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 musician to inftruct our mistress;

So fhall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.
Gre. Belov'd of me,-

prove.

-and that my deeds fhall

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 he is an irkfome brawling fcold;
If that be all, Mafters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayeft 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 ftrange;

But if you have a ftomach, to't o' God's name;
You fhall have me affifting 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 clangue?
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?'
Tufh, tufh, fear boys with bugs.

Gru. For he fears none.

Gre. Hortenfio, hark:

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and our's.
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.

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 readiest 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;

Pet. Not her that chides, Sir, at any hand, I pray.

Tra. I love no chiders, Sir.

Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

what have you to do?

Biondello, let's away.

[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 ftreets as free For me as for you?

Gre. But fo is not she.

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?

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

That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That he's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my Mafters; if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right; hear me with patience.

Baptifta 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 fhe fhall. Lucentio fhall make one,
Though Paris came, in hope to speed 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 ask you, Did you yet ever see Baptifta's daughter? Tra. No, Sir; but hear I do that he hath two: The one as famous for a fcolding tongue, As the other is for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, Sir, the firft'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 accefs of fuitors;
And will not promife her to any man,
Until the eldest fifter first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Muft fteed 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; whose hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well you do conceive:

And fince you do profess to be a fuitor,

You muft, as we do, gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,
Please ye, we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff caroufes to our mistress' 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 fo. Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

[The prefenters 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, furely! 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!

A C T II.

Bian. Go

SCENE I.

Baptifta's house in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

Ood fifter, wrong me not, nor wrong your-
felf,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;
That I difdain; but for these 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: fee thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, fifter, of all men alive

I never yet beheld that special face,
Which I could fancy more than other.

any

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

Bian. Is it for him you do fo envy me?
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 rest was fo.

Bap. Why, how now, dame, whence grows this inBianca, ftand afide; poor girl, fhe weeps; [folence?

i

Go ply thy needle,, meddle not with her.

For fhame, thou hilding of a devilish fpirit,

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 muft dance bare-foot on her wedding-day,
And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell.
Talk not to me, I will go fit and weep,
Till I can find occafion of revenge.

[Exit Cath,

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

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 guest

Within your houfe, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report, which I fo oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

[Prefenting Hor

I do prefent you with a man of mine,
Cunning in mufic, and the mathematics,
To inftru& her fully in thofe fciences,
VOL. II.
D d