TAMING OF THE SHREW.

[ACT V.

Re-enter BIONDELLO, with LUCENTIO and BIANCA.

Bion. O, we are spoiled, and-Yonder he is; deny him, forswear him, or else we are all undone. Luc. Pardon, sweet father.

Vin.

[Kneeling. Lives my sweet son?

[BIONDELLO, TRANIO, and Pedant run out.

Bian. Pardon, dear father.

Bap.

Where is Lucentio ?

Luc.

[Kneeling.

How hast thou offended?

Here's Lucentio,

Right son unto the right Vincentio ;

That have by marriage made thy daughter mine,
While counterfeit supposes bleared thine eyne.1

Gre. Here's packing, with a witness, to deceive us all!

Vin. Where is that damned villain, Tranio, That faced and braved me in this matter so? Bap. Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio? Bian. Cambio is changed into Lucentio.

Luc. Love wrought these miracles. Bianca's love Made me exchange my state with Tranio, While he did bear my countenance in the town; And happily I have arrived at last

Unto the wished haven of my bliss.

What Tranio did, myself enforced him to;
Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.

Vin. I'll slit the villain's nose, that would have sent me to the jail.

Bap. But do you hear, sir? [To LUCENTIO.] Have you married my daughter without asking my good-will?

Vin. Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to. But I will in, to be revenged for this villany. [Exit.

1 This is probably an allusion to Gascoigne's comedy, entitled Supposes, from which several of the incidents are borrowed. Gascoigne's original was Ariosto's I Suppositi. The word supposes was often used as it is in the text, by Shakspeare's contemporaries; one instance, from Drayton's epistle of king John to Matilda, may suffice:

"And tell me those are shadows and supposes.”

2 Plottings, underhand contrivances.

ANCA

he is:

Bap. And I, to sound the depth of this knavery.

[Exit. Luc. Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown. [Exeunt Luc. and BIAN. Gre. My cake is dough; but I'll in among the rest; Out of hope of all,—but my share of the feast. [Exit.

PETRUCHIO and KATHARINA advance.

Kath. Husband, let's follow, to see the end of this
ado.

Pet. First kiss me, Kate, and we will.
Kath. What, in the midst of the street?
Pet. What, art thou ashamed of me?

Kath. No, sir; God forbid :-but ashamed to kiss.
Pet. Why, then let's home again.—Come, sirrah,
let's away.

Kath. Nay, I will give thee a kiss; now pray thee, love, stay.

Pet. Is not this well?-Come, my sweet Kate; Better once than never, for never too late.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. A Room in Lucentio's House. A Banquet set out.

Enter BAPTISTA, VINCENTIO, GREMIO, the Pedant,
LUCENTIO, BIANCA, PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, HOR-
TENSIO, and Widow. TRANIO, BIONDELLO, GRUMIO,
and others, attending.

Luc. At last, though long, our jarring notes agree;
And time it is, when raging war is done,1

To smile at 'scapes and perils overblown.—
My fair Bianca, bid my father welcome,

While I with self-same kindness welcome thine.—
Brother Petruchio,-sister Katharina,—
And thou, Hortensio, with thy loving widow,-

1 The old copy reads come; the emendation is Rowe's.

TAMING OF THE SHREW.

[ACT V.

Feast with the best, and welcome to my house;
My banquet' is to close our stomachs up,
After our great good cheer. Pray you, sit down;
For now we sit to chat, as well as eat.

Pet. Nothing but sit and sit, and eat and eat!
[They sit at table.
Bap. Padua affords this kindness, son Petruchio.
Pet. Padua affords nothing but what is kind.
Hor. For both our sakes, I would that word were

true.

Pet. Now, for my life, Hortensio fears his widow.
Wid. Then never trust me if I be afeard.

Pet. You are sensible, and yet you miss

I mean, Hortensio is afeard of you.

I

my sense.

Wid. He that is giddy, thinks the world turns

round.

Pet. Roundly replied.

Kath.

Mistress, how mean you that? Wid. Thus I conceive by him.

Pet. Conceives by me!-How likes Hortensio

that?

Hor. My widow says, thus she conceives her tale.
Pet. Very well mended. Kiss him for that, good

widow.

Kath. He that is giddy, thinks the world turns

round.

pray you, tell me what you meant by that.

Wid. Your husband, being troubled with a shrew, Measures my husband's sorrow by his woe;2

And now you know my meaning.

Kath. A very mean meaning.

Wid.

Right, I mean you.

Kath. And I am mean indeed, respecting you.

Pet. To her, Kate!

Hor. To her, widow!

Pet. A hundred marks, my Kate does put her down.

1 The banquet here, as in other places of Shakspeare, was a refection similar to our modern dessert, consisting of cakes, sweetmeats, fruits, &c. 2 As this was meant for a rhyming couplet, it should be observed that shrew was pronounced shrow. See also the finale, where it rhymes to so.

Hor. That's my office.

Pet. Spoke like an officer.-Ha' to thee, lad.
[Drinks to HORTENSIO.
Bap. How likes Gremio these quick-witted folks?
Gre. Believe me, sir, they butt together well.
Bian. Head, and butt? A hasty-witted body
Would say, your head and butt were head and horn.
Vin. Ay, mistress bride, hath that awakened you?
Bian. Ay, but not frighted me; therefore I'll sleep
again.

Pet. Nay, that you shall not; since you have
begun,

Have at you for a bitter1 jest or two.

Bian. Am I your bird? I mean to shift my bush,
And then pursue me as you draw your bow.
You are welcome all.

[Exeunt BIANCA, KATHARINA, and Widow. Pet. She hath prevented me. Here, seignior

Tranio,

This bird you aimed at, though you hit her not;
Therefore, a health to all that shot and missed.

Tra. O, sir, Lucentio slipped me like his greyhound,
Which runs himself, and catches for his master.

Pet. A good swift 2 simile, but something currish.
Tra. 'Tis well, sir, that you hunted for yourself,
'Tis thought, your deer does hold you at a bay.
Bap. O ho, Petruchio, Tranio hits you now.
Luc. I thank thee for that gird,3 good Tranio.
Hor. Confess, confess, hath he not hit you here?
Pet. 'A has a little galled me, I confess;
And, as the jest did glance away from me,
"Tis ten to one it maimed you two outright.
Bap. Now, in good sadness, son Petruchio,

I think thou hast the veriest shrew of all.

Pet. Well, I say-no; and therefore, for assurance Let's each one send unto his wife;

1 The old copy reads better. The emendation is Capell's.

2 Beside the original sense of speedy in motion, swift signified witty quick-witted.

3 A gird is a cut, a sarcasm, a stroke of satire.

And he whose wife is most obedient
To come at first when he doth send for her,
Shall win the wager which we will propose.
Hor. Content. What is the wager?
Luc.

Pet. Twenty crowns!

Twenty crowns.

I'll venture so much on my hawk, or hound,
But twenty times so much upon my wife.
Luc. A hundred, then.

Bion. I go.

[Exrt.

Biondello, bid

your mistress come to me.

Bap. Son, I will be your half, Bianca comes.
Luc. I'll have no halves: I'll bear it all myself.

Re-enter BIONDELLO.

How now! what news?

Bion.

Sir, my mistress sends you word

That she is busy, and she cannot come.

Pet. How! she is busy, and she cannot come !

Is that an answer?

Gre.

Ay, and a kind one too.

Pray God, sir, your wife send you not a worse.

Pet. I hope, better.

Hor. Sirrah, Biondello, go, and entreat my wife To come to me forthwith.

Pet.

[Exit BIONDELlo.

Nay, then she must needs come.

Hor.

Do what you can, yours will not be entreated.

Now where's my

Re-enter BIONDELLO.

wife?

Bion. She says, you have some goodly jest in hand; She will not come; she bids you come to her.

Pet. Worse and worse; she will not come! O vile, Intolerable, not to be endured!