Hor. Now fhall my Friend Petruchio do me grace,
And offer me difguis'd in fober robes
To old Baptifta as a fchool-mafter,

Well feen in mufick, to inftruct Bianca;
That so I may by this device, at least,
Have leave and leisure to make love to her;
And, unfufpected, court her by her self.

'Enter Gremio, and Lucentio difguis'd.

Gru. Here's no knavery! fee, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together. Mafter, look about you: who goes there? ha.

Hor. Peace, Grumio, 'tis the Rival of my love.
Petruchio, ftand by a while.

Gru. A proper Stripling, and an amorous.
Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note.
Hark you, Sir, I'll have them very fairly bound,
All books of love; fee That, at any hand;
And fee, you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me - Over and befide

Signior Baptifta's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largefs. Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;

For she is sweeter than perfume it felf,

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, ftand you fo affured ;
As firmly, as your felf were still in place;
Yea, and, perhaps, with more fuccessful words
Than you, unless you were a fcholar, Sir.

Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is!
Gru. Oh this woodcock, what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, Sirrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum! God fave you, Signior Gremio. Gre. And you are well met, Signior Hortenfio. Trow you, whither I am going? to Baptifta Minola; I promis'd to enquire carefully about a school-mafter for the 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.

Q5

Hor.

Hor. 'Tis well; and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine mufician to inftruct our mistress;
So fhall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, fo belov'd of me.
Gre. Belov'd of me,-and that my
Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

deeds fhall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love.
Listen to me; and, if you fpeak 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 wooe curft 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, fhe is an irksome brawling Scold;
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayeft me fo, friend? what Countryman ?
Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's Son;

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 stomach, to't, o' God's name: You fhall have me affifting you in all.

But will you woce this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he wooe 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 battel heard

Loud larums, neighing fteeds, and trumpets clangue ?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,

That gives not half fo great a blow to hear,

As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire?

Tub,

Tafh, 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 ours.
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; what have you to do?: Pet. Not her that chides, Sir, at any hand, I pray Tra. I love no chiders, Sir: Biondello, let's away. Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

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 reafon, I beseech you?

Gre. For this reason, if you'll know :
That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That fhe'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 she is,
She may more fuitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's Daughter had a thousand wooers;

Then

Then well One more may fair Bianca have,
And fo fhe fhall. Lucentio fhall make one,
Tho' Paris came, in hope to fpeed 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 fee 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 modefty.

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 hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of fuitors,
And will not promife her to any man,
Until the eldest Sifter firft 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 amongst the reft;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger free
For our accefs; whofe hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo gracelefs be, to be ingrate.

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

And fince you do profefs to be a fuitor,

You muft, as we do, gratifie this Gentleman,

To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. (8) Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,

(8) Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,

Pleafe you, we may contrive this Afternoon,]

Please

What were they to contrive? Or how is it any Teftimony of Tranio's confenting to be liberal, that he will join in contriving with them? In short, a foolish Corruption poffeffes the Place, that quite ftrips the Poet of his intended Humour. Tranio is but a fuppos'd Gentleman: His Habit is all the Gentility he has about him: and the Poet, I am perfuaded, meant that

the

Please ye, we may convive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses 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 CT II.

SCENE, Baptifta's Houfe in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

BIANCA.

OOD Sifter, wrong me not, nor wrong your felf,

Go

To make a bond-maid and a flave of me; That I difdain; (9) but for these other Gawds, Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off my felf;

the Servingman's Qualities should break out upon him; and that his Mind fhould rather run on good Cheer than Contrivances. The Word is regularly deriv'd from Convivium and convivor of the Latines.

(9) But for thefe other Goods,] This is so trifling and unexpreffive a Word, that, I am satisfied our Author wrote, Gawds, (i. c. Toys, trifling Ornaments ;) a Term that he free quently uses and seems fond of,

Yea,