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Vincentio his fon, brought up in Florence,
It fhall become to ferve all hopes conceived,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds;
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue and that part of philofophy
Will I apply, that treats of happiness,
By virtue fpecially to be atchieved.
Tell me thy mind, for I have Pifa left,
And am to Padua come, as he that leaves
A fhallow plafh to plunge him in the deep,
And with fatiety feeks to quench his thirst.
Tra. Me pardonato, gentle mafter mine,
I am in all affected as yourself:
Glad, that you thus continue your refolve,
To fuck the fweets of fweet philofophy:
Only, good mafter, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no Stoics, nor no stocks I pray;
Or fo devote to Ariftotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjured.
Talk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practife rhetoric in your common talk;
Mufic and poety ufe to quicken you;

The mathematics, and the metaphyfics,

Fall to them, as you find your stomach serves you: No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta’en :

In brief, Sir, study 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 stay a while, what company is this?

Tra. Mafter, fome fhow to welcome us to town.
VOL. IV.
R

·

Enter BAPTISTA with CATHARINA

CA, GREMIO and HORTENSIÓ.
TRANIO ftand by.

and BIAN

LUCENTIO and

Bap. Gentlemen both, importune me no farther, For how I firmly am refolved 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 pleasure.
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 tale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid, how mean you that? no mates Unless you were of gentler, milde: mould. [for you, 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-legged ftool,
And paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.

Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us.
Gre. And me too, good Lord.

Tra. Hufh, mafter, here's fome good pa-] ftime toward;

That wench is stark mad, or wonderful fro

ward.

Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

[your fill.

Afide

Tra. Well faid, mafter: mum! and gaze J 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.

Cath. A pretty peat it is! beft put finger in the eye, an fhe knew why.

Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent. Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubscribe:

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

Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou mayeft hear Minerva fpeak. [Afide Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange? 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 refolved:

Go in, Bianca.

[Exit Bianca. And for I know fhe taketh most delight In mufic, inftruments, and poetry, Schoolmasters will I keep within my houfe, Fit to inftruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio, Or Signior Gremio, you, know any fuch, 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 stay, For I have more to commune with Biatica. [Exit. Cath. Why, and I truft I may go too, may I not? What, thall I be appointed hours, as though, 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 fo good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and faft it fairly out. Our cake's dough on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my fweet 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; though the nature of our quarrel never yet brooked 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 hufband! a devil.

Hor. I fay a husband.

Gre. I fay a devil. Thinkeft thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio; though 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 cannnot 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 lay, there's a fmall choice in rotten apples. But come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintained, 'till by helping Baptifta's eldef daughter to a husband, we fet his youngest free for a hu foand, 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 best horse in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly wooe her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfia.

Manent TRANTO and LUCENFIO.

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 plainness 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:
Counsel mc, 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 touched 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 looked fo longly on the maid, Perhaps you marked 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 kiffed the Cretan ftrand.

Tra. Saw you no more? marked you not how her Began to fcold, and raife up fuch a form, [fifter That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?

Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move, And with her breath the did perfume the air; Sacred and fweet was all I faw in her.

Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to ftir him from his I pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid, [trance: Bend thoughts and witt'atchieve her. Thus it ftands: Her eldelt fifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

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