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Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I say, a devil: think'st thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?

fo

Hor. Tufh, Gremio! though it pafs your patience and mine to endure her loud alarms, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all her faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipp'd at the high-crofs every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's small choice in rotten apples: come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd, till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband we set his youngest free for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet Bianca! happy man be his dole! he that runs fastest gets the ring: how say you, fignior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin the wooing that would throughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her! Come on.

[Exeunt Gre. and Hor. Manent Tra. and Lucen.

SCENE IV.

Tra. I pray, fir, tell me, is it poffible
That love fhould on a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. O, Tranio, till I found it to be true,

I never thought it poffible, or likely.
But fee, while idly I stood looking on,
I found th' effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainness do confess to thee,
That art to me as fecret and as dear
As Anna to the queen of Carthage was,
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modest girl:
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canft;
Affift me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now;

Affection

Affection is not rated from the heart.

If love hath touch'd you, nought remains but so,
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward; this contents;
The reft will comfort, for thy counsel's found.
Tra. Master, you look'd fo longly on the maid,
Perhaps, you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
Luc. O, yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face,
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan ftrand.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not how her sister
Began to fcold, and raise up fuch a storm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din ?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath fhe did perfume the air;
Sacred, and fweet, was all I faw in her.

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Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to ftir him from his trance:
I pray, awake, fir; if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wit t'atchieve her. Thus it ftands:
Her eldest fifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

That, till the father rids his hands of her,
Master, your love must live a maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because the fhall not be annoy'd with fuitors.

Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took fome care
To get her cunning schoolmafters to instruct her ?
Tra. Ay, marry, am I, fir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine firft.

Tra. You will be schoolmafter,

And undertake the teaching of the maid :

That's

your device.

VOL. II.

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Luc. It is may it be done?

Tra. Not poffible: for who fhall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon,

Keep house, and ply his book, welcome his friends,
Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Bafta, content thee, for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house,
Nor can we be diftinguish'd by our faces,
For man, or master: then it follows thus:
Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my ftead;
Keep house, and port, and fervants, as I fhould.
I will fome other be, fome Florentine,

Some Neapolitan, or meaner man

Of Pifa. It is hatch'd, and shall be so:
Tranio, at once uncafe thee: and here take
My hat and cloak. When Biondello comes,
He waits on thee; but I will charm him first
To keep his tongue.

Tra. And fo, fir, had you need.

In brief, good fir, fith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient;

For fo your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be serviceable to my fon, quoth he,

(Although, I think, 'twas in another fenfe)
I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo, because Lucentio loves;

And let me be a flave t'atchieve that maid,

Whose sudden fight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Enter Biondello.

Here comes the rogue. Sirrah, where have you been?

Bion. Where have I been? nay, how now, where are you? Master, has Tranio stolen your cloths,

Or you ftol'n his, or both? pray, what's the news?

Luc. Sirrah, come hither: tis no time to jest,

And

And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to fave my life,
Puts my apparel and my count'nance on,
And I for my escape have put on his:
For in a quarrel, fince I came afhore,
I kill'd a man, and fear I am defcry'd:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes;
While I make way from hence to fave my life.
You understand me?

Bion. Ay, fir, ne'er a whit.

Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth; Tranio is chang'd into Lucentio.

Bion. The better for him; would I were fo too!

Tra. So would I, 'faith, boy, to have the next wish after, that Lucentio indeed had Baptifta's youngest daughter. But, firrah, not for my fake, but your master's, I advise you, use your manners discreetly in all kind of companies: when I am alone, why, then I am Tranio; but in all places elfe, your master Lucentio.

:

Luc. Tranio, let's go one thing more refts, that thyself execute, to make one among these wooers; if thou ask me, why? fufficeth my reasons are both good and weighty,

[Exeunt.

Pet.

SCENE V.

Before Hortenfio's house in Padua.

Enter Petruchio, and Grumio.

ERONA, for a while I take my leave,
To fee my friends in Padua; but, of all,

VE

My best beloved and approved friend,
Hortenfio; and, I trow, this is the house;
Here, firrah, Grumio; knock, I say."

----knock, I fay.

Gru. Knock, fir? whom should I knock? is there any man has rebus'd your worship?

Pet. Villain, I fay, knock me here foundly.

Gru. Knock you here, fir? why, fir, what am I, fir,

That I fhould knock you here, fir?

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Pet.

Enter Hortenfio*.

Hor. Alla noftra cafa ben venuto, multo honorato fignior mio Petruchio.

And tell me now, sweet friend, what happy gale

Blows you to Padua here from old Verona?

Pet. Such wind as scatters young men through the world,

To feek their fortunes farther than at home,

Where small experience grows: but, in a few,

Signior Hortenfio, thus it ftands with me;

Antonio my father is deceas'd,

And I have thrust myself into this maze,
Happ❜ly to wive and thrive, as best I may:

Pet. Villain, I fay, knock me at this gate,
And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.
Gru. My mafter is grown quarrelfome:

I fhould knock you first,

And then I know after, who comes by the worft.
Pet. Will it not be?

'Faith, firrah, an you'll not knock, I'll ring it;

I'll try how you can fol, fa, and fing it.

Gru. Help, miftrefs, help! my mafter is mad.

Pet. Now knock when I bid you: firrah! villain!

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Enter, &c.

Hortenfio.

[he wrings him by the ears.

Hor. How now, what's the matter? my old friend Grumie! and my good friend Petruchio! how do you all at Verona ?

Pet. Signior Hortenfio, come you to part the fray?

Con tutti le core bene trovato may I say.

Hor. Alla, &c.

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Rife, Grumio, we will compound this quarrel.

Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, what he leges in latin. If this be not a lawful caufe for me fo leave his fervice, look you, fir: he bid me knock him, and rap him foundly, fir. Well, was it t for a fervant to use his master fo, being, perhaps, for ought I fee, two and thirty, a pip out? Whom would to god I had well knock'd at firft;

Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Pet. A fenfelefs villain! Good Hortenfio,

I bid the rascal knock upon your gate,

And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Gru. Knock at the gate? o heav'ns! fpake you not these words plain? firrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock me well, and knock me foundly? and come you now with, knocking at the gate?

Pet. Sirrah, be gone, or talk not, I advise you.

Hor. Petruchio, patience! I am Grumio's pledge:
Why, this is a heavy chance 'twixt him and you,
Your ancient, trufty, pleasant servant Grumio;
And tell me now, &c.

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