Hath promis'd me to help me to another, Gre. Belov'd of me, prove. and that my deeds shall Gru. And that his bags shall prove. [Aside. 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. Pet. I know, she is an irksome brawling scold; If that be all, masters, I hear no harm. Gre. No, say'st me so, friend? What countryman? Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's son : My father dead, my fortune lives for me; And I do hope good days, and long, to see. Gre. O, sir, 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, or I'll hang her. [Aside. 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 ordnance in the field, 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. Gre. Hortensio, hark! This gentleman is happily arriv'd, For he fears none. [Aside. My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours. [Aside. Enter 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 Signior Baptista Minola? +Gre. He that has the two fair daughters: — is't [aside to TRANIO] he you mean? Tra. Even he. Biondello ! Gre. Hark you, sir; You mean not her to Tra. Perhaps, him and her, sir; What have you to do? Pet. Not her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray. Tra. I love no chiders, sir:- Biondello, let's away. Luc. Well begun, Tranio. [Aside. Hor. Sir, a word ere you go; Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea, or no? Tra. An if I be, sir, is it any offence? 5 Gre. No; if, without more words, you will get you hence. with bugs.] i. e. with bug bears. † Mr. Malone gives this speech to Biondello. Tra. Why, sir, 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, - To whom my father is not all unknown; Gre. What! this gentleman will out-talk us all. Luc. Sir, give him head; I know, he'll prove a jade. Pet. Hortensio, to what end are all these words? Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as to ask you, Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter? Tra. No, sir; but hear I do, that he hath two; The one as famous for a scolding tongue, As is the other for beauteous modesty. Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by. Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, insooth;- Tra. If it be So, sir, that you are the man VOL. III. For our access, whose hap shall be to have her, Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do conceive ; And since you do profess to be a suitor, You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman, To whom we all rest generally beholden. Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof, Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends. Gru. Bion. O excellent motion! Fellows, let's be gone. 8 Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so;Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto. ACT II. Exeunt. SCENE I. The same. A Room in Baptista's House. Enter KATHARINA and BIANCA. Bian. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong your self, To make a bondmaid and a slave of me: That I disdain; but for these other gawds, 6 Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,] Contrive does not signify here to project, but to spend and wear out; probably from contero. 7 —————— as adversaries do in law,] By adversaries in law, I believe, our author means not suitors, but barristers, who, however warm in their opposition to each other in the courts of law, live in greater harmony and friendship in private, than perhaps those of any other of the liberal professions. Their clients seldom "eat and drink with their adversaries as friends." MALONE. - Fellows, let's begone.] Fellows means fellow-servants. Grumio and Biondello address each other, and also the disguised Lucentio. MALONE. Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat; Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell Which I could fancy more than any other. Kath. Minion, thou liest; Is't not Hortensio ? Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so? Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so. Enter BAPTISTA. [Strikes her. Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence? Bianca stand aside; -poor girl! she weeps: - 9 For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit, Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee? Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I'll be reveng❜d. Bap. What, in my sight? — Bianca, get thee in. [Exit BIANCA. Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see, She is your treasure, she must have a husband; 9 ·hilding-] The word hilding or hindeling, is a low wretch: it is applied to Katharine for the coarseness of her behaviour. JOHNSON. |