no other reason but that his beard grew chinne and hungerly, and seem'd to aske him sops as he was drinking. This done, he tooke the bride about the neck and kist her lips with such a clamorous smacke, that at the parting all the church did eccho: and I seeing this, came thence for very shame, and after mee I know the rout is comming, such a mad marriage neuer was before : harke, harke I heare the minstrels, play.

Musicke playes.

Enter Petruchio, Kate, Bianca, Hortensio, Baptista. Petr. Gentlemen and friends I thanke you for your pains, I know you thinke to dine with mee to day, And haue prepar'd great store of wedding cheere, But so it is, my haite doth call mee hence, And therefore heere I mcane to take my leaue.

Bap. Is’t poslible you will away to night?

Pet. I must away to day before night come,
Make it no wonder : if you knew my businesse,
You would intreate me rather goe then stay:
And honest company, I thanke you all,
That haue beheld me giue away myselfe
To this most patient, sweete, and vertuous wife,
Dine with my father, drinke a health to mee,
For I must hence, and farewell to you all.

Tra. Let vs intreate you still after dinner.
Pet. It may not be.
Gru. Let me intreate you.
Pet. It cannot be.
Kat. Let me intreate you.
Pet. I am content.
Kat. Are you content to stay?

Pet. I am content you shall in treate me stay,
Lut yet not stay, in treate me how you can.
Kat. Now if you loue me stay.

Pet.

Pet. Grumio, my horse.
Gru. I fir they be ready, the oates haue eaten the horses.

Kat. Nay then,
Doe what thou canst, I will not goe to day,
No, nor to-morrow, not till I please myselfe,
The dore is open fir, there lies your way,
You may be iogging whiles your bootes are greene :
For mee, Ile not be gone till I please myselfe,
'Tis like you'll proue a iolly furly groome,
That take it on you at the first so roundly.

Pet. O Kate content thee prethee be not angrie.

Kate. I will be angry, what hast thou to doe? Father, be quiet, he shall stay my leisure.

Gre. I marrie sir, now it begins to worke.

Kat. Gentlemen, forward to the bridall dinner,
I see a woman may be maide a foole
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.
Goe to the feast, reuell and domineere,
Carowse full measure to her maiden-head,
Be madde and merry, or goe hang yourselues:
But for my bonny Kate, she must with me :
Nay, looke not big, nor stampe, nor stare, nor fret,
I will be master of what is mine owne,
Shee is my goods, my chattels, she is my house,
My houshold-stufte, my field my barne,
My horse, my oxe, my asse, my any thing,
And heere shee stands, touch her who euer dare,
Ile bring mine action on the proudeft he
That stops my way in Padua : Grumio
Draw forth thy weapon, wee are bcset with theeues,
Rescue thy mistresse if thou be a man :

E 2

Feare

Feare not sweete wench, they shall not touch thee Kate,
Ile buckler thee against a million.

Exeunt Pet. Kat.
Bap. Nay, let them goe, a couple of quiet ones.
Gre. Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing.
Tra. Of all mad matches neuer was the like.
Luc. Mistresse, what's your opinion of your sister ?
Bian, That being mad herselfe, she's madly mated.
Gre. I warrant him Petruchio is Kated.

Bap. Neighbours and friends, though bride and brideFor to supply the places at the table,

(groom wants
You know there wants no iunckets at the feast :
Lucentio you fhall supply the bridegroomes place,
And let Bianca take her sisters roome.

Tra. Shall sweete Bianca practise how to bride it?
Bap. She shall Lucentio: come gentlemen let's goe.

Exeunt.

Enter Grumio. Gru. Fie fie on all tired iades, on all mad masters, and all foule waies : was euer man so beaten ? was euer man so raied ? was euer man so weary? I am sent before to make a fire, and they are comming after to warme them : now were not I a litle pot, and soone hot; my very lippes might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roofe of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a fire to thaw mee, but I with blowing the fire shall warme myselfe : for considering the weather, a taller man then I will take cold : holla, hoa Curtis.

Enter Curtis. Curt. Who is thats calls fo coldly?

Gru. A piece of ice: if thou doubt it, thou maist Nide from my shoulder to my heele, with no greater a run but my head and my necke, A fire good Curtis.

Cur.

Cur. Is my master and his wife comming Grumio ?
Gru. Oh I Burtis I, and therefore fire, fire, cast on no water.
Cur. Is she so hot a shrew as she's reported ?

Gru. She was good Curtis before this frost : but thou know'st winter tames man, woman, and beast: for it hath tam'd my olde master, and my new miftris, and myselfe fellow Curtis.

Cur. Away you three inch foole ; I am no beast.

Gru. Am I but three inches? Why thy horne is a foot and so long am I at the least. But wile thou make a fire or shall I complaine on thee to our mistris, whose hand (The being now at hand) thou shalt soone feele, to thy cold comfort, for being Now in thy hot office.

Cur. I prethee good Grumio, tell me, how goes the world?

Gru. A cold world Curtis in euery office but thine, and therefore fire : doe thy dutie, and haue thy dutie, for my master and miftris are allmost frozen to death.

Cur. There's fire readie, and therefore good Grumio the newes.

Gru. Why lacke boy, ho boy, and as much newes as thou wilt.

Cur. Come, you are so full of conicatching.

Gru. Why therefore fire, for I haue caught extreme cold. Where's the cooke, is supper readie, the house trim'd, rulhes strew'd, cobwebs swept, the seruingmen in their new fuftion, the white stockings, and euery officer his wedding garment on? Be the lackes faire within, the Gils faire without, the carpets laide, and euery thing in order :

Cur. All ready: and therefore I pray thee newes.

Gru. First known my horse is tired, my master and mistris falne out. Cur. How?

Gru.

E 3

Gru. Out of their faddles into the durt, and thereby hangs a tale.

Cur. Let's ha't good Grumio.
Gru. Lend thine eare.
Cur. Heere.
Gru. There.
Cur. This 'tis to feele a tale, not to heare a tale.

Gru. And therefore 'tis cal'd a fenfible tale : and this cuffe was but to knocke at your eare, and beseech listning : now I begin inprimis we came downe a foule hill, my master riding behinde my mistris.

Cur. Both of one horse ?
Gru. What's that to thee?
Cur. Why a horse.

Gru. Tell thou the tale: but hadst thou not croft me, thou shouldst haue heard how her horse fell, and she vnder her horse: thou shouldst haue heard in how miery a place, how she was bemoil'd, how he left her with the horse vpon her, how he beate me because her horse stumbled, how the waded through the durt to plucke him off me: how he fwore, how the praid, that neuer prai'd before : how I cried, how the horses ranne away, how her bridle was burst : how I lost my crupper, with many thinges of worthy memo. rie, which now shall die in obliuion, and thou returne vnexperienc'd to the graue.

Cur. By this reckning he more shrew than the.

Gru. I, and that thou and the proudest of you all shall finde when he comes home. But what talke I of this ? Call forth Nathaniell, Ioseph, Nicholas, Phillip, Walter, Sugerfop and the rest: let their heads bee Nickely comb'd, their blew coats brush'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit, let them curtfie with their left legges, and not presume to touch a