Enter a Servant. Serv. Mistress, your father prays your leave you

books, And help to dress your sister's chamber up; You know, to-morrow is the wedding-day. Bian. Farewell, sweet Masters, both; I must be gone.

[ Exeunt BIANCA and Servant, Luc. 'Taith, Mistress, then I have no cause to stay.

[Exit. Hor. But I have cause to pry into this pedant'; Methinkó, he looks as though he were in love: Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca , be so husable, To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale, Seize thee, that list: If once I anđ thce ranging, Hortensio will be quit with theo by changing.

[Exit.

SCENE I 1: The same. Before Baptista's House. Enter Baptista, GREMIO, TRANIO, KATHARINA,

BIANCA, LUCENTIO, and Attendants. Bap. Signior Licendo, (TOTRANIO.] this is the

'pointed day That Katharine and Petruchio should be mzrried, And yet we hear not of our son-in-law:: What will be said? what mockery will it be; To want the bridegroom, when the priest artends To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage? What says Lucentio to this shame of gur? Kath. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be

forc'd To give my hand, oppos'd against my hcart, Unto a mad. brain rudesby, full of spleen; Who wood in hasse, and mçans to wed at leisure.

And say,

I told you, I, he was a frantick fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour;
And, to be noted for a merry man,
He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, yes, and proclaim the banne;
Yet never means to wed where he bath woo'd.
Now must the world point at poor Katharine,

Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife, If it would please him come and marry her.

Tra. Patience, good Katharine, and Baptista too'; Upon my life, Petruchio means but well, Whatever fortune stays him from his word: Though he be blunt, I lanow him passing wise ; Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest. Kath. 'Would, Katharine had never seen him

though! (Exit, weeping, followed by Bianca, and Others.

Bap. Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to wezp; for such an injury would vex a saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour.

Enter BIONDELLO. Bian. Master, Master! news, old news, and such Bewys as you never heard of! .

Bap. Is it new and old too? how may that be? Bion. Whiy, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio's coming?

Bap. Is he come?
Bion. Why, 110, Sir,
Bap. What then?
Bion. He is coming.
Bap. When will he be here?

Bion. When he stands where I am, and sees you there.

Tra. But, say, what: - To thine old news.
Bion. Why, Petruchio is coming, in a new hat,

and an old jerkin; a pair of old breeches, thrice turn'd; a pair of boots that have been caydlecases, oue buckled, another laced; and old rusty sword ta'en out of the town armory, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with two broken points: His horse hip'd with an old mothy saddle, the stirrups of no kindred: besides, possess'd with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, ull of windgalls, spet with spavins, raied with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots : sway'd in the back, and shoulder-shotten; ne'er - legg'd before, and with a half.check'd bit, and a head-stall of sheep's leather; which, being restrain'd to keep him from stumbling, hạth been often burst, and now repaird 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 theré pieced with pack-thread. Bap. Who comes with him?

Bion, 0, Sir, his lackey, for all the world capa. rison'd like the horse; th a linen stock on one Ieg, and a kersey, boot-hose on the other, garter'd with a red and blue,list; an old hat, and The hu. mour of forty farcies prick'd in't for a feather: 4 monster, a very monster in apparel; and not like 'a christian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey. Tra. 'Tis some odd hun our pricks him to this

fashion; Yet often times he goes but mean apparellid. Bap. I am glad he is come, howso'cr he comes. Bion. Why, Sir, he comes not. Bap. Didst thoi uot say, he comes ? Bion. Who? that Petruchio came? Bap. Ay, that Petruchio came.

I

Bion. No, Sir; I say, his horse comes with him on his back, Kap. Why, that's all, one. Bion. Nay, by saint Jamy, I hold you a penny, A hore and a man is more than one, and yet not many,

Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO. Pet. Come, where be these gallants ? who is at

home? Bap. You are welcome, Şiri Pet. And

yet come not well. Bap. And yet you halt not.

Tra. Not so well apparellid As I wish you were.

Pet. Were it benter I should rush in thus.
Bui where is Kaię? where is my lovely bride?
How does my father? Geniles, methinks you frown:
And wherefore gaze this goodly company;
As if they saw some wondrous monument,
Some comet, or unusual prodigy?
Bap. Why, Sir, you know, this is your wedding-

day;
First were we sad, fearing you would not come;
Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
Fig! doff this habit, shame to your estate,
Au cyesore to our solemn festival.

Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import
Haih all so long detain'd you from your wife,
And sent you hither so unlike yourself?

Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: Suffiçeth, I am cume to keep my word, Though in some part enforced to digress, Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse As you shall well be satisfied withal. But, where is Kate? I stay too long from her; The morning wears, 'tis time we were at church.

VOL. VI.

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.
Pap. Bint 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,
As I can change these poor a coutrements,
'Twere well for Kate, and better for myself.
But what a fool am I, to chat with you,
When I should bid good-morrow to my bride,
And seal the title with a lovely kiss ?

(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.

[ Exit.
Tra. But, Sir, to her love concerneth us to add
Her father's liking: Which to bring to pass,
As I before imparted to your Worship,
I am to get a man, -

whate'er he be,
It skills not much; we'll fit him to our turn,
And he shall be Vincentio of Pisa;
And make assurance, here in Padua,
Of greater sums than I have promised.
So shall you quietly enjoy your hope,
And marry sweet Bianca with consent.

Luc. Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster
Doth watch Bianca's steps so narrowly,
'Twere good', rethinks, to steal our marriage;
Which once perform'd, let all the world say nog
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: