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BIAN. I must believe my master; else, I promise

you,

I should be arguing still upon that doubt:

But let it rest. Now, Licio, to you:

Good Masters, take it not unkindly, pray,

That I have been thus pleasant with you both.
HOR. You may go walk, and give me leave awhile:
My lessons make no music in three parts.

Luc. Are you so formal, Sir? well, I must wait,
[aside.] And watch withal; for, but1 I be deceiv'd,
Our fine musician groweth amorous.

HOR. Madam, before you touch the instrument,
To learn the order of my fingering,

I must begin with rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual,
Than hath been taught by any of
my trade:
And there it is in writing, fairly drawn.
BIAN. Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
HOR. Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.
BIAN.

Call

Gamut I am, the ground of all accord,
A re, to plead Hortensio's passion;
B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord,
C fa ut, that loves with all affection:
D sol re, one cliff, two notes have I:
E la mi, shew pity, or I die.

you this gamut? tut, I like it not:
Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice,
To change true rules for odd inventions.

Enter a Servant.

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70

SERV. Mistress, your father prays you leave

your books,

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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. Faith, Mistress, then I have no cause to stay. [exit.
HOR. But I have cause to pry into this pedant:

Methinks he looks as though he were in love:

Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble

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ACT III

Sc. I

ACT III
Sc. I

To cast thy wandering eyes on every stale,'
Seize thee that list: if once I find thee ranging,
Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing.

[exit.

SCENE II. The Same. Before BAPTISTA's House.
Enter BAPTISTA, TRANIO, Katharina, Bianca,
LUCENTIO, and others, Attendants.

BAP. [to TRANIO.] Signior Lucentio, this is the 'pointed
day

That Katharine and Petruchio should be married,

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 attends

To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage!
What says Lucentio to this shame of our's?

KATH. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forc'd

To give my hand oppos'd against my heart
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen,

Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure.

I told you, I, he was a frantic fool,

Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour:

And, to be noted for a merry man,

ΙΟ

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He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage,
Make feasts, invite friends, and proclaim the banns;
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd.
Now must the world point at poor Katharine,
And say 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 know him passing wise;
Though he be merry, yet withal he's honest.
KATH. Would Katharine had never seen him though!
[exit weeping.

BAP. Go, Girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep;
Such injury would vex a very Saint,
Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour.

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Enter BIONDELLO.

BION. Master, Master! news, old1 news, and such news as you never heard of!

BAP. Is it new and old too? how may that be?

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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?

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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 candle - cases, one buckled, another lac'd; an old rusty sword ta'en out of the town-armoury, with a broken hilt, and chapeless;2 with two broken points: his horse hipp'd with an old mothy saddle, and 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, full of windgalls, sped with spavins, ray'd with the yellows, past cure of the fives,' stark spoil'd with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; sway'd' in the back, and shoulder-shotten; near-legg'd before," and with a half-cheek'd" bit, and a headstall of sheep's leather, which, being restrain'd to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repair'd with knots; one girth six times piec'd, and a woman's crupper of velure," which hath two letters for her name fairly set down in studs, and here and there piec'd with packthread.

BAP. Who comes with him?

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BION. O, Sir, his lackey, for all the world caparison'd
like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg, and a
kersey boot-hose on the other, garter'd with a red

(slang) 'tip-top.' 2 no tip to the scabbard. 3 tagged laces between doublet and hose.
stable slang for 'mourn.' 5 Fr. 'mortdeschyon... the death of the back'; 'a disease
akin to glanders.' 6 stable slang for 'farcy.' 7 id. for 'vives' an inflammation of
the parotid glands. 8 strained. 9 heavy-shouldered. 10 narrow in front.' 11 (1) with
one cheek only; or (2) with one, or both, cheeks broken.
III: F

12 velvet.

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ACT III
Sc. II

ACT III

Sc. II

and blue list; an old hat, and The Humour of Forty
Fancies prick'd 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.
BION. Why, Sir, he comes not.

ВАР.

BION. Who? that Petruchio came?

BAP.

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Didst thou not say he comes?

Ay; that Petruchio came.

BION. NO, Sir; I say his horse comes, with him on his back.
BAP. Why, that's all one.

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Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO.

PET. Come, where be these gallants here? who's at home?

BAP. Y'are welcome, Sir.

PET.

BAP. And yet you halt not.
TRA.

As I wish you were.

And yet I come not well.

Not so well apparell'd

PET. Tut! were it better, I should rush in thus.
But where is Kate? where is my lovely bride?
How does my Father? Gentles, methinks you
And wherefore gaze this goodly company
As if they saw some wondrous monument,
Some comet or unusual prodigy?

frown:

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.

Fie! doff this habit, shame to your estate,

An eye-sore to our solemn festival!

TRA. And tell us, what occasion of import

Hath all so long detain'd you from your wife,
And sent you hither so unlike yourself?

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100

PET. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear:

Sufficeth I am come to keep my word,
Though in some part enforced to digress1
Which, at more leisure, I will so excuse;
As you shall be well satisfied withal.

But where is Kate? I stay too long from her:
The morning wears, 'tis time we were at church.
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.

BAP. But thus I trust you will not marry her.

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PET. Good sooth, even thus; therefore ha' 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 accoutrements,
"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 lovely2 kiss!
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.

121

[exit. Manent TRANIO and LUCENTIO.

TRA. 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, 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.

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130

ACT III
Sc. II

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