Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges in
Latin. If this be not a lawful case for me to leave his
service—look you, sir: he bid me knock him and rap him
soundly, sir. Well, was it fit for a servant to use his master so,
being perhaps, for aught I see, two-and-thirty, a pip out?
Whom, would to God, I had well knocked at first,
25
Then had not Grumio come by the worst.
GRUMIO
I don't care what he told you in Latin. If this
isn't legal justification for me to leave his service, I
don't know what is. He tells me to knock him, pound him,
and put my fists to work on him. Well, I ask you, was that any way
for a servant to behave toward his master—especially
when he's clearly a bit crazy. I wish I
had hit him. I think I'd
feel a lot better.
PETRUCHIO
A senseless villain, good Hortensio.
I bade the rascal knock upon your gate
And could not get him for my heart to do it.
PETRUCHIO
He's a worthless dog, Hortensio. I told him to knock at
your gate and for the life of me could not get him to do it.
GRUMIO
Knock at the gate? O heavens! Spake you not these words plain:
“Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock me well, and
knock me soundly”? And come you now with
“knocking at the gate”?
GRUMIO
Knock at the gate? Oh, for Pete's sake! Didn't
you clearly say “Knock,”
“pound,” and “put your fists to
work”? Now you say it was “Knock at the
gate”?
