Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beast. Gru. (18) Am I but three inches? why, my horn is a foot, and fo long am I at the leaft. But wilt thou make a fire, or fhall I complain on thee to our mistress, whofe hand, the being now at hand, thou shalt foon feel to thy cold comfort, for being flow in thy hot office.

Curt. I pr'ythee, good Grumio, tell me, how goes the world?

Gru. A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and therefore fire: Do thy duty, and have thy duty; for my mafter and mistress are almost frozen to death.

Curt. There's fire ready; and therefore, good Grumio,

the news.

Gru. Why, Jack boy, ho boy, and as much news as thou wilt.

Curt. Come, you are fo full of conycatching.

Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extream cald. Where's the cook? is fupper ready, the house trimm'd, rushes ftrew'd, cobwebs fwept, the fervingmen in their new fuftian, their white ftockings, and every officer his wedding garment on? be the Jacks fair within, the Fills fair without, carpets laid, and every thing in order?

Curt. All ready: And therefore, I pray thee, what news? Gru. First, know, my horfe is tired, my master 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 bim

Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale: And this

(18) Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot, and fo long am I at the leaft.] This is faid by Grumio to Curtis. But, though all the copies agree in the reading, what Horn had Curtis? but Grumio rides poft before his mafter, and blows his Horn to give notice of his own coming home, and his master's approach,

cuff

cuff was but to knock at your ear, and befeech liftning. 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,

I

Gru. Tell thou the tale.But hadit thou not croft me, thou should't have heard how her horte fell, and fhe under her horfe: Thou should't have heard in how. miry a place, how fhe was bemoil'd, how he left her with the horse upon her, how he beat me because her horfe ftumbled, how the 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 horses ran away; how her bridle was burft, 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.

of

Curt. By this reckoning he is more fhrew than fhe. Gru. Ay, and that thou and the proudest of you all fhall find, when he comes home. But what talk this? call forth Nathaniel, Jofeph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugerfop, 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 master's horfe 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 mafter to countenance my miftrefs.

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 Serving-men.

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

Phil. How now, Grumio?

Jof. What, Grumio!ess toy in doona cud 289
Nich. Fellow Grumio! sy davermi inigod I wo%
wad gribn 13hsno
Nath. How now, old lad.

you Now, my

Gru. Welcome, you; how now, you; what, you; fellow, you; and thus much for fprùce companions, is all ready, and all things neat? Nar. 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. Enter Petruchio and Kate.

Pet. Where be thefe knaves? what, no man at door. to hold my stirrup, 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-horfe
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 sheathing:
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.

Where is the life that late I led ?

Where are those-fit down, Kate,
And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud.

[Exeunt Servants. [Singing.

Enter Servants with Supper.

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

It'

Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry.

[Sings.

Take that, and mind the plucking off the other. [Strikes him.
Be merry, Kate: Some 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 kifs, 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?

1 Ser. Yes.

Pet. Who brought it?

Ser. I.

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

[Throws the meat, &c. about the ftage,
You headless jolt-heads, and unmanner'd slaves!
What, do you grumble? I'll be with you ftraight..
Cath. I pray you, hufband, be not fo difquiet;
The meat was well, if you were fo contented.
Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dry'd away,
And I exprefly 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 cholerick,
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.

[Exe. Enter

Enter Servants feverally.

Nath. Peter, didft ever fee the like?

Peter. He kills her in her own humour.
Gru. Where is he?

Enter Curtis, a Servant.

Curt. In her chamber, making a fermon of continency to her,

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

Enter Petruchio.

Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end fuccefsfully:
My faulcon now is fharp, and paffing empty,
And till fhe 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 eat no meat to-day, nor none fhall eat.
Laft night fhe flept not, nor to-night shall not:
As with the meat, fome undeferved fault
I'll find about the making of the bed.

[Exeunt,

And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolter,
This way the coverlet, that way the sheets;
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.

[Exit.

SCENE