And let me be a slave t’atchieve that maid,
Whose sudden fight hath thralld 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? Master, has my fellow Tranio stol’n your cloaths, or you ftol'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 save my life,
Puts my apparel and my count’nance on,
And I for my escape have put on his :
For in a quarrel, since I came alhore,
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

life. You understand me ?

Bion. Ay, 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 with after; that Lucentio indeed had Baptifta's youngest daughter. But, firrah, not for my fake, 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 refts, that thyself execute, to make one among these wooers ; if thou ask me why, sufficeth my reasons are both good and weighty.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V. Before Hortenfio's house in Padua.

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,

Hortenfio; and, I trow, this is the house;
Here, firrah, Grumio, knock, I say *.

Enter Hortensio t.
Hor. Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato

Signor mio Petruchio ll.

you first,

knock, I say. Gru. Knock, Sir? whom should I knock ? is there any man has rebus'd your Worship?

Pet. Villain, I fay, knock me here foundly.

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 l'll knock your knave's pate.

Gru. My master is grown quarrelsome: I should knock
And then I know after who comes by the worít.

Pet. Will it not be ?
Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock ; I'll ring it,
I'll try how you can Sol, Fa, and sing it. [He wrings him by the ears.

Grú Help, Masters, help; my master is mad
Pet. Now knock, when I bid you : Sirrah! Villain!

Enter, 6c. t

Hortensio. Hor. How now, what's the matter? my old friend Grumio, and my good friend Petruchio! how do you all at Verona:

Pet. Siguior Hortenfio, come you to part the fray! Con tulto il core ben trovato, may I say.

Hor. Alla, Go. 11

mio Petruchio. Rife, 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 foundly, Sir. Well, was it fit for a servant to use his master fo, being, perhaps, for aught I fee, 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 fenseless villain ! Good Hortensio,
I bid the rascal knock upon your gate,
And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Gru. Knock at the gate? O heav'ns! fpake you not these words plain! Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock me well, and knock me foundly and come you now with knocking at ihe gate

Pet. Sirrah. be gone, or talk not, I advise you.

Hor. Petruchio, patience; I am Grumio's pledge ;
Why, this is a heavy chance 'twixt him and you,
Your ancient, trusty pleasant servant Grumio;
And tell me now, br.

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 farther than at home;
Where small experience grows but in a mew.
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 with thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thou’dst thank me but a little for my counsel;
And yet, I'll promise thee, the 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 us
Few words suffice ; and therefore if you 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,
As old as Sibyl, and as curs’d and shrewd
As Socrates' Xantippe, or a worse,
She moves me not, or not removes, at leaft,
Affection fieg'd in coin. 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, or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, tho’ she have as many diseases as two and fifty horses; why, nothing comes amiss, fo money conies withal.

Hor. Petruchio, since we are stept 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,

* This I suppose relates to a circumstance in some Italian rovel, and should be read Florentio's. Mi Varburton.

Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman.
Her only fault, and that is fault enough,
Is, that she is intolerably curs’d;
And threwd, 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'ít not gold's ef-

fect;
Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough :
For I will board her, tho’ 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 Catharina Minola,
Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

Pet. I know her father, tho' I know not her;
And he knew my deceased father well.
I will not sleep, Hortenfio, till I see her,
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless will

accompany me thither. Gru. I

pray you, Sir, let him go while the humour lafts. O’my word, an she knew him as well as I do, the 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,

you

Sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must

go

with thee,
For in Baptista's house my treasure is :
He hath the jewel of my life in hold,
His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca ;
And her with-holds he from me, and others more
Suitors to her, and rivals in

my

love : Suppofing it a thing impossible, (For those defects I have before rehears'd), That ever Catharina will be woord; Therefore this order hath Baptista ta’en, That none shall have access unto Bianca,

Till Catharine the curs'd have got a husband.

Gru. Catharine the curft?
A title for a maid of all titles the worst!

Hor. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace,
And offer me disguis’d in sober robes
To old Baptista as a schoolmaster,
Well seen in music, 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.

SC Ε Ν Ε VI. Enter Gremio, and Lucentio disguis’d. Gru. Here's no knavery! see, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together. Mafter, look about you :'who goes there? ha. Hor. Peace, Grumio, 'tis the rival of

my

love. Petruchio, ftand by a while.

Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous.

Gre. O, very well; I have perus’d the note.
Hark you, Sir, I'll have them very fairly bound,
All books of love; see that, at any hand;
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.

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 assured,
As firmly, as yourself were still in place;
Yea, and, perhaps, with inore successful words
Than you; unless you were a scholar, Sir.

Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is !
Gru. Oh this woodcock, what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, firrah.
Hor. Grumio, mum ! God save you, Signior Gremio.

Gre. And you are well met, Signior Hortensio. Trow you whither I am going ? to Baptista Minola; I promis'd to inquire carefully about a schoolmaster for the