lampass, infected with the fashions,4 full of wind-galls, sped with spavins, raied with the yellows, past cure of the fives, stark spoiled with the staggers, begnawn with the bots; swayed in the back, and shoulder-shotten; ne'er legged before," and with a half-checked bit, and a head-stall of sheep's leather; which, being restrained to keep him from stumbling, hath been often burst, and now repaired with knots : one girt six times pieced, and a woman's crupper of velure, which hath two letters for her name, fairly set down in studs, and here and there pieced with pack-thread. Bap. Who comes with him? Bion. O, sir, his lackey, for all the world caparisoned like the horse; with a linen stock on one leg, and a kersey boot-hose on the other, gartered with red and blue list; an old hat, and The humour of forty fancies pricked in't for a feather : a monster, a very monster in apparel; and not like a christian footboy, or a gentleman's lackey. Tra. 'Tis some odd humour pricks him to this fashion- Bap. I am glad he is come, howsoe'er he comes. Bion. No, sir; I say, his horse comes with him on his back. Bap. Why, that's all one. Bion. Nay, by saint Jamy, I hold you a penny, A horse and a man is more than one, and yet not many. infected with the fashions, —past cure of the fives,] Fashions. So called in the West of England, but by the best writers on farriery, farcens or farcy. Fives. So called in the West : vives elsewhere, and avives by the French; a distemper in horses, little differing from the strangles.-Grey. ne’er legged before.] i. e. Founder'd in his fore-feet. stock-] i. e. Stocking. - an old lat, and The humour of forty fancies pricked in't for a feather:] This was some ballad or drollery at that time, which the poet here ridicules, by making Petruchio 'prick it up in his foot-boy’s hat for a feather. His speaks ers are perpetually quoting scraps and stanzas of old ballads, and often very obscurely; for, so well are they adapted to the occasion, that they seem of a piece with the rest.-WARBURTON. t u Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUM10. Pet. Come, where be these gallants? who is at home? And yet I come not well. Not so well apparell’d As I wish you were. Pet. Where it better I should rush in thus. Bap. Why, sir, you know, this is your wedding-day : Tra. And tell us, what occasion of import Pet. Tedious it were to tell, and harsh to hear: Tra. See not your bride in these unreverent robes; Pet. Not I, believe me: thus I'll visit her, words; to digress ;] To deviate from any promise. 'Twere well for Kate, and better for myself . , [Exeunt PETRUCHIO, GRUMIO, and BIONDELLO. Bap. I'll after him, and see the event of this. [Exit. Tra. But, sir, to her love concerneth us to add Luc. Where it not that my fellow schoolmaster: Tra. That by degrees we mean to look into, Re-enter GREMIO. Signior Gremio ! came you from the church? Gre. As willingly as e'er I came from school. Gre. A bridegroom, say you?' 'tis a groom, indeed, Tra. Curster than she? why?tis impossible. Tra. Why, she's a devil, a devil, the devil's dam. Gre. Tut! she's a lamb, a dove, a fool to him. Tra. What said the wench, when he arose again? Gre. Trembled and shook; for why, he stamp'd, and As if the vicar meant to cozen him. [swore, But after many ceremonies done, He calls for wine ;- A health, quoth he; as if He had been abroad, carousing to his mates After a storm :-Quaff’d off the muscadel, And threw the sops all in the sexton's face; Having no other reason,But that his beard grew thin and hungerly, And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking. This done, he took the bride about the neck; And kiss'd her lips? with such a clamorous smack, That, at the parting, all the church did echo. And I, seeing this, came thence for very shame; And after me, I know the rout is coming : Such a mad marriage never was before; Hark, hark! I hear the minstrels play. [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, Quaf'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. We find it practised at the magnificent marriage of Queen Mary and Philip, in Winchester Cathedral, 1554.-T. WARTON. z 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 à sacerdote, et ferat sponse, osculans eam, et neminem alium, nec ipse, * nec ipsa.” Manuale Sarum, Paris, 1533, 4to. fol. 69.—MALONE. than stay And have prepar'd great store of wedding cheer: leave. Pet. I must away to-day, before night come: Make it no wonder; if you knew my business, , You would entreat me rather go Tra. Let us entreat you stay till after dinner. Let me entreat you. Let me entreat you. Are you content to stay? Kath. Now, if you love me, stay. Grumio, my horses. Gru. Ay, sir, they be ready; the oats have eaten the horses. Kath. Nay, then, Pet. 0, 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 dinner :- VOL. III. Y |