Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: [your gifts are so good, here's none will hold you. Our love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out: our cake's dough on both sides.] Farewell: 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 she delights, I will wish him to 2 her father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word,

1 Cunning, i.e. skilful.

2 Wish him to, i.e. recommend him to.

Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience and mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough.

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

Hor. Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten apples. But come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained, 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 thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her! Come [Exeunt Gremio and Hortensio. 150 Tra. I pray, sir, tell me,-is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold?

on.

Luc. O 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 the 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 achieve not this young modest girl. Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst; Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

160

[Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you

now;

Affection is not rated1 from the heart:

If love have touch'd you, nought remains but

So,

Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercies, lad, go forward; this con

tents:

The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.]

Rated, scolded.

170

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 Agenor2 had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,

When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan strand.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not how her sister

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

Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move, And with her breath she did perfume the air:

Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.

180

Tra. Nay, then, 't is time to stir him from his trance.

I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid, Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus

it stands:

Her eldest sister is so curst and shrewd,3 That, till the father rid his hands of her, Master, your love must live a maid at home; And therefore has he closely mew'd her up, Because he will 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 191 To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?

Tra. Ay, marry, am I, sir; and now 'tis plotted.

Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Luc. Basta;1 content thee, for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house, 204
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,
Keephouse,and port,2 and servants, as I should:
I will some other be; some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or mean man of Pisa.
'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.
[They exchange habits.

Tra. So had you need.
In brief, sir, sith it thus your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient;

210

Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 't is no time to jest,

And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance 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 was descried:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,
While I make way from hence to save my life:
You understand me?
Bion.

I, sir!-[Aside] Ne'er a whit. 240

1 Basta, i.e. enough! (Italian). Dialectic abbreviation for abbastanza. 2 Port, state.

Enter PETRUCHIO and his man GRUMIO. Pet. Verona, for a while I take my leave, To see my friends in Padua, but of all My best beloved and approved friend, Hortensio; and I trow this is his house. Here, sirrah Grumio; knock,-knock, I say.

Gru. Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is there any man has rebused3 your worship? [Pet. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly. Gru. Knock you here, sir! why, sir, what am I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir? 10 Pet. Villain, I say, knock me at this gate, And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.

Rebused, probably intentional mistake for abused.

Pet. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?

Con tutto il core, ben trovato, may I say.

Hor. Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato signor mio Petruchio.2

Rise, Grumio, rise: we will compound this quarrel.

Gru. [Rising] Nay, 't is no matter, sir, what he 'leges in Latin.-If this be not a lawful cause for me to leave his service,-look you, sir, -he bid me knock him and rap him soundly, sir: well, was it fit for a servant to use his master so, being perhaps, for aught I see, two and thirty,-a pip out?

32

[Whom, would to God, I had well knock'd at first,

Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Pet. A senseless villain!-Good Hortensio, I bade the rascal knock upon your gate, And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Gru. Knock at the gate!-O heavens! Spake you not these words plain,-"Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock me well, and knock me soundly"? And come you now (with-knocking at the gate?]

43

And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife? Thou 'dst thank me but a little for my counsel: And yet I'll promise thee she shall be rich, And very rich:-but thou 'rt too much my friend,

And I'll not wish thee to her.

Pet. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends

as we

70

Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,-
As wealth is burden of my wooing dance,-
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,
As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd
As Socrates' Xanthippe, or a worse,
She moves me not, or not removes, at least,
Affection's edge in me, were she as rough
As are the swelling Adriatic seas:

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

[Gru. Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is: why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet-baby;" or an old trots with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two and fifty horses: why, nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.]

Hor. Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus far in,

In a few, ie. in short.

6 Wish thee to, i.e. recommend thee to.

7

lace.

Aglet-baby, a small figure cut on the tag of a point, or

8 Trot, an old woman (in a contemptuous sense).

84

I will continue that I broach'd in jest.
I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife
With wealth enough, and young and beauteous,
Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman:
Her only fault, and that is faults enough,—
Is that she is intolerable curst,

And shrewd, and froward; so beyond all measure,

That, were my state far worser than it is,
I would not wed her for a mine of gold.

90

Pet. Hortensio, peace! thou know'st not gold's effect:

Tell me her father's name, and 't is enough;
[For I will board her, though she chide as
loud

As thunder, when the clouds in autumn crack.]
Hor. Her father is Baptista Minola,
An affable and courteous gentleman:
Her name is Katharina Minola,
Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue. 100
Pet. I know her father, though I know not
her;

And he knew my deceased father well.
I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

Gru. I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O' my word, an she knew him as well as I do, she would think scolding would do little good upon him: she may perhaps call him half a score knaves or so: why, that's nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks.1 [I'll tell you what, sir, (an she stand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and so disfigure her with it, that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat.] You know him not, sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee, For in Baptista's keep my treasure is: He hath the jewel of my life in hold, His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca; 120 And her withholds from me, and other more, Suitors to her and rivals in my love; Supposing it a thing impossible,— For those defects I have before rehears'd,That ever Katharina will be woo'd; Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en,

1 Rope-tricks, i.e. abusive language.

Enter GREMIO; and LUCENTIO disguised, with books under his arm.

Master, master, look about you: who goes there, ha?

Hor. Peace, Grumio! it is the rival of my love.

Petruchio, stand by a while.

Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous! [Petruchio and Grumio retire.

Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note. Hark you; I'll have them very fairly bound: All books of love, see that at any hand; And see you read no other lectures to her: You understand me:-over and beside Signior Baptista's liberality,

150

I'll mend it with a largess. [Take your papers) too,

And let me have them very well perfum'd:
For she is sweeter than perfume itself,
To whom they go.] What will you read to
her?

Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for

you

As for my patron,- stand you so assur'd,—
As firmly as yourself were still in place:
Yea, and perhaps with more successful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.

Gre. O this learning! what a thing it is! 160
Gru. O this woodcock! what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, sirrah!

Hor. Grumio, mum! God save you, Signior Gremio.

2 Well seen, well skilled.