<fected with the fashions, full of windgalls, fped with fpavins, raied with the yellows, paft cure of the fives, ftark fpoiled with the ftaggers, begnawn ' with the bots, waid in the back and fhoulder-fhotten, near-legg'd before, and with a half-check't bit, and a headftall of fheep's leather, which being restrain'd, to keep him from ftumbling, hath been often burft, and now repair'd with knots; one girt • fix times piec'd, and a woman's crupper of velure, which hath two letters for her name, fairly fet down in studs, and here and there piec'd with packthread.'

Bap. Who comes with him?

2

Bion. Oh, Sir, his lackey, for all the world caparison'd like the horse, with a linnen stock on one leg, and a kerfey boot-hofe on the other, garter'd with a red and blue lift, an old hat, and the bumour of forty fancies prickt up in't for a feather: < a monfter, a very monster in apparel, and not like a chriftian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey.'

6

Tra. 'Tis fome odd humour pricks him to this fashion;

2 An old hat, and the humour of forty fancies prickt up in't for a feather:] This was fome ballad or drollery of that time, which the poet here ridicules, by making Petruchio prick it up in his foot boy's old hat for a feather. His fpeakers are perpetually quoting fcraps and ftanzas of old Ballads, and often very obfcurely; for, fo well are they adapted to the occafion, that they seem of a piece with the reft. In Shakespear's time, the kingdom was over-run with thefe doggrel compofitions. And he feems to have born them a very particular grudge. He frequen:ly ridicules both them and their makers with exquifite humour. In Much ado about nothing, he makes Benedict lay, Prove that ever I lofe more blood with love than I get again with drinking, prick out my eyes with a ballad maker's pen. As the bluntnefs of it would make the execution extremely painful. And again in Troilus and Creffida, Pandarus in his diftrefs having repeated a very itupid ftanza from an old ballad, fays, with the highest humour, There never was a truer rhyme; let us caft away nothing, for we may live to have need of fuch a verfe. We fee it, noe fee it. Ff3

Yet

Yet oftentimes he goes but mean apparell❜d.

Bap. I am glad he's come, howfoever he comes. Bion. Why, Sir, he comes not.

Bap. Didft thou not fay, he comes?

Bion. Who? that Petruchio came not?

Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

Bion. No, Sir; I fay, his horse comes with him on his back.

Bap. Why, that's all one.

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

Enter Petruchio and Grumio fantastically habited.

Pet. Come, where be thefe gallants? who is at

home?

Bap. You're welcome, Sir.

Pet. And yet I come not well.

Bap. And yet you halt not.

Tra. Net 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:

First, were we fad, fearing you would not come;
Now, fadder, that you come fo unprovided.
Fie, doff this habit, fhame to your estate,
An eye-fore to our folemn festival.

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

Pet.

1

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 stay 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 vifit her.
Bap. But thus, I truft, you will not marry her.
Pet. Good footh, even thus; therefore ha' done
with words;

To me she's married, not unto my cloaths:
Could I repair what fhe will wear in me,
As I could change these poor accoutrements,
'Twere well for Kate, and better for my self.
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 see the event of this. [Exit.

Tra. But, Sir, our love concerneth us to add
Her Father's liking; which to bring to pass,
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.

Ff 4

Luc.

Luc. Were it not, that my fellow school-mafter
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:
We'll over-reach the grey-beard Gremio,
The narrow-prying Father Minola,
The quaint musician amorous Licio;
All for my mafter'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. 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, fhe'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 swore fo loud, That, all-amaz'd, the Priest let fall the book; And as he stoop'd again to take it up,

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

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

As if the Vicar meant to cozen him.

But

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; quafft 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 seem'd to ask "His fops as he was drinking. This done, he took. "The Bride about the neck, and kift her lips "With such 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
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 my felf
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 ftay 'till after dinner,

your

Pete