And, to be noted for a merry man, He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, 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 know him passing wise; Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest. Kath. 'Would Katharine had never seen him though! [Exit, weeping, followed by BIAN. and others. Bap. Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; For such an injury would vex a saint, Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour. Enter BIONDEllo. Bion. Master, master! news, old news, and such news as you never heard of! Bap. Is it new and old too? how may that be? Bion. Why, is it not news, to hear of Petruchio's coming? Bap. Is he come? Bion. Why, no, 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 turned; a pair of boots that have been candle-cases, one buckled, another laced; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town armoury, with a broken hilt, and chapeless; with two broken points: His horse hipped with an old mothy saddle, the stirrups of no kindred: besides, possessed with the glanders, and like to mose in the chine; troubled with the lampass, infected with the fashions, full of wind-galls, sped with spavins, raied with the yel- ̄ lows, 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 halfchecked 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 packthread. 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 a 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. Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO. Pet. Come, where be these gallants? who is at home? Bap. You are welcome, sir. Pet. And yet I come not well. Bap. And yet you halt not. Tra, Not so well apparell'd As I wish you were. Pet. Were 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 : First were we sad, fearing you would not come; 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; To me she's married, not unto my clothes: [Exeunt PET. GRUM. and BION. 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. Tra. But, sir, to her love concerneth us to add I am to get a man,-whate'er he be, It skills not much; we'll fit him to our turn,— [Exit. Luc. Were it not that my fellow schoolmaster Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into, Re-enter GREMIO. Signior Gremio! came you from the church? The mad-brain'd bridegroom took him such a cuff, Tra. What said the wench, when he arose again? |