Bap. Why, that's all one.

Bion. Nay, by St Janny, I hold you a penny A horfe and a man is more than one, and yet not

Enter Petruchio and Grumio fantastically habited.

Pet. Come, where be these gallants? who is at home?

Bap. You're welcome, Sir.

Pet. And yet I come not well.

Bap. And yet you halt not.

Tra. Not fo well 'parell'd as I wish you were.
Pet. Were it better, I fhould rush in thus.
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 faw fome wondrous monument,
Some comet, or unusual prodigy?

Bap. Why, Sir, you know this is your weddingday:

Firft were we fad, fearing you would not come ; Now fadder, that you come fo unprovided.

Fy, doff this habit, fhame to your estate,

An eye-fore to our folemn feftival.

Tra. And tell us what occcafion of import Hath all fo long detain'd you from your wife, And fent you hither fo unlike yourself?

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear:
Sufficeth I am come to keep my word,
Tho' in fome part enforced to digrefs,
Which at more leifure I will fo excufe,
As you fhall well be fatisfied withal.

But where is Kate? I ftay 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 truft, you will not marry her.

Pet. Good footh, even thus; therefore ha' done
with words;

To me fhe's married, not unto my cloaths.
Could I repair what she will wear in me,
As I could change thefe poor accoutrements,
'Twere well for Kate, and better for myself.
But what a fool am I to chat with you,
When I fhould bid good-morrow to my bride,
And feal the title with a lovely kifs! [Exit.
Tra. He hath fome meaning in his mad attire:
We will perfuade him, be it poffible,
To put on better ere he go to church.

Bap. I'll after him, and fee th' event of this.

SCENE

V.

[Exit.

Tra. But, Sir, our love concerneth us to add
Her father's liking; whiclt to bring to pass,
As I before imparted to your worship,

I am to get a man, (whate'er he be,
If fkills not much; we'll fit him to our turn ;)
And he fhall be Vincentio of Pifa,

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

Luc. Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster
Doth watch Bianca's fteps fo narrowly,
'Twere good, methinks, to fteal 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:
Well over-reach the grey-beard Gremio,
The narrow-prying father Minola,
The quaint musician, amorous Licio,
All for my mafter's fake, Lucentio.

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. Tra. 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, he's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him: I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio; when the priest Should ask, 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,

This mad-brain'd bridegroom took him fuch a cuff,
That down fell priest and book, and book and
Now take them up, quoth he, if any lift. [priest.
Tra. What said the wench, when he rose up again?
Gre. Trembled and fhook; for why, he ftamp'd
As if the Vicar meant to cozen him. [and fwore,
But after many ceremonies done,

He calls for wine: a health, quoth he: as if
H'ad been aboard carowfing to his mates
After a ftorm; quaff'd off the mufcadel,
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 kiss'd her lips
With fuch a clamorous fmack, that at the parting.
All the chruch echo'd; and, 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 min

ftrels.

SCENE

[Mufic plays.

VII.

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 store of wedding chear;
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 bufinefs,
You would intreat me rather go than stay.
And, honeft company, I thank you all,
That have beheld me give away myself
To this most patient, fweet and virtuous wife.
Dine with my father, drink a health to me,
For I must hence, and farewell 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 fhall intreat me stay; But yet not stay, intreat me how you can.

Cath. Now, if you love me, stay.

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 lyes 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 firft fo 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 thail 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 fhe had not a fpirit to refift,

Pet. They fhall go forward, Kate, at thy com

mand.

Obey the bride, you that attend on her :
Go to the feaft, revel and domineer;
Caroufe full measure to her maiden-head;
Be mad and merry, or go hang your felves;
But for my bonny Kate, fhe muft with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret.
I will be mafter of what is mine own:

She is my goods, my chattels, fhe is my house,
My houfhold-stuff, 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 proudeft he,
That ftops my way in Padua: Grumio,

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

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

Kate;

I'll buckler thee against a million.

A

[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 filter? Bian. That, being mad herself, fhe's madly mated. Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.

Bap. Neighbours and friends, though 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 fifter's room.

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

[Exeunt.