in :

BAP. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good
What I have faid,-Bianca, get you
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl.

KATH. A pretty peat! 'tis best

Put finger in the eye,-an she knew why.
BIAN. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.-
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubscribe :
My books, and inftruments, shall be my company;
On them to look, and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak.

HOR. Signior Baptifta, will you be fo ftrange?

Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

GRE. Why, will you mew her up,

Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,

[Afide.

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
BAP. Gentlemen, content ye; I am refolv'd :-
Go in, Bianca.
[Exit BIANCA.

And for I know, she taketh most delight
In musick, inftruments, and poetry,
Schoolmafters will I keep within my house,

Fit to inftruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio,
Or fignior Gremio, you, know any fuch,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing-up;
And so farewell. Katharina you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit. KATH. Why, and I truft, I may go too, May I not? What, fhall I be appointed hours; as though, belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha! [Exit. VOL. II.

вь

GRE. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are fo good, here is none will hold you. Their 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. Farewell:-Yet, for the love I bear my sweet 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, fignior Gremio: But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brook'd parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both,that we may yet again have accefs 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, fir, to get a husband for her fifter.

GRE. A husband! a devil.

HOR. I fay, a husband.

GRE. I fay, a devil: Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell?

HOR. Tush, Gremio! though it pass your patience, and mine, to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough.

GRE. I cannot tell: but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition,-to be whipp'd at the high-crofs every morning.

HOR. 'Faith, as you fay, there's small choice in rotten apples. But, come; fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd,till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband, we fet his youngeft free for a husband, and then have

to't afresh.-Sweet Bianca !-Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest, gets the ring.-How fay you, fignior Gremio?

GRE. I am agreed: and 'would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on.

[Exeunt GREMIO and HORTENSIO.
TRA. [Advancing.] I pray, fir, tell me,-Is it poffible
That love fhould of a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. O, Tranio, till I found it to be true,

I never thought it poffible, or likely;
But fee! while idly I ftood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness :
And now in plainnefs do confess to thee,-
That art to me as fecret, and as dear,
As Anna to the queen of Carthage was,-
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl :
Counfel me Tranio, for I know thou canst
;
Affift me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

TRA. Master, it is no time to chide you now;
Affection is not rated from the heart :

If love have touch'd you, nought remains but fo,-
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward: this contents;
The reft will comfort, for thy counsel's found.
TRA. Master, you look'd fo longly on the maid,
Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.

Luc. O yes, I faw fweet beauty in her face,

Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan ftrand.

TRA. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her fifter

Began to fcold; and raife up fuch a ftorm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath fhe did perfume the air;
Sacred, and fweet, was all I faw in her.

TRA. Nay, then, 'tis time to ftir him from his trance. I pray, awake, fir; If you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it ftands:-
Her elder fifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

That, till the father rid his hands of her,
Mafter, your love muft live a maid at home;
And therefore has he clofely mew'd her up,
Because she shall not be annoy'd with fuitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took fome care
To

get her cunning schoolmafters to instruct her? TRA. Ay, marry, am I, fir; and now 'tis plotted. Luc. I have it, Tranio.

TRA. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine firft.

TRA. You will be schoolmafter,

And undertake the teaching of the maid:

That's your device.

Luc. It is: May it be done?

TRA. Not poffible; For who shall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon?

Keep house, and ply his book; welcome his friends;
Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?
Luc. Bafta; 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 mafter, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house, and port, and fervants, as I fhould:
I will fome other be; fome Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or mean man of Pisa.—
'Tis hatch'd, and fhall be fo:-Tranio, at once
Uncafe 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.

In brief, fir, fith it your pleasure is,

And I am tied to be obedient;

[They exchange habits.

(For so your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be ferviceable to my fon, quoth he,

Although, I think, 'twas in another fenfe,)
I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo, because Lucentio loves :
And let me be a flave, to achieve that maid
Whose sudden fight hath thrall'd my wounded 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 ftol'n your clothes?
Or you ftol'n his? or both? pray, what's the news?
Luc. Sirrah, come hither; 'tis no time to jest,
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to fave my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,
And I for my escape have put on his;
For in a quarrel, fince I came afhore,

B b iij