Her father keeps from all accefs of fuitors,
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest Sifter first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.
Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Must steed us all, and me among the reft;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger free
For our access; whofe hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well you do conceive:
And fince you do profefs to be a fuitor,
You must, as we do, gratifie this Gentleman,
To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,
9 Please ye, we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff caroufes to our Mistress' health;
And do as adverfaries 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 fo,
Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt. [The Presenters, above, speak here. I Man. My Lord, you nod; you do not mind the Play. Sly. Yea, by St. Ann, do I: a good matter, furely! comes there any more of it?

Lady. My Lord, 'tis but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, Madam Lady. 'Would, 'twere done!

9 Please ye, we may contrive this afternoon,] Mr. Theobald asks what they were to contrive? and then fays, a foolish corruption poffeffes the place, and fo alters it to convive; in which he is followed, as he pretty conftantly is, when wrong, by the Oxford Editor. But the common reading is right, and the Critic was only ignorant of the meaning of it. Contrive does not fignify here to project, but to spend and wear out. As in this paffage of Spenfer,

Three ages fuch as mortal men CONTRIVE,
Fairy Queen, Book xi. Chap. 9.
ACT

VOL. II.

E e

ACT II. SCENE I.

Baptifta's HOUSE in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

BIANCA.

OOD Sifter, wrong me not, nor wrong your

G felf,

To make a bond-maid and a flave of me;

That I difdain; but for thefe other (a) Gawds,
Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off

my felf;
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.

Cath. Of all thy Suitors here, I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best: fee, thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, Sifter, of all men alive
I never yet beheld that fpecial face,
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Cath. Minion, thou lieft; is't not Hortenfio?
Bian. If you affect him, fifter, here I fwear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you fhall have him.
Cath. Oh, then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do fo envy me?
Nay, then you jeft; and now, I well perceive,
You have but jefted with me all this while;
I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands.

Cath. If That be jeft, then all the reft was fo.

(a) Gards. Mr. Theobald-Vulg. goods.]

[Strikes ber.

Enter

Enter Baptifta.

Bap. Why, how now, dame, whence grows this infolence?

Bianca, ftand afide; poorgir, fhe weeps;
Go ply thy needle, meddle not with her.
For fhame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why doft thou wrong her, that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did fhe cross thee with a bitter word?

Cath. Her filence flouts me; and I'll be reveng❜d.

[Flies after Bianca.

Bap. What, in my fight? Bianca, get thee in.

[Exit Bianca,

Cath. Will you not fuffer me? nay, now I fee,
She is your treasure; fhe must have a husband
I muft dance bare-foot on her wedding-day,
And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell:
Talk not to me, I will go fit and weep,
'Till I can find occafion of revenge.

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

S

CE

NE

II.

Enter Gremio, Lucentio in the habit of a mean man ; Petruchio with Hortenfio, like a mufician; Tranio and Biondello bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptifta.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio: God fave you, gentlemen.

Pet. And you, good Sir; pray, have you not a daughter call'd Catharina, fair and virtuous?

Bap. I have a daughter, Sir, call'd Catharina.
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 bafhful modefty,

Ee 2

Her

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,
Am bold to fhew myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that Report, which I fo oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

[Presenting Hor.
I do prefent you with a man of mine,
Cunning in musick, and the mathematicks,
To inftruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof, I know, fhe 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 fake.

But for my daughter Catharine, this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more's my grief.
Pet. I fee, you do not mean to part with her;
Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Miftake me not, I fpeak but what I find. Whence are you, Sir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name, Antonio's fon,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

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

I

Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, let us, that are poor petitioners, fpeak too. Baccalare! you are marvellous forward.

Pet. Oh, pardon me, Signior Gremio, I would fain be doing.

2

Gre. I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I

am

1 Baccare, you are marvellous forward.] We must read, Baccalare; by which the Italians mean, thou arrogant, prefumptu. ous man! the word is ufed fcornfully, upon any one that would affume a port of grandeur.

2 I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing neigh bours. This is a gift] This nonsense may be rectified by only

pointing

am fure of it. To exprefs the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, Free leave give to this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Reims, [Prefenting Luc.] as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in mufick and mathematicks; his name is Cambio; pray, accept his fervice.

Bap. A thoufand thanks, Signior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio. But, gentle Sir, methinks, you walk like a ftranger; [To Tranio.] may I be fo bold to know the caufe of your coming?

Tra. Pardon me, Sir, the boldness is mine own,
That, being a stranger in this City here,
Do make my self a fuitor to your daughter,
Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous:

Nor is your firm refolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldeft fifter.
This liberty is all that I request;

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,
I may have welcome 'mongst the reft that woo,
And free accefs and favour as the reft.

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here beftow a fimple inftrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books.
If you accept them, then their worth is great.
[They greet privately.
Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence I pray?
Tra. Of Pifa, Sir, fon to Vincentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pifa; by Report
I know him well; you are very welcome, Sir.
Take You the lute, and You the Set of books,

[To Hortenfio and Lucentio. You fhall go fee your pupils presently.

Holla, within!-

pointing it thus, I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift, &c. addreffing himself to Baptifta.