Ay, by gogs-woons, quoth he; and fwore fo loud, This mad-brain'd bridegroom took him fuch a cuff, Tra. What faid the wench, when he rofe up again? Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd and fwore, As if the vicar meant to cozen him. But after many ceremonies done, He calls for wine: a health, quoth he; as if "H'ad been aboard carousing to his mates "After a ftorm: quaft off the mufcadel, And threw the fops all in the fexton's face; Having no other caufe, but that his beard "Grew thin and hungerly, and feem'd to ask "His fops as he was drinking. This done he took "The bride about the neck, and kiss'd her lips "With fuch a clamorous fmack, that at the parting All the church echo'd ;" and I feeing this, Came thence for very fhame; and after me, I know, the rout is coming. Such a mad marriage Ne'er was before.-Hark, hark, I hear the minstrels. [Mufic plays. Enter Petruchio, Catharina, Bianca, Hortenfio, and Baptifta. Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your pains.: I know you think to dine with me to-day, And have prepar'd great store of wedding-cheer; Το To this moft patient, fweet, and wirtuous wife. Tra. Let us intreat you stay till after dinner. : Pet. It may not be. Gre. Let me intreat you. Pet. It cannot be. Cath. Let me intreat you. Pet. I am content Cath. Are you content to stay? Pet. I am content you fhall intreat my stay? But yet not stay, intreat me how you can. Cath. Now, if you love me, ftay. Pet. Grumio, my horses. Gru. Ay, Sir, they be ready: the oats have eaten the horses *. Cath. Nay, then. Do what thou canft, I will not go to-day ; No, nor to-morrow, nor till I please myself. Pet. O Kate, content thee, pr'ythee, be not angry. If fhe had not a spirit to resist. Pet. They fhall go forward, Kate, at thy command, Obey the bride, you that attend on her; Nay, look not big, nor ftamp, nor ftare, nor fret, 1 She is my goods, my chattels, fhe is my house, That is, the diftemper fo called, My My houfhold-stuff, my field, my barn, My horfe, my ox, my ass, my any thing; Fear not, fweet wench, they fhall not touch thee, Kate; I'll buckler thee against a million. [Exeunt Pet. and Cath. Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones. Gre. Went they not quickly, I fhould die with laughing. Tra. Of all inad matches, never was the like. Bap. Neighbours and friends, tho' bride and bridegroom want For to fupply the places at the table; You know, there wants no junkets at the feast; Tra. Shall fweet Bianca practise how to bride it? A C T IV. SCENE I. Petruchio's country-houfe. Enter Grumio. Grumio. IE, fie on all tired jades, and all mad mafters, and all foul ways! Was ever man fo beaten? was ever man fo raied? was ever man fo weary? I am fent before, to make a fire; and they are coming after, to warm them: now were I not a little pot, and foon hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I fhould come by a fire to thaw me; but I with blowing the fire fhall warm myfelf; for, confidering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold. Holla, hoa, Curtis ! Enter Curtis. Curt. Who is it that calls fo coldly? Gru. A piece of ice. If thou doubt it thou may'st flide from my fhoulder to my heel, with no greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis. Curt. Is my mafter and his wife coming, Grumio? Gru. Oh, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore, fire, fire; caft on no water. Curt. Is the fo hot a fhrew as fhe's reported? Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this froft; but thou know'ft, winter tames man, woman, and beast; for it hath tam'd my old mafter, and my new mistress, and thyself, fellow Curtis. Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beast. Gra. Am I but three inches? why, thy 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 miftrefs? whofe hand, the being now at hand, thou fhalt foon feel to thy cold comfort, for being flow in thy hot ofâce. Curt. I pr'ythee, goed 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 master 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 coneycatching. Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extreme cold. Where's the cook? is fupper ready, the houfe trimm'd, ruflies ftrew'd, cobweb swept, the ferving-men in their new fuftain, their white ftockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on? be the Jacks fair within, the Jills fair without, carpets laid, and every thing in order ? * This feems to be a fragment of fome old balad. Curt Curt. All ready; and therefore, I pray thee, what news? Gru. Firt, 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 bim. Gurt. 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 miftrefs. Curt. Both on one horfe? Gru. What's that to thee? Gru. "Tell thou the tale But badft thou not. "crofs'd me, thou fhould't have heard how her horfe "fell, and fhe under her horfe: thou fhould'st 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 fhe waded through "the dirt to pluck him off me; how he fwore, how "fhe pray'd that never pray'd before; how I cry'd;. "how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; "how I lost my crupper; with many things worthy of memory, which now fhall die in oblivion, and thou "return unexperience'd to thy grave 66 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 I of: this call forth Nathaniel, Jofeph, Nicholas, Philip,.. Walter, 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. |