Enter a Servant.

Serv. Your honour's players, hearing your amend

ment,

Are come to play a pleasant comedy,
For so your doctors hold it very meet;
Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,
And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy,
Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play,
And frame your mind to mirth and merriment,
Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

Sly. Marry, I will; let them play it: Is not a commonty a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling

trick ??

Page. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing

stuff.

Sly. What, houshold stuff?
Page. It is a kind of history.

Sly. Well, we'll see't: Come, madam wife, sit by my side, and let the world slip; we shall ne'er be younger. [They sit down.

Is not a commonty a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick?] Thus the old copies; the modern ones read-It is not a commodity, &c. Commonty for comedy, &c. STEEVENS.

In the old play the players themselves use the word commodity corruptly for a comedy. BLACKSTONE.

J

ACT I.

SCENE I. Padua. A public Place.

Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO.

Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire I had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy, 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, Most trusty servant, well approv'd in all; Here let us breathe, and happily institute A course of learning, and ingenious studies. Pisa, renowned for grave citizens, Gave me my being, and my father first, A merchant of great traffick through the world, Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii. Vincentio his son, brought up in Florence, It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd,o To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds : And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study, Virtue, and that part of philosophy Will I apply, that treats of happiness By virtue 'specially to be achiev'd. Tell me thy mind: for I have Pisa left, And am to Padua come; as he that leaves A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deep, And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.

8

- ingenious-) It was probably written-ingenuous studies, but of this and a thousand such observations there is little certainty. In Cole's Dictionary, 1677, it is remarked-" ingenuous and ingenious are too often confounded."

9- to serve all hopes conceiv'd,] To fulfil the expectations of his friends.

Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine, I am in all affected as yourself; Glad that you thus continue your resolve, To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy. Only, good master, while we do admire This virtue, and this moral discipline, Let's be no stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray; Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,' As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd: Talk logick with acquaintance that you have, And practise rhetorick in your common talk : Musick and poesy use to quicken you;" The mathematicks, and the metaphysicks, Fall to them, as you find your stomach serves your No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en ;In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise. If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore, We could at once put us in readiness; And take a lodging, fit to entertain Such friends, as time in Padua shall beget. But stay awhile: What company is this?

Tra. Master, some show, to welcome us to town.

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand aside.

Bap. Gentlemen, impórtune me no further,
For how I firmly am resolv'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 Katharina,

I

Aristotle's checks,] Tranio is here descanting on academical learning, and mentions by name six of the seven liberal sciences. I suspect this to be a mis-print, made by some copyist er compositor, for ethicks. The sense confirms it. BLACKSTONE.

to quicken you;] i. e. animate.

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

Gre. To cart her rather: She's too rough for

me:

There, there Hortensio, will you any wife?

Kath. I pray you, sir, [To BAP.] 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.

Kath. 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 should be To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool, And paint your face, and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord, deliver

us!

Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime

toward;

That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward.
Luc. But in the other's silence I do see

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your

fill.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said,-Bianca, get you in :
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.
Kath. A pretty peat!' 'tis best
Put finger in the eye,-an she knew why.
Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent.
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:

My books, and instruments, shall be my company; On them to look, and practise by myself.

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

speak.

Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange?*

Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre.

Why, will you mew her up,

Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue?

Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd :ï Go in, Bianca. [Exit BIANCA.

And for I know, she taketh most delight
In musick, instruments, and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house,
Fit to instruct her youth.--If you, Hortensio,
Or signior Gremio, you,-know any such,
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.

5

Kath. Why, and I trust, I may go too; May I

not?

What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, be

like,

I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha!

[Exit.

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are so good, here is none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our

4

so strange?] That is, so odd, so different from others in your conduct. JOHNSON.

5

- cunning men-] Cunning had not yet lost its original signification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the translation of the Bible. JOHNSON.

your gifts - Gifts for endowments.