r lampass, infected with the fashions, full of wind-galls, sped with spavins, raied with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; swayed in the back, and shoulder-shotten; ne'er legged before, and with a half-checked bit, 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 girt 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 pack-thread. 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 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 is come, howsoe'er he comes. 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. infected with the fashions,past cure of the fives,] Fashions. So called in the West of England, but by the best writers on farriery, farcens or farcy. Fives. So called in the West: vives elsewhere, and avives by the French; a distemper in horses, little differing from the strangles.-GREY. r t u ne'er legged before.] i. e. Founder'd in his fore-feet. velure,] i. e. Velvet. Velours, Fr. stock-i. e. Stocking. an old hat, and The humour of forty fancies pricked in't for a feather:] This was some ballad or drollery at that time, which the poet here ridicules, by making Petruchio prick it up in his foot-boy's hat for a feather. His speak ers are perpetually quoting scraps and stanzas of old ballads, and often very obscurely; for, so well are they adapted to the occasion, that they seem of a piece with the rest.-WARBURTON. Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO. Pet. Come, where be these gallants? who is at home? Bap. You are welcome, sir. Pet. Where it better I should rush in thus. But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride? How does my father?-Gentles, methinks you frown: As if they saw some wondrous monument, ' Bap. Why, sir, you know, this is your wedding-day : Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: As you shall well be satisfied withal. But, where is Kate? I stay too long from her; Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent robes; 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 have done with words; To me she's married, not unto my clothes; Could I repair what she will wear in me, to digress ;] To deviate from any promise. "Twere well for Kate, and better for myself.. [Exeunt PETRUCHIO, GRUMIO, and BIONDELLO. 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. I am to get a man,-whate'er he be, It skills not much; we'll fit him to our turn,— Luc. Where it not that my fellow schoolmaster Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into, Re-enter GREMIO. [Exit. Signior Gremio! came you from the church? Tra. Why, she's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam. The mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff, Tra. What said the wench, when he arose again? Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd, and As if the vicar meant to cozen him. But after many ceremonies done, He calls for wine ;-A health, quoth he; as if But that his beard grew thin and hungerly, [swore, [Musick. Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, BAPTISTA, HORTENSIO, GRUMIO, and train. Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your pains: I know, you think to dine with me to-day, Quaff'd off the muscadel,] The fashion of introducing a bowl of wine into the church at a wedding, to be drank by the bride and bridegroom, and persons present, was very anciently a constant ceremony; and, as appears from this passage, not abolished in our author's age. We find it practised at the magnificent marriage of Queen Mary and Philip, in Winchester Cathedral, 1554.-T. WARTON. z And kiss'd her lips-] This also is a very ancient custom, as appears from the following rubrick: “ Surgant ambo, sponsus et sponsa, et accipiat sponsus pacem à sacerdote, et ferat sponsæ, osculans eam, et neminem alium, nec ipse, nec ipsa." Manuale Sarum, Paris, 1533, 4to. fol. 69.-MALONE. And have prepar'd great store of wedding cheer: Bap. Is't possible, you will away to-night? Gre. Pet. It cannot be. Kath. Let me entreat you. Let me entreat you. Pet. I am content. Kath. Are you content to stay? Pet. I am content you shall entreat me stay; But yet not stay, entreat me how you can. Kath. Now, if you love me, stay. Pet. Grumio, my horses. Gru. Ay, sir, they be ready; the oats have eaten the horses. Kath. Nay, then, Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day; You may be jogging, whiles your boots are green; Pet. O, Kate, content thee; pr'ythee be not angry. Gre. Ay, marry, sir: now it begins to work. I see, a woman may be made a fool, If she had not the spirit to resist. |