Suitors to her, and rivals in my love: (For those defects I have before rehearsed,) Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en ;- A title for a maid, of all titles the worst. To old Baptista as a schoolmaster And, unsuspected, court her by herself. Enter GREMIO; with him LUCENTIO, disguised, with books under his arm. Gru. Here's no knavery! folks, how the young folks lay Master, master, look about you. See, to beguile the old their heads together! 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. O, 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: Seignior Baptista's liberality, I'll mend it with a largess. Take your papers too, For she is sweeter than perfume itself, To whom they go. What will you read to her? 1 To be well seen in any art was to be well skilled in it. 60 VOL. II. 2 Rate. As for my patron, (stand you so assured,) Gre. O this learning! what a thing it is! Hor. Grumio, mum!-God save you, seignior Gremio! Gre. And you're. well met, seignior Hortensio. Whither I am going?—To Baptista Minola About a schoolmaster for fair Bianca; And, by good fortune, I have lighted well And other books,-good ones, I warrant you. 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. 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? My father dead, my fortune lives for me; Gre. O sir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange: But, if you have a stomach, to't, o' God's name, But will you woo this wild cat? Will I live? Pet. Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent? [Aside. 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.1 Gru. Gre. Hortensio, hark! For he fears none. [Aside. This gentleman is happily arrived, My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours. [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? 1 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. 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? That she's the choice love of seignior Gremio. Hor. That she's the chosen of seignior Hortensio. To whom my father is not all unknown; Gre. What! This gentleman will outtalk us all. Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter? As is the other for beauteous modesty. 1 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. Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, in sooth ;- Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man For our access, whose hap shall be to have her, 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, Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends. 2 Gre. Bion. O excellent motion! Fellows, 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 Malone supposed. |