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Lord. Madam, and nothing else; fo lords call ladies. Sly. Come, fit down on my knee. Sim, drink to her. Madam wife, they say, that I have dream'd, and slept above some fifteen years and more.

Lady. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me,

Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.

Sly. 'Tis much. Servants, leave me and her alone: madam, undress you, and come now to bed. Sim, drink to her. Lady. Thrice noble lord, let me entreat of you,

To pardon me yet for a night or two:

Or, if not fo, until the fun be fet;
For your phyficians have exprefly charg'd,
In peril to incur former malady,
That I should yet absent me from

your

your bed:

I hope, this reafon ftands for my excufe.

Sly. Ay, it ftands fo, that I may hardly tarry fo long: but I would be loath to fall into my dream again: I will therefore tarry in despite of the flesh and the blood.

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Enter a Meffenger.

Mell. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment,

Are come to play a pleasant comedy;

For fo your doctors hold it very meet,

Seeing so much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,

And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy ;

Therefore they thought it good you hear a play,

And frame your mind to mirth and merriment,

Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

Sly. Marry, I will; let them play; is it not a commodity ?

a christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick?

Lady. No, my good lord, it is more pleasing stuff.

Sly. What, houfhold stuff?

Lady. It is a kind of history.

Sly. Well, we'll fee't: come, madam wife, fit by my fide, and

let the world flip; we shall ne'er be younger.

Kk 2

THE

****

THE

TAMING OF THE SHREW.

T

ACT I. SCENE L

Padua.

Flourish. Enter Lucentio, and Tranio.

LUCENTI O.

RANIO, fince for the great defire I had
To fee fair Padua, nursery of arts,

I am arriv'd from 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,
Most trusty servant, well approv'd in all;
Here let us breathe, and happily 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 traffick through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii:

Lucentio his fon, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to ferve all hopes conceiv'd,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,
To virtue, and that part of philosophy,
Will I apply, that treats of happiness,

By

By virtue specially to be atchiev'd.

Tell me thy mind; for I have Pisa left,
And am to Padua come, as he that leaves
A fhallow plash to plunge him in the deep,
And with fatiety feeks to quench his thirst.
Tra. Me pardonato, gentle mafter mine,
I am in all affected as yourself;

Glad that you thus continue your refolve,
To fuck the sweets of sweet philofophy:
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral difcipline,
Let's be no ftoicks, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or fo devote to Ariftotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd.
Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetorick in your common talk;
Mufick, and poefy ufe to quicken you;
The mathematicks, and the metaphyficks,
Fall to them as you find your stomach ferves you :
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta’en :
In brief, fir, ftudy what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercy, Tranio, well dost thou advise;
If, Biondello, thou wert come afhore,

We could at once put us in readiness,

And take a lodging fit to entertain

Such friends, as time in Padua fhall beget.

But stay a while; what company is this?

Tra. Mafter, fome fhow to welcome us to town.

SCENE II.

Enter Baptifta with Catharina and Bianca, Gremio and Hortenfio. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by.

Bap. Gentlemen both, importune me no farther,

For how I firmly am resolv'd you know;

That

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Catharina,

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather: fhe's too rough for me.
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?

Cath. I pray you, fir, is it your will and pleasure
To make a ftale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you;

Unless you were of gentler milder mould.

Cath. I'faith, fir, you shall never need to fear;

I wis, it is not half way to her heart :

But, if it were, doubt not, her care fhall be

To comb your noddle with a three-legg❜d ftool,

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

Hor. From all fuch devils, good lord, deliver me!

Gre. And me too, o good lord!

Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime toward,. That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Why, well faid, mafter; mum, and gaze your fill. Bap. Come, gentlemen, that I may soon make good What I have faid, Bianca, get you in,

And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;

For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

afide.

Cath. A pretty peat! it is best put finger in the eye, an she

knew why.

Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.

Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe :

My books and inftruments fhall be my company,

On them to look, and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak. [afide. Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange?

Sorry

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Gre. Why will you mew her

up,

Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
Bap. Content ye, gentlemen; I am refolv'd:

Go in, Bianca.

And for I know she taketh most delight
In musick, instruments, and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house,
Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio,
Or, fignior 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 fo farewel. Catharina, you may stay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit Bianca.

[Exit.

Cath. Why, I truft, 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!

SCENE III.

[Exit.

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are so good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and faft it fairly out: our cake's dough on both fides. Farewel; yet, for the love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein fhe delights, I will wish him to her father.

Hor. So will I, fignior Gremio: but a word, I pray: though the nature of our quarrel never yet brook'd 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 'fpecially.

Gre. What's that, I pray

?

Hor. Marry, fir, to get a husband for her fifter.

Gre. A husband! a devil.

Hor.

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