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Tra. An if I be, fir, is it any offence?

Gre. No; if, without more words, you will get you hence. Tra. Why, fir, I pray, are not the streets as free For me, as for you?

Gre. But fo is not fhe.

Tra. For what reafon, I beseech you? Gre. For this reason, if you'll know: She's the choice love of fignior Gremio. Hor. She is the chofen of Hortenfio.

Tra. Softly, my mafters! if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right; hear me with patience.
Baptifta is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;
And were his daughter fairer than fhe is,
She may more fuitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have,
And fo fhe fhall. Lucentio fhall 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. Hortenfio, to what end are all these words?
Hor. Sir, let me be fo bold as to ask you,

Did you yet ever fee Baptifta's daughter ?

Tra. No, fir; but hear I do that he hath two:
The one as famous for a fcolding tongue,
As the other is for beauteous modefty.

Pet. Sir, fir, the firft'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, underftand you this of me, infooth:
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all accefs of fuitors;
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest sister first be wed:

The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra.

Tra. If it be fo, fir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me amongst the rest;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger free
For our access; whose hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well do you conceive:
And fince you do profefs to be a fuitor,

You muft, as we do, gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack; in sign whereof,
Please ye, we may convive this afternoon,
And quaff caroufes to our mistress' health,
And do as adverfaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion. O excellent motion! fellows, let's be gone. Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so; Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

I Man. My lord, you nod, you do not mind the play. Sly. Yea, by faint Ann, do I: a good matter, furely! comes there any more of it?

Lady. My lord, 'tis but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work: madam lady, would 'twere done!

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WOOD fifter, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,
To make a bondmaid and a flave of me;

G

That I difdain: but for thefe other gaudes,

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Unbind my hands, I'll pull 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.

Cath. Of all thy fuitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'ft beft: fee thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, fifter, of all men alive

I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Cath. Minion, thou lieft; is't not Hortenfio?
Bian. If you affect him, fifter, here, I swear,
I'll plead for you myself but you shall have him.
Cath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do fo envy me?
Nay, then you jeft, and now I well perceive
You have but jested with me all this while;
I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands.
Cath. If that be jeft, then all the reft was fo.

Enter Baptifta.

[Strikes ber.

Bap. Why, how now, dame, whence grows this infolence? Bianca, ftand afide; poor girl, fhe weeps;

Go, ply thy needle, meddle not with her.

For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,

Why doft thou wrong her, that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?
Cath. Her filence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.

[flies at Bianca.

Bap. What, in my fight! Bianca, get thee in.
Cath. Will you not fuffer me? nay, now I fee,
She is your treasure, fhe 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 fit and weep,
Till I can find occafion of revenge.

[Exit. Bian.

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Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I?

But who comes here?

SCENE II.

Enter Gremio, Lucentio in the habit of a mean man, Petruchio with Hortenfio like a musician, Tranio and Biondello bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptifta.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio: god fave you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good fir! pray, have you not a daughter call'd Catharina, fair and virtuous?

Bap. I have a daughter, fir, call'd Catharina.

Gre. You are too blunt, go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, fignior Gremio; give me leave.

I am a gentleman of Verona, fir,

That, hearing of her beauty, and her wit,

Her affability, and bashful modesty,

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,
Am bold to fhow myself a forward guest

[prefenting Hor:

Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report, which I fo oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do prefent you with a man of mine,
Cunning in mufick, and the mathematicks,
To inftruct her fully in thofe fciences,
Whereof, I know, fhe is not ignorant:
Accept of him, or elfe you do me wrong;
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. Y'are welcome, fir, and he, for your good fake.
But for my daughter Catharine, this I know,

She is not for your turn, the more's my grief.

Pet. I fee, you do not mean to part with her, Or elfe you like not of my company.

Bap. Miftake me not, I fpeak but what I find.

Whence

Whence are you, fir? what

may I call
I call your name?
Pet. Petruchio is my name, Antonio's fon,
A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his fake. Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, let us that are poor petitioners speak too. Baccalare! you are marvellous forward. Pet. O, pardon me, fignior Gremio; I would fain be doing. Gre. I doubt it not, fir, but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour! this is a gift very grateful, I am fure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, free leave give to this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Reims, [presenting Luc.] as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in musick, and mathematicks; his name is Cambio; pray, accept his service.

Bap. A thousand thanks, fignior Gremio: welcome, good
Cambio. But, gentle fir, methinks, you walk like a stranger; [to
Tranio.] may I be fo bold to know the cause of your coming?
Tra. Pardon me, fir, the boldness is mine own,
That, being a stranger in this city here,
Do make myself a fuitor to your daughter,
Unto Bianca, fair, and virtuous:

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest fifter.
This liberty is all that I request,

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I

may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo,

And free accefs and favour as the reft.

And toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a fimple inftrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books.
If you accept them, then their worth is great.

[they greet privately.
Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence I pray?
Tra. Of Pifa, fir, fon to Vincentio.
Bap. A mighty man of Pifa; by report

I know him well; you are very welcome, fir.

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