Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio his fon, brought up in Florence,
It fhall become, to ferve all hopes conceiv'd,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I ftudy,
Virtue, and that part of philofophy +
Will I apply, that treats of happiness
By virtue 'fpecially to be atchiev'd.
Tell me thy mind; for I have Pisa left,
And am to Padua come; as he that leaves
A fhallow plafh, to plunge him in the deep,
And with fatiety feeks to quench his thirst.
Tra. Me pardonato, gentle mafter mine,
I am in all affected as yourfelf;

5

Glad, that you thus continue your refolve,
To fuck the fweets of fweet philofophy.
Only, good mafter, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral difcipline,
Let's be no Stoicks, nor no ftocks, I pray;
Or, fo devote to Ariftotle's checks,
As Ovid be an out-caft quite abjur'd.

6

Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practice rhetorick in your common talk;
Mufick and poefy, ufe to quicken you;
The mathematicks, and the metaphyficks,
Fall to them, as you find your ftomach ferves you :
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en:
In brief, fir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well doft thou advise. If, Biondello, thou wert come afhore,

4 Virtue, and that part of philofophy] Sir Thomas Hanmer, and after him Dr. Warburton, read to virtue; but formerly ply and apply were indifferently used, as to ply or apply his ftudies.

JOHNSON. 5 Me pardonato.] We fhould read, Mi perdonate. STEEVENS. -Ariftotle's checks,] are, I fuppofe, the harsh rules of Aristotle. STEEVENS.

We

We could at once put us in readiness;
And take a lodging, fit to entertain
Such friends, as time in Padua fhall beget.
But stay a while: What company is this?

Tra. Mafter, fome fhew, to welcome us to town.
Enter Baptifta with Catharina and Bianca. Gremio and
Hortenfio. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by.
Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am refolv'd, you know:
That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Catharina,

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather: fhe's too rough for me.
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?
Cath. I pray you, fir, is it your will

To make a ftale 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, fir, you fhall never need to fear; I wis, it is not half way to her heart:

But, if it were, doubt not, her care fhall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool,
And paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.

Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us!
Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Hush, master, here's fome good pastime

toward;

That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful fro

ward.

Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee

Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well faid, mafter; mum! and gaze

your fill.

afide.

Bap.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good. What I have faid-Bianca, get you in: And let it not difplease thee, good Bianca: For I will love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl. Cath. A pretty peat!? 'tis best

Put finger in the eye, an fhe knew why.

Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent. -Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe: My books and inftruments, fhall be my company; On them to look, and practife by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio; thou may't hear Minerva speak. [afide. 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,

8

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, fhe taketh moft delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry,
School-mafters will I keep within my house,
Fit to inftruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio,-
Or fignior Gremio, you,-know any fuch,

7 A pretty peat.] Peat or pet is a word of endearment from petit, little, as if it meant pretty little thing. JOHNSON.

This word is used in the old play of King Leir (not Shakefpeare's)

"Gon. I marvel, Ragan, how you can endure

"To fee that proud, pert peat, our youngest sister, &c."

and is, I believe, of Scotch extraction. I find it in one of the verbs of that country, where it fignifies darling.

prc

"He has fault of a wife, that marries mam's pet." i. e. He is in great want of a wife who marries one who is her mother's darling. STEEVENS.

-fo frange?] That is, fo odd, fo different from

others in your conduct. JOHNSON.

6

Prefer

Prefer them hither: for to cunning men'
I will be very kind; and liberal
To mine own children, in good bringing up;
And fo farewel. Catharina, you may ftay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

(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 wifh him to her father..

Hor. So will I, fignior Gremio: But a word I pray. Though 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 'fpecially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry fir, to get a husband for her fifter.
Gre. A hufband! a devil!--

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?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio! tho' it pafs your patience and mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an' a man could light

9 Curning men.] Cunning had not yet loft its original fignification of knowing, learned, as may be obferved in the translation of the Bible. JOHNSON.

оп

on them, would take her with all her faults, and mony enough.

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

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's a fmall 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 io a husband, we fet his youngest free for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that runs fafteft gets the ring. How fay you, fignior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and 'would I had given him the best horfe 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 andHortenfio.

Manent Tranio and Lucentio.

Tra. I pray, fir, tell me,-Is it poffible
That love fhould on a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. Oh, 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 confefs 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 perifh Tranio,
If 1 atchieve not this young modeft girl.
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, thou canst;
Affift me, Tranio, for, I know thou wilt.

I

Tra. Mafter, it is no time to chide you now; Affection is not rated from the heart.

If love hath touch'd you, nought remains but fo,'

Redime

If love hath TOUCH'D you, nought remains but fo,] The next line from Terence, fhews that we should read,

If Love hath TOYL'D you,—

i. e. taken