Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave fhall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather. She's too rough for me:
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?
Cath. I pray you, Sir, is it your will-

To make a Stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor, Mates, maid, how mean you that? no mates for you;

Unless you were of gentler milder mould.

Cath. I'faith, Sir, you fhall never need to fear,
I wis, it is not half way to her heart:

But if it were, doubt not, her care fhall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd ftool,
And paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.
Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us.
Gre. And me too, good Lord.

Tra. Hush, master, here's some good pastime

toward;

That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful fro

ward.

Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee

Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well faid, mafter; mum! and gaze your fill.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good
What I have faid, Bianca, get you in;

And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

Şafide.

Cath. A pretty Peat! it is best put finger in the eye,

an fhe knew why.

Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.

Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:

My books and inftruments fhall be my company,
On them to look, and practise by my felf.

Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may't hear Minerva speak.

Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange?
Sorry am I, that our good will effects.
Bianca's grief.

[afide.

Gre.

Gre. Why will you mew her up,
Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am refolv'd:
Go in, Bianca. -
[Exit Bianca.

And for I know, fhe taketh most delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry;
School-mafters will I keep within my house,
Fit to inftruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio,
Or Signior Gremio, you, know any fuch,
Prefer them hither: for to cunning men
I will be very kind; and liberal

To mine own children, in good bringing up;
And so farewel. Catharina, you may stay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca. [Exit.
Cath. Why, and, I trust, I may go too, may I
not? what, fhall I be appointed hours, as tho', belike,
I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha!
[Exit.
Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are
fo good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not
fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails toge-
ther, and faft it fairly out. Our cake's dow on both
fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my fweet
Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to
teach her That wherein the delights, I will wish him
to her Father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word, I pray; tho' the nature of our quarrel never yet brook'd Parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us Both, that we may yet again have access to our fair Mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca's love, to labour and effect one thing 'specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, Sir, to get a husband for her fifter.
Gre. A husband! a devil.-

Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I fay, a devil. Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, tho' her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor.

Hor. Tufh, Gremio; tho' it pass your patience and mine to endure her loud alarms, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all her faults, and mony enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whip'd at the high-cross every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's a small choice in rotten apples: but, come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintain'd, 'till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband, we fet his youngest free for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet Bianca happy man be his dole; he that runs fafteft gets the ring; how fay you, Signior Gremio ?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the beft horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would throughly wooe her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio.

Manent Tranio and Lucentio.

Tra. I pray, Sir, tell me, is it poffible
That love fhould on a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. Oh Tranio, 'till I found it to be true,

I never thought it poffible or likely.
But fee, while idly I ftood looking on,
I found th' effect of Love in idleness.
And now in plainness do confess to thee,
(That art to me as fecret, and as dear,
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was ;)
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modeft girl:
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, thou canft;
Affift me, Tranio, for, I know, thou wilt.

Tra. Mafter, it is no time to chide you now;
Affection is not rated from the heart.

If love hath touch'd you, nought remains but so,
Redime te captum quàm queas minimo.

Luc.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents;
The reft will comfort, for thy counfel's found.
Tra. Mafter, you look'd fo longly on the maid,
Perhaps, you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
Luc. O yes, I faw fweet Beauty in her face;
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kifs'd the Cretan ftrand.

Tra. Saw you no more mark'd you not, how her
fifter

Began to fcold, and raife up fuch a fform,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?,
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath fhe did perfume the air;
Sacred and fweet was all I faw in her.-

Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to ftir him from his trance: I pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wit t' atchieve her. Thus it ftands:
Her eldest Sifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

That till the Father rids his Hands of her,
Master, your Love muft live a Maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because she shall not be annoy'd with fuitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel Father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took fome care
To get her cunning school-mafters t' inftruct her?
Tra. Ay, marry, am I, Sir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine firft.,

Tra. You will be school-mafter,

And undertake the teaching of the maid:

That's your device.

Luc. It is: may it be done?

Tra. Not poffible for who fhall bear your part,

And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon,

Keep house, and ply his book, welcome his friends,
Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc.

Luc. Bafta content thee; for I have it full. We have not yet been seen in any house, Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces, For man or mafter: then it follows thus. Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my ftead; Keep house, and port, and fervants, as I should. I will fome other be, fome Florentine, Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa. "Tis hatch'd, and fhall be fo: Tranio, at once Uncafe thee: take my colour'd hat and cloak. When Biondello comes, he waits on thee; But I will charm him first to keep his tongue. Tra. So had you need. [They exchange Habits. In brief, good Sir, fith it your pleasure is, And I am tied to be obedient,

(For fo your Father charg'd me at our parting; Be ferviceable to my Son, quoth he,)

Altho', I think, 'twas in another sense;

I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo; because Lucentio loves ;
And let me be a flave t'atchieve that Maid,
Whofe fudden fight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Enter Biondello.

Here comes the rogue. Sirrah, where have you been? Bion. Where have I been? nay, how now, where are you? mafter, has my fellow Tranio ftoll'n your cloaths, or you ftoll'n his, or both? pray, what's the news?

Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jeft;
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to fave my life,
Puts my apparel and my count'nance on,
And I for my escape have put on his :
For in a quarrel, fince I came afhore,
I kill'd a man, and, fear, I am defcry'd:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes;
While I make way from hence to fave my life.
You understand me?