And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest fifter first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.
Tra. If it be fo, fir, that you are the man
Muft ftead us all, and me amongst the rest;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger free
For our access,-whose hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well you do conceive:

And fince you do profess to be a fuitor,

You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack: in fign whereof,

m

Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,

And quaff carouses to our mistress' health ;
And do as adverfaries do in law,-

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gre. O excellent motion! Fellows, let's begone. Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so ;Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE I.

Baptifta's House in Padua.

Enter Katharina and Bianca,

Bian. Good fifter, wrong me not, nor wrong yourfelf,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;

That I difdain: but for thefe other gawds,

contrive]-spend it together in forming our fchemes-convive, feast,

banquet together.

Unbind

Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself,
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;
Or, what you will command me, will I do,
So well I know my duty to my elders.

Kath. Of all thy fuitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'ft beft: fee thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, fister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou ly'ft; Is't not Hortenfio?
Bian. If you affect him, fifter, here I fwear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Kath. Oh then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio to keep you " fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do envy me fo?
Nay, then you jeft; and now I well perceive,
You have but jefted with me all this while:
I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands.

then all the rest was so.

Kath. If that be jeft,

Enter Baptifta.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this info

lence ?

Bianca, stand afide ;-poor girl! she

weeps:Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.

For fhame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,

Why doft thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did the cross thee with a bitter word?

Kath. Her filence P flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.
[Flies after Bianca.

n

fair.]-in finery.

• thou bilding of a devilifh fpirit,]-thou vileft of termagants, thou moft outrageous vixen.

P flouts]-infults.

Bap.

Bap. What, in my sight ;-Bianca, get thee in.
[Exit Bianca.

Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I fee,
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 fit and weep,
'Till I can find occafion of revenge.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I?
But who comes here?

[Exit Kath.

Enter Gremio, Lucentio in the habit of a mean man; Petruchio with Hortenfio, like a musician; Tranio, and Biondello bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptifta.

Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God fave you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good fir! Pray, have you not a daughter Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, fir, call'd Katharina.

Gre. You are too blunt; go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, fignior Gremio; give me leave.

I am a gentleman of Verona,.fir,

That, hearing of her beauty, and her wit,

Her affability, and bashful modefty,

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,-
Am bold to fhew myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

I do prefent you with a man of mine,

[Prefenting Hortenfio.

a dance bare-foot-the fate of an elder fifter, whofe younger marlead apes in hell.]-die an old maid.

ries before her.

Cunning

Cunning in mufick, and the mathematicks,
To inftruct her fully in thofe fciences,
Whereof, I know, fhe is not ignorant :
Accept of him, or elfe you do me wrong;
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, fir; and he, for your good fake: But for my daughter Katharine,-this I know,

She is not for your turn, the more my grief.
Pet. I fee, you do not mean to part with her;

Or else you like not of my company. ·

Bap. Miftake me not, I fpeak but as I find. Whence are you, fir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name; Antonio's fon,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his fake.
Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray,

Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too:
Baccare! you are marvellous forward.

Pet. Oh, pardon me, fignior Gremio; I would fain be doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, fir; but you will curfe your woo

ing.

Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To exprefs the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, 'I freely give unto you this young scholar, that hath been long ftudying at Rheims; [Prefenting Lucentio,] as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in mufick and mathematicks his name is Cambio; pray, accept his fervice.

Bap. A thousand thanks, fignior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio.-But, gentle fir, methinks, you walk like a ftranger; [To Tranio.] May I be fo bold to know the cause of your coming

Baccare!]-Hold, stand back!

free leave give to. Tra.

Tra. Pardon me, fir, the boldness is mine own;

That, being a stranger in this city here,
Do make myself a fuitor to your daughter,
Unto Bianca, fair, and virtuous.
Nor is your firm refolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest fifter:
This liberty is all that I requeft,-
That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I may have welcome 'mongst the reft that woo,
And free accefs and favour as the reft.

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a simple inftrument,

And this fmall packet of Greek and Latin books:
If you accept them, then their worth is great.
Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence, I pray
Tra. Of Pifa, fir; fon to Vincentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pifa; by report,
I knew him well: you are very welcome, fir.-
Take you the lute, and you the set of books,

[To Hortenfio and Lucentio. You shall go see your pupils presently. Holla, within !—

Sirrah, lead

Enter a Servant.

These gentlemen to my daughters; and tell them both, These are their tutors; bid them use them well.

[Exit Servant with Hortenfio and Lucentio.

We will go walk a little in the orchard,

And then to dinner: You are paffing welcome,
And fo I pray you all to think yourselves.

Pet. Signior Baptifta, my business asketh haste, "And every day I cannot come to woo.

And every day I cannot come to woo.
00.]-
"And I cannot come every day to woo.'
The Burthen of an old Song.

VOL. II.

X

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