Because she brought stone jugs and no seal'd a commonty a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling-trick? quarts: Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house. -- Nor no such men, as you have reckon'd up,- Which never were, nor no man ever saw. Sly. Now, Lord be thanked for my good Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call me My men should call me lord: I am your goodman. [and husband; Page. My husband and my lord, my lord I am your wife in all obedience. SCENE I.-Padua. A public Place. [amends! Sly. I thank thee; thou shalt not lose by it. Luc. Tranio, since, for the great desire I had Enter the Page, as a lady, with Attendants. To see fair Padua, nursery of arts, Page. How fares my noble lord? I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy, Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer The pleasant garden of great Italy: Where is my wife? [enough. And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd Page. Here, noble lord: what is thy will With his good will and thy good company, with her? [husband? My trusty servant, well approv'd in all; Here let us breathe, and happy 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's 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. Sly. I know it well.-What must I call her? Sly. Alice madam, or Joan madam? me, Being all this time abandon'd from your bed. Madam, undress you, and come now to bed. Enter a Servant. Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine, Serv. Your honour's players, hearing your Fall to them, as you find your stomach serves amendment, Are come to play a pleasant comedy; For so your doctors hold it very meet, And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy: Sly. Marry, I will; let them play it. Is not! you; No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en; Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou town. Enter Baptista, Katharina, Bianca, Gremio, And so, farewell. Katharina, you may stay: and Hortensio. Lucentio and Tranio stand For I have more to commune with Bianca. aside. Gre. To cart her rather she's too rough for There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife? Kath. [To Bap.] 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. I wis, it is not half way to her heart : Gre. And me, too, good Lord! Tra. Hush, master, here is some good Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent. On them to look and practise by myself. Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange? Gre. Will you mew her up, Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell, [Exit. [belike, Kath. Why, and I trust I may go too, may What! shall I be appointed hours, as though, Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are so good, here's 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 brooked parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both,--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 Gre. I say, a devil: thinkest 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 his dole! 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 [Exeunt Gremio and Hortensio. Tra. [Advancing.] I pray, sir, tell me,-is it possible on. That love should of a sudden take such hold? Fit to instruct her youth.-If you, Hortensio,I found the effect of love in idleness: Or Signior Gremio, you,-know any such, To mine own children in good bringing up: And now in plainness do confess to thee,- If I achieve not this young modest girl. Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst ; Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt. Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now; Affection is not rated from the heart: [so, If love have touch'd you, nought remains but 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 look'd so longly on the maid, Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all. Began to scold, and raise up such a storm, I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid, Thus Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd, Luc. It is may it be done? friends; Visit his countrymen, and banquet them? Luc. Basta; content thee; for I have it full, I will some other be; some Florentine, ; But I will charm him first to keep his tongue. Tra. So had you need. [They exchange habits. In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is, And I am tied to be obedient, (For so your father charg'd me at our parting,"Be serviceable to my son," quoth he, Although I think 'twas in another sense,) I am content to be Lucentio, Because so well I love Lucentio. Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves : And let me be a slave, t' achieve that maid Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye. Here comes the rogue.-[Enter Biondello.] Sirrah, where have you been? Bion. Where have I been! Nay, how now! where are you? Master, has my fellow Tranio stol'n your Or you stol'n his? or both? pray, what's the Bion. I, sir! ne'er a whit. Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth : Tranio is changed to Lucentio. [too! Bion. The better for him: would I were so Tra. So would I, 'faith, boy, to have the next wish after, [daughter. That Lucentio indeed had Baptista's youngest But, sirrah, not for my sake, but your master's, I advise [companies: You use your manners discreetly in all kind of 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 rests, that thyself execute; To make one among these wooers: if thou ask me why, Sufficeth, my reasons are both good and weighty. [Exeunt. 2 SERV. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the play. SLY. Yes, by Saint Anne, I do. A good matter, surely comes there any more of it? PAGE. My lord, 'tis but begun. SLY. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady: would 'twere done! SCENE II.-Padua. Before Hortensio's House. 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, Hortensio; and I trow this is his house. Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say. Gru. Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is there any man has rebused your worship? Pet. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly. 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 I'll knock your knave's pate. Gru. My master is grown quarrelsome. I And then I know after who comes by the worst. 'Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll wring it; [He wrings Grumio by the ears. Gru. Help, masters, help! my master is mad. Pet. Now, knock when I bid you, sirrah villain ! Enter Hortensio. And so am come abroad to see the world. And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife? Pet. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we, Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know I come to wive it wealthily in Padua ; Gru. Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is: why, give him gold enough, Hor. How now! what's the matter?-My old friend Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio!-How do you all at Verona? Pet. Signior Hortensio, come you to part and marry him to a puppet or an aglet-baby; the fray? Con tutto il core ben trovato, may I say. Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges Pet. A senseless villain !-Good Hortensio, I bade the rascal knock upon your gate, And could not get him for my heart to do it. Gru. Knock at the gate! O heavens! Spake you not these words plain,—“ Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock me well, and knock me soundly?" And come you now with-knocking at the gate? Pet. Sirrah, be gone, or talk not, I advise To seek their fortunes farther than at home, And I have thrust myself into this maze, or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, Hor. Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus Pet. Hortensio, peace! thou know'st not gold's effect: Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough; Pet. I know her father, though I know not 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 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 at shall have no more eyes to see withal than a You know him not, sir. cat. Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee; So shall I no whit be behind in duty Gre. Belov'd of me,-and that my deeds (For those defects I have before rehears'd,) A title for a maid, of all titles the worst. Gru. [Aside.] And that his bags shall prove. Listen to me; and if you speak me fair, Hor. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me Hortensio, have you told him all her faults? grace; And offer me, disguis'd in sober robes, Gru. Here's no knavery! See, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Enter Gremio; with him Lucentio disguised, with books under his arm. Master, master, look about you: who goes there? ha? Hor. Peace, Grumio: 'tis the rival of my love. Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous ! Gre. O this learning! what a thing it is! Gremio! Her. Grumio, mum !-God save you, signior About a schoolmaster for the fair Bianca: And other books,-good ones, I warrant ye. Pet. I know she is an irksome brawling If that be all, masters, I hear no harm. Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's son: Gre. O sir, such a life, with such a wife, Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her. And do you tell me of a woman's tongue; Gre. Hortensio, hark: Gru. [Aside.] I would I were as sure of a Enter Tranio, bravely apparelled; and Biondello. Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold, [way Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest To the house of signior Baptista Minola? Bion. He that has the two fair daughters : -[To Tranio] is't he you mean? Tra. Even he, Biondello. Gre. Hark you, sir; you mean not her to |