Enter a Messenger. Meff. Your Honour's players, hearing your amendment, Seeing too much fadness hath congeal'd your blood; Therefore they thought it good you hear a play, Sly. Marry, I will; let them play; is it not a Com modity a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick? Lady. No, my good Lord, it is more pleafing ftuff. Sly. What, houshold stuff? Lady. It is a kind of history. Sly. Well, we'll fee't: come, Madam wife, fit by my fide, and let the world flip, we fhall ne'er be younger. The The TAMING of the SHREW. A C T I. SCENE, a Street in PADU A. T Flourish. Enter Lucentio and Tranio. *XX* LUCENTI 0. Ranio, fince for the great defire I had To fee fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arriv'd from fruitful Lombardy, (6) The pleasant garden of great Italy; And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd With his good will, and thy good company: Moft trufty fervant, well approv'd in all, Here let us breathe, and haply inftitute A course of learning, and ingenious ftudies. Pifa, renowned for grave citizens, Gave me my being; and my father first, A merchant of great traffick through the world; (6) I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,] Though all the Impreffions concur in this, I take it to be a Blunder of the Editors, and not of the Author. Padua is not in Lombardy; but Pifa, from Which Lucentio comes, is really in those Territories. Vincentia Vincentio his fon, brought up in Florence,' Glad, that you thus continue your refolve, In brief, Sir, study what you most affect. Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well doft thou advise; If, Biondello, thou wert come afhore, We could at once put us in readiness ; But flay a while, what company is this? Tra. Mafter, fome fhow to welcome us to town. Enter Baptifta with Catharina and Bianca, Gremio and Hortenfio. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by. Bap. Gentlemen both, importune me no farther, For how I firmly am refolv'd, you know; That That is, not to beflow my youngest daughter, If either of you both love Catharina, Cath. 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. Cath. I'faith, Sir, you shall never need to fear, I wis, it is not half way to her heart: But if it were, doubt not, her care shall be Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us. Tra. Huh, mafter, here's fome good paftime That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful froward. Peace, Tranio. Tra. Well faid, master; mum! and gaze your fill. afide. Cath. A pretty Peat! it is best put finger in the eye, an fhe knew why. Bian. Sifter, content you in my discontent. Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe: My books and inftruments fhall be my company, On them to look, and practise by myself. Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may'ft hear Minerva fpeak. Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange? [afide. Gre. Gre. Why will you mew her up, And make her bear the penance of her tongue? And for I know, fhe taketh most delight : [Exit Bianca. To mine own children, in good bringing up; [Exit. Cath. Why, and, I truft, I may go too, may I not? what, fhall I be appointed hours, as tho', belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha! [Exit. Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are fo good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together," and faft it fairly out. Our cake's dough on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein the delights, I will wish him to her Father. Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word, I pray; tho' the nature of our quarrel never yet brook'd 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 fifter. Hor. I fay, a husband, Gre. I fay, a devil. Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, tho her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell? VOL. II. Hor. |