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The Taming of the Shrew (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Erin Kelly
Not Peer Reviewed
226
The Taming of the Shrew.
It shall be moone, or starre, or what I list,
Or ere I iourney to your Fathers house:
2305Goe on, and fetch our horses backe againe,
Euermore crost and crost, nothing but crost.
Hort. Say as he saies, or we shall neuer goe.
Kate. Forward I pray, since we haue come so farre,
And be it moone, or sunne, or what you please:
2310And if you please to call it a rush Candle,
Henceforth I vowe it shall be so for me.
Petr. I say it is the Moone.
Kate. I know it is the Moone.
Petr. Nay then you lye: it is the blessed Sunne.
2315Kate. Then God be blest, it in the blessed sun,
But sunne it is not, when you say it is not,
And the Moone changes euen as your minde:
What you will haue it nam'd, euen that it is,
And so it shall be so for Katherine.
2320Hort. Petruchio, goe thy waies, the field is won.
Petr. Well, forward, forward, thus the bowle should
And not vnluckily against the Bias:
But soft, Company is comming here.

Enter Vincentio.
2325Good morrow gentle Mistris, where away:
Tell me sweete Kate, and tell me truely too,
Hast thou beheld a fresher Gentlewoman:
Such warre of white and red within her cheekes:
What stars do spangle heauen with such beautie,
2330As those two eyes become that heauenly face?
Faire louely Maide, once more good day to thee:
Sweete Kate embrace her for her beauties sake.
Hort. A will make the man mad to make the woman
of him.
2335Kate. Yong budding Virgin, faire, and fresh,& sweet,
Whether away, or whether is thy aboade?
Happy the Parents of so faire a childe;
Happier the man whom fauourable stars
A lots thee for his louely bedfellow.
2340Petr. Why how now Kate, I hope thou art not mad,
This is a man old, wrinckled, faded, withered,
And not a Maiden, as thou saist he is.
Kate. Pardon old father my mistaking eies,
That haue bin so bedazled with the sunne,
2345That euery thing I looke on seemeth greene:
Now I p erceiue thou art a reuerent Father:
Pardon I pray thee for my mad mistaking.
Petr. Do good old grandsire, & withall make known
Which way thou trauellest, if along with vs,
2350We shall be ioyfull of thy companie.
Vin. Faire Sir, and you my merry Mistris,
That with your strange encounter much amasde me:
My name is call'd Vincentio, my dwelling Pisa,
And bound I am to Padua, there to visite
2355A sonne of mine, which long I haue not seene.
Petr. What is his name?
Vinc. Lucentio gentle sir.
Petr. Happily met, the happier for thy sonne:
And now by Law, as well as reuerent age,
2360I may intitle thee my louing Father,
The sister to my wife, this Gentlewoman,
Thy Sonne by this hath married: wonder not,
Nor be not grieued, she is of good esteeme,
Her dowrie wealthie, and of worthie birth;
2365Beside, so qualified, as may beseeme
The Spouse of any noble Gentleman:
Let me imbrace with old Vincentio,
And wander we to see thy honest sonne,
Who will of thy arriuall be full ioyous.
2370Vinc. But is this true, or is it else your pleasure,
Like pleasant trauailors to breake a Iest
Vpon the companie you ouertake?
Hort. I doe assure thee father so it is.
Petr. Come goe along and see the truth hereof,
2375For our first merriment hath made thee iealous.
Exeunt.
Hor. Well Petruchio, this has put me in heart;
Haue to my Widdow, and if she froward,
Then hast thou taught Hortentio to be vntoward.
Exit.

Enter Biondello, Lucentio and Bianea, Gremio
2380is out before.
Biond. Softly and swiftly sir, for the Priest is ready.
Luc. I flie Biondello; but they may chance to neede
thee at home, therefore leaue vs.
Exit.
Biond. Nay faith, Ile see the Church a your backe,
2385and then come backe to my mistris as soone as I can.
Gre. I maruaile Cambio comes not all this while.

Enter Petruchio, Kate, Vincentio, Grumio
with Attendants.
Petr. Sir heres the doore, this is Lucentios house,
2390My Fathers beares more toward the Market-place,
Thither must I, and here I leaue you sir.
Vin. You shall not choose but drinke before you go,
I thinke I shall command your welcome here;
And by all likelihood some cheere is toward.
Knock.
2395Grem. They're busie within, you were best knocke
lowder.
Pedant lookes out of the window.
Ped What's he that knockes as he would beat downe
the gate?
2400Vin. Is Signior Lucentio within sir?
Ped. He's within sir, but not to be spoken withall.
Vinc. What if a man bring him a hundred pound or
two to make merrie withall.
Ped. Keepe your hundred pounds to your selfe, hee
2405shall neede none so long as I liue.
Petr. Nay, I told you your sonne was well beloued in
Padua: doe you heare sir, to leaue friuolous circumstan-
ces, I pray you tell signior Lucentio that his Father is
come from Pisa, and is here at the doore to speake with
2410him.
Ped. Thou liest his Father is come from Padua, and
here looking out at the window.
Vin. Art thou his father?
Ped. I sir, so his mother saies, if I may beleeue her.
2415Petr. Why how now gentleman: why this is flat kna-
uerie to take vpon you another mans name.
Peda. Lay hands on the villaine, I beleeue a meanes
to cosen some bodie in this Citie vnder my countenance.
Enter Biondello.
2420Bio. I haue seene them in the Church together, God
send'em good shipping: but who is here? mine old Ma-
ster Uincentio: now wee are vndone and brought to no-
thing.
Uin. Come hither crackhempe.
2425Bion. I hope I may choose Sir.
Vin. Come hither you rogue, what haue you forgot
mee?
Biond. Forgot you, no sir: I could not forget you, for
I neuer saw you before in all my life.
2430Uinc. What, you notorious villaine, didst thou neuer
see thy Mistris father, Vincentio?
Bion. What