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Enter Curtis, a Servant.

Curt. Who is that calls fo coldly?

Gru. A piece of ice: if thou doubt it, thou may'st slide from my shoulder to my heel, with no greater a run but my head and my neck. A fire, good Curtis.

Curt. Is my master and his wife coming, Grumio?

Gru. O, ay, Curtis, ay; and therefore, fire, fire; cast on

no water.

Curt. Is fhe fo hot a fhrew as she's reported?

Gru. She was, good Curtis, before the froft; but, thou know'st, winter tames man, woman, and beaft; for it hath tam'd my old master, and my new mistress, and thyfelf, fellow Curtis.

Curt. Away, you three-inch'd fool; I am no beast.

Gru. Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot, and fo long am I, at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain on thee to our mistress? whose hand, fhe being now at hand, thou shalt foon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being flow in thy hot office.

me, how

Curt. I pr'ythee, good Grumio, tell goes the world? Gru. A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and therefore, fire: do thy duty, and have thy duty; for my master and mistress are almoft frozen to death.

Curt. There is fire ready; and therefore, good Grumio, the

news.

Gru. Why, Jack boy, ho boy, and as much news as thou wilt. Curt. Come, you are fo full of cony-catching.

Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extreme cold. Where's the cook? is fupper ready, the houfe trimm'd, rufhes ftrew'd, cobwebs fwept, the fervingmen in their new fuftian, their white ftockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on? be the jacks fair without, the jills fair within, carpets lay'd, and every thing in order?

Curt. All ready: and therefore, I pray thee, what news? Gru. First, know, my horfe is tired, my mafter and mistress

fall'n out.

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Curt. How?

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.

Curt. This is to feel a tale, not to hear a tale.

[Arikes bim.

Gru. And therefore 'tis call'd a fenfible tale: and this cuff was but to knock at your ear, and beseech lift'ning. Now I begin: imprimis, we came down a foul hill, my master riding behind my mistress.

Curt. Both on one horfe?
Gru. What's that to thee?
Curt. Why, a horse.

Gru. Tell thou the tale. But, hadft thou not cross'd me, thou fhould'st have heard, how her horse fell, and she under her horse; thou should'st have heard, in how miry a place; how she was bemoil'd; how he left her with the horse upon her; how he beat me because her horse stumbled; how she waded through the dirt to pluck him off me; how he swore; 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 fhall 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 proudeft of you all shall 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 brush'd, and their garters of an indifferent knit; let them court'fy with their left legs, and not prefume to touch a hair of my mafter's horse tail, till they kiss their hands. Are they all ready?

Curt. They are.

Gru. Call them forth.

Curt.

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

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

Curt. Who knows not that?

Gru. Thou, it seems, that call'st for company to countenance her.

Curt. I call them forth to credit her.

Enter four or five Serving-men.

Gru. Why, fhe comes to borrow nothing of them.

Nath. Welcome home, Grumio.

Phil. How now, Grumio?

Jof. 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 spruce companions, is all ready, and all things neat?

Nath. All things are ready: how near is our master ? Gru. E'en at hand, alighted by this; and therefore be not cock's paffion, filence! I hear my master.

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Pet. Where be these knaves? what, no man at door to hold my stirrup, nor to take my horse! where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Philip?

All Serv. Here, here, fir; here, fir.

Pet. Here, fir! here, fir! here, fir! here, fir!

You loggerheaded and unpolish'd grooms!

What, no attendance? no regard? no duty?
Where is the foolish knave I fent before?

Gru. Here, fir, as foolish as I was before.

Pet. You peasant fwain! you whoreson, malthorse drudge! Did not I bid thee meet me in the park,

VILLE DE LYON
Biblioth. du Palais des Arts

And

And bring along the rafcal knaves with thee?

Gru. Nathaniel's coat, fir, 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,
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 supper in. Where is the life that late I led?

Where are those?

Sit down, Kate,

And welcome. Soud, foud, foud, foud.

Enter Servants with fupper.

[Exe. Serv.

[fings.

[humming.

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 gray,

As he forth walked on his way.

Out, out, you rogue! you pluck my foot awry.

[fings.

Take that, and mind the plucking off the other. [trikes him.

Be merry, Kate: fome water here; what hoa!

Enter one with water.

Where's my fpaniel Troilus? firrah, get you hence,

And bid by coufin Ferdinand come hither:

One, Kate, that you must kiss, 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, beetleheaded, flatear'd knave!
Come, Kate, fit down; I know, you have a ftomach.
Will you give thanks, fweet Kate, or elfe fhall I?
What is this? mutton?

I Serv. Yes.

Pet.

Pet. Who brought it?

Serv. I.

Pet. 'Tis burnt: and fo is all the meat:

What dogs are these? where is the rascal 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 ftage.
You heedless joltheads, and unmanner'd slaves!
What, do you grumble? I'll be with you straight.
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 fast,
Since of ourselves ourselves are cholerick,
Than feed it with fuch overroafted flesh:
Be patient, for to-morrow't shall 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 see the like?
Peter. He kills her in her own humour.
Gru. Where is he?

[Exeunt.

Enter Curtis.

Curt. In her chamber, making a fermon of continency to her, And rails, and fwears, and rates; and fhe, poor foul,

Knows not which way to ftand, to look, to speak,
And fits as one new-rifen from a dream.

Away, away, for he is coming hither.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

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