Page. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me; Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.

Sly. 'Tis much.

Servants, leave me and her alone.

Madam, undress you, and come now to bed.

Page. Thrice noble lord, let me entreat of you

To pardon me yet for a night or two;

Or, if not so, until the sun be set:

For your physicians have expressly charg'd,
In peril to incur your former malady,
That I should yet absent me from your bed:
I hope this reason stands for my excuse.

Sly. Ay, it stands so, that I may hardly tarry so long. But I would be loath to fall into my dreams again. I will therefore tarry, in despite of the flesh and the blood.

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: Is it not a comonty, a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling-trick? Page. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing stuff. Sly. What, household 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.

RANIO, 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,
My trusty servant, well approv'd in all,
Here let us breathe, and haply 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 traffic through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio's son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd,
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.

Tranio. 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 stoics, nor no stocks, I pray,
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd:
Balk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk:
Music and poesy use to quicken you;

The mathematics, and the metaphysics,

Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you:

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 a while: what company is this?

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

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand aside. Baptista. Gentlemen, importune me no farther, 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,

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gremio. To cart her rather: She's too rough for

me:

There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

Katharina. I pray you, sir, [to BAP.] is it your will To make a stale of me amongst these mates? Hortensio. 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's some good pastime

toward;

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

Put finger in the eye- -an she knew why.
Bianca. 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. [Aside.] Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva 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:
Go in, Bianca.
[Exit BIANCA.
And, for I know she taketh most delight

In music, 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

[Exit. May I

To mine own children in good bringing-up; And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay; For I have more to commune with Bianca. Kath. Why, and I trust I may go too. not? What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, 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 so good here's none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together and fast it fairly out; our cake's dough on both sides. 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 she delights, I will wish him to her father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word, I