I love thee well, in that thou lik'st it not.

Kath. Love me, or love me not, I like the cap; And it I will have, or I will have none.

Pet. Thy gown? why, ay;-Come, tailor, let us see't. O mercy, God! what masking stuff is here? What's this? a sleeve? 'tis like a demi-cannon: What! up and down, carv'd like an apple-tart? Here's snip, and nip, and cut, and slish, and slash, Like to a censer in a barber's shop:Why, what, o'devil's name, tailor, call'st thou this? Hor. I see, she's like to have neither cap nor gown.

Tai. You bid me make it orderly and well, According to the fashion, and the time.

[Aside.

Pet. Marry, and did; but if you be remember'd,

I did not bid you mar it to the time.

Go, hop me over every kennel home,
For you shall hop without my custom, sir:
I'll none of it; hence, make your best of it.

Kath. I never saw a better fashion'd gown,
More quaint, more pleasing, nor more commendable:
Belike, you mean to make a puppet of me.

Pet. Why, true; he means to make a puppet of thee. Tai. She says, your worship means to make a puppet of her.

Pet. O monstrous arrogance! thread,

Thou thimble',

Thou liest, thou

4

censer -] We learn from an ancient print, that these censers resembled in shape our modern brasieres. They had pierced convex covers, and stood on feet. They not only served to sweeten a barber's shop, but to keep his water warm, and dry his cloths on.

Thou thimble,] The tailor's trade having an appearance of effeminacy, has always been, among the rugged English, liable to sarcasms and contempt. JOHNSON.

Thou yard, three-quarters, half-yard, quarter, nail,
Thou flea, thou nit, thou winter cricket thou:-
Brav'd in mine own house with a skein of thread!
Away, thou rag, thou quantity, thou remnant;
Or I shall so be-mete thee with thy yard,

6

As thou shalt think on prating whilst thou liv'st!
I tell thee, I, that thou hast marr'd her gown.

Tai. Your worship is deceiv'd; the gown is made
Just as my master had direction:

Grumio gave order how it should be done.

Gru. I gave him no order, I gave him the stuff.
Tai. But how did you desire it should be made?
Gru. Marry, sir, with needle and thread.

Tai. But did you not request to have it cut?
Gru. Thou hast faced many things'.

Tai. I have.

Gru. Face not me: thou hast braved many men, brave not me; I will neither be faced nor braved. I say unto thee,-I bid thy master cut out the gown; but I did not bid him cut it to pieces: ergo, thou liest. Tai. Why, here is the note of the fashion to testify. Pet. Read it.

Gru. The note lies in his throat, if he say I said so. Tai. Imprimis, a loose-bodied gown:

Gru. Master, if ever I said loose-bodied gown, sew me in the skirts of it, and beat me to death with a bottom of brown thread: I said, a gown.

6

Pet. Proceed.

Tai. With a small compassed cape';

Gru. I confess the cape.

Tai. With a trunk sleeve ;

be-mete] i. e. be-measure thee.

7 faced many things.] i. e. turned up many gowns, &c. with facings, &c.

8 braved many men,] i. e. made many men fine. Bravery was the ancient term for clegance of dress.

9

a small compassed cape ;] A compassed cape is a round cape. To compass is to come round. JOHNSON.

Gru. I confess two sleeves.

Tai. The sleeves curiously cut.

Pet. Ay, there's the villainy.

Gru. Error i'the bill, sir; error i'the bill. I commanded the sleeves should be cut out, and sewed up again; and that I'll prove upon thee, though thy little finger be armed in a thimble.

Tai. This is true, that I say; an I had thee in place where, thou should'st know it.

Gru. I am for thee straight: take thou the bill, give me thy mete-yard', and spare not me.

Hor. God-a-mercy, Grumio! then he shall have no odds.

Pet. Well, sir, in brief, the gown is not for me.
Gru. You are i'the right, sir; 'tis for my mistress.
Pet. Go, take it up unto thy master's use.

Gru. Villain, not for thy life: Take up my mistress' gown for thy master's use!

Pet. Why, sir, what's your conceit in that?

Gru. O, sir, the conceit is deeper than you think for: Take up my mistress' gown to his master's use!

O, fye, fye, fye!

Pet. Hortensio, say thou wilt see the tailor paid:

Go take it hence; be gone, and say no more.

[A side.

Hor. Tailor, I'll pay thee for thy gown to-morrow. Take no unkindness of his hasty words:

Away, I say; commend me to thy master.

[Exit Tailor.

Pet. Well, come, my Kate; we will unto your

father's,

Even in these honest mean habiliments;

Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor:
For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich;

And as the sun breaks through the darkest clouds,

So honour peereth in the meanest habit.

1

thy mete-yard,] i. e. thy measuring yard.

What, is the jay more precious than the lark,
Because his feathers are more beautiful?
Or is the adder better than the eel,

Because his painted skin contents the eye?
O, no, good Kate; neither art thou the worse
For this poor furniture, and mean array.
If thou account'st it shame, lay it on me:
And therefore, frolick; we will hence forthwith,
To feast and sport us at thy father's house.-
Go, call my men, and let us straight to him;
And bring our horses unto Long-lane end,
There will we mount, and thither walk on foot.—
Let's see; I think, 'tis now some seven o'clock,
And well we may come there by dinner time.
Kath. I dare assure you, sir, 'tis almost tvo;
And 'twill be supper time, ere you come there.
Pet. It shall be seven, ere I go to horse :
Look, what I speak, or do, or think to do,
You are still crossing it.-Sirs, let't alone:
I will not go to-day; and ere I do,

It shall be what o'clock I say it is.

Hor. Why, so! this gallant will command the sun.

SCENE IV.

Padua. Before Baptista's House.

[Exeunt.

Enter TRANIO, and the Pedant dressed like VINCENTIO.

Tra. Sir, this is the house; Please it you, that I call? Ped. Ay, what else? and, but I be deceived',

Signior Baptista may remember me,

Near twenty years ago, in Genoa, where

We were lodgers at the Pegasus.

Tra.

'Tis well;

And hold your own, in any case, with such
Austerity as 'longeth to a father.

Enter BIONDELLO.

Ped. I warrant you: But, sir, here comes your boy; 'Twere good, he were school'd.

Tra. Fear you not him. Sirrah, Biondello, Now do your duty throughly, I advise you ; Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio.

Bion. Tut! fear not me.

Tra. But hast thou done thy errand to Baptista? Bion. I told him, that your father was at Venice; And that you look'd for him this day in Padua.

Tra. Thou'rt a tall fellow; hold thee that to drink. Here comes Baptista ;-set your countenance, sir.

Enter BAPTISTA and LUCENTIO.

Signior Baptista, you are happily met :-
Sir, [to the Pedant.]

This is the gentleman I told you of:

I pray you stand good father to me now,
Give me Bianca for my patrimony.

Ped. Soft, son!

Sir, by your leave; having come to Padua
To gather in some debts, my son Lucentio
Made me acquainted with a weighty cause.
Of love between your daughter and himself:
And, for the good report I hear of you;
And for the love he beareth to your daughter,
And she to him,-to stay him not too long,
I am content, in a good father's care,

To have him match'd; and,—if you please to like
No worse than I, sir,-upon some agreement,
Me shall you find most ready and most willing +
With one consent to have her so bestow'd;
For curious I cannot be with you",

Signior Baptista, of whom I hear so well.

"ready and willing"- MALONE.

For curious I cannot be with you,] Curious is scrupulous.