Imatges de pàgina
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Hor. Madam, before you touch the inftrument,
To learn the order of my fingering,
I must begin with rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer fort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual,
Than hath been taught by any of my trade;
And there it is in writing fairly drawn.

Bian. Why, I am pafs'd my gamut long ago.
Hor. Yet read the gamut of Hortenfio.

Bian. [reading] Gamut I am, the ground of all acAre, to plead Hortenfio's paffion;

Bi mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord;

Cfaut, that loves with all effection;

D fel re, one cliff, but two notes have I,
Elami, fhow pity, or I die,

Call you this gamut? tut, I like it not:
Old fashions please me beft; I am not so nice
To change true rules for new inventions.

Enter a Servant.

[cord,

Serv. Miftrefs, your father prays you leave your books,

And help to drefs your fifter's chamber up;
You know, to-morrow is the wedding-day.

Bian. Farewel, fweet mafters, both; I muft be gone,

[Exit. Luc. 'Faith, miftrefs, then I have no caufe to stay. [Exit.

Hor. But I have caufe to pry into this pedant; Methinks he looks as tho' he were in love: Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be fo humble, To caft thy wand'ring eyes on every stale; Seize thee who lift; if once I find thee ranging, Hortenfio will be quit with thee by changing. Exit. SCENE II.

Enter Baptifta, Gremio, Tranio, Catherine, Lucentio, Bianca, and attendants.

Bap. Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed day That Cath'rine and Petruchio fhould be married; And yet we hear not of our fon-in-law.

VOL. II.

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What

What will be faid! what mockery will it be,
To want the bridegroom, when the priest attends
To fpeak the ceremonial rites of marriage?

What fays Lucentio to this fhame of ours!

Cath. No fhame, but mine; I muft, forfooth, be force'd

To give my hand oppos'd against my heart,
Unto a mad-brain rudefby, full of fpleen :
Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leifure.
I told you, I, he was a frantic fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour;
And to be noted for a merry man.

He'll woo a thoufand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, yes, and proclaim the banes;
Yet never means to wed, where he hath woo'd.
Now muft the world point at poor Catherine,
And fay,,I.o! there is mad Petruchio's wife,
If it would please him come and marry her.

Tra. Patience, good Catharine, and Baptifta too;
Upon my life, Petruchio-means but well,
Whatever fortune stays him from his word.sk,
Tho' he be blunt, I know him paffing wife:
Tho' he be merry, yet withal he's honeft.

Cath. Would Catherine had never feen him tho!

[Exit. weeping.

Bap. Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For fuch an injury would vex a faint,

Much more a threw of thy impatient humour.

SCENE III. Enter Biondello.

Bion. Mafter, master; 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?

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Bap. When will he be here?

Bion. When he ftands where I am, and fees you

there.

Tra.

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Tra. But fay, what to thine old news?

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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 bucy kled, another lace'd; an old rufty sword ta'en out of the town armoury, with a broken hilt, and chapelefs, with two broken points; his horfe hipp'd with an old mothy faddle, the ftirrups of no kindred; befides poffefs'd with the glanders, and like to mofe in the chine, troubled with the lampaffe, infe&ed with, the fashions, full of windgalls, fped with fpavins, raied with the yellows, paft cure of the fives, fark fpoil'd with the ftaggers, begnawn with the bots, waid in the back and thoulder-fhotten, near-legg'd before, and with a half-check'd bit, and a headitali of fheep's leather; which being refrain'd, to keep ⚫ him from ftumbling, hath been often burt, and now, repair'd with knots; one girt fix tires piece'd, and a woman's crupper of velure, which hath two letters for her name, fairly fet down in fluds, and here and there piece'd with pack-thread."

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Вар. Who comes with him?

Bion. Oh, Sir, his lackey, for all the world cys rifon'd like the horfe, with a linen flock on one leg, ⚫ and a kersey boot-hofe on the other, garter'd with a red and blue. lit, an old hat, and the bumour offerty fancies prick'd up in't for a feather: a monfter, a ve ry monster in apparel, and not like a Chriftian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey.'

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Tra. 'Tis fome odd humour pricks him to this faYet oftentimes he goes but mean apparel'd.

(fhion;

Bap. I am glad he's come, howfoever he comes.

Bion. Why, Sir, he comes not.

Bap. Didit thou not fay, he comes?

Bion. Who? that Petruchio came not?

Bap. Ay, 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.. * S.m. balad or drollery of that time is hele ridiculed.

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SCENE.

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Enter Petruchio and Grumio fantaftically habited.

Pet. Come, where be thefe 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 :
And wherefore gaze this goodly company,

As if they faw fome wondrous monument,
Some comet, or unufual prodigy?

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.
Fie, doff this habit, fhame to your estate,
An eye-fore to our folemn festival.

Tra. And tell us what occafion of import. Hath all fo long detain'd you from your wife, And fent you hither fo unlike yourself?

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear :
Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word,
Tho' in fome part inforced to digrefs,
Which at more leifure I will so excufe,
As you fhall be well fatisfied withal.

But where is Kate? Iftay too long from her;
The morning wears; 'tis time we were at church.
Tra. See not your bride in thefe unreverent robes;
Go to my chamber, put on cloaths of mine.
Pet. Not I; believe me, thus I'll vifit her.
Bap. But thus, I truft, you will not marry her.
Pet. Good footh, even thus; therefore ha' done

with words;

To me fhe's married, not unto my cloaths:
Could I repair what the will wear in me,
As I could change thefe poor accoutrements,
"Twere well for Kate, and better for myself.
But what a fool am I to chat with you,
When I fhould bid good-morrow to my bride,

And

And feal the title with a lovely kifs.

[Exit.

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.

Bap. I'll after him, and fee the event of this. [Exit.

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Tra. But, Sir, our love concerneth us to add'
Her father's liking; which to bring to pafs,
As I before imparted to your worship,

I am to get a man, (whate'er he be,

It kills not much; we'll fit him to our turn);
And he fhall be Vincentio of Pifa,
And make affurance here in Padua

greater fums than I have promised: So fhall you quietly enjoy your hope, And marry fweet Bianca with confent.

Luc. Were it not that my fellow-fchoolmafter
Doth watch Bianca's fteps fo narrowly,

'Twere good, methinks, to fteal our marriage;
Which once perform'd, let all the world fay, No.
I'll keep iny own, defpight of all the world.
Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into.
And watch our vantage in this business :
We'll over-reach the grey-beard Gremio,
The narrow-prying father Minola,
The quaint mufician amorous Licio;
All for my master's fake, Lucentio.

SCENE VI. Enter Gremio."

Now, Signior Gremio, came you from the church?
Gre. As willingly as e'er I came from school.
Tra. And is the bride and bridegroom coming

home?

Gre. A bridegroom, fay you? 'tis a groom, indeed, A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find. Tra. Curiter than the? why, 'tis impoffible. Gre. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend. Tra. Why, fhe's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam. Gre. But, fhe's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him. I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio; when the priest Should afk, if Catherine fhould be his wife?

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