Hor. Grumio, mum! God fave you, Signior Grumio. 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 fchool-mafler 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.

Hor. 'Tis well, and I have met a gentleman, Hath promis'd me to help me to another,

A fine musician to instruct 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 deeds fhall prove.
Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love.
Liften 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 woo 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 fcold;:
If that be all, mafters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayeft me fo, friend? what Countryman ?
Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon ;
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 ftomach, to't, o'God's name; You must have me affifting you in all.

But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo 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

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 fweat?
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 lartims, neighing fteeds, and trumpets clangue?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,
That gives not half fo great a blow to th' ear
As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire ?

Tufh, 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.

SCENE VII.

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.

3 That gives not half fo great a blow to HEAR.] This aukward phrafe could never

come from Shakespeare. He wrote, without queftion,

•So great a blow to TH'EAR. WARBURTON. Tra.

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 streets as free For me, as for you?

Gre But fo is not fhe.

Tra. For what reafon, I befeech you ?
Gre. For this reafon, if you'll know :
That's fhe's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That she'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 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 afk 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 accefs of fuitors,

1

And will not promife her to any man,
Until the eldest Sister firft be wed;
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Must steed us all, and me amongst the rest;
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 graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well you do conceive;
And fince you do profefs to be a fuitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this Gentleman,
To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,
Pleafe ye, we may contrive this afternoon *,
A 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 so,
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!

4 Pleafe je, we may contrive this afternoon,] Mr. Thepbald afks what they were to contrive? and then fays, a foolish corruption poffeffes the place, and fo alters it to convive; in which he is followed, as he pretty conftantly is, when wrong, by the Oxford Editor. But the common reading is right, and the Critic was only ignorant of the

meaning of it. Contrive does not fignify here to project, but to Spend and wear out. As in this paffage of Spenser,

Three ages fuch as mortal men

CONTRIVE,

Fairy Queen, B. xi. ch. 9. WARBURTON. The word is ufed in the fame fenfe of Spending or wearing out, in the Palace of Pleasure.

ACT

ACT II. SCENE I.

G°

Baptifta's House in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

BIANCA.

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

To make a bond-maid and a flave of me;
That I difdain; but for thefe other Gawds,
Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself;
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat,
Or, what you will command me, will I do;
So well I know my duty to my elders.

Cath. Of all thy Suitors here, I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'ft beft: fee, thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, Sifter, of all men alive
I never yet beheld that special face,
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Cath. Minion, thou lieft; is't not Hortenfio?
Bian. If you affect him, fifter, here I swear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you fhall have him.
Cath. Oh, then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio, to keep you fair".

Bian. Is it for him you do fo envy me?

Nay, then you jeft; and now, I well perceive,
You have but jefted with me all this while