Having no other caufe, but that his beard
Grew thin and hungerly, and feem'd to ask
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 feeing 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 minstrels.
[Mufick plays.
Enter Petruchio, Catharina, Bianca, Hortenfio,
and Baptifta.

Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your pains: 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, 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 muft hence, and farewel to you all. Tra. Let us intreat you stay 'till after dinner. Fet. 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 ftay?

Pet. I am content, you fhall intreat me, ftay;

But yet not itay, intreat me how you can.

Cath. Now, if you love me, ftay.

Pet. Grumio, my horfes.

Gru. Ay, Sir, they be ready: The oats have eaten the borfes.

Cath. Nay, then,

Do

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 pleafe myself:
'Tis like, you'll prove a jolly furly groom,
That take it on you at the first fo roundly.
Pet. O, Kate, content thee; prythee, be not angry.
Cath. I will be angry; what haft thou to do?
Father, be quiet; he fhall ftay my leifure.

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 fpirit 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 meafure to her maiden-head;
Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves;
But for my bonny Kate, fhe muft with me.
Nay, look not big, nor ftamp, nor ftare, nor fret,
I will be mafter of what is mine own;

She is my goods, my chattels, the is my house,
My fhoushold ftuff, my field, my barn,

My horfe, my ox, my afs, my any thing;
And here the ftands, touch her who ever dare.
I'll bring my action on the proudest he,
That flops my way in Padua: Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon; we're befet with thieves;
Refcue thy miftrefs, if thou be a man:

Fear not, fweet wench, they fhall 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. Mitrefs, what's your opinion of your fifter?
Bian. That, being mad nerfelf, fhe's madly mated.
Gre I warrant him, Petruchio is kated.

Bap. Neighbours and friends, tho' bride and bridegroom For to fupply the places at the table;

[want

You

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

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

F

ACT

IV.

SCENE, Petruchio's Country House.

Enter Grumio.

GRUMI 0.

Y, fy on all tired jades, and all mad masters, and all foul ways! was ever man fo beaten? was ever man fo raide? was ever man fo weary? I am fent 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'ft 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, Grumia? Gru. Oh, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire; caft

on no water.

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

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

Gurt.

Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beast. Gru. (18) Am I but three inches? why, my horn is a foot, and fo long am I at the leaft. But wilt thou make a fire, or fhall I complain on thee to our mistress, whofe hand, fhe being now at hand, thou fhalt foon feel to thy cold comfort, for being flow 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 mafter and miftrefs 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 fo full of conycatching.

Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extream. cold. Where's the cook? is fupper ready, the house trimm'd, rushes ftrew'd, cobwebs fwept, the fervingmen in their new fuftian, their white stockings, and every officer his wedding garment on? be 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 master and mistress fall'n out.

Curt. How?

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

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

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

Gru. There.

[Strikes bima

Cart. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale: And this

(18) Am I but three inches? why, thy born is a foot, and fo long am I at the leaft.] This is faid by Grumio to Curtis. But, though all the copies agree in the reading, what Horn had Curtis? but Grumio rides poft before his mafter, and blows his Horn to give notice of his own coming home, and his master's approach.

cuff

cuff was but to knock at your ear, and beseech liftning. Now I begin Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my mafter riding behind my miftrefs.

Curt. Both on one horfe?

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

Gru. Tell thou the tale.But hadft thou not croft me, thou should't have heard how her horfe fell, and fhe under her horfe: Thou should't have heard in how miry a place, how she was bemoil'd, how he left her with the horse upon her, how he beat me because her horse fumbled, how fhe waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he fwore, how the pray'd that never pray'd before; how I cry'd, how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst, how I loft my crupper; with many things of worthy memory, which now fhall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienc'd to thy grave.

Curt. By this reckoning he is more shrew than fhe. Gru. Ay, and that thou 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, Sugerfop, and the reft: Let their heads be fleekly comb'd, their blue coats brufh'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them curt'fy with their left legs, and not prefume to touch a hair of my master's horfe tail, 'till they kifs their hands. Are they all ready? Curt. They are.

Gru. Call them forth.

Curt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my mafter to countenance my mistress.

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

Curt. Who knows not that?

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

countenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Enter four or five Serving-men.

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

Phil. How now, Grumio?

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