seech listening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mis

tress:

Curt. Both on 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 ;2 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 their heads be sleekly combed, their blue coats brushed, and their garters of an indifferent3 knit : let them curtsey with their left legs; and not presume to touch a hair of my master's horse-tail, till they kiss their hands. Are they all ready? Curt. They are.

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.

(1) Bemired.

(2) Broken.

(3) Not different one from the other.

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, you;-fellow, you; and thus much for greeting. Now, my spruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat?

Nath. All things is ready: How near is our master?

Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not,-Cock's passion, silence!--I hear

my master.

Enter Petruchio and Katharina.

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

To hold my stirrup, nor to take my horse?
Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?-

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?
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:

(1) A torch of pitch.

There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and

Gregory;

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[Sings. 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.

[Sings.

Off with my boots, you rogues, you villains; When?
It was the friar of orders grey,
As he forth walked on his way:-
Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry:
Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.--
[Strikes him.
Be merry, Kate :-Some water, here; what, ho!-
Where's my spaniel Troilus?-Sirrah, get you
hence,

And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither:-
[Exit Servant.
One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted

with.

Where are my slippers?-Shall I have some water? [A bason is presented to him.

Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily

[Servant lets the ewer fall.

You whoreson villain! will you let it fall?

[Strikes him.

Kath, Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault un

willing.

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?

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

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.] Peter, didst ever see the like?

Peter. He kills her in her own humour.

Re-enter Curtis.

Gru. Where is he?

Curt. In her chamber,

Making a sermon of continency to her :

And rails and swears, and rates; that she, poor soul,
Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak;
And sits as one new-risen from a dream.
Away, away! for he is coming hither. [Exeunt.

Re-enter Petruchio.

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,3 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,4

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.
This is the 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 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?

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?

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

(2) To tame my wild hawk.

(3) Flutter.

(4) Pretend.