Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best: see thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou liest; Is't not Hortensio ?
Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Kath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so?
Nay, then you jest; and now I well perceive,
You have but jested with me all this while :
I pr'ythee, sister Kate, untie

my

hands.

Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this inso

lence?

Bianca, stand aside ;-poor girl! she weeps :-
Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.

-For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?

Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.

[Flies after BIANCA.

Bap. What, in my sight?-Bianca, get thee in.

[Exit BIANCA.

Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see,
She is your treasure, she must have a husband;
I must dance bare-foot on her wedding-day,
And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell.
Talk not to me; I will go sit and weep,

Till I can find occasion of revenge.

[Exit KATE

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I?

But who comes here?

[5] The word hilding or hinderling, is a low wretch: it is applied to Katharine for the coarseness of her behaviour. JOHNSON.

[6] "To lead apes" was in our author's time, as at present one of the employments of a bear-herd, who often carries about one of those animals along with his bear: but I know not how this phrase came to be applied to old maids. MALONE. That women who refused to bear children, should, after death, be condemned to the care of apes in leading-strings, might have been considered as an act of posthumous retribution. STEEVENS.

Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in the habit of a mean man ;
PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as a musician; and TRA-
NIC, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books.
Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista.

Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God save you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous?

Bap. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina :

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 bashful modesty,

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,-
Am bold to show myself a forward guest

Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,

[Presenting HORTENSIO.

Cunning in music, and the mathematics,
To instruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof, I know, she 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 sake: But for my daughter Katharine,-this I know,

She is not for your turn, the more my grief.

Pet. I see, you do not mean to part with her;

Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not, I speak but as I find.
Whence are you, sir, what may
I call your name?

Pet. Petruchio is my name; Antonio's son,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his sake. Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray,

Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too:

Baccare!' you are marvellous forward.

Pet. O, pardon me, signior Gremio; I would fain be doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your wooing.

[7] The word is an old proverbial one. FARMER.

---Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Rheims [Presenting LUCENTIO]; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in music and mathematics : his name is Cambio; pray, accept his service.

Bap. A thousand thanks, signior Gremio: welcome, Good Cambio.-But, gentle sir, methinks, you walk like a stranger; [To TRANIO.] May I be so bold to know the cause of your coming?

Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own;

That, being a stranger in this city here,

Do make myself a suitor to your daughter,

Unto Bianca, fair, and virtuous.

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me.
In the preferment of the elder sister:
This liberty is all that I request,-

That, upon my knowledge of my parentage,

I

may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo, And free access and favour as the rest.

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a simple instrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books :8
If you accept them, then their worth is great.

Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence, I pray?
Tra. Of Pisa, sir; son to Vicentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pisa; by report

I know him well you are very welcome, sir.

Take you [To HOR.] the lute, and you [To Luc.] the

set of books,

You shall go see your pupils presently.

Holla, within!—Sirrah, lead

Enter a Servant.

These gentlemen to my daughters; and tell them both,
These are their tutors; bid them use them well.-

-

[Exit servant, with HORT. LUCEN. and BION.

We will go walk a little in the orchard,

And then to dinner: You are passing welcome,

And so I pray you all to think yourselves.

Pet. Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste,

[8] In Queen Elizabeth's time the young ladies of quality were usually instructed in the learned languages, if any pains were bestowed on their minds at all. Lady Jane Grey and her sisters, Queen Elizabeth, &c. are trite instances. PERCY.

And every day I cannot come to woo.
You knew my father well; and in him, me.
Left solely heir to all his lands and goods,
Which I have better'd rather than decreas'd:
Then tell me,-if I get your daughter's love,
What dowry shall I have with her to wife?

Bap. After my death, the one half of my lands:
And, in possession, twenty thousand crowns.

Pet. And, for that dowry, I'll assure her of
Her widowhood,—be it that she survive me,—
In all my lands and leases whatsoever:
Let specialties be therefore drawn between us,
That covenants may be kept on either hand.

Bap. Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd,
This is, her love; for that is all in all.

Pet. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father,
I am as peremptory as she proud-minded;
And where two raging fires meet together,
They do consume the thing that feeds their fury :
Though little fire grows great with little wind,
Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all :
So I to her, and so she yields to me;

For I am rough, and woo not like a babe.

Bap. Well may'st thou woo, and happy be thy speea! But be thou arm'd for some unhappy words.

Pet. Ay, to the proof; as mountains are for winds That shake not, though they blow perpetually.

Re-enter HORTENSIO, with his head broken.

Bap. How now, my friend? why dost thou look so pale? Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale.

Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good musician? Hor. I think, she'll sooner prove a soldier;

Iron

may hold with her, but never lutes.

Bap. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute? Hor. Why, no; for she hath broke the lute to me.

I did but tell her, she mistook her frets,"

And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering;

When, with a most impatient devilish spirit,

Frets, call you these? quoth she: I'll fume with them :
And, with that word, she struck me on the head,

And through the instrument my pate made way;

[9] A fret is that stop of a musical instrument which causes or regulates the vi bration of the string. JOHNSON.

And there I stood amazed for a while,

As on a pillory, looking through the lute:
While she did call me,-rascal fiddler,

And-twangling Jack; with twenty such vile terms,
As she had studied to misuse me so.

Pet. Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench;
I love her ten times more than e'er I did:

O, how I long to have some chat with her!

Bap. Well, go with me, and be not so discomfited:
Proceed in practice with my younger daughter;
She's apt to learn, and thankful for good turns.
-Signior Petruchio, will you go with us;
Or shall I send my daughter Kate to you?
Pet. I pray you do; I will attend her here,—

[Exe. BAP. GRE. TRA. and HOR.
And woo her with some spirit when she comes.
Say, that she rail; Why, then I'll tell her plain,
She sings as sweetly as a nightingale :
Say, that she frown; I'll say, she looks as clear
As morning roses newly wash'd with dew:
Say, she be mute, and will not speak a word;
Then I'll commend her volubility,

And say, she uttereth piercing eloquence:
If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,
As though she bid me stay by her a week;

If she deny to wed, I'll crave the day

When I shall ask the banns, and when be married :-
But here she comes; and now, Petruchio, speak.
Enter KATHARINA.

Good-morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear.

Kath. Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing; They call me-Katharine, that do talk of me.

Pet. You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain Kate,
And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst;
But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom,
Kate of Kate-hall, my super-dainty Kate,
For dainties are all cates: and therefore, Kate,
Take this of me, Kate of my consolation;—
Hearing thy mildness prais'd in every town,
Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded,
(Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs,)
Myself am mov'd to woo thee for my wife.

Kath. Mov'd! in good time : let him that mov'd you hither,