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Glad that you thus continue your resolve,
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy.
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no stoics, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or so devote to Aristotle's ethics,'

As Ovid be an outcast quite abjured:

2

Balke logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk:
Music and poesy use to quicken you;

The mathematics, and the metaphysics,

Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you;
No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en.-

In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,

We could at once put us in readiness;
And take a lodging fit to entertain

Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay awhile; What company is this?

Tra. Master, some show, to welcome us to town.

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and
HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand aside.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no further,
For how I firmly am resolved you know;
That is not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder.

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather; she's too rough for me.-
There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

1 The old copy reads Aristotle's checks. Blackstone suggests that we should read ethics, and the sense seems to require it; it is therefore admitted into the text.

2 The modern editions read, "Talk logic, &c. The old copy reads Balke, which Mr. Boswell suggests may be right, although the meaning of the word is now lost.

Kath. I pray you, sir, [To BAP.] is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates

for you,

Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

Kath. I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear;
I wis,' it is not half way to her heart:

But if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legged stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord deliver us!
Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime toward;

That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward.
Luc. But in the other's silence I do see

Maid's mild behavior and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill. Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good What I have said,-Bianca, get you in:

And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.
Kath. A pretty peat! 'tis best

2

Put finger in the eye,—an she knew why.

Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent.—

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 mayst hear Minerva

speak.

[Aside. Hor. Seignior Baptista, will you be so strange? Sorry am I that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre.

Why, will you mew her up, Seignior 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.

[Exit BIANCA.

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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, seignior Gremio, you, know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning2 men
I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing up;
And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca. [Exit.
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 gifts3 are so good, here is 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 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, seignior 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 labor and effect one thing '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.

1 Recommend.

Think'st thou, Hortensio,

2 Cunning had not yet lost its original signification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the translation of the Bible.

3 Endowments.

4 It seems that we should read-Your love. yr. in old writing stood for either their or your. If their love be right, it must mean-the good will of Baptista and Bianca towards us.

5 i. e. I will recommend him.

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, 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 high-cross 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 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. How say you, seignior Gremio?

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. [Advancing.] I pray, sir, tell me,-Is it

sible

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.

pos

1 The allusion is probably to the sport of running at the ring, or some similar game.

VOL. II.

59

Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now; Affection is not rated' from the heart:

If love have touched you, nought remains but so,—
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.2

Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward: this contents; The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.

Tra. Master, you looked so longly' on the maid, Perhaps you marked not what's the pith of all.

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 kissed the Cretan strand.
Tra. Saw you no more? Marked 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.

stands:

Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd,
That, till the father rids his hands of her,
Master, your love must live a maid at home:
And therefore has he closely mewed her up,
Because she shall not be annoyed with suitors.

Thus it

Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
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.

1 Is not driven out by chiding.

2 This line is quoted as it appears in Lilly's Grammar, and not as it is in Terence. See Farmer's Essay on the Learning of Shakspeare.

3 Longingly.

4 Europa.

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