Began to scold, and raise up such a storm,
That mortal ears might scarce endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath she did perfume the air:
Sacred, and sweet, was all I saw in her.

Tra. Nay, then, 't is time to stir him from his trance.I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it stands:
Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd,

That, till the father rid his hands of her,
Master, your love must live a maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because she will not be annoy'd with suitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took some care
To get her cunning masters to instruct her?
Tra. Ay, marry am I, sir; and now 't is plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra.

Master, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. Not possible; for who shall bear your part, And be in Padua, here, Vincentio's son;

Keep house, and ply his book; welcome his friends: Visit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Basta; content thee; for I have it full. We have not yet been seen in any house, Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces, For man, or master: then, it follows thus; Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead, Keep house, and port, and servants, as I should. I will some other be; some Florentine, Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa. 'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so :-Tranio, at once Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak: When Biondello comes, he waits on thee, But I will charm him first to keep his tongue. Tra. So had you need. [They exchange habits. Be brief, then, sir,' sith it your pleasure is,

1 In brief, sir: in f. e.

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, 't was 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 wond'ring' 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 clothes,
Or you stol'n his, or both? pray, what's the news?
Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 't is no time to jest,
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio, here, to save my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,
And I for my escape have put on his ;
For in a quarrel, since I came ashore,
I kill'd a man, and fear I was descried.
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,
While I make way from hence to save my life.
You understand me?

Bion.

I, 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 wish

after,

That Lucentio, indeed, had Baptista's youngest daugh

ter.

But, sirrah, not for my sake, but your master's, I advise You use your manners discreetly in all kind of com

panies :

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.

1 wounded: in f. e.

[Exeunt.

1 Serv. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the play. Sly. Yes, by saint Anne, do I. A good matter, surely comes there any more of it?

Page. My lord, 't is but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady; would 't were done!

SCENE II.-The Same. 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 should
knock you first,

And then I know after who comes by the worst.
Pet. Will it not be?

'Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll wring it :
I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

[He wrings GRUMIO by the ears. Gru. Help, masters, help! my master is mad. Pet. Now, knock when I bid you: sirrah! villain ! [GRUMIO falls down.

Enter HORTENSIO.

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 the fray? Con tutto il core ben trovato, may I say.

Hor. Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato signior mio Petruchio.

Rise, Grumio, rise: we will compound this quarrel. Gru. [Rising.] Nay, 't is no matter, sir, 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

1 Not in f. e.

him, and rap him soundly, sir :

Well, was it fit for a servant to use his master so; Being, perhaps, (for aught I see) two and thirty,pip mo ?1

Whom, 'would to God, I had well knock'd at first,
Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

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.

-a

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 you. Hor. Petruchio, patience: I am Grumio's pledge. Why this? a heavy chance 'twixt him and you; Your ancient, trusty, pleasant servant Grumio. 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 few,
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 wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thou 'dst thank me but a little for my counsel;
And yet I'll promise thee she 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 we
Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,
(As wealth is burthen of my wooing dance)
Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,'
As old as Sybil, and as curst and shrewd
As Socrates' Xantippe, or even worse,
She moves me not, or not removes, at least,

1 out in f. e. 2 The story is in Gower's Confessio Amantis.

Affection's edge in me. 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-baby1; or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two and fifty horses. Why, nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.

Hor. Petruchio, since we are stepp'd 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;
Brought up, as best becomes a gentlewoman:
Her only fault, and that is faults enough,
Is, that she is intolerably curst,

And shrewd, 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'st not gold's effect.

Tell me her father's name, and 't is enough,
For I will board her, though 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 Katharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

Pet. I know her father, though I know not her,
And he knew my deceased father well.

I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

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

1 An aglet was a point or tag to the string of a dress, and was often shaped like a human form.