I wis, it is not half way to her heart:
But if it were, doubt not, her care fhall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd ftool,
Art paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.

Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver me.
Gre. And me too, O good Lord.

Tra. Hush, mafter, here is fome good paftime
toward,

That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful froward
Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee
Maids mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Why, well faid, mafter; mum, and gaze your fill.

Afide.

Bap. Come, 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.

Cath. A pretty Pet, it is beft put finger in the eye, an

she 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 practise by my self.

Luc. Hark, Tramo, thou may't hear Minerva fpeak.

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. Content ye, Gentlemen; I am refolv'd:
Go in, Bianca.

And for I know fhe taketh moft delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry,
School-mafters 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

[Afide,

[Exit Bianca.

I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing up;
And fo farewel. Catharina, you may stay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.

Cath. Why, I truft I may go too, may I not? what, fhall I be appointed hours, as the', belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha!

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, "Hortenfo, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out. Our cake's dow on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my fweet 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 miftrefs and be happy rivals in Bianca's love, to labour and effect one thing 'specially.

Gre. What's that,

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 pass 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 mony enough.

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 fay, there's fmall choice in rotten apples: 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 youngest free for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet

Bianca happy man be his dole! he that runs faftest gets the ring; how fay you, Signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed, and would I had given him the best horfe in Padua to begin the wooing that would throughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on. [Exeunt Gre. and Hor. Manent Tra, and Lucem. SCENE IV.

Tra. I pray, Sir, tell me, is it poffible
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 modeft girl:
Counsel me, Tranie, for I know thou canst
Affift 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 touch'd you, nought remains but so,
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents,
The reft will comfort, for thy counsel'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 faw fweet 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. Tranie, 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 ftir him from his trance:
I pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid,

H 3

Bend

Bend thoughts and wit t'atchieve her. Thus it ftands
Her eldeft fifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

That 'till the father rids his hands of her,
Mafter, your love muft 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 school-mafters to instruct 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 first.

Tra. You will be school-mafter,

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 house, 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 feen in any house,
Nor can we be diftinguish'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 man
Of Pifa. It is hatch'd, and fhall be fo:
Tranio, at once uncafe thee: and here take
My hat and cloak. When Biondello comes,
He waits on thee, but I will charm him first
To keep his tongue.

Tra. And fo, Sir, had you need.

In brief, good Sir, fith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient,

For fo your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be ferviceable to my son, quoth he,

(Altho

(Altho' I think 'twas in another fenfe)

I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo, because Lucentio loves; 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 Tranio flolen your cloaths,

Or you ftol'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 escape 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 a whit.

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

Bion. The better for him, would I were fo too.

Tra. So would I, 'faith, boy, to have the next wifh after, that Lucentio indeed had Baptifta's youngest daughter. But, firrah, not for my fake, but your mafter's, I advise you use 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 thy felf execute, to make one among these wooers; if thou afk me, why? fufficeth my reasons are both good and weighty.

[Exeunt SCENE V. Before Hortenfio's Houfe in Padua. 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,

Hor