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

Bion. He is coming.

Bap. When will he be here?

Bion. When he stands where I am and sees 40 you there.

Tra. But say, what to thine old news?

Bion. Why, Petruchio is coming in a new hat and an old jerkin, a pair of old breeches thrice turned, a pair of boots that have been candlecases, one buckled, another laced, an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town-armoury, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with two broken points his horse hipped with an old mothy saddle and stirrups of no kindred; besides, possessed 50 with the glanders and like to mose in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, full of windgalls, sped with spavins, rayed with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots, swayed in the back and shoulder-shotten; near-legged before and with a half-checked bit

48. chapeless, without a chape, i.e. the metal termination of the scabbard, protecting the swordpoint.

49. points, the tagged laces which supported the hose.

51. to mose in the chine, a disease of the spinal marrow. 52. lampass, a swelling of the palate.

53. fashions, 'farcy,' a skin disease.

53. spavins, a disease of the hock, producing lameness. 54. yellows, jaundice. ib. fives (Fr. avives), an inVOL. II

65

F

and a head-stall of sheep's leather which, being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst and now repaired with knots; one 60 girth six times pieced 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?

Bion. O, sir, his lackey, for all the world caparisoned like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg and a kersey boot-hose on the other, gartered with a red and blue list; an old hat and the humour of forty fancies' pricked in 't for a feather: a monster, a very monster in apparel, and not like a Christian footboy or a gentleman's lackey.

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

Yet oftentimes he goes but mean-apparell'd.

Bap. I am glad he's come, howsoe'er he comes.
Bion. Why, sir, he comes not.

Bap. Didst thou not say he comes?

Bion. Who? that Petruchio came?

Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

Bion. No, sir; I say his horse comes, with

him on his back.

Bap. Why, that's all one.
Bion. Nay, by Saint Jamy,

I hold you a penny,
A horse and a man
Is more than one,

And yet not many.

62. velure, velvet. 67. stock, stocking. 68. boot-hose, stocking worn with top-boots.

70. the humour of forty

70

fancies, either some collection
of the short poems called
Fancies, or a bunch of ribbons,
also sometimes so called.
70. pricked in, stuck in.

Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO.

Pet. Come, where be these gallants? who's at home?

Bap. You are welcome, sir.

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
frown:

And wherefore gaze this goodly company,

As if they saw some wondrous monument,
Some comet or unusual prodigy?

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

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 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.
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:

109. digress, diverge (from my promise).

100

IIC

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 ha' 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 Petruchio and Grumio. 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.

[Exeunt Baptista, Gremio, and attendants.
Tra. But to her 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-schoolmaster
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, despite of all the world.
Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into,
125. lovely, loving.
134. skills, matters.

120

130

140

And watch our vantage in this business:
We'll over-reach the greybeard, 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?

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 gogs-wouns,' quoth he; and swore so loud,
That, all-amazed, the priest let fall the book;
And, as he stoop'd again to take it up,

The mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff 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 again?
Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd

and swore,

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

149. quaint, fine, ingenious.

150

160

170