fair Bianca; and by good fortune I have lighted well on this young man; for learning and behaviour fit for her turn, well read in poetry, and other books, good ones, I warrant ye.

Hor. 'Tis well; and I have met a gentleman
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine mufician to inftruct our mistress;
So fhall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, fo belov'd of me.
Gre. Belov'd of me,-

prove.

and that my deeds shall

Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love.
Listen to me; and if you speak me fair,

I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a gentleman whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curs'd Catharine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So faid, fo done, is well;-
Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults!
Pet. I know the is an irkfome brawling fcold;
If that be all, Masters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayelt me fo, friend? What countryman?
Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon;

My father's dead, my fortune lives for me,

And I do hope good days and long to fee.

Gre. Oh, Sir, fuch a life with fuch a wife were strange;

But if you have a ftomach, to't o' God's name;
You fhall have me aflifting you in all.

But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you, a little din can daunt my ears?
• Have I not in my time heard lions roar?

• Have I not heard the fea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat?

• Have I not heard great ordnance in the field; And heav'n's artillery thunder in the skies? Have I not in a pitched battle heard

• Loud larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets clange?

6

' And

And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,

That gives not half fo great a blow to th' ear, 'As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush, tush, fear boys with bugs.

Gru. For he fears none..

Gre. Hortenfio, hark:

This gentleman is happily arrived,

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours.
Hor. I promis'd we would be contributors;
And bear his charge of wooing whatsoe'er.

Gre. And fo we will, provided that he win her.
Gru. I would I were as fure of a good dinner.

SCENE VII.

To them Tranio bravely apparell'd, and Biondello.

Tra. Gentlemen, God fave you. If I may be bold, tell me, I beseech you, which is the readieft way to the houfe of Signior Baptifta Minola?

Bion. He that has the two fair daughters? is't he you mean?

Tra. Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, Sir, you mean not her, to

Tra. Perhaps him and her; what have you to do? Pet. Not her that chides, Sir, at any hand, I pray. Tra. I love no chiders, Sir. Biondello, let's away. Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

[Afide.

Hor. Sir, a word, ere you go:
Are you a fuitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?
Tra. An if I be, Sir, is it any offence?

Gre. No, if without more words you will get you hence.
Tra. Why, Sir, I pray, are not the streets as free

For me as for you?

Gre. But fo is not fhe.

Tra. For what reafon, I beseech you?

Gre. For this reason, if you'll know:

That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That she's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my Mafters; if you be gentlemen,

Do me this right; hear me with patience.

Baptifla

Baptifa is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;
And were his daughter fairer than fhe is,
She may more fuitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have,
And fo the fhall. Lucentio fhall make one,
Tho' Paris came, in hope to fpeed alone.

Gre. What! this gentleman will out-talk us all!
Luc. Sir, give him head; I know he'll prove a jade
Pet. Hortenfio, to what end are all these words?
Hor. Sir, let me be fo bold as to afk you,
Did you yet ever fee Baptifta's daughter?

Tra. No, Sir; but hear I do that he hath two:
The one as famous for a scolding tongue,
As the other is for beauteous modefty.

Pet. Sir, Sir, the firit's for me; let her go by.
Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules;
And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, infooth:
The youngest daughter, whom you harken for,
Her father keeps from all access of fuitors;
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest fifter firft be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before:

Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Muft ftead us all, and me among the reft;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger
free
For our accefs; whofe hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo gracelefs be, to be ingrate.
Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well
And fince you do profefs to be a fuitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all reft generally beholden.

you

do conceive::

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,
Pleafe ye, we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff caroufes to our miftrefs' health;
And do as adverfaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion. O excellent motion! fellows, let's be gone.
Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so.

Petruchio,

Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

[The presenters above speak here. 1 Man. My Lord, you nod; you do not mind the play. Sly. Yea, by St. Ann, do I: a good matter, furly! comes there any more of it?

Lady. My Lord, 'tis but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, Madam Lady. Would 'twere done!

Bian.

ACT II. SCENE 1.

Baptifta's houfe in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

GOOD fifter, wrong me not, nor wrong

yourself,

To make a bondmaid and a flave of me;
That I difdain; but for thefe other gawds,
Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself;
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;
Or what you will command me, will I do;
So well I know my duty to my elders.

Cath. Of all thy fuitors here, I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'ft beft: see thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all men alive

I never yet beheld that special face,

Which I could fancy more than any other.

Cath. Minion, thou lieft; is't not Hortenfio? Pian. If you affect him, fifter, here I swear, I'll plead for you myself, but you fhall have him. Cath. Oh, then, belike you fancy riches more; You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him do fo envy me;

you

Nay, then you jeft; and now, I well perceive,
You have but jefted with me all this while;
I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands.

Cath. If that be jeft, then all the reft was fo.

Bap. Why, how now, dame, whence grows this infolence?

Bianca, ftand afide; poor girl, fhe weeps;

Go

Go ply thy needle, meddle not with her.

For fhame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why doft thou wrong her, that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did the crofs thee with a bitter word?

Cath. Her filence flouts me; and I'll be reveng'd.

[Flies after Bianca.

Bap. What, in my fight? Bianca, get thee in.

[Exit Bianca. Cath. Will you not fuffer me? nay, now I fee, She is your treasure; she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding-day, And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell. Talk not to me, I will fit and weep, go Till I can find occafion of

revenge.

Bap. Was ever gentleman as griev'd as I? But who comes here?

[Exit Cath.

SCENE II.

Enter Gremio; Lucentio in the habit of a mean man ; Petruchio, with Hortenfio like a musician; Tranio and Biondello bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptifta.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio. God fave you, Gentlemen.

Pet. And you, good Sir. Pray have you not a daughter called Catharina, fair and virtuous?

Bap. I have a daughter, Sir, called Catharina.
Gre. You are too blunt; go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, Signior Gremio, give me leave. I am a gentleman of Verona, Sir,

That, hearing of her beauty and her wit,

Her affability and bafhful modefty,

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,
Am bold to fhew myself a forward gueft
Within your
house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report, which I fo oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

I do prefent you with a man of mine,
Cunning in mufic, and the mathematics,
To inftruct her fully in thofe fciences,

[Prefenting Hor.

Whereof