Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

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 bemoil'd;1 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 pray'd, that never pray'd before; how I cried; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; how I lost my crupper: with many things of worthy memory, which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienc'd' to thy grave.

78

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 comb'd, their blue coats brush'd, and their
garters of an indifferent knit: let them curtsy' 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?

91

GRU. Thou, it seems, that calls for company to countenance her.

CURT. I call them forth to credit her."

GRU. Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.

Enter four or five Serving-men.

NATH. Welcome home, Grumio!

PHIL. How now, Grumio!

Jos. What, Grumio!

NICH. Fellow Grumio!

NATH. How now, old Lad!

100

GRU. Welcome, you! how now, you! what, you!

[blocks in formation]

ACT IV

Sc. I

ACT IV
Sc. I

Now, my

fellow, you! and thus much for greeting. 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's1 passion, silence! I hear my master.

Enter PETRUCHIO and KATHARINA.

PET. Where be these knaves? What, no man at the 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.

ΙΣΟ

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' i̇' the heel ;
There was no link3 to colour* Peter's hat,
And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing:
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.

120

[Exeunt Servants.

Where is the life that late I led? Where are those—

Sit down, Kate, and welcome.

Soud, soud, soud, soud!"

Re-enter Servants with supper.

130

Why, when, I say? Nay, good sweet Kate, be merry.
Off with my boots, you Rogues! you Villains, when!

1 God's.

It was the friar of orders grey,

As he forth walked on his way:—

* without eyelet-holes. 3 torch. 4 black-smoke. 5 an expression of fatigue.

Out, out, you Rogue! you pluck my foot awry :
Take that, and mend the plucking-off the other.
Be merry, Kate. Some water, here; what, ho!
Where's my spaniel Troilus? Sirrah, get you
hence,

And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither:

One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted with.

Where are my slippers? Shall I have some water?

140

ACT IV

Sc. I

Enter one with water.

Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily.

You whoreson Villain! will you let it fall? [strikes him.
KATH. Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault unwilling.
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 ?
What is this? mutton?

[blocks in formation]

PET. "Tis burnt; and so is all the rest o' 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:
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 :1

150

160

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 't shall be mended,
And, for this night, we'll fast for company :
Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber. [exeunt.

1 disturbed.

[blocks in formation]

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.

Re-enter PETRUCHIO.

170

[exeunt.

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.3
Another way I have to man' my haggard,"
To make her come, and know her keeper's call:
That is, to watch her, as we watch those kites,"
That bate, 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, that way the sheets:

180

Ay; and amid this hurly I intend

That all is done in reverend care of her;

190

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 a way to kill a wife with kindness;

1 (falconers') half-starved: part of the process of training.

[blocks in formation]

lest she fall asleep:

refuse hawks.'

2 (id.) come at her

3 (id.) decoy; a stuffed bird used to tempt the hawk home to the wrist.

5 (id.) a full-grown female peregrine caught wild.

[blocks in formation]

• (id.) watch

1 (id.) 'base, bastardly,

(id.) flutter their wings.

And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a shrow,

Now let him speak: 'tis charity to show.

SCENE II. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S House.

Enter TRANIO and HORTENSIO.

ACT IV

Sc. I

[exit.

TRA. Is 't possible, Friend Licio, that Mistress 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.

Enter BIANCA and LUCENTIO.

Luc. Now, Mistress, profit you in what you

read?

BIAN. What, Master, read you? first resolve me that.
Luc. I read that I profess, the Art to Love.

BIAN. And may you prove, Sir, master of your art!

Luc. While you, sweet Dear, prove mistress of my heart!

ΤΟ

HOR. Quick proceeders, marry! Now, tell me, I pray,
you that durst swear that your mistress Bianca lov'd
none in the world so well as Lucentio ?

TRA. O despiteful Love! unconstant Womankind!
I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.

HOR. Mistake no more: I am not Licio
Nor a musician, as I seem to be;

But one that scorn to live in this disguise,
For such a one as leaves a gentleman,

And makes a God of such a cullion:1

Know, Sir, that I am call'd Hortensio.

TRA. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard

Of your entire affection to Bianca;

And, since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,

I will with you,

if

you be so contented,

Forswear Bianca and her love for ever.

HOR. See, how they kiss and court! Signior Lucentio,

Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow

Never to woo her more; but do forswear her,

1 worthless wretch.

20

« ZurückWeiter »