He calls for wine :-A health, quoth he; as if But that his beard grew thin and hungerly, [Musick. Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, Bianca, Baptista, HORTENSIO, GRUMIO, and Train. Pet. Gentlemen and friends, I thank you for your pains : I know, you think to dine with me to-day, company, I thank you all, Quaff'd off the muscadel,] The fashion of introducing a bowl of wine into the church at a wedding, to be drank by the bride and bridegroom, and persons present, was very anciently a constant ceremony; and, as appears from this passage, not abolished in our author's age. * And kiss'd her lips-] This also is a very ancient custom, as appears from the following rubrick: "Surgant ambo, sponsus et sponsa, et accipiat sponsus pacem a sacerdote, et ferat sponse, osculans eam, et neminem alium, nec ipse, nec ipsa." Manuale Sarum, Paris, 1533, 4to. fol. 69. That have beheld me give away myself To this most patient, sweet, and virtuous wife: Gre. Pet. It cannot be. Pet. I am content. Kath. Let me entreat you. Let me entreat you. Are you content to stay? Pet. I am content you shall entreat me stay; But yet not stay, entreat me how you can. Kath. Now, if you love me, stay. Pet. Grumio, my horses, Gru. Ay, sir, they be ready; the oats have eaten the horses. Kath. Nay, then, Do what thou canst, I will not go to-day; Pet. O, Kate, content thee; pr'ythee be not angry. Kath. I will be angry; What hast thou to do?— Father, be quiet: he shall stay my leisure. Gre. Ay, marry, sir: now it begins to work. Kath. Gentlemen, forward to the bridal diņ ner: I see, a woman may be made a fool, If she had not a spirit to resist. Pet. They shall go forward, Kate, at thy command: Obey the bride, you that attend on her: Go to the feast, revel and domineer, Be mad and merry, or go hang yourselves; She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, Fear not, sweet wench, they shall not touch thee, Kate; I'll buckler thee against a million. [Exeunt PETRUCHIO, KATHARINE, and GRUMIO. Bap. Nay, let them go, a couple of quiet ones. Gre. Went they not quickly, I should die with laughing. Tra. Of all mad matches, never was the like! Gre. I warrant him, Petruchio is Kated. For to supply the places at the table, You know, there wants no junkets at the feast ;Lucentio, you shall supply the bridegroom's place; And let Bianca take her sister's room. Tra. Shall sweet Bianca practise how to bride it? Bap. She shall, Lucentio.-Come, gentlemen, [Exeunt. let's go. ACT. IV. SCENE I. A Hall in Petruchio's Country House. Enter GRUMIO. Gru. Fye, fye, on all tired jades! on all mad masters! and all foul ways! Was ever man so beaten? was ever man so rayed?' was ever man so weary? I am sent before to make a fire, and they are coming after to warm them. Now, were not I a little pot, and soon hot, my very lips might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roof of my mouth, my heart in my belly, ere I should come by a fire to thaw me :-But, I, with blowing the fire, shall warm myself; for, considering the weather, a taller man than I will take cold. Holla, hoa! Curtis ! Enter CURTIS. Curt. Who is that, calls so 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 she so hot a shrew as she's reported? Gru. She was, good Curtis, before this frost: but, thou know'st, winter tames man, woman, and beast; for it hath tamed my old master, and my new mistress, and myself, fellow Curtis. 3-man so rayed?] i. e. bewrayed, made dirty. Curt. Away, you three inch fool! I am no beast. Gru. Am I but three inches? why, thy horn is a foot; and so long am I, at the least. But wilt thou make a fire, or shall I complain of thee to our mistress, whose hand (she being now at hand,) thou shall soon feel, to thy cold comfort, for being slow in thy hot office? Curt. I pr'ythee, good Grumio, tell me, How 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 almost frozen to death. Curt. There's fire ready; And, therefore, good Grumio, the news? Gru. Why, Jack boy! ho boy!1 and as much news as thou wilt. Curt. Come, you are so full of conycatching: Gru. Why, therefore, fire; for I have caught extreme cold. Where's the cook? is supper ready, the house trimmed, rushes strewed, cobwebs swept; the serving-men in their new fustian, their white stockings, and every officer his wedding-garment on? Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without," the carpets laid, and every thing in order? Curt. All ready; And, therefore, I pray thee, news? Gru. First, know, my horse is tired; my master and mistress fallen out. 4-Jack boy! ho boy!] Is the beginning of an old round in three parts. Be the jacks fair within, the jills fair without,] i. e. Are the drinking vessels clean, and the maid servants dressed? Probably the poet meant to play upon the words Jack and Jill, which signify two drinking measures, as well as men and maid servants. the carpets laid,] In our author's time it was customary to cover tables with carpets. Floors, as appears from the present passage and others, were strewed with rushes. VOL. III. |