Read Online The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare - Free Book Online Page B

him?
    BIONDELLO     His daughter is to be brought by you to the supper.
    LUCENTIO     And then?
    BIONDELLO     The old priest at Saint Luke’s church is at your
     command 86 at all hours.
    LUCENTIO     And what of all this?
    BIONDELLO     I cannot tell, except they are busied about a
     counterfeit assurance 89 . Take you assurance of her,
cum
    privilegio ad imprimendum solum
. To th’church, take the
    priest, clerk and some sufficient 91 honest witnesses. If this be
    not that you look for 92 , I have no more to say, but bid Bianca
    farewell forever and a day.
    LUCENTIO     Hear’st thou, Biondello?
    BIONDELLO     I cannot tarry: I knew a wench married in an
    afternoon as she went to the garden for parsley to stuff a
    rabbit, and so may you, sir. And so, adieu, sir. My master
    hath appointed me to go to Saint Luke’s to bid the priest be
    ready to come against you come 99 with your appendix.
    Exit
    LUCENTIO     I may, and will, if she be so contented.
    She will be pleased, then wherefore should I doubt?
     Hap 102 what hap may, I’ll roundly go about her.
    It shall go hard 103 if Cambio go without her.
    Exit
[Act 4 Scene 3]
running scene 9
    Location: on the road
    Enter Petruchio, Kate, Hortensio
[
and Servants
]
    PETRUCHIO     Come on, a God’s name, once more toward our father’s.
    Good Lord, how bright and goodly 2 shines the moon!
    KATE     The moon? The sun: it is not moonlight now.
    PETRUCHIO     I say it is the moon that shines so bright.
    KATE     I know it is the sun that shines so bright.
    PETRUCHIO     Now, by my mother’s son, and that’s myself,
    It shall be moon, or star, or what I list 7 ,
     Or ere 8 I journey to your father’s house.—
    Go on, and fetch our horses back again.—
    To the Servants
        Evermore crossed and crossed, nothing but crossed!
    HORTENSIO     Say as he says, or we shall never go.
    To Kate
    KATE     Forward, I pray, since we have come so far,
    And be it moon, or sun, or what you please.
    An if you please to call it a rush-candle 14 ,
    Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
    PETRUCHIO     I say it is the moon.
    KATE     I know it is the moon.
    PETRUCHIO     Nay, then you lie. It is the blessèd sun.
    KATE     Then, God be blessed, it is the blessèd sun.
    But sun it is not, when you say it is not,
    And the moon changes even as your mind.
    What you will have it named, even that it is,
    And so it shall be so for Katherine.
    HORTENSIO     Petruchio, go thy ways 24 , the field is won.
    Aside
    PETRUCHIO     Well, forward, forward! Thus the bowl should run 25 ,
    And not unluckily against the bias 26 .
    But, soft, company is coming here.
    Enter Vincentio

    Good morrow, gentle mistress. Where away? 28
    To Vincentio
        Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
    To Kate
        Hast thou beheld a fresher 30 gentlewoman?
    Such war of white and red within her cheeks!
    What stars do spangle 32 heaven with such beauty,
    As those two eyes become that heav’nly face?—
    Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee.—
    To Vincentio
        Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty’s sake.
    To Kate
    HORTENSIO      A 36 will make the man mad, to make the woman of him.
    Aside
    KATE     Young budding virgin, fair and fresh and sweet,
    Whither away, or where is thy abode?
    Happy the parents of so fair a child;
    Happier the man, whom 40 favourable stars
    Allots thee for his lovely bedfellow!
    PETRUCHIO     Why, how now, Kate? I hope thou art not mad.
    This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered,
    And not a maiden, as thou say’st he is.
    KATE     Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
    That have been so bedazzled with the