beard
Grew thin and hungerly, and feem'd to afk
His fops as he was drinking. This done, he took
The Bride about the neck, and kift her lips
With fuch a clamorous fmack, that at the parting
All the church echo'd; and I seeing this,
Came thence for very fhame; and after me,

I know, the rout is coming: Such a mad marriage Ne er was before.-Hark, hark, I hear the minfirels. [Mufic plays.

Pet.

SCENE

VII.

Enter Petruchio, Catharina, Bianca, Hortenfio,

and Baptifta.

ENTLEMEN and friends, I thank you for your pains:

GE

I know, you think to dine with me to day,
And have prepar'd great ftore of wedding cheer;
But fo it is, my hafte doth call me hence;
And therefore here I mean to take my leave.
Bap. Is't poffible, you will away to night?
Pet. I muft away to day, before night come.
Make it no wonder; if you knew my business,
You would entreat me rather go than stay.

And,

And, honeft Company, I thank you all,
That have beheld me give away myself
To this moft patient, fweet and virtuous wife.
Dine with my father, drink a health to me,
For I must hence, and farewel to you all.
Tra. Let us intreat you stay 'till after dinner.
Pet. It may not be.

Gre. Let me intreat you.
Pet. It cannot be.

Cath. Let me intreat you.

Pet. I am content

Cath. Are you content to stay?

Pet. I am content, you shall intreat me, stay;
But yet not flay, intreat me how you can.
Cath. Now, if you love me, ftay.

Pet. Grumio, my horses.

Gru. Ay, Sir, they be ready: * the oats have eaten the horses.

Cath. Nay, then,

Do what thou canft, I will not go to day;

No, nor to-morrow, nor 'till I please myself :
The door is open, Sir, there lies your way,
You may be jogging, while your boots are green;
For me, I'll not go, 'till I please myself:
'Tis like, you'll prove a jolly furly groom,
That take it on you at the first so roundly.

Pet. O, Kate, content thee, pr'ythee, be not angry.
Cath. I will be angry; what haft thou to do?
Father, be quiet; he fhall ftay my leisure.
Gre. Ay, marry, Sir; now it begins to work.
Cath. Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner.
I fee, a woman may be made a fool,

If she had not a spirit to refift.

Pet. They fhall go forward, Kate, at thy command. Obey the Bride, you that attend on her:

Go to the feaft, revel and domineer;

Caroufe full measure to her maiden-head;

*The oats have eaten the horses.] That is, the Diftemper is fo call'd.

Be

Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves;
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor ftare, nor fret,
I will be mafter of what is mine own;

She is my goods, my chattels, she is my house,
My houfhold-ftuff, my field, my barn,
My horfe, my ox, my afs, my any thing;
And here fhe ftands, touch her who ever dare.
I'll bring my action on the proudest he,
That ftops my way in Padua: Grumio,

Draw forth thy weapon; we're befet with thieves;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man:

Fear not, fweet wench, they shall not touch thee,

Kate;

I'll buckler thee against a million.

[Exeunt Pet. and Cath. Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones. Gre. Went they not quickly, I fhould die with laughing.

Tra. Of all mad matches, never was the like.
Luc. Miftrefs, what's your opinion of your fifter?
Bian. That, being mad herself, fhe's madly mated.
Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.

Bap. Neighbours and Friends, tho' Bride and Bridegroom want

For to fupply the places at the table;

You know, there wants no junkets at the feast:
Lucentio, you fupply the Bridegroom's place;
And let Bianca take her Sifter's room.

Tra. Shall fweet Bianca practife how to bride it?
Bap. She fhall, Lucentio: Gentlemen, let's go.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

Petruchio's Country House.

Enter Grumio.

GRUMI O.

FIE, fie on all tired jades, and all mad matters, and

:

all foul ways! was ever man fo beaten? was ever man so raide? was ever man so weary? I am sent before, to make a fire; and they are coming after, to warm them now were I not a little pot, and foon 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 fhall warm myfelf; for, confidering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold: holla, hoa, Curtis !

Enter Curtis.

Curt. Who is it that calls fo coldly?

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

Curt. Is my mafter and his wife coming, Grumio? Gru. Oh, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire; caft on no water.

Curt. Is the fo hot a Shrew, as fhe's reported?

Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this frost; but thou know'ft, winter tames man, woman and beast ; for it hath tam'd my old mafter, and my new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.

Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beast. Gru. Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot, and fo long am I at the leaft. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our mistrefs, whofe hand, the being now at hand, thou fhalt

foon