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Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have,
And fo fhe fhall. Lucentio fhall make one,
Tho' Paris came, in hope to fpeed alone.

Gre. What, this gentleman will out-talk 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, Sir; 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, Sir, 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, understand you this of me, infooth:
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of fuitors,
And will not promife her to any man,
Until the eldest fifter first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Muft fteed us all, and me amongst the reft;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger free
For our access: whofe hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo gracelefs be, to be ingrate.

Har. Sir, you fay well, and well you do 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. (8) Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,

(3) Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign wberecf,

Pleafe you, we may contrive this Afternoon,]

Pleafe

What were they to contrive? Or how is it any Teftimony of Tranio's confenting to be liberal, that he will join in contriving with them? In fhort, a foolish Corruption poffeffes the Place, that quite frips the Poet of his intended Humour. Tranio is but a fuppofed Gentleman: His Habit has all the Gentility he has about

Please ye, we may convive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses 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
Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it fo,
Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

gone.

[Exeunt.

[The Prefenters, above, Speak here. 1 Man. My Lord, you nod; you do not mind the Play. Sly. Yea, by St. 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!

ACT II.

SCENE, Baptifta's Houfe in Padua.

G

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

BIANCA.

OOD Sifter, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,
To make a bond-maid and a flave of me;

That I difdain; (9) but for these other Gauds,

him and the Poet, I am perfuaded, meant that the Servingman's Qualities fhould break out upon him; and that his Mind fhould rather run on good Cheer than Contrivances. The Word is regularly derived from Convivium and Convivor of the Latines.

(6)

But for thefe other Goods,] This is fo triffing and unexpreffive a Word, that, I am fatisfied our Author wrote, Gauds, (i. e. Toys, trifling Ornaments ;) a Term that he frequently ufes and feems fond of,

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 fwear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Cath. Oh, then, belike, you fancy riches more ;
You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do so 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 bere

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 fhame, thou hilding of a devilish fpirit,

Why doft thou wrong her, that did ne'er wrong thee? When did the cross thee with a bitter word ?

Cath. Her filence flouts me; and I'll be reveng'd.

[Flies after Bianca.

Bap. What, in my fight? Bianca, get thee in.

[Exit Bianca.

Cath. Will you not fuffer me? nay, now I fee, She is your treafure; the must have a husband; I muft dance bare-foot 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 Cath.

Bap.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd, as I? But who comes here ?

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 Sir; pray, have you not a daughter call'd Catharina, fair and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, Sir, call'd Catharina.
Gre. You are too blunt; go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, Signior Gremio, give me leave. I am a gentleman of Verona, Sir,

That, hearing of her beauty and her wit,

Her affability and bashful modefty,

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

Within your houfe, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report, which I fo oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

[Prefenting Hortenfio.

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 else you do me wrong,
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, Sir, 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 else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not, I fpeak but what I find. Whence are you, Sir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name, Antonio's fon,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap

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Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his fake. Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, let us, that are poor petitioners, fpeak too. Baccalare!—you are marvellous forward. (10)

Pet. Oh, pardon me, Signior Gremio, I would fain be doing. (11)

Gre. I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am fure of it. To exprefs the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, free leave give to this young fcholar, that hath been long ftudying at Reims, [Prefenting Lucentio.] as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in mufick and mathematicks; his name is Cambio; pray, accept his fervice.

Bap. A thoufand thanks, Signior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio. But, gentle Sir, methinks, you walk like a ftranger; [To Tranio.] may I be fo bold to know the caufe of your coming?

(10) Baccare, you are marvellous forward.] But not fo forward, as our Editors are indolent and acquiefcing. This is a stupid Cor-. ruption of the Prefs, that none of them have div'd into. We must read, Baccalare, as Mr. Warburton acutely obferv'd to me; by which the Italians mean, Thou arrogant, prefumptuous Man! The Word is ufed fcornfully, upon any one that would affume a Port of Grandeur and high Repute.

(11) Pet. Oh, pardon me, Signior Gremio, I would fain be doing. Gre. I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing Neighbours. This is a Gift;] It would be very unreafonable, after fuch a Number of Inftances, to fufpect, the Editors ever dwelt on the Meaning of any Paffage: But why fhould Petruchio curfe his wooing Neighbours? They were none of them his Rivals: Nor, though he fhould curfe his own Match afterwards, did he commence his Courtship on their Accounts. In short, Gremio is defign'd to answer to Petruchio in doggrel Rhime, to this Purpose, "Yes; I "know, you would fain be doing; but you'ff cope with fuch a Devil, that you will have Reafon to curfe your Wooing.".. and then immediately turns his Difcourfe to Baptifta, whom he calls Neighbour, (as he had done before at the Beginning of this Scene,) and makes his Present to him.

Tra.

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