I have forgot your name; but, sure, that part
Was aptly fitted and naturally perform'd.
A Player. I think 't was Soto that your
honour means.

90

Lord. 'Tis very true; thou didst it excellent. Well, you are come to me in happy time, The rather for I have some sport in hand Wherein your coming can assist me much. There is a lord will hear you play to-night; But I am doubtful of your modesties, Lest, over-eyeing of his odd behaviour, For yet his honour never heard a play, You break into some merry passion And so offend him; for I tell you, sirs, If you should smile he grows impatient. A Player. Fear not, my lord; we can contain ourselves,

Were he the veriest antic in the world.

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100

And with declining head into his bosom,
Bid him shed tears, as being overjoy'd
To see her noble lord restor❜d to health,
Who for this seven years hath esteemed him
No better than a poor and loathsome beggar.
And if the boy have not a woman's gift
To rain a shower of commanded tears,
An onion will do well for such a shift,
Which in a napkin being close convey'd
Shall in despite enforce a watery eye.
See this dispatch'd with all the haste thou
canst;

725

130

Anon I'll give thee more instructions.
[Exit a Servingman.
I know the boy will well usurp the grace,
Voice, gait, and action of a gentlewoman.

I long to hear him call the drunkard husband; And how my men will stay themselves from laughter

When they do homage to this simple peasant.
I'll in to counsel them; haply my presence 188
May well abate the over-merry spleen
Which otherwise would grow into extremes.
[Exeunt.]

[SCENE II. A bedchamber in the Lord's house.] Enter aloft the drunkard [SLY, richly dressed,] with ATTENDANTS; some with apparel, basin and ewer, and other appurtenances; and LORD [like a servant].

Sly. For God's sake, a pot of small ale.

1. Serv. Will 't please your lordship drink a cup of sack?

2. Serv. Will 't please your honour taste of these conserves?

3. Serv. What raiment will your honour wear to-day?

Sly. I am Christophero Sly; call not me [5 honour nor lordship. I ne'er drank sack in my life; and if you give me any conserves, give me conserves of beef. Ne'er ask me what raiment I'll wear; for I have no more doublets than backs, no more stockings than legs, nor no more shoes than feet; nay, sometime more feet [10 than shoes, or such shoes as my toes look through the overleather.

Lord. Heaven cease this idle humour in your honour!

O, that a mighty man of such descent,

Of such possessions, and so high esteem,
Should be infused with so foul a spirit!

15

Sly. What, would you make me mad? An

not I Christopher Sly, old Sly's son of Burton heath, by birth a pedlar, by education a [20 card-maker, by transmutation a bear-herd, and now by present profession a tinker? Ask Marian Hacket, the fat ale-wife of Wincot, if she know me not. If she say I am not fourteen pence on the score for sheer ale, score me up for the lying'st knave in Christendom. [25 What! I am not bestraught. Here's

3. Serv. O, this it is that makes your lady mourn!

2. Serv. O, this is it that makes your servants droop!

Lord. Hence comes it that your kindred shuns your house,

As beaten hence by your strange lunacy.
O noble lord, bethink thee of thy birth,

30

Call home thy ancient thoughts from banishment

She was the fairest creature in the world; And yet she is inferior to none.

Sly. Am I a lord? And have I such a lady? Or do I dream? Or have I dream'd till now? I do not sleep; I see, I hear, I speak, I smell sweet savours, and I feel soft things. Upon my life, I am a lord indeed And not a tinker nor Christophero Sly. Well, bring our lady hither to our sight; And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale. 2. Serv. Will' 't please your mightiness to wash your hands?

O, how we joy to see your wit restor❜d!

75

O, that once more you knew but what you are!

80

My men should call me "lord"; I am your goodman.

Page. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband,

I am your wife in all obedience.

Sly. I know it well. What must I call her? Lord. Madam.

111

Sly. Al'ce madam, or Joan madam?
Lord. Madam, and nothing else: so lords

call ladies.

SCENE I. Padua. A public place.]

Enter LUCENTIO and his man TRANIO.
Luc. Tranio, 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 s
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,

10

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, 15 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.
Tra. Mi perdonato, 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. 5
Music and poesy use to quicken you.
The mathematics and the metaphysics,
Fall to them as you find your stomach serves

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHERINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, a pantaloon, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand by.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am resolv'd you know;
That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter so
Before I have a husband for the elder.

If either of you both love Katherina,
Because I know you well and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your
pleasure.

Gre. [Aside.] To cart her rather; she's too rough for me.

There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?
Kath. 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,

60

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

On them to look and practise by myself. Luc. 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.

85

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.] 91 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

96

To mine own children in good bringing up; And so farewell. Katherina, you may stay; 100 For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.

Kath. Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What, shall I be appointed hours, as though, belike,

I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha! [Exit. 105 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 Bi- [110 anca, 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.

114

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio. But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never 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?

121

Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.

Gre. A husband! a devil.
Hor. I say, a husband.

125

Gre. I say, a devil. Think'st thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is wo very a fool to be married to hell?

129

Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience and mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough.

134

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipp'd at the high cross every morning."

Hor. Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten apples. But come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth [140 friendly maintain'd till by helping Baptista's eldest daughter to a husband we set his youngest 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 say you, Signior Gremio ?

on.

146

155

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing that would thoroughly woo her, wed her and bed her, and rid the house of her! Come [Exeunt Gremio and Hortensio. 150 Tra. I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold? Luc. O Tranio, till I found it to be true, I never thought it possible or likely; But see, while idly I stood looking on, I found the effect of love in idleness; And now in plainness do confess to thee, That art to me as secret and as dear As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was, Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio, If I achieve not this young modest girl. Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst; Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt. Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now; Affection is not rated from the heart. If love have touch'd you, naught remains but

80,

"Redime te captum quam queas minimo.”

100

165

Luc. Gramercies, lad, go forward; this con

And be in Padua here Vincentio's son, Keep house and ply his book, welcome his friends,

Visit his countrymen and banquet them?

205

Luc. Basta, content thee, for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house,
Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces
For man or master. Then it follows thus:
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house and port and servants, as I should.
I will some other be, some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
"T is hatch'd and shall be so. Tranio, at once
Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak.
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.
Tra. So had you need.

In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient,

210

215

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

Bion. The better for him; would I were sc too!

Tra. So could I, faith, boy, to have the next wish after,

That Lucentio indeed had Baptista's younges daughter.

249

But, sirrah, not for my sake, but your master's, I advise

You use your manners discreetly in all kind of companies.

When I am alone, why, then I am Tranio; But in all places else your master Lucentio. Luc. Tranio, let's go. One thing more rests, that thyself execute, to make one among these wooers. If thou ask me why, sufficeth my reasons are both good and weighty.

The presenters above speak.

[Exeunt.

And then I know after who comes by the worst.
Pet. Will it not be?
Faith, sirrah, an you 'll not knock, I'll ring it.
I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

[He wrings him by the ears. Gru. Help, masters, help! my master is mad. Pet. Now, knock when I bid you, sirrah villain!

Enter HORTENSIO.

19

Hor. How now! what's the matter? My old friend Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio! How do you all at Verona ?

Pet. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?

24

Con tutto il cuore, ben trovato, may I say. Hor. Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato signor mio Petruchio.

Rise, Grumio, rise; we will compound this quarrel.