Bianca, stand aside:-poor girl! she weeps.- Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd. [Flies after BIANCA. Bap. What! in my sight?-Bianca, get thee in. [Exit BIANCA. Kath. What will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see, She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance barefoot on her wedding-day, And for your love to her lead apes in hell. [Exit KATHARINA. Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? But who comes here? Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in a mean habit; PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as a Musician; and TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books. Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista. Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio. God save you, gentlemen! Pet. And you, good sir. Pray, have you not a daughter, Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous? 2 Bap. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina. Gre. You are too blunt: go to it orderly. Pet. You wrong me, signior Gremio: give me leave. hilding-] The word hilding, or hinderling, says Johnson, means a low wretch, and was applied to both sexes. In "Romeo and Juliet," Act iii. sc. 5, Old Capulet calls his daughter" hilding ;" and in "All's Well that Ends Well," Act iii. sc. 6, the same term is used towards Parolles. Horne Tooke derives "hilding" from hyldan, Sax. to crouch. I am a gentleman of Verona, sir, That, hearing of her beauty, and her wit, Within your house, to make mine eye the witness [Presenting HORTENSIO. Cunning in music, and the mathematics, Bap. You're welcome, sir, and he, for your good sake. But for my daughter Katharine, this I know, Or else you like not of my company. Bap. Mistake me not; I speak but as I find. Whence are you, sir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name, Antonio's son; A man well known throughout all Italy. Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his sake. Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too. Backare you are marvellous forward3. This is a word of doubtful 3 BACKARE you are marvellous forward.] etymology and frequent occurrence: it is possibly only a corruption of "back there;" for it is always used as a reproof to over-confidence. In "Ralf Roister Doister," A. i. sc. 2, we meet with it : "Ah, sir! backare, quoth Mortimer to his sow." And this expression is introduced by old John Heywood into his Proverbs. Many other instances might easily be accumulated, but the mode of employing the word is uniform. Pet. O! pardon me, signior Gremio; I would fain be doing. Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar, [Presenting LUCENTIO,] that hath been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in music and mathematics. His name is Cambio pray accept his service. Bap. A thousand thanks, signior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio.-But, gentle sir, [To TRANIO,] methinks, you walk like a stranger: may I be so bold to know the cause of your coming? Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own, That, being a stranger in this city here, Do make myself a suitor to your daughter, Unto Bianca, fair, and virtuous. Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me, That, upon knowledge of my parentage, I may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo, And free access and favour as the rest: And, toward the education of your daughters, I here bestow a simple instrument, And this small packet of Greek and Latin books: Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence, I pray? Bap. A mighty man of Pisa: by report I know him well, You are very welcome, sir. 4 more kindly BEHOLDING to you than any, I freely give unto you-] See p. 136, note 6. The folios omit "I," which is necessary to the sense. preceding line they have neighbours for “neighbour." In a Take you [To HOR.] the lute, and you [To Luc.] the set of books; You shall go see your pupils presently. Holla, within! Enter a Servant. Sirrah, lead these gentlemen To my daughters; and tell them both, These are their tutors: bid them use them well. We will go walk a little in the orchard, Pet. Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste, You knew my father well, and in him, me, Bap. After my death, the one half of my lands, Bap. Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd, Pet. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father, 5 THAT is, her love ;] Malone reads, " This is, her love." So I to her, and so she yields to me, For I am rough, and woo not like a babe. Bap. Well may'st thou woo, and happy be thy speed! But be thou arm'd for some unhappy words. Pet. Ay, to the proof; as mountains are for winds, That shake not, though they blow perpetually. Re-enter HORTENSIO, with his head broken. Bap. How now, my friend! why dost thou look so pale? Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale. Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good musician? Hor. I think, she'll sooner prove a soldier: Iron may hold with her, but never lutes. Bap. Why, then thou can'st not break her to the lute? Hor. Why no, for she hath broke the lute to me. I did but tell her she mistook her frets, And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering, When, with a most impatient, devilish spirit, "Frets, call you these?" quoth she: "I'll fume with them :" And with that word she struck me on the head, As on a pillory looking through the lute, And twangling Jack; with twenty such vile terms, Pet. Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench! O, how I long to have some chat with her! Bap. Well, go with me, and be not so discomfited: Proceed in practice with my younger daughter; She's apt to learn, and thankful for good turns.— |