Enter LUCENTIO and his man TRANIO.
Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,
I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy ;
And by my father's love and leave am arm'd
With his good will and thy good company,
My trusty servant, well approved 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,
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 conceived,
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 achieved.
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, 9. ingenio liberal.

20 30

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 abjured :
Balk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk;
Music and poesy use to quicken you;
The mathematics and the metaphysics,
Fall to them as you

stomach serves you ;
No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en :
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness,
And take a lodging fit to entertain
Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay a while : what company is this?

Tra. Master, some show to welcome us to town.

find your

40

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO,

and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand by.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am resolved you
That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter
Before I have a husband for the elder:
If either of you both love Katharina,

know;

50 60

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,
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
And paint your face and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord deliver us!
Gre. And ine too, good Lord !
Tra. Hush, master ! here's some good pastime

toward :
That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence do I see
Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.
Peace, Tranio!
Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your

fill.
Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said, Bianca, get you in :
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca,
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

Kath. A pretty, peat ! it is best
Put finger in the eye, an she knew why.
Bian. Sister, content you

in
my

discontent.

70

80 90

Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe :
My books and instruments shall be my company,
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 that our good will effects
Bianca's grief.
Gre.

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 resolvel:
Go in, Bianca :

[Exit Bianca. 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 To mine own children in good bringing up: And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay, 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. 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: 97. Prefer, direct.

100 W

our cake's dough on both sides.

Farewell : yet, 110 for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, 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.

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

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

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

Gre. I say, a devil. Thinkest thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell ?

Hor. Tush, Greinio, though it pass your 130 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.

Gre. I cannot tell ; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipped 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 friendly maintained till by helping Baptista's

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