1 Serv. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the

play.

Sly. Yes, by saint Anne, do I. A good matter, surely; Comes there any more of it? Page. My lord, 'tis but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady; 'Would't were done!

SCENE II.

The same. Before Hortensio's House.

Enter PETRUCHIO and GRUMIO.

Pet. Verona, for a while I take my leave,
To see my friends in Padua; but, of all,
My best beloved and approved friend,
Hortensio; and, I trow, this is his house:-
Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say.

Gru. Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is

there any man has rebused your worship?

Pet. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly. Gru. Knock you here, sir? why, sir, what am I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir?

Pet. Villain, I say, knock me at this gate,
And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.
Gru. My master is grown quarrelsome: I should
knock you first,

And then I know after who comes by the worst.
Pet. Will it not be?

'Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll wring it;"
I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

[He wrings GRUMIO by the ears.

the speeches of the Tinker are introduced; though they have been hitherto thrown to the end of the first Act, according to a modern and arbitrary regulation. STEEvens.

9- wring it ;] Here seems to be a quibble between ring

ing at a door, and wringing a man's ears.

STEEVENS.

Gru. Help, masters, help! my master is mad. Pet. Now, knock when I bid you: sirrah! villain!

Enter HORTENSIO.

Hor. How now? what's the matter?-My old friend Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio!— How do you all at Verona ?

Pet. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?

Con tutto il core bene trovato, may I say.
Hor. Alla nostra casa bene venuto,
Molto honorato signor mio Petruchio.

Rise, Grumio, rise; we will compound this quarrel.
Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, what he 'leges in
Latin.'-If this be not a lawful cause for me to
leave his service.-Look you, sir,-he bid me knock
him, and rap him soundly, sir: Well, was it fit for
a servant to use his master so; being, perhaps, (for
aught I see,) two and thirty,-a pip out?
Whom, 'would to God, I had well knock'd at first,
Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Pet. A senseless villain!-Good Hortensio,
I bade the rascal knock upon your gate,
And could not get him for my heart to do it.
Gru. Knock at the gate?-O heavens!

Spake you not these words plain,-Sirrah, knock me here,

Rap me here, knock me well, and knock me soundly?* And come you now with-knocking at the gate? Pet. Sirrah, be gone, or talk not, I advise you.

what he 'leges in Latin.] i. e. I suppose, what he alleges in Latin. STEEVENS.

-knock me soundly?] Shakspeare seems to design a ridicule on this clipped and ungrammatical phraseology; which yet he has introduced in Othello :

"I pray talk me of Cassio."

Hor. Petruchio, patience; I am Grumio's pledge: Why, this a heavy chance 'twixt him and you; Your ancient, trusty, pleasant servant Grumio. And tell me now, sweet friend,-what happy gale Blows you to Padua here, from old Verona ?

Pet. Such wind as scatters young men through the world,

To seek their fortunes further than at home,
Where small experience grows. But, in a few,3
Signior Hortensio, thus it stands with me:—
Antonio, my father, is deceas'd;

And I have thrust myself into this maze,
Haply to wive, and thrive, as best I may :
Crowns in my purse I have, and goods at home,
And so am come abroad to see the world.

Hor. Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee,

And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thoud'st thank me but a little for my counsel:
And yet I'll promise thee she shall be rich,
And very rich:-but thou'rt too much my friend,
And I'll not wish thee to her.

Pet. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we,
Few words suffice: and, therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,
(As wealth is burthen of my wooing dance,)*
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,"

As old as Sybil, and as curst and shrewd

3 Where small experience grows. But, in a few,] In a few, means the same as in short, in few words. JOHNSON.

+(As wealth is burthen of my wooing dance,)] The burthen of a dance is an expression which I have never heard; the burthen of his wooing song had been more proper. JoHNSON.

5 Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,] The allusion is to a story told by Gower in the first Book De Confessione Amantis. Florent is the name of a knight who had bound himself to marry a deformed hag, provided she taught him the solution of a riddle on which his life depended.

As Socrates' Xantippe, or a worse,

She moves me not, or not removes, at least,
Affection's edge in me; were she as rough
As are the swelling Adriatick seas:
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua ;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

Gru. Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is: Why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet-baby; or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two and fifty horses: why, nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.

Hor, Petruchio, since we have stepp'd thus far in, I will continue that I broach'd in jest.

I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and young, and beauteous;
Brought up, as best becomes a gentlewoman :
Her only fault (and that is faults enough,)
Is, that she is intolerably curst,

And shrewd," and froward; so beyond all measure,
That, were my state far worser than it is,

I would not wed her for a mine of gold,

Pet. Hortensio, peace; thou know'st not gold's
effect:-

Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough;
For I will board her, though she chide as loud
As thunder, when the clouds in autumn crack.
Hor. Her father is Baptista Minola,
An affable and courteous gentleman:
Her name is Katharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.
Pet. I know her father, though I know not her;

6

aglet-baby ;] i. e. a diminutive being, not exceeding in size the tag of a point. An aglet-baby was a small image or head cut on the tag of a point, or lace.

7 shrewd,] Here means, having the qualities of a shrew The adjective is now used only in the sense of acute, intelligent,

And he knew my deceased father well:-
I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

Gru. I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O' my word, an she knew him as well as I do, she would think scolding would do little good upon him: She may, perhaps, call him half a score knaves, or so why, that's nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks. I'll tell you what, sir,-an she stand him' but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and so disfigure her with it, that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat: You know him not, sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee; For in Baptista's keep my treasure is:

He hath the jewel of my life in hold,

His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca ;

And her withholds from me, and other more
Suitors to her, and rivals in my love:
Supposing it a thing impossible,

(For those defects I have before rehears'd,)
That ever Katharina will be woo'd,
Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en;"

That none shall have access unto Bianca,
Till Katharine the curst have got a husband.
Gru. Katharine the curst!

8an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks.] Ropery or rope-tricks originally signified abusive language, without any determinate idea; such language as parrots are taught to speak. stand him-] i. e. withstand, resist him,

9

1

that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat :] It may mean, that he shall swell up her eyes with blows, till she shall seem to peep with a contracted pupil, like a cat in the light. JOHNSON.

2 Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en ;] To take order is to take measures.