fon'd like the horse, with a linnen flock on one leg, and a kersey boot-hofe on the other, garter'd with a red and blue lift,' an old hat, and the humour of forty fancies prickt up in't for a feather: a monster, a very monster in apparel, and not like a chriftian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey.

Tra. 'Tis fome odd humour pricks him to this fashion;

Yet fometimes he goes but mean apparell'd.
Bap. I am glad he is come, howfoever he comes.
Bion. Why, Sir, he comes not,

Bap. Didit thou not fay, he comes?

Bion. Who? that Petruchio came not.

Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

Bion. No, Sir; I fay, his horfe comes with him on his back.

Bap. Why, that's all one.

Bion. Nay, by St. Jamy, I hold you a penny, A horfe and a man is more than one, and yet not

many.

1 An old bat, and the humour of forty fancies prickt up in't for a feather] This was fome 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. His fpeakers are perpetually quoting scraps and ftanzas of old Ballads, and often very obfcurely; for, fo well are they adapted to the occafion, that they seem of a piece with the reft. In Shakespear's time, the kingdom was over-run with thefe doggrel compofitions. And

he feems to have born them a very particular grudge. He frequently ridicules both them and

their makers with exquifite humour. In Much ado about nothing, he makes Benedict lay, Prove that ever I lofe more blood with love than I get again with drinking, prick out my eyes with a ballad maker's pen. As the bluntnefs of it would make the execution of it extremely painful. And again in Troilus and Crefide, Pandarus in his diftrefs, having repeated a very ftupid flanza from an old ballad, fays, with the highest humour, There never was a truer rhyme; let us caft away nothing, for we may live to have need of fuch a verfe. We fee it, we fee it.

E 3

WARBURTON.

SCENE

SCENE IV.

Enter Petruchio and Grumio fantastically habited.

Pet. Come, where be thefe gallants? who is at home?

Bap. You're welcome, Sir.

Pet. And yet I come not well.

Bap. And yet you halt not.

Tra. Not fo well 'parell'd, as I wish you were.
Pet. Were it better, I fhould rush in thus.
But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride?
How does my Father? Gentles, methinks, you
frown:

And wherefore gaze this goodly company,
As if they faw fome wondrous monument,
Some comet, or unusual prodigy?

Bap. Why, Sir, you know this is your weddingday:

First, were we fad, fearing you would not come ;
Now, fadder, that you come fo unprovided.
Fy, doff this habit, fhame to your estate,
An eye-fore to our folemn festival.

Tra. And tell us what occafion of import
Hath all fo long detain'd you from your wife,
And fent you hither fo unlike yourself?

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear:
Sufficeth, I am come to keep my word,
Tho' in fome part enforced to digrefs,
Which at more leifure I will fo excufe,
As you fhall well be fatisfied withal.

But, where is Kate? I ftay too long from her;
The morning wears; 'tis time, we were at church.
Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent ropes;
Go to my chamber, put on cloaths of mine.

To digris] To deviate from any promife.

Pet.

Pet, Not I; believe me, thus I'll visit her.

Bap. But thus, I truft, you will not marry her. Pet. Good footh, even thus; therefore ha' done with words;

To me she's married, not unto my cloaths;
Could I repair what fhe will wear in me,
As I could 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 feal the title with a lovely kiss?

[Exit.
Tra. He hath fome meaning in his mad attire:
We will perfuade him, be it poffible,
To put on better ere he go to church.

Bap. I'll after him, and fee the event of this. [Exit.

SCENE V.

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 fhall be Vincentio of Pifa,

And make affurance here in Padua
Of greater fums than I have promised :
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, défpight 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,

E 4

The

The quaint musician amorous Licio;
All for my master's fake, Lucentio.

SCENE VI.

Enter Gremio.

Now, Signior Gremio, came you from the church?
Gre. As willingly as e'er I came from fchool.
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 fhall find.
Tra. Curfter than fhe? why, 'tis impoffible.
Gre. Why, he's a devil, a devil, a very fiend.
Tra. Why, he'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 Prieft
Did afk, if Catharine fhould be his wife?

Ay, by gogs-woons, quoth he and swore fo loud,
That, all amaz'd, the Priest let fall the book;
And as he ftoop'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 rose up again? Gre. Trembled and fhook? for why, he stamp'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 carowling to his Mates
After a ftorm; quafft off the muscadel,
And threw the fops all in the fexton's face;
Havnig no other caufe, but that his beard.
Grew thin and hungerly, and feem'd to afk
His fops as he was drinking. This done, he took
The Bride about the neck, and kift her lips.

With fuch a clamorous fmack, that at the parting
All the church echo'd; and I feeing 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.

CENE VII.

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 store 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 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, honeft Company, I thank you all,
That have beheld me give away myself
To this molt patient, fweet and virtuous wife.
Dine with my father, drink a health to me,
- For I muft hence, and farewel to you all.

Tra. Let us entreat you ftay 'till after dinner.
Pet. It may not be.

Gre. Let me entreat you.

Pet. It cannot be.

Cath. Let me entreat you.

Pet. I am content

Cath. Are you content to ftay?

Pet. I am content, you fhall entreat me, stay; But yet not stay, 'entreat me how you can.

Cath. Now if you love me, stay.

Pet. Grumio, my horfes.

4

Gru.