Tra. To save your life in this extremity, And think it not the worst of all your fortunes, His name and credit shall you undertake, Ped. O sir, I do; and will repute you ever The patron of my life and liberty. Tra. Then go with me, to make the matter good. This, by the way, I let you understand ;— My father is here looked for every day, To pass assurance of a dower in marriage 'Twixt me and one Baptista's daughter here. In all these circumstances I'll instruct you: Go with me, sir, to clothe you as becomes you. [Exeunt SCENE III. A Room in Petruchio's House. Enter KATHARINA and GRUMIO. Gru. No, no; forsooth; I dare not, for my life. Kath. The more my wrong, the more his spite ap pears. What, did he marry me to famish me? Beggars that come unto my father's door, Am starved for meat, giddy for lack of sleep; As who should say,—if I should sleep, or eat, VOL. II. 65 I pr'ythee go, and get me some repast; Kath. 'Tis passing good; I pr'ythee let me have it Kath. I like it well; good Grumio, fetch it me. Gru. I cannot tell; I fear 'tis choleric.. What say you to a piece of beef, and mustard? Kath. A dish that I do love to feed upon. Gru. Ay, but the mustard is too hot a little. Kath. Why, then the beef, and let the mustard rest. Gru. Nay, then I will not; you shall have the mustard, Or else you get no beef of Grumio. Kath. Then both, or one, or any thing thou wilt. [Beats him. Go, get thee gone, I say. Enter PETRUCHIO, with a dish of meat; and HOR TENSIO. Pet. How fares my Kate? What, sweeting, all amort ?1 Hor. Mistress, what cheer? Kath. 'Faith, as cold as can be. Pet. Pluck up thy spirits, look cheerfully upon me. Here, love; thou see'st how diligent I am, To dress thy meat myself, and bring it thee. [Sets the dish on a table. I am sure, sweet Kate, this kindness merits thanks. What, not a word? Nay then, thou lov'st it not; 1 That is, all sunk and dispirited. This Gallicism is frequent in many of the old plays. And all my pains is sorted to no 'proof.'— Kath. Pray you, let it stand. Pet. The poorest service is repaid with thanks; And so shall mine, before you touch the meat. Kath. I thank you, sir. Hor. Seignior Petruchio, fie! you are to blame! Come, mistress Kate, I'll bear you company. Pet. Eat it up all, Hortensio, if thou lov'st me. Much good do it unto thy gentle heart! [Aside. With silken coats, and caps, and golden rings, Enter Tailor. Come, tailor, let us see these ornaments; Enter Haberdasher. Lay forth the gown.-What news with you, sir? 1 «And all my labor has ended in nothing, or proved nothing," says Johnson. This can hardly be right. Mr. Douce's suggestion, that it means "all my labor is adapted to no approof," is much better; indeed, there can be no doubt that we should read "proof with a mark of elision for approof; but sort is used in the sense of sorter (French), to issue, to terminate." "It sorted not" is frequently used by writers of that period for, It did not end so; or, It did not answer. Shakspeare uses sort for lot, chance, more than once. 2 Finerv. Kath. I'll have no bigger; this doth fit the time, And gentlewomen wear such caps as these. Pet. When you are gentle, you shall have one too, And not till then. Hor. That will not be in haste. [Aside Kath. Why, sir, I trust I may have leave to speak And speak I will; I am no child, no babe. Your betters have endured me say my mind; And, if you cannot, best you stop your ears. My tongue will tell the anger of my heart; Or else my heart, concealing it, will break ; And, rather than it shall, I will be free Even to the uttermost, as I please, in words. Pet. Why, thou say'st true; it is a paltry cap, A custard-coffin,1 a bauble, a silken pie. I love thee well, in that thou lik'st it not. Kath. Love me, or love me not, I like the cap; And it I will have, or I will have none. Pet. Thy gown? why, ay.-Come, tailor, let us see't. O mercy, God! what masking stuff is here? be remembered, [Aside. Tai. You bade me make it orderly and well, According to the fashion, and the time. Pet. Marry, and did; but if you I did not bid you mar it to the time. Go, hop me over every kennel home, For you shall hop without my custom, sir. I'll none of it; hence, make your best of it. Kath. I never saw a better-fashioned gown, 1 A coffin was the culinary term for the raised crust of a pie or custard. 2 These censers resembled our brasiers in shape; they had pierced convex covers. More quaint,1 more pleasing, nor more commendable; Belike, you mean to make a puppet of me. Pet. Why, true; he means to make a puppet of thee. Tai. She says, your worship means to make a puppet of her. Pet. O monstrous arrogance! Thou liest, thou thread, Thou thimble, Thou yard, three-quarters, half-yard, quarter, nail, As thou shalt think on prating whilst thou liv'st! Tai. Your worship is deceived; the gown is made Just as my master had direction. Grumio gave order how it should be done. Gru. I gave him no order; I gave him the stuff. Tai. But how did you desire it should be made? Gru. Marry, sir, with needle and thread. Tai. But did you not request to have it cut? Tai. I have. 4 Gru. Face not me; thou hast braved many men, brave not me; I will neither be faced not braved. I say unto thee,-I bid thy master cut out the gown; but I did not bid him cut it to pieces: ergo, thou liest. Tai. Why, here is the note of the fashion to testify. Pet. Read it. Gru. The note lies in his throat, if he say I said so. Tai. Imprimis, a loose-bodied gown; Gru. Master, if ever I said loose-bodied gown, sew 1 Quaint was used as a term of commendation by our ancestors. It seems, when applied to dress, to have meant spruce, trim, neat, like the French cointe. 2 Be-measure. 3 Turned up many garments with facings. 4 Grumio quibbles upon to brave, to make fine, as he does upon facing. |