As Ovid be an outcaft quite abjur'd.
Talk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practife rhetoric in your common talk
Mufic and poefy ufe to quicken you;
The mathematics, and the metaphyfics,

your

;

Fall to them, as you find ftomach ferves you.
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en:
In brief, Sir, ftudy what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well doft thou advise ;
If, Biondello, thou wert come afhore,

We could at once put us in readiness;
And take a lodging fit to entertain

Such friends, as time in Padua fhall beget.
But ftay a while, what company is this?

Tra. Mafter, fome fhow to welcome us to town.

Enter Baptifta, with Catharina and Bianca, Gremio and Hortenfio. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by.

Bap. Gentlemen both, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am refolv'd, you know;
That is, not to beftow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder:
If either of you both love Catharina,

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

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 ftale 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 use you like a fool.
Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us.
Gre. And me too, good Lord.

Tra. Huh, Mafter, here's fome good paftime

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 lefs, my girl.

Afide.

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 fubfcribe:

My books and inftruments fhall be my company,
On them to look, and practife by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may'ft hear Minerva fpeak.

[fide. Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be fo ftrange ! Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

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:
Goin, Bianca.-

[Exit Bianca.

And for I know, she taketh most delight
In mufic, inftruments, and poetry;
Schoolmafters will I keep within my houfe,
Fit to inftruct 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 fo farewel. Catharina, you may fay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.

Cath. Why, and, I truft, 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!

SCENE

III.

[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 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 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 'fpecially.

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 so very a fool to be married to hell?

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 money enough.

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

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's a fmall choice in rotten apples. But, come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd, till by helping Baptista'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 fastest gets the ring; how fay you, Signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the VOL. II.

C

beft horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would throughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on.

SCENE

IV.

[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 plainnefs do confefs 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 modest girl.
Counfel 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 toil'd you, nought remains but fo,
Redime te captum quàm queas minimo.

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 ftorm,

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 stands : Her eldest fifter is fo curs'd and shrewd,

That till the father rids his hands of her,
Mafter, your love muft live a maid at home;
And therefore has he clofely 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 schoolmafters to 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 schoolmafter,

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

Luc. Bafta;-content thee; for I have it full.
We have not yet been feen in any house,
Nor can we be diftinguifh'd by our faces,
For man or mafter: then it follows thus.
Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my ftead;
Keep houfe, and port, and fervants, as I fhould.
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 ty'd to be obedient,

(For fo your father charg'd me at our parting; Be ferviceable to my fon, 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;