་་་་་

I am to get a man,—whate’er he be,

It skills1 not much; we'll fit him to our turn,—
And he shall be Vincentio of Pisa ;
And make assurance, here in Padua,
Of greater sums than I have promised,
So shall you quietly enjoy your hope,
And marry sweet Bianca with consent.

Luc. Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster
Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly,
'Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage;
Which once performed, let all the world say-no,
I'll keep mine own, despite of all the world.

Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into,
And watch our vantage in this business.
We'll overreach the graybeard, Gremio,
The narrow-prying father, Minola ;
The quaint musician, amorous Licio;
All for my master's sake, Lucentio.-

2

Re-enter GREMIO.

Seignior 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, say you? 'Tis a groom indeed,
A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find.
Tra. Curster than she? Why, 'tis impossible.
Gra. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
Tra. Why, she's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam.
Gre. Tut! she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him.
I'll tell you, sir Lucentio; when the priest.
Should ask-if Katharine should be his wife,
Ay, by gogs-wouns, quoth he; and swore so loud,
That, all amazed, the priest let fall the book:
And, as he stooped again to take it up,

The mad-brained bridegroom took him such a cuff,

1 "It matters not much," it is of no importance.

2 Quaint had formerly a more favorable meaning than strange, awkward, fantastical, and was used in commendation, as neat, elegant, dainty, dexterous.

That down fell priest and book, and book and priest. Now take them up, quoth he, if any list.

Tra. What said the wench, when he arose again? Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamped and swore,

As if the vicar meant to cozen him.

But after many ceremonies done,

He calls for wine.-A health, quoth he; as if
He had been aboard carousing to his mates
After a storm;-quaffed 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 seemed to ask him sops as he was drinking.
This done, he took the bride about the neck,
And kissed 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.

[Music.

Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, 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 prepared 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,
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. 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.

Kath. Nay, then,

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 nie, 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. Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner.-

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

Go to the feast, revel and domineer,1

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 household-stuff, my field, my barn,

1 That is, bluster or swagger.

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 man.-

Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate;
I'll buckler thee against a million.

[Exeunt PET., KATH., and GRU. 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. Neighbors 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, let's [Exeunt.

go.

ACT IV

SCENE I. A Hall in Petruchio's Country-House.

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 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 mayst slide from my shoulder to my heel, with no greater 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.1

1

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.

Curt. Away, thou 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) thou shalt 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?

1 There is an old popular catch of three parts in these words :--
"Scotland burneth, Scotland burneth,

Fire, fire;

-Fire, fire,

Cast on more water."