Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;
And do as adversaries do in law,-

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion, O excellent motion! Fellows, let's

begone.

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so;— Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

THE SAME. A ROOM IN BAPTISTA'S HOUSE.

Enter Katharina and Bianca.

Bian. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong
yourself,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;
That I disdain: but for these other gawds,-
Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself,
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;
Or, what you will command me, will I do,
So well I know my duty to my elders.

Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best: see thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou liest; Is't not Hortensio? Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear, I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him. Kath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more; You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so?
Nay, then you jest; and now I well perceive,
You have but jested with me all this while:
I pr'ythee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so.
[Strikes her.

D

Enter Baptista.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence?

Bianca, stand aside;-poor girl! she weeps:-
Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.-
For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?
Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.
[Flies after Bianca.

Bap. What, in my sight?-Bianca, get thee in.
[Exit Bianca.

Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see, She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding-day, And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell. Talk not to me; I will go sit and weep, Till I can find occasion of revenge.

[Exit Katherina.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? But who comes here?

Enter Gremio, with Lucentio in the habit of a mean

man; Petruchio, with Hortensio as a musician; and Tranio, with Biondello bearing a lute and books. Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista.

Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God save you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter

Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous?

Bap. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina. Gre. You are too blunt, go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, signior Gremio; give me leave.

I am a gentleman of Verona, sir,
That,-hearing of her beauty, and her wit,
Her affability, and bashful modesty,

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,-
Am bold to show myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,

[Presenting Hortensio.

Cunning in musick, and the mathematicks,
To instruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof, I know, she is not ignorant:
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong;
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, sir; and he, for your good sake:

But for my daughter Katharine,—this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more my grief.
Pet. I see, you do not mean to part with her;

Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not, I speak but as I find. Whence are you, sir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name; Antonio's son,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his

sake.

Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray,

Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too:
Baccare! you are marvellous forward.

Pet. O, pardon me, signior Gremio; I would fain

be doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you

wooing.

will curse your

Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar, [Presenting Lucentio,] that hath been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in musick and mathematicks: his name is Cambio; pray, accept his ser

vice.

Bap. A thousand thanks, signior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio.-But, gentle sir, [To Tranio.] methinks, you walk like a stranger; May I be so bold to know the cause of your coming?

Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own;
That, being a stranger in this city here,
Do make myself a suitor to your daughter,
Unto Bianca, fair, and virtuous.

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest sister:
This liberty is all that I request,

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I

may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo,

And free access and favour as the rest.

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a simple instrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books: