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 him.

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 liftning. Now I begin imprimis, we came

master riding behind my mistress.
Curt. Both on one horse?
Gru. What's that to thee?
Curt. Why, a horse.

down a foul hill, my

But hadft thou not

Gru. Tell thou the tale. ---croft me, thou should'st have heard how her horse fell, and fhe under her horfe: thou fhould't have heard in how miry a place, how fhe was bemoil'd, how he left her with the horse 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 burft; how I loft my crupper; with many things of worthy memory, which now shall 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 brufh'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them curt'fie with their left legs, and not prefume to touch a hair of my master's horfe-tail, 'till they kifs their hands. Are they all ready?

Curt. They are.

Gru. Call them forth.

Curt. Do you hear, ho? you must meet my mafter to countenance my mistress.

Gru.

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

Curt. Who knows not that ?

Gru. Thou, it feems, that call'ft for company to countenance herr

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Enter four or five Serving-men.

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

Phil. How now, Grumio?

fof. 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 -cock's paffion, filence! I hear my

be not

mafter.

Enter Petruchio and Kate.

Pet. Where be thefe knaves? what, no man at door to hold my ftirrup, 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 peasant fwain, you whorefon, malt-horfe drudge,

Did not I 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 fheathing: There were none fine, but Adam, Ralph, and Gregory's

The

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. [Singing.

Where is the life that late I led?
fit down, Kate,

Where are those

And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud!

Enter Servants with Supper.

Why, when, I fay? nay, good fweet 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 mind 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 some 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, beatle-headed, flap-ear'd knave: Come, Kate, fit down; I know, you have a ftomach. Will you give thanks, fweet Kate, or elfe fhall I? What's this, mutton?

1 Ser. Yes.

Pet. Who brought it ?

Ser. I.

Pet. 'Tis burnt, and fo is all the meat:
What dogs are these? where is the rafcal 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 Stage.

You

You heedless jolt-heads, and unmanner'd slaves !
What, do you grumble? I'll be with you ftraight.
Cath. I pray you, husband, be not fo difquiet;
The meat was well, if you were fo contented.
Pet. I tell thee, Kate, 'twas burnt and dry'd away,
And I exprefly am forbid to touch it :

For it engenders choler, planteth anger;
And better 'twere, that Both of us did faft,
Since, of our felves, our felves are cholerick,
Than feed it with fuch over-roafted flesh :
Be patient, for to morrow't fhall be mended,
And for this night we'll faft for company.
Come, I will bring thee to thy bridal chamber.

Enter Servants feverally.

Nath. Peter, didft ever fee the like?
Peter. He kills her in her own humour.
Gru. Where is he?

Enter Curtis, a Servant.

[Exe

Curt. In her chamber, making a sermon of conti nency to her,

And rails and fwears, and rates; that fhe, poor foul,
Knows not which way to ftand, to look, to fpeak,
And fits as one new-rifen from a dream.
Away, away, for he is coming hither.

Enter Petruchio.

Pet. Thus have I politickly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end fuccefsfully:
My faulcon now is fharp, and paffing empty,
And till fhe stoop, fhe muft not be full-gorg'd,
For then she never looks upon her lure.
Another way I have to man my haggard,

[Exeunt.

To make her come, and know her keeper's Call:
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites,
That bait and beat, and will not be obedient.
She eat no meat to day, nor none shall eat.
Last night the flept not, nor to night shall not:
As with the meat, fome undeserved fault
I'll find about the making of the bed.

And

And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, that way the sheets;
Ay; and, amid this hurly, I'll pretend,
That all is done in reverend care of her,
And, in conclufion, fhe fhall watch all night:
And, if the chance to nod, I'll rail and brawl,
And with the clamour keep her ftill awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness ;
And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a Shrew,
Now let him speak, 'tis charity to shew.

SCENE, before Baptifta's Houfe.

Enter Tranio and Hortenfio.

[Exit.

TRANIO.

S't poffible, friend Licio, that Bianca (16)
Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I tell

(16) Is't possible, friend Licio, &c.] This Scene, Mr. Pope, up◄ on what Authority I can't pretend to guefs, has in his Editions made the First of the Fifth A&t: in doing which, he has shewn the very Power and Force of Criticism. The Confequence of this judicious Regulation is, that two unpardonable Abfurdities are fix'd upon the Author, which he could not poffibly have committed. For, in the first place, by this fhuffling the Scenes out of their true Pofition, we find Hortenfio, in the fourth A&t, already gone from Baptifta's to Petruchio's Country-house; and afterwards in the Beginning of the Fifth Act we find him first forming the Refolution of quitting Bianca; and Tranio immediately informs Us, he is gone to the Taming-School to Petruchio. There is a Figure, indeed, in Rhetorick, call'd, üseggy werepov: But this is an Abuse of it, which the Rhetoricians will never adopt upon Mr. Pope's Authority. Again, by this Mifplacing, the Pedant makes his firft Entrance, and quits the Stage with Tranio in order to go and dress himself like Vincentio, whom he was to perfonate: but his Second Entrance is upon very Heels of his Exit; and without any Interval

the

of