Curt. All ready; and therefore, I pray thee, what news?

Gru. First, know, my horfe is tired, my mafter and miftrefs fall'n out.

Curt. How?

Gru. Out of their faddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a tale.

Curt. Let's ha't, good Grumio.

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

Gru. There.

[Strikes him.

Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.

Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale: and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and befeech liftening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my mafter riding behind my mistress.

Curt. Both on one horse?

Gru. What's that to thee?

Curt. Why, a horse.

Gru. "Tell thou the tale-But hadft thou not "crofs'd me, thou fhould't have heard how her horfe ‚“ - fell, and the under her horse: thou should't have heard "in how miry a place, how he was bemoil'd, how "he left her with the horfe upon her, how he beat me "because her horfe ftumbled, how fhe waded through "the dirt to pluck him off me; how he fwore, how "The pray'd that never pray'd before; how I cry'd; "how the horfes ran away; how her bridle was burst; "how I loft my crupper; with many things of worthy memory, which now fhall die in oblivion, and thou "return unexperienc'd to thy grave."

Curt. By this reckoning he is more fhrew than the. Gru. Ay, and that thou and the proudeft of you all fhall find when he comes home. But what talk I of this call forth Nathaniel, Jofeph, Nicholas, Philip, Waiter, Sugarfop, and the reft; let their heads be fleekly comb'd, their blue coats brufh'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them curt'fy with their left legs, and not prefume to touch a hair of my mafter's horfe-tail, till they kifs 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, the hath a face of her own.

Curt. Who knows not that?

Gru. Thou, it feems, that call'ft for company to

countenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Enter four or five ferving-men.

Gru. Why, fhe comes to borrow nothing of them. Nat. Welcome home, Grumio.

Phil. How now, Grumio?

Jof. What, Grumio!

Nich. Fellow Grumio!

Nath. How now, old lad.

Gru. "Welcome, you; how now, you; what, you; fellow, you; and thus much for greeting." Now, my fpruce companions, is all ready, and all things

neat?

Nat. All things are ready; how near is our mafter? Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not-cock's paffion, filence! I hear my

mafter.

SCENE

II.

Enter Petruchio and Kate.

Pet. Where be thefe knaves? what, no man at door, to hold my ftirrup, nor to take my horfe? Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?

All Serv. Here, here, Sir; here, Sir.

Pet. Here, Sir, here, Sir, here, Sir, here, Sir?
You loggerheaded and unpolish'd grooms:

What! no attendance? no regard? no duty?
Where is the foolish knave I fent before?

[drudge,

Gru. Here, Sir, as foolish as I was before. Pet. You peafant fwain, you (whorefon, malt-horse Did not I 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 i' th' heel; There was no link to colour Peter's hat;

And Walter's dagger was not come from fheathing:

There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory;
The reft were ragged, old, and beggarly;

Yet as they are, here are they come to meet you.
Pet. Go, rafcals, go, and fetch my fupper in.

[Exeunt Servants.

Where is the life that late I led?
Where are thofe- -Sit down, Kate,
And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud!

Enter Servants with fupper.

[Singing.

Why, when, I fay? nay, good sweet Kate, be merry.
Off with my boots, you rogue: you villains, when?

It was the friar of orders gray,
As he forth walked on his way.

Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry.
Take that, and mind the plucking off the other.

[Sings.

[Strikes him. Be merry, Kate: fome water, here; what, hoa!

Enter one with water.

Where's my fpaniel Troilus? firrah, get you hence,
And bid my coufin Ferdinand come hither;

One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted with.
Where are my flippers? fhall I have fome water?
Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily:
You whorefon villain, will you

let it fall?

Cath. Patience, I pray you, 'twas a fault unwilling. Pet. A whorefon, beatle-headed, flap-ear'd knave: Come, Kate, fit down; I know you have a ftomach Will you give thanks, fweet Kate, or elfe fhall I? What's this, mutton?

I Serv. Yes.

Pet. Who brought it?

Serv. I.

Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat:
What dogs are these? where is the rafcal cook?
How durft you, villains, bring it from the dreffer,
And ferve it thus to me that love it not?
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all.

[Throws the meat, &c. about the stage. You heedlefs jolt heads, and unmanner'd slaves!

What, do you grumble? I'll be with you ftraight.
Cath. I pray you, husband, be not fo difquiet;
The meat was well, if you were so contented.

Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dry'd away, And I exprefsly am forbid to touch it : For it ingenders choler, planteth anger; And better 'twere that both of us did faft, Since, of ourselves, ourfelves are choleric, Than feed it with fuch over-roafted flesh. Be patient, for to-morrow 't shall be mended, And for this night we'll faft for company.

Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber. [Exeunt
Enter fervants feverally.

Nath. Peter, didst ever see the like?
Peter. He kills her in her own humour:
Gru. Where is he?

Enter Curtis, a fervant.

Curt. In her chamber, making a fermon of conti nency to her,

And rails, and fwears, and rates; that fhe, poor foul,
Knows not which way to ftand, to look, to fpeak;
And fits as one new rifen from a dream.
Away, away, for he is coming hither.

SCENE III.

[Exeunt.

Enter Petruchio.

Pet. Thus have I politicly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end fuccefsfully:
My faulcon now is fharp, and paffing empty;
And till the ftoop, fhe muft not be full-gorg'd,
For then she never looks upon her lure.
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 these kites,
That bait and beat, and will not be obedient.
She ate no meat to-day, nor none shall eat.
Last night she flept not, nor to night shall not;
As with the meat, fome undeferved 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;

VOL. II.

Ff

لا

Ay; and, amid this hurly, I'll pretend,
That all is done in reverend care of her;
And, in conclufion, fhe fhall watch all night :
And, if the 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 ;-
And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a fhrew,
Now let him fpeak, 'tis charity to fhew.

SCENE IV.

[Exit.

Before Baptifta's house.

Enter Tranio and Hortenfio.

Tra. Is't poffible, friend Licio, that Bianca.
Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I tell you, Sir, fhe bears me fair in hand.
Hor. To fatisfy you, Sir, in what I faid,
Stand by, and mark the manner of his teaching.
[They ftand by.

Enter Bianca and Lucentio.

Luc. Now, Miftrefs, profit you in what you read? Bian. What, Master, read you? firft refolve me that. Luc. I read that I profefs, the art of love.

heart.

Bian. And may you prove, Sir, mafter of your art! Luc. While you, fweet dear, prove miftrefs of my [They retire backward. Hor. Quick proceeders! marry! now, tell me, I pray, you that durft fwear that your miftrefs Bianca lov'd none in the world fo well as Lucentio.

Tra. Defpightful love, unconftant womankind!

I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.

Hor. Miftake no more, I am not Licio,

Nor a musician, as I feem to be;

But one that scorn to live in this disguife
For fuch a one as leaves a gentleman,
And makes a god of fuch a cullion:
Know, Sir, that I am call'd Hortenfio.

Of

Tra. Signior Hortenfio, I have often heard
your entire affection to Bianca;

And fince mine eyes are witness of her lightness,
I will with you, if you be fo contented,