1640Gru.: Fie, fie on all tired Iades, on all mad Masters, &

1641all foule waies: was euer man so beaten? was euer man

1642so raide? was euer man so weary? I am sent before to

1643make a fire, and they are comming after to warme them:

1644now were not I a little pot,& soone hot; my very lippes

1645might freeze to my teeth, my tongue to the roofe of my

1646mouth, my heart in my belly, ere l should come by a fire

1647to thaw me, but I with blowing the fire shall warme my

1648selfe: for considering the weather, a taller man then I

1649will take cold: Holla, hoa (urtis.

1651Curt. Who is that calls so coldly?

1652Gru. A piece of Ice: if thou doubt it, thou maist

1653slide from my shoulder to my heele, with no

1654greater a run but my head and my necke. A fire good

1655Curtis.

1656Cur. Is my master and his wife comming Grumio?

1657Gru. Oh I Curtis I, and therefore fire, fire, cast on no

1658water.

1659Cur. Is she so hot a shrew as she's reported.

1660Gru. She was good Curtis before this frost: but thou

1661know'st winter tames man, woman, and beast: for it

1662hath tam'd my old master, and my new mistris, and my

1663selfe fellow Curtis.

1664Gru. Away you three inch foole, I am no beast.

1665Gru. Am I but three inches? Why thy horne is a foot

1666and so long am I at the least. But wilt thou make a fire,

1667or shall I complaine on thee to our mistris, whose hand

1668(she being now at hand) thou shalt soone feele, to thy

1669cold comfort, for being slow in thy hot office.

1670Cur. I prethee good Grumio, tell me, how goes the

1671world?

1672Gru. A cold world Curtis in euery office but thine, &

1673therefore fire: do thy duty, and haue thy dutie, for my

1674Master and mistris are almost frozen to death.

1675Cur. There's fire readie, and therefore good Grumio

1676the newes.

1677Gru. Why Iacke boy, ho boy, and as much newes as

1678wilt thou.

1679Cur. Come, you are so full of conicatching.

1680Gru. Why therefore fire, for I haue caught extreme

1681cold. Where's the Cooke, is supper ready, the house

1682trim'd, rushes strew'd, cobwebs swept, the seruingmen

1683in their new fustian, the white stockings, and euery offi-

1684cer his wedding garment on? Be the Iackes faire with-

1685in, the Gils faire without, the Carpets laide, and euerie

1686thing in order?

1687Cur. All readie: and therefore I pray thee newes.

1688Gru. First know my horse is tired, my master & mi-

1689stris falne out. Cur. How?

1690Gru. Out of their saddles into the durt, and thereby

1691hangs a tale.

1692Cur. Let's ha't good Grumio.

1693Gru. Lend thine eare.

1694Cur. Heere.

1695Gru. There.

1696Cur. This 'tis to feele a tale, not to heare a tale.

1697Gru. And therefore 'tis cal'd a sensible tale: and this

1698Cuffe was but to knocke at your eare, and beseech list-

1699ning: now I begin, Inprimis wee came downe a fowle

1700hill, my Master riding behinde my Mistris.

1701Cur. Both of one horse?

1702Gru. What's that to thee?

1703Cur. Why a horse.

1704Gru. Tell thou the tale: but hadst thou not crost me,

1705thou shouldst haue heard how her horse fel, and she vn-

1706der her horse: thou shouldst haue heard in how miery a

1707place, how she was bemoil'd, how hee left her with the

1708horse vpon her, how he beat me because her horse stum-

1709bled, how she waded through the durt to plucke him off

1710me: how he swore, how she prai'd, that neuer prai'd be-

1711fore: how I cried, how the horses ranne away, how her

1712bridle was burst: how I lost my crupper, with manie

1713things of worthy memorie, which now shall die in obli-

1714uion, and thou returne vnexperienc'd to thy graue.

1715Cur. By this reckning he is more shrew than she.

1716Gru. I, and that thou and the proudest of you all shall

1717finde when he comes home. But what talke I of this?

1718Call forth Nathaniel, Ioseph, Nicholas, Phillip, Walter, Su-

1719gersop and the rest: let their heads bee slickely comb'd,

1720their blew coats brush'd, and their garters of an indiffe-

1721rent knit, let them curtsie with their left legges, and not

1722presume to touch a haire of my Masters horse-taile, till

1723they kisse their hands. Are they all readie?

1724Cur. They are.

1725Gru. Call them forth.

1726Cur. Do you heare ho? you must meete my maister

1727to countenance my mistris.

1728Gru. Why she hath a face of her owne.

1729Cur. Who knowes not that?

1730Gru. Thou it seemes, that cals for company to coun-

1731tenance her.

1732Cur. I call them forth to credit her.

1734Gru. Why she comes to borrow nothing of them.

1735Nat. Welcome home Grumio.

1736Phil. How now Grumio.

1737Ios. What Grumio.

1738Nick. Fellow Grumio.

1739Nat. How now old lad.

1740Gru. Welcome you: how now you: what you: fel-

1741low you: and thus much for greeting. Now my spruce

1742companions, is all readie, and all things neate?

1743Nat. All things is readie, how neere is our master?

1744Gre. E'ne at hand, alighted by this: and therefore be

1745not--- Cockes passion, silence, I heare my master.

1747Pet. Where be these knaues? What no man at doore

1748To hold my stirrop, nor to take my horse?

1749Where is Nathaniel, Gregory, Phillip.

1750All ser. Heere, heere sir, heere sir.

1751Pet. Heere sir, heere sir, heere sir, heere sir.

1752You logger-headed and vnpollisht groomes:

1753What? no attendance? no regard? no dutie?

1754Where is the foolish knaue I sent before?

1755Gru. Heere sir, as foolish as I was before.

1756Pet. You pezant, swain, you horson malt-horse drudg

1757Did I not bid thee meete me in the Parke,

1758And bring along these rascal knaues with thee?

1759Grumio. Nathaniels coate sir was not fully made,

1760And Gabrels pumpes were all vnpinkt i'th heele:

1761There was no Linke to colour Peters hat,

1762And Walters dagger was not come from sheathing:

1763There were none fine, but Adam, Rafe, and Gregory,

1764The rest were ragged, old, and beggerly,

1765Yet as they are, heere are they come to meete you.

1766Pet. Go rascals, go, and fetch my supper in. Ex. Ser.

1767Where is the life that late I led?

1768Where are those? Sit downe Kate,

1769And welcome. Soud, soud, soud, soud.

1771Why when I say? Nay good sweete Kate be merrie.

1772Off with my boots, you rogues: you villaines, when?

1773It was the Friar of Orders gray,

1774As he forth walked on his way.

1775Out you rogue, you plucke my foote awrie,

1776Take that, and mend the plucking of the other.

1777Be merrie Kate: Some water heere: what hoa.

1779Where's my Spaniel Troilus? Sirra, get you hence,

1780And bid my cozen Ferdinand come hither:

1781One Kate that you must kisse, and be acquainted with.

1782Where are my Slippers? Shall I haue some water?

1783Come Kate and wash,& welcome heartily:

1784you horson villaine, will you let it fall?

T3 Kate

1785Kate. Patience I pray you, 'twas a fault vnwilling.

1786Pet. A horson beetle-headed flap-ear'd knaue:

1787Come Kate sit downe, I know you haue a stomacke,

1788Will you giue thankes, sweete Kate, or else shall I?

1789What's this, Mutton?

17901.Ser. I.

1791Pet. Who brought it?

1792Peter. I.

1793Pet. 'Tis burnt, and so is all the meate:

1794What dogges are these? Where is the rascall Cooke?

1795How durst you villaines bring it from the dresser

1796And serue it thus to me that loue it not?

1797There, take it to you, trenchers, cups, and all:

1798You heedlesse iolt-heads, and vnmanner'd slaues.

1799What, do you grumble? Ile be with you straight.

1800Kate. I pray you husband be not so disquiet,

1801The meate was well, if you were so contented.

1802Pet. I tell thee Kate, 'twas burnt and dried away,

1803And I expressely am forbid to touch it:

1804For it engenders choller, planteth anger,

1805And better 'twere that both of vs did fast,

1806Since of our selues, our selues are chollericke,

1807Then feede it with such ouer-rosted flesh:

1808Be patient, to morrow't shalbe mended,

1809And for this night we'l fast for companie.

1810Come I wil bring thee to thy Bridall chamber. Exeunt.

1812Nath. Peter didst euer see the like.

1813Peter. He kils her in her owne humor.

1814Grumio. Where is he?

1816Cur. In her chamber, making a sermon of continen-

1817cie to her, and railes, and sweares, and rates, that shee

1818(poore soule) knowes not which way to stand, to looke,

1819to speake, and sits as one new risen from a dreame. A-

1820way, away, for he is comming hither.

1822Pet. Thus haue I politickely begun my reigne,

1823And 'tis my hope to end successefully:

1824My Faulcon now is sharpe, and passing emptie,

1825And til she stoope, she must not be full gorg'd,

1826For then she neuer lookes vpon her lure.

1827Another way I haue to man my Haggard,

1828To make her come, and know her Keepers call:

1829That is, to watch her, as we watch these Kites,

1830That baite, and beate, and will not be obedient:

1831She eate no meate to day, nor none shall eate.

1832Last night she slept not, nor to night she shall not:

1833As with the meate, some vndeserued fault

1834Ile finde about the making of the bed,

1835And heere Ile fling the pillow, there the boulster,

1836This way the Couerlet, another way the sheets:

1837I, and amid this hurlie I intend,

1838That all is done in reuerend care of her,

1839And in conclusion, she shal watch all night,

1840And if she chance to nod, Ile raile and brawle,

1841And with the clamor keepe her stil awake:

1842This is a way to kil a Wife with kindnesse,

1843And thus Ile curbe her mad and headstrong humor:

1844He that knowes better how to tame a shrew,

1845Now let him speake, 'tis charity to shew. Exit