An affable and courteous Gentleman;

Her name is Catharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her fcolding tongue.
Pet. I know her Father, tho' I know not her;
And he knew my deceased Father well.

I will not fleep, Hortenfio, 'till I fee 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 lafts. O' my word, an fhe knew him as well as I do, she would think fcolding would do little good upon him. She may, perhaps, call him half a score knaves, or fo: why, that's nothing; an' he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks. I'll tell you what, Sir, an' fhe ftand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and fo disfigure her with it, that she shall have no more eyes to fee withal than a cat: you know him not, Sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee, For in Baptifta's house my Treafure is:

He hath the jewel of my life in hold,

His youngest Daughter, beautiful Bianca;

And her with-holds he from me, and others more
Suitors to her, and Rivals in my love:
Suppofing it a thing impoffible,

(For those defects I have before rehears'd,)
That ever Catharina will be woo'd;
Therefore this order hath Baptifta ta'en,
That none fhall have access unto Bianca,
'Till Catharine the curft have got a husband.
Gru. Catharine the curft?

A title for a maid of all titles the worst!

Hor. Now fhall my Friend Petruchio do me grace, And offer me difguis'd in fober robes

To old Baptifta as a school-mafter,

Well feen in musick, to instruct Bianca;

That

That so I may by this device, at least,
Have leave and leifure to make love to her;
And, unsuspected, court her by her self.

S C EN E VI.

Enter Gremio, and Lucentio disguis'd.

Gru. 7 Here's no knavery! fee, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together. Mafter, look about you: who goes there? ha.

Hor. Peace, Grumio, 'tis the Rival of my love.
Petruchio, ftand by a while.

Gru. A proper Stripling, and an amorous. -
Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note.
Hark you, Sir, I'll have them very fairly bound,.
All books of love; fee That, at any hand;
And fee you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me- Over and befide
Signior Baptifta's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largefs. Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;
For she is sweeter than perfume it self,

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, ftand you so affured;
As firmly, as your felf were ftill in place;
Yea, and, perhaps, with more fuccefsful words
Than you, unless you were a fcholar, Sir.
Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is!
Gru. Oh this woodcock, what an als it is! -
Pet. Peace, Sirrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum! God fave you, Signior Gremio. Gre. And you are well met, Signior Hortenfio. Trow you, whither I am going? to Baptifta Minola;

7 Here's no knavery!] See this phrafe explain'd in the first part of Henry IV.

I

I promis'd to enquire carefully about a fchoot-master for the fair Bianca; and by good fortune I have lighted well on this young man; for Learning and Be haviour fit for her turn, well read in Poetry, and other books, good ones, I warrant ye.

Hor. 'Tis well; and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine musician to inftruct our mistress;

So fhall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, fo belov'd of me.
Gre. Belov'd of me,

prove.

and that my deed fhall

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love. Listen to me; and if you fpeak 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 wooe curft Catharine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So faid, fo done, is well;

Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults?

Pet. I know, fhe is an irksome brawling Scold; If that be all, mafters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayeft me fo, friend? what Countryman?
Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's Son;

My Father's dead, my fortune lives for me,
And I do hope good days and long to fee.

Gre. Oh, Sir, fuch a life with fuch a wife were
ftrange;

But if you have a ftomach, to't, o' God's name:
You fhall have me affifting you in all.

But will you wooe this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he wooe her? ay, or I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you, a little din can daunt my ears?

• Have

• Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
• Have I not heard the fea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with fweat?
Have I not heard great Ordnance in the field?
And heav'n's artillery thunder in the skies?
• Have I not in a pitched battel heard

Loud larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets clangue? •And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,

8 That gives not half fo great a blow to th' ear, As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire?' Tush, tufh, fear boys with bugs.

Gru. For he fears none.

Gre. Hortenfio, hark:

This Gentleman is happily arriv'd,

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours.
Hor. I promis'd, we would be contributors
And bear his charge of wooing whatsoe'er.

Gre. And fo we will, provided that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as fure of a good dinner.

To them Tranio bravely apparell'd, and Biondello.

Tra. Gentlemen, God fave you. If I may be bold, tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way to the house of Signior Baptifta Minola?

Bion. He, that has the two fair Daughters? is't he you mean?

Tra. Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, Sir, you mean not her, to-
Tra. Perhaps, him and her; 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.

8 That gives not half fo great a blow to HEAR,] This aukward phrafe could never come from Shakespear. He wrote, without queftion,

- so great a blow to TH' EAR.

Luc.

Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

Hor. Sir, a word, ere you go:

Are you a fuitor 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 fo 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 fhe's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my mafters; if you be gentlemen,
Do me this Right; hear me with patience.
Baptifta is a noble Gentleman,

To whom my Father is not all unknown;
And, were his Daughter fairer than fhe is,
She may more fuitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's Daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well One more may fair Bianca have,
And fo fhe fhall. Lucentio fhall make one,
Tho' 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. Hortenfio, to what end are all these words?
Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as to ask you,

Did you yet ever fee Baptifta's Daughter?
Tra. No, Sir; but hear I do that he hath two:
The one as famous for a fcolding tongue,
As the other is for beauteous modefty.

Pet. Sir, Sir, the firft'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, infooth; The youngest Daughter, whom you harken for,

Her