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Tra. Hufh, mafter, 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 fobriety.

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;

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

Afide.

Cath. A pretty peat! it is beft 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'st 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 most delight
In mufic, inftruments, and poetry;
Schoolmasters 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 ftay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.

Cath. Why, and, I trust, I may go too, may I not? What, fhall I be appointed hours, as tho', belike, I

30

knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha!

3

SCENE

III.

[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 dow on both fides. Farewel; 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 the delights, I will with 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 "fpecially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, Sir, 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 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 money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipp'd at the high-crofs 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 to a husband, we fet his youngeft free for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet Bianca! happy man be his dole! he that runs fastest gets the ring; how fay you, Signior

Gremio ?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the
VOL. II.
C c

beft

best horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would throughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on.

SCENE

IV.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio.

Manent Tranio and Lucentio.

Tra. I pray, Sir, tell me, is it possible
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 perifh, Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modest girl.
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, thou canft;
Aflift me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

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

If love hath toil'd you, nought remains but fo,
Redime te captum quàm queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents; The reft will comfort, for thy counfel'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 saw sweet beauty in her face;
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

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 fuch a ftorm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath fhe did perfume the air
Sacred and fweet 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 eldeft fifter is fo curs'd and fhrewd,

That

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 the fhall 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 fchoolmafters to inftru&t 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 firft.

Tra. You will be fchoolmafter,

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 houfe, 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 houfe, Nor can we be diftinguith'd by our faces,. For man or mafter: then it follows thus. Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my ftead Keep houfe, and port, and fervants, as I fhould. I will fome other be, fome Florentine, Some Neapolitan, or meaner inan of Pifa. 'Tis hatch'd, and fhall be fo: Tranio, at once Uncafe thee: take my colour'd hat and cloak. When Biondello comes, he waits on thee; But I will charm him firft to keep his tongue. Tra. So had you need. [They exchange habits. In brief, good Sir, fith it your pleasure is, And I am ty'd to be obedient,

(For fo your father charge'd me at our parting; Be ferviceable to my fon, quoth he),

Altho', I think, 'twas in another fenfe;

I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo; becaufe Lucentio loves;

Cc 2

And

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And let me be a flave t'atchieve that maid,
Whofe fudden fight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Enter Biondello.

Here comes the rogue. Sirrah, where have you been?
Bion. Where have I been? nay, how now, where are
you? Mafter, has my fellow Tranio ftol'n your cloaths,
or you stol'n his, or both? Pray, what's the news?
Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jeft;
And therefore frame your manners to the time,
Your fellow Tranio here, to fave my life,
Puts my apparel and my count'nance on,
And I for my efcape have put on his :
For in a quarrel, fince I came afhore,
I kill'd a man, and fear I am defcry'd:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes;
While I make way from hence to fave my life.
You understand me?

Bion. Ay, Sir, ne'er à whit.

Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth;
Tranio is change'd into Lucentio.
Lucentio..

Bion. The better for him: would I were fo too. Tra. So would I, 'faith, boy, to have the next with after; that Lucentio indeed had Baptifta's youngest daughter. But, firrah, not for my fake, but your mafter's, I advise you, ufe your manners difcreetly in all kind of companies: when I am alone, why, then I am Tranio; but in all places elfe, your mafter Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, let's go one thing more refts, that thyfelf execute, to make one among these wooers; if thou afk me why, fufficeth my reafons are both good and weighty. [Exeunt.

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Enter Petruchio, and Grumio.

Pet. Verona, for a while I take my leave,
To fee my friends in Padua ; but of all
My best beloved and approved friend,

Hortenfio;

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