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 musick,' 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.

Enter GREMIO; with him LUCENTIO disguised with books under his arm.

Gru. Here's no knavery! See; to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, master, look about you: Who goes there? ha!

Hor. Peace, Grumio; 'tis the rival of my Petruchio, stand by a while.

Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous!

love:

[They retire. 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 assur'd,)
As firmly as yourself were still in place:
Yea, and (perhaps) with more successful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.

3 Well seen in musick,] Seen is versed, practised.
at any hand; i. e. at all events.

Gre. O this learning! what a thing it is!
Gru. O this woodcock! what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, sirrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum!--God save you, signior

Gremio!

Gre. And you're well met, signior Hortensio.

Trow you,

Whither I am going?-To Baptista Minola.
I promis'd to enquire carefully

About a schoolmaster for fair Bianca :

And, by good fortune, I have lighted well
On this young man; for learning, and behaviour,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry
And other books, -good ones, I warrant you.
Hor. 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman,

Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine musician to instruct our mistress;
So shall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me, and that my deeds shall

prove.

Gru. And that his bags shall prove.

[Aside.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our

love:

Listen to me, and if you speak me fair,
I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curst Katharine;

Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So said, so done, is well :-
Hortensio, have you told him all her faults?
Pet. I know, she is an irksome brawling scold;
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm,

Gre. No, say'st me so, friend? What country

man?

Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's son:

My father dead, my fortune lives for me;
And I do hope good days, and long, to see.

Gre. O, sir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange :

But if you have a stomach, to't o'God's name;
You shall have me assisting you in all.
But, will you woo this wild cat?

Will I live?

Pet.
Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her.

[Aside.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you, a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the sea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat?
Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard

Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue;

That gives not half so great a blow to the ear,
As will a chesnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs.'

Gru.

Gre. Hortensio, hark!

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

For he fears none.

[Aside.

yours.

My mind presumes, for his own good, and
Hor. I promis'd, we would be contributors,
And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe'er.
Gre. And so we will; provided, that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as sure of a good dinner.

S

5 with bugs.] i. e. with bug bears,

[Aside.

VOL. III.

FF

Enter TRANIO, bravely apparell'd; and BIONDELLO.

Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold, Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way To the house of Signior Baptista Minola?

Gre. He that has the two fair daughters:-is't [Aside to TRANIO.] he you mean? Tra. Even he. Biondello!

Gre. Hark you, sir; You mean not her to

Tra. Perhaps, him and her, sir; What have you

to do?

Pet. Not her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray. Tra. I love no chiders, sir:-Biondello, let's

away.

Luc. Well begun, Tranio.
Hor. Sir, a word ere you go ;-

[Aside.

Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea, or no Tra. An if I be, sir, is it any offence?

Gre. No; if, without more words, you will get

you hence.

Tra. Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free

For me, as for you?
Gre.

But so is not she.

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you? Gre. For this reason, if you'll know, That she's the choice love of signior Gremio.

Hor. That she's the chosen of signior Hortensio.
Tra. Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,

Do me this right,-hear me with patience.
Baptista is a noble gentleman,
To whom my father is not all unknown;
And, were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have:

And so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came, in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What! this gentleman will out-talk us all. Luc. Sir, give him head; I know, he'll prove a jade.

Pet. Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as to ask you, Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter? Tra. No, sir; but hear I do, that he hath two; The one as famous for a scolding tongue, As is the other for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by. Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules; And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, insooth;
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of suitors;
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the elder sister first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me among the rest;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
Achieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access, whose hap shall be to have her,
Will not so graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do conceive;
And since you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholden.
Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof,
Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;

6 Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,] Contrive does not signify here to project, but to spend and wear out; probably from

contero.