Bap. What, in my fight ;-Bianca, get thee in.

[Exit Bianca. Kath. Will you not fuffer me? Nay, now I fee, She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must 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.

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

[Exit Kath.

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 Baptista.

Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God fave gentlemen!

you,

Pet. And you, good fir! Pray, have you not a daughter Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, fir, call'd Katharina.

Gre. You are too blunt; go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, fignior 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 myself a forward guest Within your house, to make mine eye the witness Of that report which I so oft have heard. And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

[Prefenting Hortenfio.

I do prefent you with a man of mine,

ries before her.

dance bare-foot-the fate of an elder fifter, whofe younger marlead apes in hell.]-die an old maid.

Cunning

Cunning in mufick, and the mathematicks,
To inftruct her fully in thofe fciences,
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, fir; and he, for your good fake: But for my daughter Katharine,—this I know,

She is not for your turn, the more my grief.

Pet. I fee, you do not mean to part with her; Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not, I speak but as I find. Whence are you, fir? what may I call

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:

* Baccare! you are marvellous forward.

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

Gre. I doubt it not, fir; but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am fure of it. To exprefs the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Rheims; [Presenting 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, fignior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio.-But, gentle fir, methinks, you walk like a ftranger; [To Tranio.] May I be fo bold to know the caufe of your coming?

* Baccare !]-Hold, ftand back!

your name?

t

free leave give to.

Tra.

Tra. Pardon me, fir, 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 eldeft fifter:
This liberty is all that I request,—

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I may have welcome 'mongst the reft that woo,
And free accefs and favour as the rest.

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here beftow a fimple inftrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books:

If you accept them, then their worth is great.

Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence, I pray?
Tra. Of Pifa, fir; fon to Vincentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pifa; by report,

I knew him well: you are very welcome, fir.-
Take you the lute, and you the fet of books,

[To Hortenfio and Lucentio.

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

Enter a Servant.

Sirrah, lead

These gentlemen to my daughters; and tell them both, These are their tutors; bid them use them well.

[Exit Servant 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 yourselves.

Pet. Signior Baptifta, my business asketh hafte, "And every day I cannot come to woo.

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 thousand 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:

x

Let fpecialties be therefore drawn between us,

That covenants may be kept on either hand.

Bap. Ay, when the fpecial thing is well obtained,

This is, her love; for that is all in all.

you, father,

Pet. Why, that is nothing; for I tell
I am as preremptory as fhe proud-minded;
And where two raging fires meet together,
They do confume the thing that feeds their fury :
Though 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 woo not like a babe.

Bap. Well may'st thou woo, 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, though they blow perpetually.

Re-enter Hortenfio, with his head broke.

Bap. How now, my friend? why doft thou look fo pale? Hor. For fear, I promise 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.

Her widowhood,]-A jointure.

* Specialties]-articles.

Bap.

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

And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering;
When, with a most impatient devilish spirit,

Frets, call you thefe? 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,―rascal-fidler,
And-twangling-Jack; with twenty fuch vile terms,
As fhe had ftudied to misuse 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 so discomfited:
Proceed in practice with my younger daughter;
She's apt to learn, and thankful for good turns.-
Signior Petruchio, will you go with us;
Or fhall I fend my daughter Kate to you?
Pet. I pray you do; I will attend her here,

[Exit Baptifta with Gremio, Hortenfio, and Tranio.
And woo her with some spirit when she comes.
Say, that she rail; why then I'll tell her plain,
She fings as fweetly as a nightingale :

Say, that she frown; I'll fay, she looks as clear
As morning roses newly wath'd with dew:
Say, fhe be mute, and will not speak a word;
Then I'll commend her volubility,
And fay-fhe uttereth piercing eloquence:
If the do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,
As though the bid me stay by her a week,
If the deny to wed, I'll crave the day

X 2

When