for you;

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

Gre. To cart her rather. She's too rough for me: There, there, Hortensio, 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 Unless you were of gentler milder mould.

Cath. I'faith, Sir, you shall never need to fear,
I wis, it is not half way to her heart:
But if it were, doubt not, her care shall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us.
Gre. And me too, good Lord.
Tra. Hush, master, here's some good pastime

toward ;
That wench is stark mad, or wonderful fro-

ward,
Luc. But in the other's Gilence I do fee afide.
Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.
Peace, Tranio.
Ira. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your

fili.
Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said, Bianca, get you in;
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca ;
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

Cath. A pretty Peat! it is best puc finger in the eye, an she knew why. Bian. Sifter, content you

discontent. Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe: My books and instruments thall be my company, On them to look, and practise by my self. Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may'st hear Minerva speak.

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

Gre,

in my

Gre. Why will you mew her up,
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue?

Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd :
Go in, Bianca.

[Exit Bianca. And for I know, she taketh most delight In musick, inftruments, and poetry; School-masters will I keep within my house, Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio, Or Signior Gremio, you, know any such, 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, thall 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 so good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not so great, Hortenfo, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out. Our cake's dow on both fides. Farewel ; yet for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her That wherein the delights, I will with him to her Father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio : but a word, I pray; tho' the nature of our quarrel never yer brook's 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 sister.
Gre. A husband ! a devil.-
Hor. I say, a husband.

Gre: I say, a devil. Think'st thou, Hortenfio, tho' her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell ?

Hor,

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

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse 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 Lucencio. Tra. I

pray, Sir, tell me, is it possible
That love should on a sudden take such hold?

Luc. Oh Tranio, 'till I found it to be true,
I never thought it possible or likely.
But see, while idly I stood looking on,
I found th' effect of Love in idleness.
And now in plainness do confess to thee,
(That art to me as secret, 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 modest girl :
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, chou canst ;
Aflift me, Tranio, for, I know, thou wilc.

Tra. Master, 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.

Læc.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents; The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.

Tra. Master, you look'd so longly on the maid, Perhaps, you mark'd not what's the pith of all.

Luc. O'yes, I saw sweet Beauty in her face ;
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,
That made great fove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan ftrand.
Tra. Saw you no more mark'd you not, how her

Gifter
Began to scold, and raise up such a storm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?

Lut. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath she did perfume the air ;
Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.-

Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to stir him from his trance: I

pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid, Bend thoughts and wit.t' atchieve her. Thus it stands : Her eldeft Sister is so curst and shrewd, That till the Father rids his Hands of her, Master, your Love must live a Maid at home; And therefore has he closely mew'd her up, Because she shall not be annoy'd with suitors.

Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel Father's he!
But art thou not advis’d, he took some care
To get her cunning school-masters t'instruct 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 thinc first.

Tra. You will be school-master,
And undertake the teaching of the maid:
That's your device.

Luc. It is: may it be done?

Tra. Not possible: for who shall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's son,
Keep house, and ply his book, welcome his friends,
Visit 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 master: then it follows thus.
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead ;
Keep house, and port, and servants, as I should.
I will some other be, fome Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pifa.
"Tis hatch'd, and shall be so: Tranio, at once
Uncase 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 Šir, fith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient,
(For so your Father charg'd me at our parting;
Be serviceable to my Son, quoth hey)
Altho', I think, 'twas in another sense;
I am content to be Lucentio,
Because so well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so; because Lucentio loves ;
And let me be a llave t’atchieve that Maid,
Whose sudden sight 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? master, has my fellow Tranio ftoll'n your cloaths, or you stoll'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 save my life,
Puts my apparel and my count'nance on,
And I for my escape have put on his :
For in a quarrel, since I came ashore,
I kill'd a man, and, fear, I am descry'd:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes ;
While I make way from hence to save my life.
You understand me?