Curt. How? Gru. Out of their saddles into the dirt; And thereby hangs a tale. Curt. Let's ha't, good Grumio. Gru. Lend thine ear. Curt. Here. Gru. There. [Striking him. Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale. Gru. And therefore 'tis called, a sensible tale: and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and beseech listening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mis Curt. Both on one horse? Gru. What's that to thee? Gru. Tell thou the tale:--But hadst thou not crossed me, thou should'st have heard how her horse fell, and she under her horse; thou should'st have heard, in how miry a place: how she was bemoiled;' how he left her with the horse upon her; how he beat me because her horse stumbled; how she waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he swore; how she prayed-that never pray'd before; how I cried; how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; how I lost my crupper;-with many things of worthy memory; which now shall die in oblivion, and thou return unexperienced to thy grave. Curt. By this reckoning, he is more shrew than she." Gru. Ay; and that, thou and the proudest of you all shall find, when he comes home. But what talk 7 bemoiled:] i. e. be-draggled; bemired. 8 was burst;] i. e. broken. 9 he is more shrew than she.] The term shrew was anciently applicable to either sex. I of this?-call forth Nathaniel, Joseph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarsop, and the rest; let their heads be sleekly combed, their blue coats brushed,' and their garters of an indifferent knit:2 let them curtsey with their left legs; and not presume to touch a hair of my master's horse-tail, till they kiss their hands. Are they all ready? Curt. They are. Gru. Call them forth. Curt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my master, to countenance my mistress. Gru. Why, she hath a face of her own. Curt. Who knows not that? Gru. Thou, it seems; that callest for company to countenance her. Curt. I call them forth to credit her. Gru. Why, she comes to borrow nothing of them. Enter several Servants. Nath. Welcome home, Grumio. Phil. How now, Grumio? Jos. What, Grumio! Nath. Fellow Grumio! Nath. How now, old lad? Gru. Welcome, you;-how now, you;-what, you;-fellow, you;-and thus much for greeting. Now, my spruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat? 2 Nath. All things is ready: How near is our master? 1 their blue coats brushed,] The dress of servants at the time. garters of an indifferent knit.] Perhaps by "garters of an indifferent knit," the author meant parti-colour'd garters; garters of a different knit. In Shakspeare's time indifferent was sometimes used for different. нн 2. fore be not, my master. Cock's passion, silence!I hear Enter PETRUCHIO and KATHARINA. Pet. Where be these knaves? What, no man at To hold my stirrup, nor to take my horse! All Serv. Here, here, sir; here, sir. Pet. Here, sir! here, sir! here, sir! here, sir!- Gru. Here, sir; as foolish as I was before. Did I not bid thee meet me in the park, And bring along these rascal knaves with thee? Gru. Nathaniel's coat, sir, was not fully made, And Gabriel's pumps were all unpink'd i'the heel; There was no link to colour Peter's hat, And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing: There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory; The rest were ragged, old, and beggarly; Yet, as they are, here are they come to meet you. Pet. Go, rascals, go, and fetch my supper in.[Exeunt some of the Servants. Where is the life that late I led-* [Sings. Where are those-Sit down, Kate, and welcome. Soud, soud, soud, soud!5 no link to colour Peter's hat,] A link is a torch of pitch. Where, &c.] A scrap of some old ballad. Ancient Pistol elsewhere quotes the same line. In an old black letter book intituled, A gorgious Gallery of gallant Inventions, London, 1578, 4to. is a song to the tune of Where is the life that late i led. 5 Soud, soud, &c.] This, I believe, is a word coined by our Re-enter Servants, with supper. Why, when, I say?-Nay, good sweet Kate, be merry. Off with my boots, you rogues, you villains; When? 6 It was the friar of orders grey, [Sings. Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry: hence, And bid my cousin Ferdinand come hither: [Exit Servant. One, Kate, that you must kiss, and be acquainted with. Where are my slippers?-Shall I have some water? poet, to express the noise made by a person heated and fatigued. MALONE. It was the friar of orders grey,] Dispersed through Shakspeare's plays are many little fragments of ancient ballads, the entire. copies of which cannot now be recovered. Many of these being of the most beautiful and pathetic simplicity, Dr. Percy has selected some of them, and connected them together with a few supplemental stanzas; a work, which at once demonstrates his own poetical abilities, as well as his respect to the truly venerable remains of our most ancient bards. STEEVENS. 7 Come, Kate, and wash,] It was the custom in our author's time, (and long before,) to wash the hands immediately before dinner and supper, as well as afterwards. As our ancestors eat with their fingers, which might not be over-clean before meals, and after them must be greasy, we cannot wonder at such repeated ablutions, STEEVENS, You whoreson villain! will you let it fall? [Strikes him. Kath. Patience, I pray you; 'twas a fault un willing. Pet. A whoreson, beetleheaded, flap-ear'd knave! Come, Kate, sit down; I know you have a stomach. Will you give thanks, sweet Kate; or else shall I ?— What is this? mutton? Pet. 'Tis burnt; and so is all the meat: What dogs are these?-Where is the rascal cook? How durst you, villains, bring it from the dresser, And serve it thus to me that love it not? There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all: [Throws the meat, &c. about the stage. You heedless joltheads, and unmanner'd slaves! What, do you grumble? I'll be with you straight. Kath. I pray you, husband, be not so disquiet; The meat was well, if you were so contented. Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away; And I expressly am forbid to touch it, For it engenders choler, planteth anger; And better 'twere, that both of us did fast,Since, of ourselves, ourselves are cholerick, Than feed it with such over-roasted flesh. Be patient; to-morrow it shall be mended, And, for this night, we'll fast for company:Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber. [Exeunt PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, and CURTIS. Nath. [Advancing.] Peter, didst ever see the like? - Peter. He kills her in her own humour |