PET. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we

Few words suffice: and, therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petrucio's wife,
(As wealth is burden of my wooing dance,)
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love 10,
As old as Sibyl, 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 flatly what his mind is: Why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet-baby a; or an old trot

with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two-andfifty horses: why, nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.

HOR. Petrucio, since we are stepp'd thus far in,

I will continue that I broach'd in jest.

I can, Petrucio, 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 intolerable 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 't is 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;
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

A

upon him: She may, perhaps, call him half a score knaves, or so: why,

Aglet-baby. Aglet is aiguillette-a point. The baby was a small carving on the point which carried the lace.

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, Petrucio, 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!

A title for a maid of all titles the worst.

HOR. Now shall my friend Petrucio do me grace;
And offer me, disguis'd in sober robes,
To old Baptista as a schoolmaster
Well seen in musice, to instruct Bianca:
That so I may by this device, at least,

Have leave and leisure to make love to her,

And, unsuspected, court her by herself.

Enter GREMIO; with him LUCENTIO disguised, with books under his arm.

GRU. Here's no knavery! See; to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, master, look about you: Who goes there? ha!

HOR. Peace, Grumio; it is the rival of my love :

Petrucio, stand by a while.

GRU. A proper stripling, and an amorous!

GRE. O, very well: I have perus'd the note.

A

Hark you, sir; I'll have them very fairly bound:

All books of love, see that at any hand;

[They retire.

Rope-tricks. Sir T. Hanmer would read rhetoric! In Romeo and Juliet' we have ropery. Steevens cannot understand this: "This animal is remarkable for the keenness of its sight." Johnson thus assists him: "He shall swell up her eyes with blows, till she seem to peep with a contracted pupil, like a cat in the dark." Grumio was not a person to be very correct in his similes. If Shakspere had anywhere made a clown say, "as sick as a horse," we should have been informed that horses, being temperate animals, are not subject to sickness; and yet this simile is daily used by persons of Grumio's character.

. Well seen in music-well versed. Thus, in Spenser, ('Fairy Queen,' b. iv., c. 2,)—

"Well seen in every science that mote be."

And see you read no other lectures to her:

You understand me:-Over and beside

Signior Baptista's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largess:-Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;

For she is sweeter than perfume itself,

To whom they go toa. What will you read to her?
Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you,
As for my patron, (stand you so assur'd,)
As firmly as yourself were still in place :
Yea, and perhaps with more successful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.
GRE. O this learning! what a thing it is!
GRU. O this woodcock! what an ass it is!

PET. Peace, sirrah.

HOR. Grumio, mum !-God save you, signior Gremio!
GRE. And you 're well met, signior Hortensio. Trow you,
Whither I am going?-To Baptista Minola.

I promis'd to inquire carefully

About a schoolmaster for the fair Bianca;
And, by good fortune, I have lighted well
On this young man; for learning, and behaviour,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry

And other books,-good ones, I warrant ye.
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, 't is 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 said, so done, is well :-

Hortensio, 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.

[Aside.

"To whom they go to. We restore the second to. Gifford, in a note on a similar passage in Mas. singer, says " The repetition so sedulously removed was as anxiously sought after by our old writers; and was, indeed, characteristic of their style and manner."

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.

GRU. Will he woo her? ay, or 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 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 heara,

As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs b.

GRU.

GRE. Hortensio, hark!

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

[Aside.

My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours. HOR. I promis'd, we would be contributors,

And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe'er.

GRE. And so we will, provided that he win her.
GRU. I would, I were as sure of a good dinner.

Enter TRANIO, bravely apparelled; and BIONDELLO.
be bold,

TRA. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may

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

To the house of signior Baptista Minola?

BION. He that has the two fair daughters :-is 't he you mean?
TRA. Even he, Biondello.

To hear. So the folio. The ordinary reading (Hanmer's) is to the ear.

[Aside.

Fear boys with bugs-frighten boys with hobgoblins. Douce has given us a curious passage from Mathews' Bible, Psalm xci. 5; "Thou shalt not nede to be afraied for any bugs by night." The English name of the punaise was not applied till late in the seventeenth century, and is evidently metaphorical.

• This line, upon a suggestion of Tyrwhitt, has been usually given to Grumio. It seems quite unnecessary to disturb the original copy.

you, sir; You mean not her to―

s, him and her, sir. What have you to do?

r that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray.

no chiders, sir.-Biondello, let's away. egun, Tranio.

word ere you go;—

suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no? be, sir, is it any offence?

without more words, you will get you hence. ir, I pray, are not the streets as free

as for you?

But so is not she. at reason, I beseech you?

is reason, if you 'll know,

's the choice love of signior Gremio.
he's the chosen of signior Hortensio.
my masters! if you be gentlemen,
is right,-hear me with patience.
is a noble gentleman,

my father is not all unknown;
e his daughter fairer than she is,
more suitors have, and me for one.
a's daughter had a thousand wooers;
l one more may fair Bianca have:
he shall; Lucentio shall make one,
Paris came, in hope to speed alone.
this gentleman will out-talk us all.
ve him head; I know, he 'll prove a jade.
isio, to what end are all these words?
t me be so bold as ask you,
yet ever see Baptista's daughter?
; but hear I do, that he hath two;
as famous for a scolding tongue,
other for beauteous modesty.
', the first 's for me; let her go by.
eave that labour to great Hercules;
t be more than Alcides' twelve.
derstand you this of me, in sooth ;—
gest daughter, whom you hearken for,
er keeps from all access of suitors,
not promise her to any man,
è elder sister first be wed:
ger then is free, and not before.

e so, sir, that you are the man
ad us all, and me amongst the rest;

[Aside.

i.