ACT I.

SCENE I.-Padua. A public Place. Enter LUCENTIO

and TRANIO.

Lucentio.
TRANIO, since--for the great desire I had
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.
Tell me thy mind : for I 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 stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray ;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd :
Talk togic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk :

[3] To fulfil the expectations of his friends. MALONE.
17

Vol. III.

TENSIO.

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 ;-
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness ;
And take a lodging, fit to entertain
Such friends, as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay a while : What company is this?

Tra. Master, some show, to welcome us to town.
Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HOR-

Lucentio and TRANIO stand aside.
Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no further,
For how I firmly am resolv'd you know ;
That is,-not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder:
If either of you both love Katharina,
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, Hortensio, will you any wife ?

Kath. I pray you, sir, [To BAP.) 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.

Kath. 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 should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us !
Gre. And me too, good Lord !

Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime toward ; That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence I do see
Maids' mild behaviour and sobriety.
Peace, Tranio.

Trá. Well said, master ; mum! and gaze your fill.
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 !5 '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 instruments, 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.

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 resoly'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 men? I will be very kind, and liberal 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 ? What, shall 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 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, -

(5) Peat or pet is a word of endearment from petit, little, as if it meant pretty little thing. JOHNSON

(6 Tbat is, so odd, so different from others in your conduct. JOHNSON.

17) Cunning bad not yet lost its original signification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the translation of the Bible. JOHNSON.

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 husband ! 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 bis dole !8 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 on.

[Exe. GRE. and HoR. Tra. [advancing.) I pray, sir, tell me,-Is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold ?

Luc. 0, 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 -
Thou art to me as secret, and as dear,
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was,-
Tranio, I burn, 1 pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl :
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst ;

[8] Dole is any thing dealt o'it or distributed, though its original meaning was the provision given away at the doors of great men's houses. STEEVEN!

[9] An allusion to the sport of running at the ring. DOUCE.

Assist me, Tradio, for I know thou wilt.

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

Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward : this contents ;
The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.

Tra. Master, you lookd so longlys 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 daughter 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 hardly 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 he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took some care
To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?

Tra. Ah, 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.

Tra. 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 part, And be in Padua here Vincentio's son ?

Is not driven out by chiding. MALONE. (2) Our author had this line from Lylly, which I mention that it may not be brought as an argument for his learning. JOHNSON.

(3) i. e. longingly. I have met with no example of this adverb. STEEVENS.