[She ftrikes him. Pet. I fwear I'll cuff you, if you strike again. Cath. So may you lofe your arms.
If you ftrike me, you are no gentleman;
And if no gentleman, why, then no arms.
Pet. A herald, Kate? oh, put me in thy books.
Cath. What is your creft, a coxcomb?
Pet. A comblefs cock, fo Kate will be my hen. Cath. No cock of mine, you crow too like a craven. Pet. Nay, come, Kate; come, you must not look fo four.
Cath. It is my fashion, when I fee a crab.
Pet. Why, here's no crab, and therefore look not Cath. There is, there is.
Pet. Then thew it me.
Cath. Had I a glass I would.
Pet. What, you mean my face?
Cath. Well aimed, of fuch a young one.
Pet. Now, by St George, I am too young for you. Cath. Yet you are withered.
Pet. Nay hear you, Kate; in footh you 'fcape not Cath. I chafe you if I tarry; let me go. Pet. No, not a whit, I find you paffing gentle: 'Twas told me you were rough, and coy, and fullen, An I now I find report a very liar;
For thou art pleasant, gamefome, paffing courteous,
But flow in fpeech, yet fweet as fpring-time flowers.
Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look afcance,
Nor bite the lip, as angry wenches will,
Nor haft thou pleasure to be crofs in talk:
But thou with mildnefs entertaineft thy wooers,
With gentle conference, foft and affable.
Why doth the world report that Kate doth limp?
Ch flanderous world! Kate, like the hazle twig,
Is strait and flender; and as brown in hue
As hazle nuts, and fweeter than the kernels.
O, let me fee thee walk: thou doft not halt.
Cath. Go, fool, and whom thou keepest command.
Pet. Did ever Dian fo become a grove,
As Kate this chamber with her princely gaite?
O, be thou Dian, and let her be Kate,
And then let Kate be chafte, and Dian sportful !-
Cath. Where did you study all this goodly speech?
Pet. It is extempore, from my mother-wit.
Cath. A witty mother, witlefs elfe her fon.
Pet. Am I not wife?
Cath. Yes; keep you warm.
Pet. Why,fo I mean, fweet Catharine, in thy bed: And therefore, fetting all this chat aside,
Thus in plain terms: your father hath confented
That you fhall be my wife: your dowery 'greed on,
And, will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn,
For by, this light, whereby I fee thy beauty,
(Thy beauty, that doth make me like thee well),
Thou must be married to no man but me.
For I am he am born to tame you, Kate;
And bring you from a wild cat to a Kate,
Conformable as other houfhold Kates.
Here comes your father, never make denial,
I muft and will have Catharine to my wife.
Enter BAPTISTA, GREMIO, and TRANIO.
Bap. Now, Signior Petruchio, how speed you with my daughter?
Pet. How but well, Sir? how but well? It were impoffible I fhould speed amils. [dumps? Bap. Why, how now, daughter Catharine, in your Cath. Call you me daughter? now, I promife you, You've thewed a tender fatherly regard,
To wifh me wed to one half lunatic;
A madcap ruffran, and a fwearing Jack,
That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
Pet. Father, 'tis thus; yourself, and all the world
That talked of her, have talked amifs of her:
If the be curit, it is for policy,
For fhe's not froward, but modest as the dove:
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn;
For patience, the will prove a fecond Griffel;.
And Roman Lucrece for her chastity:
And, to conclude, we've 'greed fo well together,.
That upon Sunday is the wedding day.
Cath. I'll fee thee hanged on Sunday first.
Gre. Hark, Petruchio! the fays he'll fee thee hanged firft.
Tra. Is this your speeding? nay, then, goodnight our part!
Pet. Be patient, Sirs, I chufe her for myself;
If she and I be pleased, what's that to you?
'Tis bargained 'twixt us twain, being alone,
That the fhall fill be curft in company.
I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe
How much fhe loves me; oh, the kindeft Kate !...-
She hung about my neck, and kiss on kifs
She vyed fo faft, protefting oath on oath,
That in a twink fhe won me to her love.
Oh, you are novices; 'tis a world to fee
How tame (when men and women are alone)
A meacock wretch can make the curfteft fhrew.
Give me thy hand, Kate; I will unto Venice,
To buy apparel 'gainst the wedding day;
Father, provide the feaft, and bid the guests;
I will be fure my Catharine fhall be fine.
Bap. I know not what to fay, but give your hands; God fend you joy, Petruchio, 'tis a match.
Gre. Tra. Amen, fay we; we will be witneffes.
Pet. Father, and wife, and gentlemen, adieu;
I will to Venice; Sunday comes apace;
We will have rings and things, and fine array;
And kiss me, Kate, we will be married a Sunday.
[Exe. Petruchio and Catharine feverally..
Gre. Was ever match clapt up so suddenly?
Bap. Faith, gentlemen, I play a merchant's part,
And venture madly on a defperate mart.
Tra. 'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you;
'Twill bring you gain, or periíh on the feas.
Bap. The gain I feek is quiet in the match.
Gre. No doubt but he hath got a quiet catch:
But now, Baptifta, to your younger daughter;
Now is the day we long have looked for:
I am your neighbour, and was fuitor first.
Tra. And I am one that love Bianca more
Than words can witness, or your thoughts can guefs.
Gre. Youngling! thou canst not love fo dear as I.
Tra. Grey-beard! thy love doth freeze.
Gre. But thine doth fry.
Skipper, ftand back; 'tis age that nourisheth.
Tra. But youth in ladies' eyes that flourisheth.
Bap. Content you, Gentlemen, I will compound
this ftrife;
'Tis deed muft win the prize; and he, of both,
That can affure my daughter greatest dower,
Shall have Bianca's love.
Say, Signior Gremio, what can you aflure her?
Gre. Firit, as you know, my house within the city
Is richly furnished with plate and gold,
Bafons and ewers to lave her dainty hands:
My hangings all of Tyrian tapestry;
In ivory coffers I have ftuff'd my crowns;
In cypress chefts my arras, counterpanes,
Colly apparel, tents and canopies,
Fine linen, Turkey cushions boffed with pearl;
Valance of Venice gold and needle-work;
Pewter and brafs, and all things that belong.
To houfe, or houfe-keeping: then at my farin,
I have a hundred milch-kine to the pail,
Sixfcore fat oxen ftanding in my ftails;
And all things anfwerable to this portion:
Myfelf am ftruck in years, I must confess;,
And if I die to-morrow this is hers,
If, whilft I live, fhe will be only mine.
Tra. That only came well in.-Sir, list to me,
I am my father's heir, and only fon;
If I may have your daughter to my wife,
I'll leave her houfes three or four as good,
Within rich Pifa walls, as any one
Old Signior Gremio has in Padua,
Befides two thoufand ducats by the year
Of fruitful land; all which fhall be her jointure.
What, have I pinched you, Signior Gremio?
Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year of land! (14)
My land amounts but to fo much in all:
(14) Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year of land!
My land amounts not to fo much in all:
That he hall have, and- J
Though all the copies concur in this reading, furely, if we examine the reatoning, fomething will be found wrong. Gremio, ftartled at the high fettlement Trapio propofes, fays, his whole eftate in land can't match it, yet he'll fet tle so much a-year upon her, &c. This is mock-reafoning, or I don't know what to call it. The change of the nega tive monofyllable in the fecond line, which Mr Warburton preferibed falves the abfurdity, and fets the paffage right. Gremio and Tranio are vying in their offers to cairy Bian ca: the latter boldly propofes to fettle land to the amount of 2000 ducats per annum. Ay, fays the other; my whole eftate in land amounts but to that value: yet she shall have that; I'll endow her with the whole; and confign a rich veffel to her use, over and above. Thus all is intelligible, and he goes on to cutbid his rival.
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