Enter a Servant. ' Serv. Mistress, your father prays your leave your books, 4 And help to dress your sister's chamber up; Luc. Faith, Mistress, then I have no cause to stay. SCENE II. The same. Before Baptista's House. [Exit. Enter BAPTISTA, GREMIO, TRANIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, LUCENTIO, and Attendants. Bap. Signior Lucendo, (TO TRANIO.] this is the 'pointed day That Katharine and Petruchio should be married, What says Lucentio to this shame of ours? Kath. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forc'd To give my hand, oppos'd against my heart, Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure. I told you, I, he was a frantick fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour; He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, And say, Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife, If it would please him come and marry her. Tra. Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista too; Upon my life, Petruchio means but well, Whatever fortune stays him from his word: Though he be blunt, I lanow him passing wise; Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest, Kath. 'Would, Katharine had never seen him though! (Exit, weeping, followed by BIANCA, and Others. Bap. Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to wezp; For such an injury would vex a saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour. Enter BIONDELLO. Bian. Master, Master! news, old news, and such -news as you never heard of! Bap. Is it new and old too? how may that be? Bion. Why, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio's coming? Bap. Is he come? Bion. Why, no, Sir. Bap. What then? Bion. He is coming. Bap. When will he be here? Bion, When he stands where I am, and sees you there. Tra. But, say, what: To thine old news. Bion. Why, Petruchio is coming, in a new hat, and an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches, thrice turn'd; a pair of boots that have been candlecases, one buckled, another laced; and 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 saddle, the stirrups of no kindred: besides, possess'd with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, ull of windgalls, sped with spavins, raied with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots: sway'd in the back, and shoulder-shotten; ne'er-legg'd before, and with a half-check'd bit, and a head-stall of sheep's leather; which, being restrain'd to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repair'd with knots: one girt six times pieced, and a woman's crupper of velure, which hath two letters for her name, fairly set down in studs, and here and there pieced with pack-thread. Bap. Who comes with him? Bion, O, Sir, his lackey, for all the world capa rison'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,list; an old hat, and The hu mour of forty fancies prick'd in't for a feather: a monster, a very monster in apparel; and not like a christian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey. Tra. 'Tis some odd humour pricks him to this Yet often times he goes but mean apparell'd.' Bap. Didst thou not say, he comes?" ་།* Bian. Bion. No, Sir; I say, his horse comes with him Qu his back, Bap. Why, that's all one. Bion. Nay, by saint Jamy, I hold you a penny, A hore and a man is more than one, and yet not many. Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO. Pet. Come, where be these gallants? who is at home? Bap. You are welcome, Sir. As I wish you were. ! Pet. Were it better I should rush in thus. As if they saw some wondrous monument, Bap. Why, Sir, you know, this is your wedding day: First were we sad, fearing you would not come; Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word, Though in some part enforced to digress, 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. VOL. VI. Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent robes; Go to my chamber, put on clothes of mine. Pet. Not I, believe me; thus I'll visit her. Pap. 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: [Exeunt PETRUCHIO, GRUMIO and BIONDELLO. Tra. He hath some meaning in his mad attires 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. It skills not much; we'll fit him to our turn, Luc. Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster - Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into,, And watch our vantage in this business: no |