Tra. Gremio, 'tis known, my father hath no less Than three great argosies; besides two galliasses', And twelve tight gallies: these I will assure her, And twice as much, whate'er thou offer'st next.

Gre. Nay, I have offer'd all, I have no more; And she can have no more than all I have; If you like me, she shall have me and mine.

Tra. Why, then the maid is mine from all the

world,

By your firm promise; Gremio is out-vied.
Bap. I must confess, your offer is the best;
And, let your father make her the assurance,
She is your own; else, you must pardon me :
If you should die before him, where's her dower?
Tra. That's but a cavil; he is old, I young.
Gre. And may not young men die, as well as old ?
Bap. Well, gentlemen,

I am thus resolv'd: - On Sunday next you know,
My daughter Katharine is to be married:
Now, on the Sunday following, shall Bianca
Be bride to you, if you make this assurance;
If not, to signior Gremio:

And so I take my leave, and thank you both.

[Exit.

Gre. Adieu, good neighbour. - Now I fear thee

not;

Sirrah, young gamester, your father were a fool
To give thee all, and, in his waning age,
Set foot under thy table: Tut! a toy!

An old Italian fox is not so kind, my boy.

[Exit.

Tra. A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide!

Yet I have faced it with a card of ten.2

'Tis in my head to do my master good:

I see no reason, but suppos'd Lucentio

Must get a father, call'd - suppos'd Vincentio.

[Exit.

• A vessel of burthen worked both with sails and oars. 2 The highest card.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

A Room in Baptista's House.

Enter LUCENTIO, HORTENSIO, and BIANCA.
Luc. Fiddler, forbear; you grow too forward,

sir :

Have you so soon forgot the entertainment
Her sister Katharine welcom'd you withal?

Hor. But, wrangling pedant, this is
The patroness of heavenly harmony;
Then give me leave to have prerogative;
And when in musick we have spent an hour,
Your lecture shall have leisure for as much.

Luc. Preposterous ass! that never read so far
To know the cause why musick was ordain'd!
Was it not, to refresh the mind of man,
After his studies, or his usual pain?
Then give me leave to read philosophy,
And, while I pause, serve in your harmony.

Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.
Bian. Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong,
To strive for that which resteth in my choice:
I'll not be tied to hours, nor 'pointed times,
But learn my lessons as I please myself.
And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down:-
Take you your instrument, play you the whiles ;
His lecture will be done, ere you have tun'd.

Hor. You'll leave his lecture when I am in tune! [TO BIANCA. - Hortensio retires, Luc. That will be never; - tune your instrument. Bian. Where left we last?

Luc. Here, madam :

Hac ibat Simois; hic est Sigeia tellus;
Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis.

Bian. Construe them.

Luc. Hac ibat, as I told you before, - Simois, I am Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love; - Hic steterat, and that Lucentio that comes a wooing, Priami, is my man Tranio, -regia, bearing my port, celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon. 3

Hor. Madam, my instrument's in tune.

Bian. Let's hear;

O fye! the treble jars.

[Returning. [HORTENSIO plays.

Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again.
Bian. Now let me see if I can construe it: Hac

ibat Simois, I know you not; hic est Segeia tellus, I trust you not; - Hic steterat Priami, take heed he hear us not; - regia, presume not; -celsa senis, despair not.

Hor. Madam, 'tis now in tune.

Luc.

1

All but the base.

Hor. The base is right; 'tis the base knave that

jars.

How fiery and forward our pedant is!

Now, for my life, the knave doth court my love : Pedascule, I'll watch you better yet.

Bian. In time I may believe, yet I mistrust. Luc. Mistrust it not; for, sure, Æacides Was Ajax, - call'd so from his grandfather.

Bian. I must believe my master; else, I promise

you,

I should be arguing still upon that doubt:
But let it rest. - Now, Licio, to you: -
Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray,
That I have been thus pleasant with you both.

• The old cully in Italian farces.

t

Hor. You may go walk, [To LUCENTIO.] and

give me leave awhile;

My lessons make no music in three parts.

Luc. Are you so formal, sir? well, I must wait,

And watch withal; for, but I be deceiv'd,

Our fine musician groweth amorous.

[Aside.

Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument,

To learn the order of my fingering,
I must begin the rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual,

Than hath been taught by any of my trade:

And there it is in writing, fairly drawn.

Bian. Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
Hor. Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.

Bian. [Reads.] Gam ut I am, the ground of all

accord.

A re, to plead Hortensio's passion ;
B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord,
C faut, that loves with all affection;
D sol re, one cliff, two notes have I;
E la mi, show pity, or I die.
Call you this gamut? tut! I like it not:
Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice,
To change true rules for odd inventions.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Mistress, your father prays you leave your

books,

And help to dress your sister's chamber up;
You know, to-morrow is the wedding-day.

Bian. Farewell, sweet masters, both; I must be gone. [Exeunt BIANCA and Servant. Luc. 'Faith, mistress, then I have no cause to stay. [Exit.

Hor. But I have cause to pry into this pedant;

VOL. 111.

EE

Methinks, he looks as though he were in love: -
Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble,
To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stales,
Seize thee, that list: If once I find thee ranging,
Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

Before Baptista's House.

Enter BAPTISTA, GREMIO, TRANIO, KATHARINA, BIANCA, LUCENTIO, and Attendants.

Bap. Signior Lucentio, [TO TRANIO.] this is the

'pointed day That Katharine and Petruchio should be married, And yet we hear not of our son-in-law: What will be said? what mockery will it be, To want the bridegroom, when the priest attends To speak the ceremonial rites of marriage? What says Lucentio to this shame of ours?

Kath. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forc'd

To give my hand, oppos'd against my heart,
Unto a mad-brain rudesby, full of spleen ';
Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure.
I told you, I, he was a frantick fool,
Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour :
And, to be noted for a merry man,
He'll woo a thousand, point the day of marriage,
Make friends, invite, yes, and proclaim the banns;
Yet never means to wed where he hath woo'd.
Now must the world point at poor Katharine,
And say, - Lo, there is mad Petruchio's wife,
If it would please him come and marry her.

Bait, decoy. 6 Caprice, inconstancy.