240

Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones.

Gre. Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing.
Tra. Of all mad matches never was the like.

Luc. Mistress, what's your opinion of your sister?
Bian. That, being mad herself, she 's madly mated.
Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.

Bap. Neighbours and friends, though bride and bridegroom wants

For to supply the places at the table,

You know there wants no junkets at the feast.
Lucentio, you shall supply the bridegroom's place;
And let Bianca take her sister's room.

250

Tra. Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it?
Bap. She shall, Lucentio. Come, gentlemen, let's go.

[Exeunt.

ACT FOURTH.

Scene I.

Petruchio's country house.

Enter Grumio.

Gru. Fie, fie on all tired jades, on all mad masters, and all foul ways! Was ever man so beaten? was ever man so rayed? was ever man so weary? I am sent before to make a fire, and they are coming after to warm them. Now, were not I a little pot, and soon hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a fire to thaw me: but I, with blowing the fire, shall warm myself; for, considering the weather, a

ΤΟ

taller man than I will take cold. Holla, ho!
Curtis !

Enter Curtis.

Curt. Who is that calls so coldly?

Gru. A piece of ice: if thou doubt it, thou mayst

slide from my shoulder to my heel with no
greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire,
good Curtis.

Curt. Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio?
Gru. O, ay, Curtis, ay: and therefore fire, fire; cast
on no water.

Curt. Is she so hot a shrew as she's reported?
Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this frost: but,
thou knowest, winter tames man, woman, and
beast; for it hath tamed my old master, and my
new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.

20

Curt. Away, you three-inch fool! I am no beast. Gru. Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot; and so long am I at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our mistress, whose hand, she being now at hand, 30 thou shalt soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being slow in thy hot office?

Curt. I prithee, 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 master and mistress are almost frozen to death.

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

mio, the news.

40

Gru. Why,' Jack, boy! ho! boy!' and as much news.

as thou wilt.

Curt. Come, you are so full of cony-catching!

Gru. Why, therefore fire; for I have caught extreme cold. Where's the cook? is supper ready, the house trimmed, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept; the serving-men in their new fustian, their white stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on? Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without, the carpets laid, and every thing in order? Curt. All ready; and therefore, I pray thee, news. Gru. First, know, my horse is tired; my master and mistress fallen out.

Curt. How?

Gru. Out of their saddles into the dirt; and thereby

hangs a tale.

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

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

50

Gru. There.

[Strikes him. 60

Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.
Gru. And therefore 'tis called a sensible tale: and
this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and be-
seech listening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we
came down a foul hill, my master riding behind
my mistress,-

Curt. Both of one horse?

Gru. What 's that to thee?

Curt. Why, a horse.

Gru. Tell thou the tale: but hadst thou not crossed

me, thou shouldst have heard how her horse 70
fell and she under her horse; thou shouldst
have heard in how miry a place, how she was

bemoiled, how he left her with the horse upon
her, how he beat me because her horse stumbled,
how she waded through the dirt to pluck him
off me, how he swore, how she prayed, that
never prayed before, how I cried, how the horses
ran away, how her bridle was burst, how I lost
my crupper, with many things of worthy mem-
ory, which now shall die in oblivion and thou 80
return unexperienced to thy grave.

Curt. By this reckoning he is more shrew than she.
Gru. Ay; and that thou and the proudest of you
all shall find when he comes home. But what
talk I of this? Call forth Nathaniel, Joseph,
Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop and the rest:
let their heads be sleekly combed, their blue
coats brushed, and their garters of an indifferent
knit let them curtsy with their left legs, and
not presume to touch a hair of my master's 90
horse-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 master

to countenance my mistress!

Gru. Why, she hath a face of her own.

Curt. Who knows not that?

Gru. Thou, it seems, that calls for company to coun

tenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Gru. Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them.

100

Enter four or five serving-men.

Nath. Welcome home, Grumio!

Phil. How now, Grumio!
Jos. 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 spruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat?

Nath. All things is ready. How near is our master? Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not-Cock's passion, silence! I hear my

master.

Enter Petruchio and Katharina.

Pet. Where be these knaves? What, no man at door
To hold my stirrup nor to take my horse!
Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?

All Serv. Here, here, sir; here, sir.

Pet. Here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! here, sir!
You logger-headed and unpolish'd grooms!
What, no attendance? no regard? no duty?
Where is the foolish knave I sent before?

Gru. Here, sir, as foolish as I was before.

IIO

120

. Pet. You peasant swain! you whoreson malt-horse drudge!

Did I not bid thee meet me in the park,

And bring along these rascal knaves with thee? Gru. Nathaniel's coat, sir, was not fully made,

129

And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i' the 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 rest were ragged, old, and beggarly;

Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you.