Pet. Marry, so I mean, sweet Katharine, in thy
And therefore, setting all this chat aside, [bed:
Thus, in plain terms:--Your father hath consented
That you shall be my wife; your dow'ry 'greed on;
5 And will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn;
For, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty,
(Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well)
Thou must be married to no man but me;
10 For I am he am born to tame you, Kate;
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
Conformable, as other houshold Kates.
Here comes your father; never make denial,
I must and will have Katharine to my wife.
Re-enter Baptista, Gremio and Tranio.
Bap. Now, signior Petruchio: how speed you
with my daughter?

15

Pet. A herald, Kate? oh, put me in thy books.
Kath. What is your crest? a coxcomb?
Pet. A combless cock, so Kate will be my hen. 20
Kate. No cock of mine, you crow too like a
[so sour.

craven1.

Pet. Nay, come, Kate, come; you must not look
Kath. It is my fashion, when I see a crab.
Pet. Why, here's no crab, and therefore look 25
Kath. There is, there is.
[not sour.
Pet. Then shew it me,

Kath. Had I a glass, I would.
Pet. What, you mean my face?
Kath. Well aim'd of such a young one. [you. 30
Pet. Now, by St. George, I am too young for
Kath. Yet you are wither'd.

Pet. "Tis with cares.

Kath. I care not.

[not so.

Pet. Nay, hear you, Kate: in sooth you 'scape 35
Kath. I chafe you, if I tarry; let me go.

Pet. How but well, sir? how but well?
It were impossible, I should speed amiss.
Bap. Why, how now, daughter Katharine? in
your dumps?

[you,
Kath. Call you me, daughter? now I promise.
You have shew'd a tender fatherly regard,
To wish me wed to one half lunatick;
A mad-cap ruffian, and a swearing Jack,
That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
Pet. Father, 'tis thus,-yourselfand all the world,
That talk'd of her, have talk'd amiss of her;
If she be curst, it is for policy:
For she's not froward, but modest as the dove;
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn;
For patience she will prove a second Grissel;
And Roman Lucrece for her chastity:
And to conclude,-we have 'greed so well toge-
That upon Sunday is the wedding-day.
Kath. I'll see thee hang'd on Sunday first.
Gre. Hark, Petruchio! she says, she'll see thee
hang'd first.
[our part!
Tra. Is this your speeding? nay, then, good-night
Pet. Be patient, gentlemen; I chuse her for
myself;

If she and I be pleas'd, what's that to you?
'Tis bargain'd 'twixt us twain, being alone,
That she shall still be curst in company.

[ther

45 I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe
How much she loves me: Oh, the kindest Kate!—
She hung about my neck! and kiss on kiss
She vy'd so fast, protesting oath to oath,
That in a twink she won me to her love.
50Oh, you are novices! 'tis a world to see
How tame, when men and women are alone,
A meacock wretch can make the curstest

Pet. No, not a whit; I find you passing gentle.
'Twas told me, you were rough, and coy, and
And now I find report a very liar; [sullen,
For thou art pleasant, gamesome, passing courteous, 40|
But slow in speech, yet sweet as spring-time flowers:
Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look as-
Nor bite the lip, as angry wenches will: [kance,
Nor hast thou pleasure to be cross in talk;
But thou with mildness entertain'st thy wooers,
With gentle conference, soft and affable.
Why doth the world report that Kate doth limp?
Oh slanderous world! Kate, like the bazle-twig,
Is strait, and slender; and as brown in hue
As hazle-nuts, and sweeter than the kernels.
O, let me see thee walk: thou dost not halt.
Kath. Go, fool, and whom thou keep'st com-
Pet. Did ever Dian so become a grove, [mand.
As Kate this chamber with her princely gait?
O, be thou Dian, and let her be Kate;
And then let Kate be chaste, and Dian sportful!
Kath. Where did you study all this goodly speech?
Pet. It is extempore, from my motiter-wit.
Kath. A witty mother! witless else her son.
Pet. Am I not wise?

Kath. Yes; keep you warm.

A craven is a degenerate cock. 'Tis wonderful to see.

shrew.

Give me they hand, Kate; I will unto Venice,
55 To buy apparel 'gainst the wedding-day :—
Provide the feast, father, and bid the guests;
I will be sure, my Katharine shall be fine. [hands;
Bap. I know not what to say, but give me your
God send you joy, Petruchio! 'tis a match.
60 Gre. Tra. Amen, say we; we will be witnesses.
Pet. Father, and wife, and gentlemen, adieu;

Dr. Johnson proposes to read, "ply'd so fast."
i. e. a timorous, dastardly creature,

Meaning,

I will to Venice, Sunday comes apace:-
We will have rings, and things, and fine array;
And kiss me, Kate, we will be married o' Sunday.

[Exe. Petruchio and Katharine severally. Gre. Was ever match clap'd up so suddenly? Bap. Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant's part,

And venture madly on a desperate mart.
Tra. "Twas a commodity lay fretting by you;
'Twill bring you gain, or perish on the seas.

Bap. The gain I seek is quiet in the match.
Gre. No doubt, but he hath got a quiet catch.
But now, Baptista, to your younger daughter ;-
Now is the day we long have looked for;
I am your neighbour, and was suitor first.

135

1551

2 Gallias was a vessel with both sails and oars, partaking of the nature of a ship and a galley. i. e. out-bid: vye and revye were terms used used at the game of gleek, now superseded by the modern word brag. That is, with the highest card, in the old simple games

of our ancestors; so that this became a proverbial expression.

Luc. Preposterous ass! that never read so far
To know the cause why musick was ordain'd!
Was it not, to refresh the mind of man,
After his studies, or his usual pain?
Then give me leave to read philosophy,
And, while I pause, serve in your harmony.

Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.
Bian. Why, gentlemen, you do me double

wrong,

To strive for that which resteth in my choice:
I am no breeching scholar' in the schools;
I'll not by ty'd to hours, nor 'pointed times,
But learn my lessons as I please myself.
And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down:--
Take you your instrument, play you the whiles;
His lecture will be done, ere you have tun'd.
Hor. You'll leave his lecture, when I am in tune?
[Hortensio retires.

Luc. That will be never;-tune your instru-
Bian. Where left we last?
Luc. Here, madam:-

Hac ibat Simois; hic est Sigeia tellus;
Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis.
Bian. Construe them.

5

10

I must begin with rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
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 past my gamut long ago.
Hor. Yet read the gamut of Hortensio. [accord,
Bian. [reading.] Gamut I am, the ground of all-
A re, to plead Hortensio's passion;
B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord,
C faut, that loves with all affection:
D sol re, one cliff, two notes have 1;
E la mi, shew pity, or I die.
Call you this-gamut? tut! I like it not :
15 Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice,
To change true rules for odd inventions.
Enter a Servant.

Ser. Mistress, your father prays you leave your
books,

[ment. 20 And help to dress your sister's chamber up;
You know, to-morrow is the wedding-day.
Bian. Farewel, sweet masters, both; I must be

Luc. Hac ibat, as I told you before,--Somois, 25 I am Lucentio,-hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa,-Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love;-Hic steterat, and that Lucentio that comes a wooing,-Priami, is my man Tranio,—regia, bearing my port-celsa senis, that we might be-30 guile the old Pantaloon.

Hor. Madam, my instrument's in tune.

[Returning. Bian. Let's hear:-O fie! the treble jars. Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again. Bian. Now let me see if I can construe it: Hac ibat Simois, I know you not;-hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust you not;-Hic steterat Priami, take heed he hear us not;-regia, presume not;celsa senis, despair not.

Hor. Madam, 'tis now in tune.
Luc. All but the base.

Hor. The base is right;

'Tis the base knave that jars.

How fiery and forward our pedant is!

Now, for my life, the knave doth court my love:
Pedascule, I'll watch you better yet.

35

Enter Baptista, Gremio, Tranio, Katharine,
Lucentio, Bianca, and attendants.

Bap. Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed day
That Katharine and Petruchio should be marry'd,
And yet we hear not of our son-in-law :

40 What will be said? what mockery will it be,
To want the bridegroom, when the priest attends
To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage?
What says Lucentio to this shame of ours?

45

Kath. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth,

be forc'd

To give my hand, oppos'd against my heart,
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen2;
Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure2.
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 thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, yes, and proclaim the banns.
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd.
55 Now must the world point at poor Katharine,
And say,-Lo there is mad Petruchio's wife,
If it would please him come and marry her.

Bian. In time I may believe, yet I mistrust.
Luc. Mistrust it not; for, sure, Eacides
Was Ajax,-call'd so from his grandfather. [you, 50
Bian. I must believe my master; else, I promise
I should be arguing still upon that doubt :
But let it rest.-Now, Licio, to you :—
Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray,
That I have been thus pleasant with you both.
Hor. You may go walk, and give me leave
My lesson make no musick in three parts. [awhile;
Luc. Are you so formal, sir? well, I must wait,
And watch withal; for, but I be deceiv'd,
Our fine musician groweth amorous.

Tra. Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista too;
Upon my life, Petruchio means but well,
[Aside. 60 Whatever fortune stays him from his word:
Though he be blunt, I know him passing wise;
Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest.

Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument, To learn the order of my fingering,

That is, no school-boy liable to be whipped.

2i. e. caprice.

Kath.

chio's coming?

Bap. Is he come ?
Bion. Why, no, sir.
Bap. What then?
Bion. He is coming.

Bap. When will he be here?

BioR. When he stands where I am, and sees you there.

Bap. You are welcome, sir.
Pet. And yet I come not well,
Bap. And yet you halt not.
15 Tra. Not so well apparell'd
As I wish you were.

Tra. But, say, what to thine old news? Bion. Why, Petruchio is coming, inanew hat, and 20 an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches, thrice turn'd;} a pair of boots that had been candle-cases, one buckled, another lac'd; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless, with two broken points: His horse hip'd 25 with an old mothy saddle, the stirrups of no kindred: besides, possessed with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions', full of windgalls, sped with spavins, raied with the yellows, past cure of 30 the fives', stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; sway'd in the back, and shouldershotten; near legg'd' before, and with a halfcheck'd bit, and a headstall of sheep's leather; which bring restrain'd to keep him from stumb-35 ling, hath been often burst, and now repair'd with knots: one girt six times pierc'd, and a woman's crupper of velure', which hath two letters for her name, fairly set down in studs, and here and there pieced with packthread.

Bap. Who comes with him?

5

40

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
And wherefore gaze this goodly company, [frown:
As if they saw some wondrous monument,
Some comet, or unusual prodigy?

[day:

Bap. Why, sir, you know, this is your wedding-
First were we sad, fearing you would not come;
Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
Fye! doff this habit, shame to your estate,
An eye-sore to our solemn festival.

Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import
Hath all so long detain'd you from your wife,
And sent you hither so unlike yourself?

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear;
Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word,
Though in some part enforced to digress';
Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse
As you shall well be satisfied withal.
Put, where is Kate? I stay too long from her;
The morning wears, 'tis time we were at church
Tru. See not your bride in these unreverent
robes;

Go to my chamber, put on cloaths of mine.
Pet. Not I, believe me; thus I'll visit her.
Bap. But thus, I trust, you will not marry her.
Pet. Good sooth, even thus; therefore have
done with words;

Bion. Oh, sir, his lacquey, for all the world ca-
parison'd like the horse; with a linen stock on
one leg, and a kersey boot hose on the other,
garter'd with a red and blue list; an old hat, and 45 To me she's marry'd, not unto my cloaths:

The humour of forty fancies prick'd in't for a feather: a monster, a very monster in apparel: and not like a christian foot-boy, or a gentleman's Jacquey.

Could I repair what she will wear in me,
As I can change these poor accoutrements,
Twere well for Kate, and better for myself.
But what a fool am I, to chat with you,

Tra. 'Tis some odd humour pricks him to this 50 When I should bid good-morrow to my bride,

fashion;

Yet oftentimes he goes but mean apparell'd.
Bap. I am glad he is come, howsoever he comes.
Bion. Why, sir, he comes not.

Bap. Didst thou not say, he comes?

2

And seal the title with a lovely kiss?

[Exe. Pet. Gru. and Bion.

Tra. He hath some meaning in his mad attire: We will persuade him, be it possible,

[55]To put on better ere he go to church.

3 Meaning,

That is, the farcy. A distemper in horses, little differing from the strangles. that he cuts, or interferes. 4 i. e. velvet. 'i. e. stocking, This was some ballad or drollery of that time, which the poet here ridicules, by making Petruchio prick it up in his foot-boy's old hat for a feather. In Shakspeare's time, the kingdom was over-run with these doggrel compositions; and he seems to have bore them a very particular-grudge. He frequently ridicules both them and their makers with excellent humour. In Much ado about Nothing, he makes Benedick say, Prove that ever I lose more blood with love than I get again with drinking, prick out my eyes with a balladmaker's pen; as the bluntness of it would make the execution extremely painful. 7i. e. to deviate from my promise.

Ban.

Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this.]
[Exit.
Tra. But, sir, our love concerneth us to add
Her father's liking: which to bring to pass,
As I before imparted to your worship,
I am to get a man,-whate'er he be,

It skills 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 school-master
Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly,
"Twere good, methinks, to steal our marriage;
Which once perform'd, let all the world say-no,
I'll keep mine own, despight 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 musician, amorous Licio;
All for my master's sake, Lucentio.→→
Re-enter Gremio.

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?

Such a mad marriage never was before: [plays.
Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play. [Musick
Enter Petruchio, Katharine, Bianca, Hortensio,
and Baptista.

Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your
I know, you think to dine with me to-day, [pains:
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.
10 Bap. Ist 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,
15 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 farewel to you all.
Tra. Let us intreat you stay 'till after dinner,
Pet. It may not be.

20

25

30

35

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.
Gre. 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 gog's-wouns, quoth he; and swore so loud,
That, all amaz'd, the priest let fall the book:
And, as he stoop'd again to take it up,
[cuff,
This mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a 40
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 rose up
again?

[and swore,

Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd, 45
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:
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:

Gre. Let me intreat you.

Pet. It cannot be.

Kath. Let me intreat you.

Pet. I am content.

Kath. Are you content to stay?

Pet. I am content you shall intreat me stay; But yet not stay, intreat me how you can. Kath. Now, if you love me, stay.

Pet. Grumio, my horses.

[the horses 2. Gru. Ay, sir, they be ready; the oats have eaten 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, while 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. [gry.
Pet. O, Kate, content thee; pr'ythee, be not an-
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.

--

[mand:

Pet. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy com-
Obey the bride, you that attend on her :
Go to the feast, revel and domineer,
Carouse full measure to her maidenhead,
50 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,
55 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,

'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. Meaning, that they had eaten more oats than they were worth,

Draw