Curt. In her chamber, making a sermon of continency to her;

And rails, and swears, and rates, that she, poor

soul,

Knows not which way to stand, to look, to speak,
And sits as one new-risen from a dream.

Away, away! for he is coming hither.

Re-enter PETRUCHIO.

[Exeunt. 190

Pet. Thus have I politicly begun my reign,
And 'tis my hope to end successfully.

My falcon now is sharp and passing empty;
And till she stoop she must not be full-gorged,
For then she never looks upon her lure.
Another way I have to man my haggard,
To make her come and know her keeper's call,
That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites
That bate and beat and will not be obedient.
She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat;
Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not;
As with the meat, some undeserved fault

I'll find about the making of the bed;

And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets:
Ay, and amid this hurly I intend

That all is done in reverend care of her;

193. sharp, with a keen appetite, peckish.'

194. stoop (a term in falconry), fall upon the prey at the hawker's bidding and thus show that she is fully tamed.

195. lure, stuffed figure of a bird, used in training hawks.

196. man my haggard, tame my wild hawk.

198. watch, keep from sleep

(in falconry).

199. bate, flutter.

200

201. Last night she slept not; this causes some difficulty, as it is not apparent how Petruchio knew whether Katharine had slept or not on the night before the marriage.

206. hurly, hurly-burly.
ib. intend, pretend.
207. reverend, reverent.

And in conclusion she shall watch all night:
And if she chance to nod I'll rail and brawl
And with the clamour keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness;
And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong
humour.

He that knows better how to tame a shrew,

Now let him speak: 'tis charity to show.

SCENE II. Padua.

[Exit.

Before BAPTISTA's house.

210

Enter TRANIO and HORTENSIO.

Tra. Is't possible, friend Licio, that Mistress
Bianca

Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand.

Hor. Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said, Stand by and mark the manner of his teaching.

Enter BIANCA and LUCENTIO.

Luc. Now, mistress, profit you in what you read? Bian. What, master, read you? first resolve me that.

Luc. I read that I profess, the Art to Love.

Bian. And may you prove, sir, master of your art!
Luc. While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of
my heart!

Hor. Quick proceeders, marry! Now, tell me,
I pray,

211. kill a wife with kindness, a proverb of the sixteenth century, subsequently made the basis of Heywood's most effective play.

3. bears me fair in hand, gives me encouragement.

10

8. The Art to Love; an allusion to Ovid's Ars amandi.

11. proceeders, with a play upon v. 9, to 'proceed' being the technical term for taking a degree.

G

You that durst swear that your mistress Bianca
Loved none in the world so well as Lucentio.
Tra. O despiteful love! unconstant woman-
kind!

I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.

Hor. Mistake no more: I am not Licio,
Nor a musician, as I seem to be;

But one that scorn to live in this disguise,
For such a one as leaves a gentleman,

And makes a god of such a cullion:
Know, sir, that I am call'd Hortensio.

Tra. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard

Of your entire affection to Bianca ;

And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,
I will with you, if you be so contented,

Forswear Bianca and her love for ever.

Hor. See, how they kiss and court! Signior Lucentio,

Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow

Never to woo her more, but do forswear her,
As one unworthy all the former favours
That I have fondly flatter'd her withal.

Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath, Never to marry with her though she would en

treat:

Fie on her! see, how beastly she doth court him! Hor. Would all the world but he had quite forsworn!

For me, that I may surely keep mine oath,

I will be married to a wealthy widow,

Ere three days pass, which hath as long loved me
As I have loved this proud disdainful haggard.
And so farewell, Signior Lucentio.

Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks,
Shall win my love: and so I take my leave,
In resolution as I swore before.

[Exit.

20

30

Tra. Mistress Bianca, bless you with such grace As 'longeth to a lover's blessed case!

Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love,
And have forsworn you with Hortensio.

Bian. Tranio, you jest: but have you both forsworn me?

Tra. Mistress, we have.

Luc.

Then we are rid of Licio.

Tra. I' faith, he'll have a lusty widow now,
That shall be woo'd and wedded in a day.
Bian. God give him joy!

Tra. Ay, and he'll tame her.
Bian.

He says so, Tranio. Tra. Faith, he is gone into the taming-school. Bian. The taming-school! what, is there such a place?

Tra. Ay, mistress, and Petruchio is the master; That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long, To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue.

Enter BIONDello.

Bion. O master, master, I have watch'd so long That I am dog-weary: but at last I spied An ancient angel coming down the hill,

Will serve the turn.

Tra.

What is he, Biondello?

Bion. Master, a mercatante, or a pedant,
I know not what; but formal in apparel,
In gait and countenance surely like a father.

57. tricks eleven and twenty long; the allusion has not been satisfactorily explained; some editors suggest an allusion to the card game of one-andthirty.

61. an ancient angel, a colloquial name for worthy old

50

60

men of somewhat formal cut; probably from the coin. Cotgrave renders the Fr. angelot à la grosse escaille by an old angell; and by metaphor, a fellow of the old, sound, honest and worthy stamp.'

63. mercatante(Ital.) merchant.

Luc. And what of him, Tranio?
Tra. If he be credulous and trust my tale,
I'll make him glad to seem Vincentio,
And give assurance to Baptista Minola,
As if he were the right Vincentio.

Take in your love, and then let me alone.

[Exeunt Lucentio and Bianca.

Enter a Pedant.

Ped. God save you, sir!

Tra.
And you, sir! you are welcome.
Travel you far on, or are you at the farthest?
Ped. Sir, at the farthest for a week or two:
But then up farther, and as far as Rome;

And so to Tripoli, if God lend me life.
Tra. What countryman, I pray?

Ped.

Of Mantua.

Tra. Of Mantua, sir? marry, God forbid! And come to Padua, careless of your life?

Ped. My life, sir! how, I pray? for that goes
hard.

Tra. 'Tis death for any one in Mantua
To come to Padua. Know you not the cause?
Your ships are stay'd at Venice, and the duke,
For private quarrel 'twixt your duke and him,
Hath publish'd and proclaim'd it openly:
'Tis marvel, but that you are but newly come,
You might have heard it else proclaim'd about.

Ped. Alas! sir, it is worse for me than so;
For I have bills for money by exchange
From Florence and must here deliver them.
Tra. Well, sir, to do you courtesy,
This will I do, and this I will advise you :
First, tell me, have you ever been at Pisa?

Ped. Ay, sir, in Pisa have I often been,
Pisa renowned for grave citizens.