As for my patron, stand you so assur'd,
As firmly as yourself were still in place:
Yea, and perhaps with more successful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.
Gre. O, this learning! what a thing it is!
Gru. O, this woodcock! what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, sirrah!

Hor. Grumio, mum!-[Coming forward.]—God save you, signior Gremio!

Gre. And you are well met, signior Hortensio. Trow you, whither I am going?-To Baptista Minola.

I promis'd to inquire carefully

About a schoolmaster for the fair Bianca:
And, by good fortune, I have lighted well

On this young man; for learning, and behaviour,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry,
And other books,-good ones, I warrant ye.

Hor. 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine musician to instruct our mistress:
So shall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me, and that my deeds shall prove.
Gru. And that his bags shall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love. Listen to me, and if you speak me fair, I'll tell you news indifferent good for either. Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met, Upon agreement from us to his liking, Will undertake to woo curst Katharine; Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please. Gre. So said, so done, is well.Hortensio, have you told him all her faults? Pet. I know, she is an irksome, brawling scold: If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, say'st me so, friend? What countryman? Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's son: My father dead, my fortune lives for me; And I do hope good days, and long, to see.

Gre. O! sir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange;

But if you have a stomach, to't o' God's name :
You shall have me assisting you in all.

But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet.

Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her. Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent? Think you, a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea, puff'd up with winds, Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat? Have I not heard great ordnance in the field, And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies? Have I not in a pitched battle heard Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang? And do you tell me of a woman's tongue, That gives not half so great a blow to the ear, As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire? Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs. Gru.

For he fears none.

Gre. Hortensio, hark. This gentleman is happily arriv'd, My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours. Hor. I promis'd we would be contributors, And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe'er.

Gre. And so we will, provided that he win her. Gru. I would, I were as sure of a good dinner. Enter TRANIO, bravely apparelled; and BIONDELLO. Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold,

Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

Hor. Sir, a word ere you go.

[Aside.

Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea, or no? Tra. An if I be, sir, is it any offence?

Gre. No; if without more words you will get you hence.

Tra. Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free For me, as for you?

Gre.
But so is not she.
Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?
Gre. For this reason, if you'll know,

That she's the choice love of signior Gremio.
Hor. That she's the chosen of signior Hortensio.
Tra. Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right; hear me with patience.
Baptista is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown,
And were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then, well one more may fair Bianca have,
And so she shall. Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What! this gentleman will out-talk us all. Luc. Sir, give him head: I know, he'll prove a jade.

Pet. Hortensio, to what end are all these words? Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as ask you, Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter?

Tra. No, sir; but hear I do, that he hath two, The one as famous for a scolding tongue, As is the other for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by. Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules, And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me; insooth,
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of suitors,
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the elder sister first be wed;
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me among the rest;
And if you break the ice, and do this seek,
Achieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access, whose hap shall be to have her
Will not so graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do conceive:
And since you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholding.

Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof, Please ye we may contrive this afternoon, And quaff carouses to our mistress' health; And do as adversaries do in law, Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion. O, excellent motion! Fellows, let's begone.

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so.Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto. [Exeunt.

To make a bondmaid, and a slave of me.
That I disdain; but for these other goods,
Unbind my hands I'll put them off myself,
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;
Or what you will command me will I do,
So well I know my duty to my elders.

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.

Enter BAPTISTA.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence?

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. What! will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see,

She is your treasure, she must have a husband;
I must dance barefoot 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 KATHARINA. Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? But who comes here?

Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in a mean habit; PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as a Musician; and TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista.
Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio.

save you, gentlemen!

God

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. Backare 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.

Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar, [Presenting LUCENTIO.] that hath been long studying at Rheims; 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, [ To TRANIO.] methinks, you walk like a stranger: 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 eldest sister.
This liberty is all that I request,—
That, upon 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:
If you accept them, then their worth is great.
Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence, I pray?
Tra. Of Pisa, sir; son to Vincentio.
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!

Enter a Servant.

Sirrah, lead these gentlemen

To my daughters; and tell them both,

These are their tutors: bid them use them well.

[Exit Servant, with HORTENSIO, LUCENTIO,
and BIONDello.

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,
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, That 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 speed!

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 mu sician?

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;
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 had she 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,
[Exeunt BAPTISTA, GREMIO, TRANIO,
and HORTENSIO.
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.

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,

Remove you hence. I knew you at the first,
You were a moveable.

Pet. Women are made to bear, and so are you.
Kath. No such jade as you, if me you mean.
Pet. Alas, good Kate! I will not burden thee;
For, knowing thee to be but young and light,-
Kath. Too light for such a swain as you to catch,
And yet as heavy as my weight should be.
Pet. Should be? should? buz-

Kath.
Well ta'en, and like a buzzard.
Pet. O, slow-wing'd turtle! shall a buzzard take
thee?

Kath. Ay, for a turtle, as he takes a buzzard. Pet. Come, come, you wasp; i'faith, you are too angry.

Kath. If I be waspish, best beware my sting.
Pet. My remedy is, then, to pluck it out.

flowers.

Thou canst not frown, thou canst not look askance,
Nor bite the lip, as angry wenches will;
Nor hast thou pleasure to be cross in talk;
But thou with mildness entertain'st thy wooers,
With gentle conference, soft and affable.

Why does the world report that Kate doth limp?
O, slanderous world! Kate, like the hazel-twig,
Is straight, and slender; and as brown in hue
As hazel nuts, and sweeter than the kernels.
O! let me see thee walk: thou dost not halt.
Kath. Go, fool, and whom thou keep'st command.
Pet. Did ever Dian so become a grove,
As Kate this chamber with her princely gait?
O! be thou Dian, and let her be Kate,
And then let Kate be chaste, and Dian sportful.
Kath. Where did you study all this goodly speech?
Pet. It is extempore, from my mother-wit.
Kath. A witty mother! witless else her son.
Pet. Am I not wise?

Pet. Marry, so I mean, sweet Katharine, in thy bed.

And therefore, setting all this chat aside,
Thus in plain terms:-your father hath consented
That you shall be my wife; your dowry 'greed on,
And, will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now; Kate, I am a husband for your turn;
For, by this light, whereby I see thy beauty,
Thy beauty that doth make me like thee well,
Thou must be married to no man but me:
For I am he, am born to tame you, Kate,
And bring you from a wild Kate to a Kate
Conformable, as other household Kates.
Here comes your father: never make denial;
I must and will have Katharine to my wife.

Re-enter BAPTista, Gremio, and TRANIO. Bap. Now, signior Petruchio. how speed you with my daughter?

Pet. How but well, sir? how but well? It were impossible I should speed amiss.

Bap. Why, how now, daughter Katharine! in your dumps?

Kath. Call you me daughter? now, I promise you,
You have show'd a tender fatherly regard,
To wish me wed to one half lunatic;

A mad-cap ruffian, and a swearing Jack,
That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
Pet. Father, 'tis thus:-yourself and all the world,
That talk'd of her, have talk'd amiss of her.
If she be curst, it is for policy,

For she's not froward, but modest as the dove;
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn;
For patience she will prove a second Grissel,
And Roman Lucrece for her chastity;

And to conclude,- -we have 'greed so well together,
That upon Sunday is the wedding-day.

Kath. I'll see thee hang'd on Sunday first. Gre. Hark, Petruchio: she says, she'll see thee hang'd first.

Tra. Is this your speeding? nay then, good night our part.

Pet. Be patient, gentlemen; I choose her for myself:

If she and I be pleas'd, what's that to you?
'Tis bargain'd 'twixt us twain, being alone,
That she shall still be curst in company.
I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe

How much she loves me. O, the kindest Kate!

She vied so fast, protesting oath on oath,
That in a twink she won me to her love.
O! you are novices: 'tis a world to see,
How tame, when men and women are alone,
A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.-
Give me thy hand, Kate: I will unto Venice;
To buy apparel 'gainst the wedding-day.—
Provide the feast, father, and bid the guests;
I will be sure, my Katharine shall be fine.
Bap. I know not what to say; but give me your

hands:

God send you joy, Petruchio! 'tis a match.

Gre. Tra. Amen, say we : we will be witnesses. Pet. Father, and wife, and gentlemen, adieu. I will to Venice; Sunday comes apace. We will have rings, and things, and fine array; And, kiss me Kate, we will be married o' Sunday. [Exeunt PETRUCHIO and KATHARINA, severally. Gre. Was ever match clapp'd up so suddenly? Bap. Faith, gentlemen, now I play a merchant's part,

And venture madly on a desperate mart.

Tra. 'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you: "Twill bring you gain, or perish on the seas.

Bap. The gain I seek is-quiet in the match. Gre. No doubt but he hath got a quiet catch.— But now, Baptista, to your younger daughter. Now is the day we long have looked for:

I am your neighbour, and was suitor first.

Tra. And I am one, that love Bianca more Than words can witness, or your thoughts can guess. Gre. Youngling, thou canst not love so dear as I. Tra. Grey-beard, thy love doth freeze. Gre. But thine doth fry. Skipper, stand back: 'tis age, that nourisheth. Tra. But youth, in ladies' eyes that flourisheth. Bap. Content you, gentlemen; I'll compound

this strife:

'Tis deeds, must win the prize; and he, of both, That can assure my daughter greatest dower, Shall have my Bianca's love.

Say, signior Gremio, what can you assure her?
Gre. First, as you know, my house within the

city

Is richly furnished with plate and gold :
Basons, and ewers, to lave her dainty hands;
My hangings all of Tyrian tapestry:
In ivory coffers I have stuff'd my crowns;
In cypress chests my arras, counterpoints,
Costly apparel, tents, and canopies,

Fine linen, Turkey cushions boss'd with pearl,
Valance of Venice gold in needle-work,
Pewter and brass, and all things that belong
To house, or housekeeping: then, at my farm,
I have a hundred milch-kine to the pail,
Six score fat oxen standing in my stalls,
And all things answerable to this portion.
Myself am struck in years, I must confess;
And if I die to-morrow this is hers,

If whilst I live she will be only mine.

Tra. That "only" came well in.-Sir, list to me :

I am my father's heir, and only son:

If I may have your daughter to my wife,
I'll leave her houses three or four as good,
Within rich Pisa walls, as any one
Old signior Gremio has in Padua ;
Besides two thousand ducats by the year

Of fruitful land, all which shall be her jointure.—
What, have I pinch'd you, signior Gremio?

Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year of land!