My houfhold-ftuff, my field, my barn,

My horfe, my ox, my afs, my any thing;

And here the ftands, touch her who ever dare.
I'll bring my action on the proudest 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 fhould die with laughTra. Of all mad matches, never was the like. Luc. Miftrefs, what's your opinion of your fifter? Bian. That, being mad herself, fhe's madly mated. Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated.

[ing.

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 fifter's room.

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

[Exeunt.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

Petruchio's country-boufe.

Enter Grumic.

Grum. FIE, fie on all tired jades, and all mad

masters, and all foul ways! Was ever man fo beaten? was ever man fo rayed; was ever man fo weary? I am fent before, to make a fire; and they are coming after, to warm them: now were 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 [

with blowing the fire fhall warm myfelf; 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'st flide from my fhoulder to my heel, with no greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis.

Gurt. Is my mafter and his wife coming, Grumio?
Gru. Oh, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore, fire, fire; caft

on no water.

Curt. Is fhe fo hot a fhrew as fhe's reported?

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

Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beast.

Gru. Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot: and fo long am I at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or fhall I complain on thee to our miftrefs? whofe hand, fhe being now at hand, thou fhalt foon feel to thy cold comfort, for being flow in thy hot office.

Curt. I pr'ythee, good Grumio, tell me, how goes the 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 almoft 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 coneycatching.

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

This feems to be a fragment of fome old ballad.

Curt

Curt. All ready: and therefore, I pray thee, what - news?

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

Curt. How?

Gru. Out of their faddles into the dirt; and thereby hangs a tale.

Curt. Let's ha't, good Grumio.

Gru. Lend thine ear.

Curt. Here.

Gru. There..

[Strikes ber.

Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.

Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale; and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and befeech liftening. Now I begin: Imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my mafter riding behind my mistress.

Curt. Both on one horfe?

Gru. What's that to thee?
Curt. Why, a horse.

Gru. "Tell thou the tale- -But hadft thou not "crofs'd me, thou fhould't have heard how her horfe "fell, and fhe under her horfe: thou should'ft have heard "in how miry a place, how fhe was bemoiled, how "he left her with the horfe upon her, how he beat me "because her horfe ftumbled, how fhe waded through "the dirt to pluck him off me; how he fwore, how "The pray'd that never pray'd before; how I cry'd; "how the horses ran away; how her bridle was burst; "how I loft my crupper; with many things of worthy 66 memory, which now fhall die in oblivion, and thou "return unexperienc'd to thy grave."

Curt. By this reckoning he is more fhrew than fhe.

Gru. Ay, and that thou and the proudest of you all fhall find when he comes home. But what talk I of this? call forth Nathaniel, Jofeph, Nicholas, Philip, Walter, Sugarfop, and the reft; let their heads be fleekly comb'd, their blue coats brush'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit: let them court'fy with their left legs, and not presume to touch a hair of my master's horfe-tail, till they kifs their hands. Are they all ready?

Curt. They are.

Gru

Gru. Call them forth.

Curt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my master or countenance my mistress.

Gru. Why, fhe hath a face of her own.

Curt. Who knows not that?

Gru. Thou, it seems, that call'ft for company to countenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Enter four or five ferving-men.

Gru. Why, fhe comes to borrow nothing of them.
Nat. Welcome home, Grumio.

Phil. How now, Grumio?

Jof. What, Grumio!

Nich. Fellow Grumio!

Nath. How now, old lad.

Gru. "Welcome, you; how now, you; what, you; "fellow, you; and thus much for greeting." Now, my fpruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat? Nat. All things are ready; how near is our master? Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this: and therefore be not -cock's paffion, filence!I hear my

mafter.

SCENE II. Enter Petruchio and Kate.

Pet. Where be thefe knaves? what, no man at door to hold my stirrup, nor to take my horfe? Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?

All Serv. Here, here, Sir; here, Sir.

Pet. Here, Sir, here, Sir, here, Sir, here, Sir!
You loggerheaded and unpolish'd grooms:
What! no attendance? no regard? no duty?
Where is the foolish knave I fent before?

Gru. Here, Sir, as foolish as I was before.

Pet. You peafant fwain, you whorefon, malt-horfe drudge,

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' th' heel; There was no link to colour Peter's hat;

And Walter's dagger was not come from sheathing:

There

There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory;
The reft were ragged, old, and beggarly;

Yet as they are, here are they come to meet you.
Pet. Go, rafcals, go, and fetch my fupper in.

[Exeunt Servants.

Soud, foud, foud, foud!

Enter Servants with supper.

[Singing.

Why, when, I fay? nay, good sweet Kate, be merry.
Off with my boots, you rogue: you villains, when?

It was the friar of orders grey,
As he forth walked on his way.

Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry.
Take that, and mend the plucking off the other.

[Sings.

[Strikes him. Be merry, Kate: fome water, here; what, hoa! Enter one with water.

Where's my fpaniel Troilus? firrah, get you hence,
And bid my coufin Ferdinand come hither;

One, Kate, that you must kifs, and be acquainted with.
Where are my flippers? fhall I have fome water?
Come, Kate, and wash, and welcome heartily:
You whorefon villain, will you let it fall?

Cath. Patience, I pray you, 'twas a fault unwilling.
Pet. A whorefon, beetle-headed, flap-car'd knave:
Come, Kate, fit down; I know you have a ftomach.
Will you give thanks, fweet Kate, or else shall I?
What's this, mutton?

I Serv. Yes.

Pet. Who brought it?

Ser. I.

Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat:
What dogs are these? where is the rascal cook?
How durft you, villains, bring it from the dreffer,
And ferve it thus to me that love it not?
There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all.

[Throws the meat, &c. about the fiage. You heedlefs jolt heads, and unmanner'd (laves!

What,