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, 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 amaz'd, the priest let fall the book: And, as he stoop'd again to take it up,

As willingly &c.] This is a proverbial saying. See Ray's Collection. STEEVENS.

VOL. IX.

I

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 arose 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
After a storm:-Quaff'd off the muscadel,

8

8

Quaff'd off the muscadel,] It appears from this passage, and the following one in The History of the Two Maids of Moreclacke, a comedy, by Robert Armin, 1609, that it was the custom to drink wine immediately after the marriage ceremony. Armin's play begins thus:

"Enter a Maid strewing flowers, and a serving-man perfuming the door.

"Maid. Strew, strew,

"Man. The muscadine stays for the bride at church. "The priest and Hymen's ceremonies 'tend

"To make them man and wife."

Again, in Decker's Satiromastix, 1602:

and when we are at church, bring the wine and cakes." In Ben Jonson's Magnetic Lady, the wine drank on this occasion is called a "knitting cup."

Again, in No Wit like a Woman's, by Middleton:

"Even when my lip touch'd the contracting cup." There was likewise a flower that borrowed its name from this ceremony:

"Bring sweet carnations, and sops in wine,
"Worne of paramours.'

Hobbinol's Dittie, &c. by Spenser.

Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady:
"Were the rosemary branches dipp'd, and all
"The hippocras and cakes eat and drunk off;
"Were these two arms encompass'd with the hands
"Of bachelors to lead me to the church," &c.

Again, in The Articles ordained by King Henry VII. for the Regulation of his Household: Article-" For the Marriage of a

And threw the sops all in the sexton's face;
Having no other reason,-

But that his beard grew thin and hungerly,

Princess."" Then pottes of Ipocrice to bee ready, and to bee putt into the cupps with and to bee borne to the estates; and to take a soppe and drinke," &c. STEEVENS.

soppe,

So, in an old canzonet on a wedding, set to musick by Morley, 1606:

Sops in wine, spice-cakes are a dealing." FARMER. 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: "The trumpetts sounded, and they both returned to their traverses in the quire, and there remayned untill masse was done: at which tyme, wyne and sopes were hallowed and delyvered to them both." Leland's Collect. Append. Vol. IV. p. 400, edit. 1770. T. WARTON..

I insert the following quotation merely to show that the custom remained in Shakspeare's time. At the marriage of the Elector Palatine to King James's daughter, the 14th day of February, 1612-13, we are told by one who assisted at the ceremonial: "In conclusion, a joy pronounced by the king and queen, and seconded with congratulation of the lords there present, which crowned with draughts of Ippocras out of a great golden bowle, as an health to the prosperity of the marriage, (began by the prince Palatine and answered by the princess.) After which were served up by six or seven barons so many bowles filled with wafers, so much of that work was consummate." Finet's Philoxenis, 1656, p. 11. REED.

This custom is of very high antiquity; for it subsisted among our Gothick ancestors :- "Ingressus domum convivalem sponsus cum pronubo suo, sumpto poculo, quod maritale vocant, ac paucis a pronubo de mutato vitæ genere prefatis, in signum constantiæ, virtutis, defensionis et tutelæ propinat sponsæ & simul morgennaticam [dotalitium ob virginitatem] promittit, quod ipsa grato animo recolens, pari ratione & modo, paulo post mutato in uxorium habitum operculo capitis, ingressa, poculum, uti nostrates vocant, uxorium leviter delibans, amorem, fidem, diligentiam, & subjectionem promittit." Stiernhook de Jure Sueonum & Gothorum vetusto, p. 163, quarto, 1672. MALOne.

And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking.
This done, he took the bride about the neck;
And kiss'd her lips with such a clamorous smack,
That, at the parting, all the church did echo."
I, seeing this,' came thence for very shame;
And after me, I know, the rout is coming:
Such a mad marriage never was before;
Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play. [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,
And have prepar'd great store of wedding cheer;
But so it is, my haste doth call me hence,
And therefore here I mean to take my

leave.
BAP. Is't possible, you will away to-night?
PET. I must away to-day, before night come:-
Make it no wonder; if you knew my business,

And kiss'd her lips with such a clamorous smack,

That, at the parting, all the church did echo.] It appears from the following passage in Marston's Insatiate Countess, that this was also part of the marriage ceremonial:

"The kisse thou gavʼst me in the church, here take.”

STEEVENS.

This also is a very ancient custom, as appears from the following rubrick, with which I was furnished by the late Reverend Mr. Bowle: " Surgant ambo, sponsus et sponsa, et accipiat sponsus pacem a sacerdote, et ferat sponsæ, osculans eam, et neminem alium, nec ipse, nec ipsa." Manuale Sarum, Paris, 1533, 4to. fol. 69. MALONE.

1I, seeing this,] The old copy has-And I seeing. And was probably caught from the beginning of the next line. emendation is Sir T. Hanmer's. MALONE, DIUGH

The

You would entreat me rather

go

than stay.

And, honest company, I thank you all,
That have beheld me give away myself

To this most patient, sweet, and virtuous wife:
Dine with my father, drink a health to me;
For I must hence, and farewell to you all.

TRA. Let us entreat you stay till after dinner. PET. It may not be.

GRE.

PET. It cannot be.

.

KATH.

PET. I am content.

KATH.

Let me entreat you."

Let me entreat you.

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.1

Let me entreat you.] At the end of this speech, as well as of the next but one, a syllable is wanting to complete the mea I have no doubt of our poet's having written-in both instances

sure.

3

Let me entreat you stay. STEEVENS.

my horses.] Old copy-horse. STEEVENS.

the oats have eaten the horses.] There is still a ludicrous expression used when horses have staid so long in a place as to have eaten more than they are worth-viz. that their heads are too big for the stable-door. I suppose Grumio has some such meaning, though it is more openly expressed, as follows, in the original play:

"Enter Ferando and Kate, and Alfonso and Polidor, and Emilia, and Aurelius and Phylema.

"Feran. Father, farewel; my Kate and I must home: "Sirrha, go make ready my horse presently.