Lord. Madam, and nothing else; so lords call ladies.

Sly. Come, sit down on my knee. Sim, drink to her. Madam
wife, they say, that I have dream'd, and Nept above some fifteen
years and more.

Lady. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me,
Being all this time abandon’d from

your

bed.
Sły. '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 so, until the sun be set;
For your physicians have exprefly charg'd,
In peril to incur your former malady,
That I should yet absent me from your bed :
I hope, this reason stands for

my

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

SC E N E VI.

Enter a Messenger.
Mes. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment,
Are come to play a pleasant comedy ;
For so your doctors hold it very meet,
Seeing so much sadness hath congeald 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, houshold stuff?
Lady. It is a kind of history.

Sly. Well, we'll see’t: come, madam wife, fit by my side, and
let the world slip; we shall ne'er be younger.

Kk 2

THE

T

Flourish. Enter Lucentio, and Tranio.

LUCENTIO.
TRANIO, since for the great desire I had

To see 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 son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve 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,

Ву

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 shallow plash to plunge him in the deep,
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirft.

Tra. Me pardonato, gentle master mine,
I am in all affected as yourself;
Glad that you thus continue your resolve,
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy:
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur’d.
Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetorick in your common talk;
Musick, and poesy use to quicken you;
The mathematicks, and the metaphysicks,
Fall to them as

you

find your stomach serves you:
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta’en :
In brief, fir, study what you

most affect.
Luc. Gramercy, Tranio, well doft thou advise ;
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness,
And take a lodging fit to entertain
Such friends, as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay a while; what company is this?

Tra. Master, some show to welcome us to town.

SCENE II.
Enter Baptista with Catharina and Bianca, Gremio and Hortensio.

Lucentio and Tranio stand 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 : she's too rough for me.
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?

Cath. I pray you, sir, 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 shall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg’d stool,
And paint your face, and use

you like a fool.
Hor. From all such devils, good lord, deliver me!
Gre. And me too, o good lord !

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

Luc. But in the other's silence I do fee
Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

aside.
Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Why, well said, master; mum, and gaze your fill.
Bap. Come, gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said, Bianca, get you in,
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca;
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.

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

Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent.
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe :
My books and instruments shall be my company,

,
On them to look, and practise by myself

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

Sorry

Sorry am I that our good will effects
Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why will you mew her up,
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue?

Bap. Content ye, gentlemen ; I am resolv’d:
Go in, Bianca.

[Exit 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 so farewel. Catharina, you may stay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.
Cath. Why, I trust, I may go too, may I not? what, Thall I
be appointed hours, as though, belike, I knew not what to take,
and what to leave ? ha!

[Exit.

2

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

Hor. So will I, signior 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 'specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray ?
Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.
Gre. A husband! a devil.

Hor.