Think you, a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the sea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat?
Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard

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 chesnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs 27.
Gru.

Gre. Hortensio, hark!

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

For he fears none.

[Aside.

My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours.
Hor. I promis'd, we would be contributors,
And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe'er.
Gre. And so we will; provided, that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as sure of a good dinner.

[Aside.

Enter TRANIO, bravely apparell'd; 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 signior Baptista Minola?

Gre. He that has the two fair daughters-is't [Aside to Tranio,] he you mean?

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.
Tra. I love no chiders, sir:-Biondello, let's away.
Luc. Well begun, Tranio.
Hor.

[Aside.

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?
Gre. For this reason, if you'll know,-

That she's the choice love of signior Gremio.

Hor. That she's the chosen of signior Hortensio.
Tra. Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right,-hear me with patience.
Baptista is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;
And, were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have:
And so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came, in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What! this gentleman will out-talk us all.
Luc. Sir, give him head; I know, he'll prove a jade.

Pet. Hortensio, to what end are all these words? Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as to ask you, Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter?

Tra. No, sir; but hear I do, that he hath two; The one as famous for a scolding tongue, As is the other for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me: let her go by. Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules; And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

insooth ;

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me,
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of suitors;
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the elder sister first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me among the rest;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,—
Achieve the elder, set the younger free

For our access,-whose hap shall be to have her,
Will not so graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do 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,

Please ye we may contrive this afternoon 28,

And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;

And do as adversaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion. O excellent notion! Fellows, let's be

gone.

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so;Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

ACT II. SCENE I.

The same.

[Exeunt.

A Room in Baptista's House.

Enter KATHARINA and BIANCA.

Bian. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong your-
self,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;
That I disdain: but for these other gawds,-
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.

Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell,
Whom thou lov'st best: see thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou liest; Is't not Hortensio? Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear, I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him. Kath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more; You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so? Say, then you jest; and now I well perceive,

You have but jested with me all this while:
I pr'ythee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so.

Enter BAPTISTA.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence?

Bianca, stand aside; poor girl! she weeps:

Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.

For shame, thou hilding 29 of a devilish spirit,

Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?
Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.
[Flies after Bianca.

Bap. What in my sight?-Bianca, get thee in.
[Exit Bianca.

Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see, She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding-day, And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell. Talk not to me; I will go sit and weep, Till I can find occasion of revenge.

[Exit Katharina.

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

But who comes here?