Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather.-She's too rough for me:
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?
Cath. I pray you, Sir, is it your will
To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid, how mean you that? no mates for you: Unless you were of gentler milder mould.

Cath. I'faith, Sir, you shall never need to fear,

I wis, it is not half way to her heart :

But if it were, doubt not, her care shall be

To comb your noddle with a three legg'd ftool,
And paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.
Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us.
Gre. And me too, good Lord.

Tra. Hush, master, here's fome good pastime

toward;

That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful froward.
Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee
Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.
Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Wellfaid, master; mum! and gaze your fill.
Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good
What I have faid, Bianca, get you in ;
And let it not difplease thee, good Bianca;
For I will-love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl.

Safide.

Cath. A pretty peat! it is best put finger in the eye, an she knew why.

in

my

difcontent.

Bian. Sifter, content you
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe:

My books and inftruments fhall be my company,
On them to look, and practife by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may'st hear Minerva speak.

Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange? Sorry am I, that our good will effects,

Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why will you mew her up, Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,

[afide.

And

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am refolv'd:
Go in, Bianca.
[Exit Bianca.

And for I know, she taketh moft delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry;
School-mafters will I keep within my house,
Fit to inftru&t her youth. If you, Hortenfio,
Or fignior Gremio, you, know any fuch,
Prefer them hither: For to cunning men
I will be very kind; and liberal

To mine own children, in good bringing up;
And fo farewel. Catharina, you may stay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.

Cath. Why, and, I truft, I may go too, may Ï not? what, fhall I be appointed hours, as though, belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha! [Exit.

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: Your gifts are fo good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not so great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and faft it fairly out. Our cake's dough on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein the delights, I will with him to her father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: But a word, I pray; though the nature of our quarrel never yet brook'd parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both, that we may yet again have accefs 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 fifter.
Gre. A husband! a devil.

Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I fay, a devil. her father be very rich, married to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio;

Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, though any man is fo very a fool to be

though it pafs your patience and mine to endure her loud alarms, why, man, there be

Q 2

good

good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all her faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whip'd at the high-crofs every morning.

Hor. Faith, as you fay, there's a small choice in rotten apples: But, come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd, 'till by help. ing Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband, we fet 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 fay you, Signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would throughly wooe her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on. [Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio.

Manent Tranio and Lucentio.

Tra. I pray, Sir, tell me, is it poffible
That love fhould on a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. Oh Tranio, 'till I found it to be true,
I never thought it poffible or likely.
But fee, while idly I ftood looking on,
I found th' effect of love in idleness.
And now in plainnefs do confefs to thee,
(That art to me as fecret, and as dear,
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was ;)
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perith, Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modest girl :
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, thou canft ;
Affift me, Tranio, for, I know, thou wilt.

Tra. Mafter, it is no time to chide you now;
Affection is not rated from the heart.

If love hath touch'd you, nought remains but fo,
Redime te captum quàm queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents;
The reft will comfort, for thy counsel's found.
Tra. Maiter, you look'd fo longly on the maid,.
Perhaps, you mark'd not what's the pith of all.

Luc.

Luc. о yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

;

That made great Jove to humble him to their hand,
When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan ftrand.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her fifter Began to cold, and raise up such a storm,

That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath she did perfume the air;
Sacred and fweet was all I faw in her.

Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to ftir him from his trance : I pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wit t'atchieve her. Thus it stands:
Her eldest fifter is so curft and fhrewd,

That till the father rids 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 fuitors.

Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took some care
To get her cunning fchool-maflers t' inftruct her?
Tra. Ay, marry, am I, Sir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. You will be fchool-mafter,

And undertake the teaching of the maid:

That's your device.

Luc. It is May it be done?

Tra. Not poffible: For who fhall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon,

Keep houfe, and ply his book, welcome his friends,
Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Bafta;

content thee; for I have it full.
We have not yet been feen in any house,
Nor can we be diftinguish'd by our faces,
For man or mafter: Then it follows thus.
Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my stead;
Keep houfe, and port, and fervants, as I should..

I will fome other be, fome Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pifa.
"Tis hatch'd, and fhall be fo: Tranio, at once
Uncafe thee: Take my colour'd hat and cloak.
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;
But I will charm him firft to keep his tongue.
Tra. So had you need. [They exchange habits.
In brief, good Sir, fith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient,

(For fo your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be ferviceable to my fon, quoth he,)

Altho', I think, 'twas in another sense;
I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo; because Lucentio loves ;
And let me be a flave t'atchieve that maid,
Whofe fudden fight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Enter Biondello.

Here comes the rogue. Sirrah, where have you been?
Bion. Where have I been? nay, how now, where are
you? mafter, has my fellow Tranio ftoll'n your cloths,
or you ftoll'n his, or both? pray, what's the news?
Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jeft;
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to fave my life,
Puts my apparel and my count'nance on,
And I for my efcape have put on his

For in a quarrel, fince I came ashore,

I kill'd a man, and, fear, I am descry'd;
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes;
While I make way from hence to save my

You understand me?

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

life.

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

Bion. The better for him, would I were fo too.

Tra. So would I, 'faith, boy, to have the next with after; that Lucentio, indeed, had Baptifta's youngest daughter. But, firrah, not for my fake, but your maiter's,