SCENE II.

Enter Baptifta with Catharina and Bianca, Gremio and Hortenfio. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by.

Bap. Gentlemen Both, 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. She's too rough for me: There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife? Cath. I pray you, Sir, 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.

Cath. 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 shall be

To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd ftool,
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 stark mad, or wonderful fro

ward.

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

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well faid, mafter; mum! and gaze your fill.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good What I have faid, Bianca, get you in;

afide.

And

And let it not difplease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl.

Cath. A pretty Peat! it is 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 my self.

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

[afide. Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange? 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,

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 Signior 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 fo farewel: Catharina, you may stay,
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!

S

CE

NE

III.

[Exit.

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are to good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails.

Dd 2

together,

together, and fast it fairly out. Our cake's dow 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, Signior Gremio: but a word, I pray; tho' 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 'specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, Sir, 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, Hortenfo, tho' her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio; tho' it pafs your patience and mine to endure her loud alarms, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light 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 whip'd at the high-crofs every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's a small choice in rotten apples: but, come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be so far forth friendly maintain'd, 'till by helping Baptifta's eldeft daughter to a huf band, 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, Signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the beft horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would throughly

throughly wooe her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio.

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1

Manent Tranio and Lucentio,

IV.

Tra. I pray, Sir, 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 th' 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 perish, Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modest girl:
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, thou canft;
Affift me, Tranio, for, I know, thou wilt.

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

2 If Love hath toyl'd you, nought remains but so, Redime te captum quàm queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents; The reft will comfort, for thy counsel's found. Tra. Mafter, you look'd fo longly on the maid, Perhaps, you mark'd not what's the pith of all. Luc. O yes, I faw sweet Beauty in her face; Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

I

th' effect of Love in idlenefs:] i. e. the effect, or virtue of the Flower fo called. See Midfummer Night's Dream.

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

If Love hath TOYL'D
L'D you,

i. e. taken you in his toils, his nets. Alluding to the captus eft, babet, of the fame Author.

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That

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 raise up such a storm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din ?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath she did perfume the air;
Sacred and sweet was all I faw in her.

Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to stir him from his trance : I pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wit t' atchieve her. Thus it ftands:
Her eldest Sifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

That till the Father rids his Hands of her,
Mafter, your Love must live a Maid at home;
And therefore has he closely 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 school-masters to inftruct her? Tra. Ay, marry, am I, Sir; 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 first.

Tra. You will be fchool-master,

And undertake the teaching of the maid:
That's your device.

Luc. It is may it be done?

Tra. Not poffible: for who fhall 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 diftinguifh'd by our faces,
For man or mafter: then it follows thus.

Thou