I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands,

Cath. If that be jeft, then all the rest was fo.

Enter Baptifta..

[Strikes ber.

Bap. Why, how now, dame, whence grows this
infolence?

Bianca, ftand afide; poor girl, fhe weeps;
Go ply thy needle, meddle not with her.
For frame, thou hilding' of a devilish fpirit,
Why dost thou wrong her, that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did fhe cross thee with a bitter word?

Cath. Her filence flouts me; and I'll be reveng'd.

[Flies after Bianca. Bap. What, in my fight ?-Bianca, get thee in. [Exit Bianca. Cath. Will you not fuffer me? nay, now I fee, She is your treasure; she must have a husband ; I muft dance bare-foot on her wedding-day, And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell: Talk not to me, I will go fit and weep,

'Till I can find occafion of revenge.

[Exit Cath.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd, as I? But who comes here?

SCENE II.

Enter Gremio, Lucentio in the habit of a mean man; Petruchio with Hortenfio, like a musician; Tranio and Biondello bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptifta.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio: God fave you, Gentlemen.

7

bilding-] The word bilding, or hinderling, is a low wretch; it is applied to Ca

tharine for the coarfenefs of her behaviour.

Pet.

Pet. And you, good Sir; pray, have you not a daughter call'd Catharina, fair and virtuous? Bap. I have a daughter, Sir, call'd Catharina. Gre. You are too blunt; go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, Signior Gremio, give me leave. I am a gentleman of Verona, Sir,

That, hearing of her beauty and her wit,
Her affability and bashful modefty,

Her wondrous qualities and mild behaviour,
Am bold to fhew myfelf a forward guest
Within your houfe, to make mine eye the witness
Of that Report, which I fo oft have heard,
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

[Prefenting Hortenfio.

I do prefent you with a man of mine,
Cunning in mufick, and the mathematicks,
To inftruct her fully in thofe sciences,
Whereof, I know, fhe is not ignorant :
Accept of him, or elfe you do me wrong,
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, Sir, and he for your good fake.
But for my daughter Catharina, this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more's my grief.
Pet. I fee you do not mean to part with her;

Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Miftake me not, I fpeak but what I find. Whence are you, Sir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name, Antonio's fon,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his fake. Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, let us, that are poor petitioners, fpeak too. Baccalare! you are marvellous forward.

Baccare, you are marvellous forward.] We must riad, Baccalare; by which the Italians mean, thon arrogant, prefum

tuous man! the word is ufed fcornfully, upon any one that would affume a port of grandeur. WARBURTON.

D 2

Pet.

Pet. Oh, pardon me, Signior Gremio, I would fain be doing.

9

Gre. I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your

wooing.

Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am fure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, free leave give to this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Reims, Prefenting Lucentio.] as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in mufick and mathematicks; his name is Cambio; pray, accept his fervice.

Bap. A thousand thanks, Signior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio. But, gentle Sir, methinks, you walk like a ftranger; [To Tranio] may I be fo 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 fuitor to your daughter,

Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous:

Nor is your firm refolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest fifter,
This liberty is all that I request;

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,
I may have welcome 'mongst the reft that wooe,
And free accefs and favour as the reft,
And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a fimple Inftrument,

And this fmall packet of Greek and Latin books.
If you accept them, then their worth is great.

9 I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing neighbours. This is a gift.] This nonfenfe may be rectified by only pointing

[They greet privately.

it thus, I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift, &c. addreffing himfelf to Baptifta.

WARBURTON.

Bap.

?

Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence, I pray
Tra. Of Pisa, Sir, fon to Vincentio.
Bap. A mighty man of Pifa; by Report
I know him well; you are very welcome, Sir,
Take You the lute, and You the Set of books,
[To Hortenfio and Lucentio.

You fhall go fee your pupils presently.
Holla, within!-

Enter a Servant.

Sirrah, lead these gentlemen

To my two daughters; and then tell them Both,
These are their tutors, bid them ufe them well.

[Exit. Serv. with Hortenfio and Lucentio. We will go walk a little in the orchard,

And then to dinner. You are paffing welcome,
And fo, I pray you all, to think yourfelves.

Pet. Signior Baptifta, my bufinels afketh hafte,
And every day I cannot come to wooe.
You knew my father well, and in him me,
Left folely heir to all his lands and goods,
Which I have better'd, rather than decreas'd;
Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love,
What dowry fhall I have with her to wife?
Bap. After my death, the one half of my lands:
And, in poffeffion, twenty thoufand crowns.
Pet. And, for that dowry, I'll affure her of
Her widowhood, be it that fhe furvive me,
In all my lands and leafes whatsoever;
Let fpecialties be therefore drawn between us,
That covenants may be kept on either hand.

Bap. Ay, when the fpecial thing is well obtain'd, That is, her love; for that is all in all.

Pet. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father, I am as peremptory as fhe proud-minded. And where two raging fires meet together,

They do confume the thing that feeds their fury:

D 3

Tho'

Tho' little fire grows great with little wind,
Yet extream gufts will blow out fire and all:
So I to her, and fo fhe yields to me,

For I am rough, and wooe not like a babe.

Bap. Well may'ft thou wooe, and happy be thy speed!

But be thou arm'd for fome unhappy words.

Pet. Ay, to the proof, as mountains are for winds, That shake not, tho' they blow perpetually.

Enter Hortenfio with his head broke.

Bap. How now, my friend, why doft thou look fo pale ?

Hor. For fear, I promife you, if I look pale. Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good mufician?

Hor. I think, fhe'll fooner prove a foldier; Iron may hold with her, but never lutes.

Bap. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute? Hor. Why, no; for fhe hath broke the lute to me. I did but tell her fhe miftook her frets,

And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering,
When, with a most impatient devilish fpirit,
Frets call you them? quoth fhe: I'll fume with them.
And with that word fhe ftruck me on the head,
And through the inftrument my Pate made way,
And there I ftood amazed for a while,

As on a pillory, looking through the lute:
While fhe did call me rafcal, fidler,

And twangling Jack, with twenty fuch vile terms,
As fhe had ftudied to mifufe me fo.

Pet. Now, by the world, it is a lufty wench;

I love her ten times more than e'er I did;
Oh, how I long to have fome chat with her!

Bap. Well, go with me, and be not fo difcomfited,
Proceed in Practice with my younger daughter,
She's apt to learn, and thankful for good turns;

Signior