First were we sad, fearing you would not come;
Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
Fie! 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 detained 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.
But where is Kate? I stay too long from her;
The morning wears; 'tis time we were at church.

Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent robes, Go to my chamber; put on clothes 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;
To me she's married, not unto my clothes.
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,
When I should bid good-morrow to my bride,
And seal the title with a lovely kiss!

[Exeunt Pet., GRU., and Bion.
Tra. He hath some meaning in his mad attire.
We will persuade him, be it possible,
To put on better ere he go to church.
Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this.

[Exit. Tra. But, sir, to her? love concerneth us to add Her father's liking; which to bring to pass, As I before imparted to your worship,

1 i. e. to deviate from my promise. 2 The old copy reads, “ But, sir, love concerneth us to add, Her father's liking.” The emendation is Mr. Tyrwhitt's. The nominative case to the verb concerneth is here understood.

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 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.-

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 neut, elegant, dainty, derterous.

and swore,

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 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 yout

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

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.

knew my

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

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

Let me 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.

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. 0, Kate, content thee; prythee 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,
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

i 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 Per., 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 bride-

groom 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 go.

[Exeunt.

ACT IV

SCENE I.

A Hall in 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

1 Bewrayed, dirty.