Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:
My books and instruments shall be my company,
On them to look and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak.

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 Baptista, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue? Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolved:

Go in, Bianca:

90

[Exit Bianca.

And for I know she taketh most delight
In music, instruments and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house,
Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio,
Or Signior Gremio, you, know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal

100

[Exit.

To mine own children in good bringing-up: And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay; For I have more to commune with Bianca. Kath. Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What, shall 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 so good, here's none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out: our cake's dough on both sides. Farewell: yet, for the 110 love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any

means light on a fit man to teach her that
wherein she delights, I will wish him to her
father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word, I pray.
Though the nature of our quarrel yet never
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 120 specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.
Gre. A husband! a devil.

Hor. I say, a husband.

Gre. I say, a devil. Thinkest
devil. Thinkest thou, Hortensio,
though her father be very rich, any man is so
very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience
and mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, 130
there be good fellows in the world, an a man
could light on them, would take her with all
faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipped at the highcross every morning.

Hor. Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten apples. But come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained till by helping Baptista's eldest daughter 140 to a husband we set his youngest free for a husband, and then have to 't afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that

runs fastest gets the ring.
Signior Gremio?

How say you,

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing that would thoroughly woo her, wed her and bed her and rid the house of her! Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortensio.

Tra. I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible

150

That love should of a sudden take such hold!

Luc. O Tranio, till I found it to be true,

I never thought it possible or likely;
But see, while idly I stood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainness do confess to thee,
That art to me as secret and as dear
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was,
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl.
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;
Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.
Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now;

Affection is not rated from the heart:

If love have touch'd you, nought remains but so, 'Redime te captum quam queas minimo.' Luc. Gramercies, lad, go forward; this contents:

The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound. Tra. Master, you look'd so longly on the maid,

160

Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all. 170 Luc. O yes, I saw sweet 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 kiss'd the Cretan strond.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not how her sister
Began to scold and raise up such a storm
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move

And with her breath she did perfume the air:
Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.

Tra. Nay, then, 'tis time to stir him from his trance.
I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it
stands:

Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd

That till the father rid his hands of her, Master, your love must live a maid at home; And therefore has he closely mew'd her up, Because she will not be annoy'd with suitors. Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!

180

190

But art thou not advised, he took some care To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her? Tra. Ay, marry, am I, sir; and now 'tis plotted. Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra.

Master, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one. Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra.

Luc.

You will be schoolmaster

And undertake the teaching of the maid:
That's your device.

It is may it be done?

Tra. Not possible; for who shall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's son;

Keep house and ply his book, welcome his

friends,

Visit his countrymen and banquet them? Luc. Basta; content thee, for I have it full.

200

We have not yet been seen in any house,
Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces
For man or master; then it follows thus;
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house and port and servants, as I should:
I will some other be; some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
'Tis hatch'd and shall be so: Tranio, at once
Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.
Tra. So had you need.

In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is,

And I am tied to be obedient,

For so your father charged me at our parting;
'Be serviceable to my son,' quoth he,
Although I think 'twas in another sense;
I am content to be Lucentio,

Because so well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves:
And let me be a slave to achieve that maid

210

220

Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.
Here comes the rogue.

Enter Biondello.

Sirrah, where have you been?

Bion. Where have I been! Nay, how now! where

are you? Master, has my fellow Tranio stolen
your clothes?
Or you stolen his? or both?

pray, what's the news?

Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jest,

And therefore frame your manners to the time.

230