He calls for wine:- A health, quoth he; as if
He had been abroad, carousing to his mates
After a storm: Quaff’d off the muscadel,
And threw the sops all in the sexton's face;
Having no other reason,
But that his beard grew thin and hungerly,
And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking.
This done, he took the bride about the neck;
And kiss'd her lips’ with such a clamorous smack,
That, at the parting, all the church did echo.
I, seeing this, came thence for very shame;
And after me, I know, the rout is coming:
Such a mad marriage never was before;
Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play. [Musick.

n

Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, Branca, BAPTISTA,

HORTENSIO, GRUMIO, and Train.
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;
But so it is, my haste doth call me hence,
- And therefore here I mean to take my leave.

Bap. Is't possible, you will away to-night?

Pet. I must away to-day, before night come:--
Make it no wonder; if you knew my business,
You would entreat me rather go than stay.
And, honest company, I thank you all,

Quaff”d off the muscadel,] The fashion of introducing a bowl of wine into the church at a wedding, to be drank by the bride and bridegroom, and persons present, was very anciently a constant ceremony; and, as appears from this passage, not abolished in our author's age.

2 And kiss'd her lips -] This also is a very ancient custom, as appears from the following: rubrick: “ Surgant ambo, sponsus et sponsa, et accipiat sponsus pacem a sacerdote, et ferat sponsæ, osculans eam, et neminem aliuni, nec ipse, nec ipsa.” Manuale Sarum, Paris, 1533, 4to. fol. 69.

Gre.

That have beheld me give away myself
To this most patient, sweet, and virtuous wife:
Dine with my father, drink a health to me;
For I must hence, and farewell to you all.

Tra. Let us entreat you stay till after dinner.
Pet. It may not be.

Let me entreat you.
Pet. It cannot be.
Kath.

Let ine entreat you.
Pet.. I am content.
Kath.

Are you content to stay?
Pet. I am content you shall entreat me stay;
But yet not stay, entreat me how you can. “
: Kath. Now, if you love me, stay..
Pet. "

Grumio, my horses. Gru. Ay, sir, they be ready; the oats have eaten the horses.

Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day;
No, nor to-morrow, nor till I please myself,
The door is open, sir, there lies your way,
You may be jogging, whiles your boots are green;
For me, I'll not be gone, till I please myself: -
'Tis like, you'll prove a jolly surly groom,
That take it on you at the first so roundly.
*Pet. O, Kate, content thee; pr’ythee, be not

: angry. Kath. I will be angry; What hast thou to do?Father, be quiet; he shall stay my leisure.

Gre. Ay, marry, sir : now it begins to work. Kath. Gentleinen, forward to the bridal din

: ner :I see, a woman may be made a fool, If she had not a spirit to resist. : Pet. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy com

. inand: Obey the bride, you that attend on her:

Go to the feast, revel and domineer,
Carouse full measure to her maidenhead,
Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves;
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me.
Nay, look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, .nor fret;
I will be master of what is mine own:
She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,
My houshold-stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;
And here she stands, touch her whoever dare; .
I'll bring my action on the proudest he
That stops my way in Padua. Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon, we're beset with thieves ;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a mán:-
Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee,

Kate;
I'll buckler thee against a million. I

[Exeunt PetruCHIO, KATHARINE, and

. GRUMIO. 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. : :. Tra. Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it? Bap. She shall, Lucentio.-Come, gentlemen,

[Exeunt.

let's go.

ACT IV. SCENE I. A Hall in Petruchio's Country House.

Enter GRUMIO. Gru.. Fye, fye, on all tired jades! on all mad masters! and all foul ways! Was ever man so beaten? was ever man so rayed ?3 was ever man só weary? I'am sent before to make a fire, and they are coming after tó warın 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 taller man than I will take cold. Holla, hoa! Curtis !

Enter CURTIS. Curt. Who is that, calls so coldly? Gru. A piece of ice: If thou doubt it, thou may'st slide froin my shoulder to my heel, w i hno greater a run but iny head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis.

Curt. Is my master and his wife coming, Gru

mio?

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 know'st, winter tames man, woman, and beast; for it hath tamed my old master, and my new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis.

man so rayed?] i. e, bewrayed, made dirty:

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 of thee to our mistress, whose hand (she being now at hand,) thou shall soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being slow 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 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 so full of conycatching :

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.

Jack boy! ho boy!) Is the beginning of an old round in three parts.

Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without,] i. e. Are the drinking vessels clean, and the maid servants dressed ? Probably the poet meant to play upon the words juck and Jill, which signify iwo drinking measures, as well as men and maid servants.

the carpets laid,] In our author's time it was customary to cover tables with carpets. Floors, as appears from the present passage and others, were strewed with rushes. VOL. III.

HH'.