ACT III To cast thy wandering eyes on every stale,1 SCENE II. The Same. [exit. The Same. Before BAPTISTA's House. Enter BAPTISTA, TRANIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, LUCENTIO, and others, Attendants. BAP. [to TRANIO.] Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed day That Katharine and Petruchio should be married, And yet we hear not of our son-in-law. What will be said? what mockery will it be, To want the bridegroom when the priest attends To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage! 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 frantic fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour: And, to be noted for a merry man, 10 20 He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, BAP. Go, Girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; Enter BIONDELLO. BION. Master, Master! news, old1 news, and such news as you never heard of! BAP. Is it new and old too? how may that be? 31 BION. Why, is it not news to hear of Petruchio's coming? 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. 40 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 candle - cases, one buckled, another lac'd; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town - armoury, with a broken hilt, and chapeless ;2 with two broken points:3 his horse hipp'd with an old mothy saddle, and 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, full of windgalls, sped with spavins, ray'd with the yellows, past cure of the fives,' stark spoil'd with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; sway'd3 in the back, and shoulder-shotten; near-legg'd before,1o and with a half-cheek'd" bit, and a headstall of sheep's leather, which, being restrain'd to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repair'd with knots; one girth six times piec'd, and a woman's crupper of velure," which hath two letters for her name fairly set down in studs, and here and there piec'd with packthread. BAP. Who comes with him? 60 BION. O, Sir, his lackey, for all the world caparison'd like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg, and a kersey boot-hose on the other, garter'd with a red 1 (slang) 'tip-top.' 2 no tip to the scabbard. 3 tagged laces between doublet and hose. + stable slang for 'mourn.' 5 Fr. 'mortdeschyon . . . the death of the back'; ‘a disease akin to glanders.' 6 stable slang for 'farcy.' 7 id. for 'vives' an inflammation of the parotid glands. 8 strained. 9 heavy-shouldered. 10 narrow in front.' 11 (1) with one cheek only; or (2) with one, or both, cheeks broken. 12 velvet. III : F 41 ACT III ACT III Sc. II and blue list; an old hat, and The Humour of Forty TRA. 'Tis some odd humour pricks him to this fashion; BAP. BION. Who? that Petruchio came? ВАР. 70 Didst thou not say he comes? Ay; that Petruchio came. BION. No, Sir; I say his horse comes, with him on his back. PET. Come, where be these gallants here? who's at home? BAP. Y'are welcome, Sir. PET. BAP. And yet you halt not. As I wish you were. And yet I come not well. Not so well apparell'd PET. Tut! were it better, I should rush in thus. As if they saw some wondrous monument, Some comet or unusual prodigy? BAP. Why, Sir, you know this is your wedding-day: First were we sad, fearing you would not come; Now sadder that you come so unprovided. TRA. And tell us, what occasion of import Hath all so long detain'd you from your wife, 100 PET. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: Sufficeth I am come to keep my word, As you shall be well satisfied withal. But where is Kate? I stay too long from her: BAP. But thus I trust you will not marry her. 110 PET. Good sooth, even thus; therefore ha' done with words: To me she's married, not unto my clothes. [exit. 121 [exit. Manent TRANIO and LUCENTIO. TRA. Sir, to her love concerneth us to add I am to get a man (whate'er he be, It skills not much, we'll fit him to our turn) 130 ACT III Sc. II ACT III TRA. That by degrees we mean to look into, Enter GREMIO. Signior Gremio, came you from the Church? A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find. I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio: when the priest The mad-brain bridegroom took him such a cuff, TRA. What said the wench when he rose up again? 140 150 160 GRE. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd and swore, As if the vicar meant to cozen him. But, after many ceremonies done, He calls for wine: A health! quoth he; as if But that his beard grew thin and hungerly, 170 |