Bian. I must believe my mafter, else I promise you, Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray, Hor. You may go walk, and give me leave a while; My leffons make no mufick in three parts. Luc. Are you fo formal, Sir? well, I must wait, Hor. Madam, before you touch the inftrument, Bian. Why, I am paft my Gamut long ago. Bian. [reading.] Gamut I am, the ground of all Are, to plead Hortenfio's paffion; B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord, D fol re, one cliff,, but two notes have I. Call you this Gamut? tut, I like it not ; Enter a Servant. Serv. Miftrefs, your father prays you leave your books, (15) Old fafbions please me beft: I'm not fo nice To change true Rules for new Inventions.] And This is Senfe and the Meaning of the Paffage; but the Reading of the Second Verfe, for all that, is fophifticated. The genuine Copies all concur in Reading, To change true Rules for old Inventions. R 3 This, And help to dress your fifter's chamber up; [Exit. Luc. Faith, miftrefs, then I have no cause to ftay. Hor. But I have caufe to pry into this pedant, [Exit. [Exib Enter Baptifta, Gremio, Tranio, Catharina, Lucentio, Bap. Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed day Cath. No fhame, but mine; I muft, forfooth, be forc'd To give my hand oppos'd against my heart, Unto a mad-brain Rudesby, full of fpleen; Who woo'd in hafte, and means to wed at leifure, Hiding his bitter jefts in blunt behaviour: He'll woo a thoufand, 'point the day of marriage,. This, indeed, is contrary to the very Thing it should ex prefs: But the easy Alteration, which I have made, restores the Senfe, and adds a Contraft in the Terms perfectly juft. True Rules are oppos'd to edd Inventions; i, e. Wbimfies. If If it would please him come and marry her. Tra. Patience, good Catharine, and Baptifta too; What ever fortune ftays hiin from his word. Cath. Would Catharine had never seen him tho'! Much more a Shrew of thy impatient humour, Enter Biondello. Bion. Mafter, Mafter; old news, and fuch 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 ftands where I am, and fees you there. Tra. But, fay, 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 candle cafes, one buckled, another lac'd; an old rufty fword ta'en out of the town-armory, with a broken hilt, and chapelefs, with two broken points; his horfe hip'd with an old mothy faddle, the firrups of no kindred; befides, poffeft with the glanders, and like to mofe in the chine, troubled with the lampaffe, infected with the fashions, full of wind galls, 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 fhoulderfhotten, near-legg'd before, and with a half-check't bit, and a headstall of sheep's leather, which being reftrain'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 ftuds, and here and there piec'd with packthread. Bap. Who comes with him? Bion. Oh, Sir, his lackey, for all the world caparifon'd like the horfe, with a linnen ftock on one leg, and a kerfey boot-hofe on the other, garter'd with a red and blue lift, an old hat, and the humour of forty fancies prickt up in't for a feather: a monfter, a very monfter in apparel, and not like a chriftian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey. Tra. 'Tis fome odd humour pricks him to this fashion; Yet oftentimes he goes but mean-apparell'd. Bap. I am glad he's come, howfoever he comes. Bap. Didit thou not fay, he comes? Bion, Who? that Petruchio came not? Bap. Av, that Petruchio came, Bion. No, Sir; I fay, his horfe comes with him on his back. Bap. Why, that's all one. Bion. Nay, by St. Jamy, I hold you a penny, A horfe and a man is more than one, and yet not many. 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 should rush in thus. But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride? How does my Father? Gentles, methinks, you frown: As if they faw fome wondrous monument, Bat Bap. Why, Sir, you know, this is your wedding day:: Firft, were we fad, fearing you would not come; Now, fadder, that you come fo unprovided. Tra. And tell us what occafion of import Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: But, where is Kate? I ftay too long from her; To me fhe's married, not unto my cloaths: 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.. [Exits Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this. [Exiti Har Father's liking; which, to bring to pass,. I am to get a man, (whate'er he be,, It skills not much; we'll fit him to our turn;}} And make affurance here in Padua: |