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 shall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me, and that my deeds shall prove.

Gru. And that his bags shall 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 met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curst Katharine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So faid, so done, is well :-
Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults?
Pet. I know, she is an irksome brawling scold;
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

[Afide.

Gre. No, say'st me so, friend? What countryman? Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon : My father dead, my fortune lives for me; And I do hope good days, and long, to fee.

Gre. Oh, fir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange:

But, if you have a stomach, to't o'God's name;

You shall have me assisting you in all,

But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her? ay, I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?

Think, you a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the sea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat?

Have I not heard great ordinance in the field,

[Afide.

And

And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard

Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets clang?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue;

That gives not half so great a blow to the ear,

As will a chesnut 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, whatsoe'er.

[Afide.

Gre. And so we will; provided, that he win her.

Gru. I would, I were as fure of a good dinner. [Afide.

To them Tranio bravely apparell'd, and Biondello.

Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold,

Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way

To the house of fignior Baptista Minola ?

Gre. He that has the two fair daughters? is't he you

mean?

Tra. Even he.

Gre. Hark you, fir; You mean not her to

Tra. Perhaps, him and her, fir; What have you to do?

Pet. Not her that chides, fir, at any hand, I pray.

Tra, I love no chiders, fir: Biondello, let's away.

Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

Hor. Sir, a word ere you go ;

[Afide.

Are you a fuitor to the maid you talk of, yea, or no?

Tra. An if I be, fir, is it any offence?

* fear boys with bugs.]-terrify boys with bug-bears.

"For Warwick was a bug that fear'd us all."

HENRY VI, Part 3, Act V, S. 2. K. Edw.

Gre.

Gre. No; if, without more words, you will get you

hence.

Tra. Why, fir, I pray, are not the streets as free

For me, as for you ?

Gre. But so is not she.

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?

Gre. For this reason, if you'll know,

That she's the choice love of signior Gremio.

Hor. That she's the chosen of fignior 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 so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came, in hope to speed 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 so bold as to ask you,

Did you yet ever fee Baptista's daughter?

Tra. No, fir; but hear I do, that he hath two:

The one as famous for a fcolding tongue,
As the other is for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, fir, the first'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, insooth ;The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for, Her father keeps from all access of suitors;

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 so, fir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me amongst the reft;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
Atchieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access, whose hap shall be to have her,

Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do conceive :

And fince you do profess to be a fuitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof,

m

Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;
And do as adversaries do in law, -

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gre. O excellent motion! Fellows, let's begone. Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it fo;Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Baptista's House in Padua.

Enter Katharina and Bianca.

Bian. Good fifter, wrong me not, nor wrong, yourself, To make a bondmaid and a flave of me; That I disdain: but for these other gawds,

contrive]-spend it together in forming our schemes onvive, feat,

י

יו

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.

Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best: fee thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.
Kath. Minion, thou ly'st; Is't not Hortensio?
Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Kath. Oh then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so ?
Nay, then you jeft; and now I well perceive,
You have but jested with me all this while:
I pr'ythee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was fo.

Enter Baptista.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this info

lence?

Bianca, stand aside ;-poor girl! she weeps :-
Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.-
For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?

Kath. Her filence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.
[Flies after Bianca.

fair.]-in finery.

• thou bilding of a devilish spirit,]-thou vilest of termagants, thou most outrageous vixen.

Pflouts]-infults.

Bap.