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

Enter HORTENSIO.

Hor. How now? what's the matter? My old friend Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio!-How do you

all at Verona ?

Pet. Signior Hortenfio, come you to part the fray? Con tutto il core ben trovato, may I fay.

Hor. Alla noftra cafa ben venuto. Molto bonerato fignor mio Petruchio.

Rife, Grumio, rife; we will compound this quarrel.

Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, what he 'leges in Latin.-If this be not a lawful caufe for me to leave his fervice-Look you, fir-he bid me knock him, and rap him foundly, fir: Well, was it fit for a fervant to use his mafter fo; being, perhaps (for ought I fee), two and thirty—a pip out? Whom, would to God, I had well knock'd at first, Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Pat. 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 heavens !

Spake you not these words plain-Sirrah, 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 fervant Grumio.
And tell me now, fweet friend-what happy gale
Blows you to Padua here, from old Verona?

Pet. Such wind as fcatters 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 thruft myself into this maze,
Happly to wive, and thrive, as beft I may :
Crowns in my purfe I have, and goods at home,
And fo
am come abroad to fee the world.

Hor.

Hor. Petruchio, fhall I then come roundly to thee,
And wish thee to a fhrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thoud'ft thank me but a little for my counsel :
And yet I'll promise thee fhe shall be rich,

And very rich :-but thou'rt too much my friend,
And I'll not wifh thee to her.

Pet. Signior Hortenfio, 'twixt fuch friends as we
Few words fuffice: and, therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife
(As wealth is burden of my wooing dance),
Be the as foul as was Florentius' love,
As old as Sibyl. and as curft and fhrewd
As Socrates' Xantippe, or a worse,
She moves me not, or not removes, at least,
Affection's edge in me, were fhe as rough
As are the fwelling Adriatick feas :
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua ;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

Gru. Nay, look you, fir, he tells you flatly what his mind is: Why, give him gold enough, and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet baby; or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, though the have as many diseases as two and fifty horfes: why nothing comes amifs, fo money comes

withal.

Hor. Petruchio, fince we have ftept thus far in, I will continue that I broach'd in jeft.

I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and young, and beauteous;
Brought up, as beft becomes a gentlewoman:
Her only fault (and that is fault enough)

Is-that he is intolerably curst,

And fhrewd, and froward; fo beyond all measure,

That, were my ftate far worser than it is,

I would not wed her for a mine of gold.

Pet. Hortenfio, peace; thou know'ft not gold's effect:Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough;

For I will board her, though she chide as loud
As thunder, when the clouds in autumn crack.
Hor. Her father is Baptista Minola,
An affable and courteous gentleman:

B 2

Her

Her name is Katharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her fcolding tougue.
Pet. I know her father, though I know not her;
And he knew my deceased father well:-
I will not fleep, Hortenfio, till I fee her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

Gru. I pray you, fir, let him go while the humour lafts. O' my word, an fhe knew him as well as I do, she would think scolding would do little good upon him: She may, perhaps, call him half a score knaves, or fo: why that's nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks. I'll tell you what, fir-an fhe ftand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and fo disfigure her with it, that fhe fhall have no more eyes to fee withal than a cat: You know him not, fir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee; For in Baptifta's keep my treasure is:

He hath the jewel of my life in hold,

His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca;

And her withholds he from me, and other more
Suitors to her, and rivals in my love:
Suppofing it a thing impoffible

(For those defects I have before rehears'd),
That ever Katharina will be woo'd,
Therefore this order hath Baptifta ta'en ;-
That none fhall have accefs unto Bianca,
'Till Katharine the curft have got a husband.
Gru. Katharine the curft!

A title for a maid, of all titles the worst.

Hor. Now fhall my friend Petruchio do me grace ; And offer me, difguis'd in fober robes,

To old Baptifta as a school-mafter

Well seen in musick, to inftruct Bianca:
That fo I may by this device, at least,
Have leave and leifure to make love to her,
And, unfufpected, court her by herself.

Enter

Enter GREMIO, and LUCENTIO difguis'd, with Books under bis Arm.

Gru. Here's no knavery! See; to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, mafter, look about you: Who goes there? ha!

Hor. Peace, Grumio; 'tis the rival of my love :Petruchio, ftand by a while.

Gru. A proper ftrippling, and an amorous!
Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note.
Hark you, fir; I'll have them very fairly bound:
All books of love, fee that at any hand;

And fee you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me :-Over and befide
Signior Baptifta's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largefs:-Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;
For fhe is fweeter than perfume itself,

To whom they go. What will you read to her?
Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you,
As for my patron (ftand you fo affur'd),
As firmly as yourself were ftill in place :
Yea, and (perhaps) with more fuccessful words
Than you, unless you were a fcholar, fir.
Gre. O this learning! what a thing it is!
Gru. O this woodcock! what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, firrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum !-God fave you, fignior Gremio!
Gre. And you are well met, fignior Hortenfio. Trow

you

Whither I am going?-To Baptifta Minola.

I promis'd to inquire carefully

About a school-mafter for the fair Bianca:
And, by good fortune, I have lighted well

On this young man; for learning, and behaviour,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry,

And other books-good ones, I warrant you.
Hor. 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine mufician to inftruct our mistress:
So fhall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, fo belov'd of me.

B 3

Gre.

Gre. Belov'd of me-and that my deeds fhall prove. Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

[Afide. Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love: Listen to me, and, if you fpeak me fair, I'll tell you news indifferent good for either. Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met, Upon agreement from us to his liking, Will undertake to woo curft Katharine; Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please. Gre. So faid, fo done, is well :— Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults? Pet. I know the is an irksome brawling fcold;

If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fay'ft me fo, friend? What countryman
Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon:

My father dead, my fortune lives for me;

And I do hope good days, and long, to fee.

Gre. Oh, fir, fuch a life, with fuch a wife, were strange But, if you have a stomach, to't, o' God's name You fhall have me affifting you in all.

But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

1

Gru. Will he woo her! ay, or I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the fea, 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 fo great a blow to the ear,

As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire?

Tufh, tufh! fear boys with bugs.

Gru. For he fears none.

[Afide.

[Afide,

Gre. Hortenfio, hark!

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours.

Har