Gru. Catharine the curft?

A title for a maid of all titles the worst!

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 inftru&t Bianca;
That fo I may by this device, at least,
Have leave and leifure to make love to her;
And, unfufpected, court her by herself.

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; see 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 fhe is sweeter than perfume itself,

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 so affured;
As firmly as yourself were. ftill 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. O this woodcock, what an afs
Pet. Peace, Sirrah.

!

Hor.

Hor. Grumio, mum! God fave you. Signior Gremio. Gre. And you are wellmet, Signior Hortenfio. Trow you, whither I am going? to Baptifta Minola; I promis'd to enquire carefully about a school-master 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 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 deeds fhall prove.
Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love.
Listen to me; and, if you speak me fair,
I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a Gentleman whom by chance I mer,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curit 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 irkfome 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 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 must have me affifting you in all.

But will you wooe 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

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 fwear?
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 steeds, 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?

Tush, tush, 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 whatfoe'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 readieft way to the house 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 phrase could never

come from Shakespeare, He wrote, without queftion,

-fo 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 she.

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 he's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my masters; 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 ask you,
Did you yet ever see 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 Alcids' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, infooth: The youngest Daughter, whom you hearken for, Her father keeps from all access of suitors,

And

And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest Sister first 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 graceless be, to be ingrate.

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

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack, in fign whereof,
Please ye, we may conitrve this afternoon †,
And quaff caroufes to our Miftreis' 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, fpeak bere. 1 Man. My Lord, you rod; 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 Please ye, we may contrive this afternoon,] Mr Theobald afks what they were to contrive? and then fays, a fool 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 projec, but to spend and wear out. As in this pailage of Sperfer,

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