Suitors to her, and rivals in my love:
Supposing it a thing impossible,
(For those defects I have before rehearsed,)
That ever Katharina will be wooed ;
Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en ;-
That none shall have access unto Bianca;
Till Katharine the curst have got a husband.

Gru. Katharine the curst!
A title for a maid, of all titles the worst.

Hor. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace;
And offer me, disguised in sober robes,
To old Baptista as a schoolmaster
Well seen in music to instruct Bianca.
That so I may by this device, at least,
Have leave and leisure to make love to her,
And, unsuspected, court her by herself.

Enter GREMIO ; with him LUCENTIO, disguised, with

books under his arm. Gru. Here's no knavery! See, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, master, look about you. Who

goes there? ha! Hor. Peace, Grumio : 'tis the rival of my love.Petruchio, stand by a while. Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous !

[They retire. Gre. 0, very well; I have perused the note. Hark you, sir ; I'll have them very fairly bound : All books of love, see that at any hand; 2 And see you read no other lectures to her: You understand me.—Over and beside Seignior Baptista's liberality, I'll mend it with a largess. Take your papers too, And let me have them very well perfumed; For she is sweeter than perfume itself, To whom they go.

What will you read to her? Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you,

2 Rate.

| To be well seen in any art was to be well skilled in it.

60

VOL. II.

474

TAMING OF THE SHREW.

[ACT I.

As for my patron, (stand you so assured,)
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!—God save you, seignior Gre-

mio!
Gre. And you're. well met, seignior Hortensio.

Trow you

Whither I am going ?—To Baptista Minola
I promised to inquire carefully
About a schoolmaster for fair Bianca;
And, by good fortune, I have lighted well
On this young man; for learning and behavior,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry
And other books,-good ones, I warrant you.

Hor. 'Tis well ; and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promised 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 beloved of me.

Gre. Beloved of me,—and that my deeds shall prove.
Gru. And that his bags shall prove.

[Aside.
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.

[Aside. Pet. Why came 1 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, puffed 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. [Aside. Gre. Hortensio, hark ! This gentleman is happily arrived, My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours.

Hor. I promised 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.

[Aside.

Enter Tranio, bravely apparelled; and BIONDELLO Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may

be bold Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way To the house of seignior Baptista Minola ?

Bion. He that has the two fair daughters ;-is't [ Aside to Tranio.] he you mean?

i Fright boys with bugbears.

Tra. Even he, Biondello.
Gre. Hark you, sir; you mean not her to-
Tra. Perhaps him and her, sir. What have you

to do?
Pet. Not her that chides, sir; at any hand, I pray.
Tra. I love no chiders, sir.—Biondello, let's away.
Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

[ Aside. Hor. Sir, a word ere you go.— 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 seignior Gremio.

Hor. That she's the chosen of seignior 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 outtalk 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.

| This hiatus is in the old copy; it is most probable that an abrupt Rentence was intended.

Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me ; let her go by.

Gre. Yea, leave that labor to great Hercules ;
And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, in sooth ;-
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 ;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
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 do you conceive;
And since you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholden.

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.
Gre. Bion. O excellent motion! Fellows,a let's be-

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

1 To contrive is to wear out, to pass away, from contrivi, the preterit of contero, one of the disused Latinisms.

2 Fellows means companions, and not fellow-servants, as Malono supposed.

!