Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call mehusband?

My men should call me-lord; I am your good

man.

Page. My husband and my lord, my lord and busband;

I am your wife in all obedience.

Sly. I know it well :-What must I call her ?
Lord. Madam.

Sly. Al'ce madam, or Joan madan ?
Lord. Madam, and nothing else; so lords call
ladies.

Sly. Madam wife, they say that I have dream 'd,
and slept

Above some fifteen year and more.

Page. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me; Being all this time abandon'd from your bed. Sly. 'Tis much; -Servants leave me and

her alone.

Madam, undress you, and come now to bed.
Page. Thrice noble lord, let me entreat
you,

To pardon me yet for a night or two;
Or, if not so, until the sun be set:
For your physicians have expressly charg'd,
In peril to incur your former malady,
That I should yet absent me from your bed:
I hope, this reason stands for my excuse.

Tell me thy mind: for have Pisa left,
And am to Padua come; as he that leaves
A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deep,
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.

Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine,
I am in all affected as yourself;
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 checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd:
Talk 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 ;— of In brief, Sir, study what you most affect.

Sly. Ay, it stands so, that I may hardly tarry so long. But I would be loath to fall into my dreams again; I will therefore tarry in despite of the flesh and the blood.

Enter a SERVANT.

Serv. Your honour's players, hearing your For how I firmly am resolv'd you know ;

amendment,

Are come to play a pleasant comedy,

For so your doctors hold it very meet;

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder:
If either of you both love Katharina,

Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your Because I know you well, and love you well,

blood,

And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy,
Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play,
And frame your mind to mirth and merriment,
Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens
life.

Sly. Marry, I will; let them play it: Is not a commonty, a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick?

Page. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing
stuff.

Sly. What, household stuff?
Page. It is a kind of history.

Sly. Well, we'll see't: Come, madam wife,
sit by my side, and let the world slip; we shall
ne'er be younger.
[They sit down.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Padua.-A public Place.

Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO.

Leave shall you have to court her at your plea

Gre. And me too, good Lord!
Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pas-
time toward;

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

Tra. Well said, master: mum! and gaze your
fill.

Luc. Tranio, since-for the great desire I had Peace, Tranio.
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,-
I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy;

And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd
With his good will, and thy good company,
Most trusty servant, well approv'd in all;
Here let us breathe, and happily institute
A course of learning, and ingenious + studies.
Pisa, renowned for grave citizens,
Gave me my being, and my father first,
A merchant of great traffic through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio his son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore Tranio, for the time I study,
Virtue, and that part of philosophy
Will I apply, that treats of happiness
By virtue 'specially to be achiev❜d.

• For comedy.

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

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 instrument shall be my company;
On them to look, and practise by myself.
Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva
speak.
[Aside.
Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange !
Sorry am I. that our good will effects
Bianca's grief.

Small piece of water.

Harsh rules.

+ Ingenuous.

A bait or decoy.

Gre. Why, will you mew her up,
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue ?
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd :-
Go in, Bianca.
[Exit BIANCA.
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 signior Gremio, you,-know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning
I will be very kind, and liberal

men

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?
[belike,
What, shall I be appointed hours; as though,
I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha!
[Exit.
Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your
gifts 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, signior Gremio: But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brook'd 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 labour and effect one thing 'specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, Sir, to get a husband for her sister.

Gre. A busband a devil.

Hor. I say, a husband.

Gre. I say, a devil: Think'st thou, Hortensio, 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, signior 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 [Exeunt GREMIO and HORTENSIO. Tra. [Advancing.] I pray, Sir, tell me,-Is it possible

on.

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.

Tra. Maaster, it is no time to chide you now; Affection is not rated from the heart : [80,If love have touch'd you, nought remains but Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward: this contents;

The rest will comfort, for my counsel's sound.
Tra. Master, you look'd so longly on the
maid,

Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
Luc. O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face,
Such as the daughtert of Agenor had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her
hand,

When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan strand.
Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not how
her sister
Began to scold; and raise up such a storm,
That mortal ears might bardly 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. Thus it
stands:-

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

Luc. Ah! Tranio, what a cruel father's be!
But art thou not advis'd, 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.
Luc. Tell me thine first.

Trą. You will be schoolmaster,
And undertake the teaching of the maid;
That's your device.

Luc. It is: May it be done?

Tra. Not possible; For who shall bear your And be in Padua here Vincentio's son? [part, Keep house, and ply his book; welcome his friends;

Visit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Basta ; content thee; for I have it full
We have not yet been seen in any house;
Nor can we be distinguished by our faces,
For man or master: Then it follows thus ;-
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house, and port, and servants, as I
should;
I will some other be; some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or mean man of Pisa.
'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so :-Tranio, at once
Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.
Tra. So had you need.

[They exchange habits.
In brief then, Sir, sith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient;
(For so your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be serviceable to my son, quoth he,
Although, I think, 'twas in another sense,)

I am content to be Lucentio,

Because so well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves : And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded

Bion. Where have I been? Nay, how now, Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, what he 'leges in where are you? [clothes? Latin.-If this be not a lawful cause for me to Master, has my fellow Tranio stolen your leave his service,-Look you, Sir,-he bid me Or you stolen his? or both? pray, what's the knock him, and rap him soundly, Sir: Well, news? was it fit for a servant to use bis master so; being, perhaps, (for aught I see,) two and thirty, -a pip out?

Luc. Sirrah, come hither; 'tis no time to jest,
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,
And I for my escape have put on his;
For in a quarrel, since I came ashore,

I kill'd a man, and fear I was descried :*
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,
While I make way from hence to save my life:
You understand me.

Bion. I, Sir, ne'er a whit.

Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth;|| Tranio is chang'd into Lucentio.

Bion. The better for him; Would I were so too!

Tra. So would I, faith, boy, to have the next wish after,[daughter, That Lucentio indeed had Baptista's youngest But sirrah,-not for my sake, but your master's, -I advise

You use your manners discreetly in all kind of
companies:

When I am alone, why, then I am Tranio;
But in all places else, your master Lucentio.
Luc. Tranio, let's go :-

One thing more rests, that thyself execute ;-
To make one among these wooers: if thou ask
me why,-

Sufficeth, my reasons are both good and weighty. [Exeunt. 1 Serv. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the play.

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

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work,
madam lady; 'Would 'twere 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.

is

Gru. Knock, Sir! whom should I knock?
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. Gru. Help, masters, help my master is mad.

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,-Širrah, 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

And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife 1
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 burden of my wooing dance,)
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love, t
As old as Sybil, and as curst and shrewd
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 Adriatic seas:

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua ;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

Gru. Nay, look you, Sir, he tells you flat.y 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.

Pet. Now, knock when I bid you: sirrah!! can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife 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.

• Observed.

With wealth enough, and young, and beaute

Whom thou lov'st best; see 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 liest; Is't not Hortensio ?
Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear,
plead for you myself, but you shall have
him.

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 signior Hor-I'll
tensio.

Tra. Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right, hear me with patience.
Baptista is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown:
And, were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca bave :
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. Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

Hor. Sir, let me be so old as to ask you, Did you yet ever see Baptis. a'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.
Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Her-
cules;

And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.
Pet. Sir, understand you this of me,

sooth ;

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 elder sister first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, Sir, then you are the man.
Must stead us all, and me among the rest;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
Achieve the elder, set the younger free

in

For our access,-whose hap shall be to have her,
Will not so graceless be, to be ingrate. *

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do con

ceive;

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
Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;
And so as adversaries do in law,-
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
Gre. Bion. O excellent motion! Fellows, +
let's begone.

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it

АСТ II.

[Exeunt.

Kath. O 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 jest; 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 so.
[Strikes her.

Enter BAPTISTA.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows
this insolence ?--

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 silence fronts me, and I'll be re-
veng'd.
[Flies after BIANCA.

Bup. 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;
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 sit and weep,
Till I can find occasion of revenge.

[Erit KATHARINA. Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as !! But who comes here ?

Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in the habit
of a mean man; PETRUCHIO, with Hon-
TENSIO as a Musician; and (TRAN10, with
BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books.
Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista.
Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God
save you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good Sir! Pray, have you not
a daughter

Call'd Katharina, fair and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, Sir, call'd Katha-
rina.

Gre. You are too blunt, go to it orderly.
Pet. You wrong me, signior Gremio; give me
leave.-

I am a gentleman of Verona, Sir,
That, hearing of her beauty, and her wit,
Her affability, and bashful modesty,
Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,-
Am bold to shew myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the wit-

ness

Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,

[Presenting HORTENSIO. Cunning in music, and the mathematics,

SCENE I.-The same.-A Room in BAPTISTA'S To instruct her fully in those sciences,

House.

Whereof, I know, she is not ignorant :
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong;
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, Sir; and he, for your
good sake:

But for my daughter Katharine,-this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more my grief.
Pet. I see you do not mean to part with her;
Or else you like not of my company.