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So fhall you quietly enjoy your hope,
And marry fweet Bianca with confent.

Luc. Were it not, that my fellow school-mafter
Doth watch Bianca's fteps fo narrowly,

'Twere good, methinks, to fteal our marriage;
Which once perform'd, let all the world fay, no,
I'll keep my own, defpight of all the world.
Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into,
And watch our vantage in this bufinefs:
We'll over-reach the grey-beard Gremio,
The narrow-prying Father Minola,
The quaint musician amorous Licio;
All for my mafter's fake, Lucentio.

Enter Gremio.

Now, 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?
Gre. A Bridegroom, fay you? 'tis a groom, indeed,
A grumbling groom, and that the girl shall find.
Tra. Curfter than fhe? why, 'tis impoffible.
Gre. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
Tra. Why, fhe's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam.
Gre. Tut, fhe's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him:
I'll tell you, Sir Lucentio; when the Priest
Should ask, if Catharine fhould be his wife?
Ay, by gogs-woons, quoth he; and fwore fo loud,
That, all-amaz'd, the Priest let fall the book ;
And as he stoop'd again to take it up,
This mad-brain'd Bridegroom took him fuch a cuff,
That down fell prieft and book, and book and priest.
Now take them up, quoth he, if any lift.

Tra. What faid the wench, when he rofe up again?
Gre. Trembled and fhook; for why, he ftamp'd and

fwore,

As if the Vicar meant to cozen him.

But after many ceremonies done,

He calls for wine: a health, quoth he; as if
H'ad been aboard carowfing to his Mates
After a ftorm; quafft off the muscadel,

And

And threw the fops all in the fexton's face ;
Having no other cause, but that his beard
Grew thin and hungerly, and feem'd to ask
His fops as he was drinking. This done, he took
The Bride about the neck, and kist her lips
With fuch a clamorous fmack, that at the parting
All the church echo'd; and I seeing this,
Came thence for very fhame; and after me,

I know, the rout is coming: Such a mad marriage
Ne'er was before. - Hark, hark, I hear the minstrels.
[Mufick plays.
Enter Petruchio, Catharina, Bianca, Hortenfio,

and Baptifta.

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 ftore of wedding cheer;
But fo it is, my hafte doth call me hence;
And therefore here I mean to take my leave.
Bap. Is't poffible, you will away to night?
Pet. I muft away to day, before night come.
Make it no wonder; if you knew my bufinefs,
You would entreat me rather go than stay.
And, honeft Company, I thank you all,
That have beheld me give away my felf
To this moft patient, fweet 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 ftay 'till after dinner.
Pet. It may not be.

Gre. Let me intreat you.

Pet. It cannot be.

Cath. Let me intreat your

Pet. I am content

Cath. Are you content to stay?

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

Pet. Grumio, my horses.

Gris

Gru. Ay, Sir, they be ready: the oats have eater the horses.

Cath. Nay, then,

Do what thou canft, I will not go to day;
No, nor to morrrow, nor 'till I please my felf:
The door is open, Sir, there lyes your way,
You may be jogging, while your boots are green;
For me, I'll not go, 'till I please my self:
'Tis like, you'll prove a jolly furly groom,
That take it on you at the firft fo roundly.
Pet. O, Kate, content thee, pr'ythee, be not angry.
Cath. I will be angry; what haft thou to do?
Father, be quiet; he fhall ftay my leifure.

Gre. Ay, marry, Sir; now it begins to work.
Cath. Gentlemen, forward to the bridal dinner.
I fee, a woman may be made a fool,

If fhe had not a spirit to refift.

Pet. They fhall go forward, Kate, at thy command.
Obey the Bride, you that attend on her :
Go to the feaft, revel and domineer ;

Carowfe full measure to her maiden-head;
Be mad and merry, or go hang your felves;
But for my bonny Kate, fhe muft with me.
Nay, look not big, nor ftamp, nor ftare, nor fret,
I will be mafter of what is mine own;

She is my goods, my chattels, fhe is my house,
My houfhold-ftuff, my field, my barn,
My horfe, my ox, my afs, my any thing;
And here she stands, touch her who ever dare.
I'll bring my action on the proudeft he,
That ftops my way in Padua: Grumio,
Draw forth thy weapon; we're befet with thieves;
Rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man:

Fear not, fweet wench, they fhall not touch thee,

Kate;

I'll buckler thee against a million.

[Exeunt Pet. and Cath. Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones. Gre. Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing.

Fra.

Tra. Of all mad matches, never was the like.
Luc. Mistress, what's your opinion of your Sifter?
Bian. That, being mad her felf, fhe's madly mated.
Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.

Bap. Neighbours and Friends, tho' Bride and Bridegroom want

For to fupply the places at the table;

You know, there wants no junkets at the feast:
Lucentio, you fupply the Bridegroom's place;
And let Bianca take her Sifter's room.

Tra. Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it?
Bap. She fhall, Lucentio: Gentlemen, let's go.

[Exeunt.

KO

ACTIV.

SCENE, Petruchio's Country House.

F

Enter Grumio.

GR U M I 0.

IE, fie on all tired jades, and all mad mafters, and all foul ways! was ever man fo beaten? was ever man fo raide? was ever man fo weary? I am fent before, to make a fire; and they are coming after, to warm them now were I not a little pot, and foon hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I fhould come by a fire to thaw me; but I with blowing the fire fhall warm my felf; for, confidering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold: holla, hoa, Curtis!

Enter Curtis.

Curt. Who is it that calls fo coldly?

Gru. A piece of ice. If thou doubt it, thou may't

fide

flide from my fhoulder to my heel, with no greater, a run but my head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis. Curt. Is my mafter and his wife coming, Grumio? Gru. Oh, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore fire, fire; caft on no water.

Curt. Is the fo hot a Shrew, as she's reported?

Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this frost; but thou know'ft, winter tames man, woman and beast; for it hath tam'd my old mafter, and my new mistress, and my felf, fellow Curtis.

Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beaft. Gru. Am I but three inches? why, my horn is a foot, and fo long am I at the leaft. But wilt thou make a fire, or fhall I complain on thee to our mistrefs, whofe hand, the being now at hand, thou shalt foon feel to thy cold comfort, for being flow 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 mafter 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 fo full of conycatching.

Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extream cold. Where's the cook? is fupper ready, the houfe trimm'd, rufhes ftrew'd, cobwebs fwept, the fervingmen in their new fuftian, their white ftockings, and every officer his wedding garment on? be the Jacks fair within, the fills fair without, carpets laid, and every thing in order?

Curt. All ready and therefore, I pray thee, what

news?

Gru. Firft, know, my horfe is tired, my master and miftrefs fall'n out.

Curt. How?

Gru.

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