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Gre. And so we will,-provided that he win her.
Gru. I would I were as sure of a good dinner.

Enter TRANIO bravely apparelled, and BIONDELLO.

Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold, Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way

To the house of Signior Baptista Minola?

Bion. He that has the two fair daughters:-is't [aside to Tranio] he you mean?

Tra. Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, sir; you mean not her to―(20)

Tra. Perhaps, him and her, sir: what have you to do?
Pet. Not her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray.

Tra. I love no chiders, sir.-Biondello, let's away.
Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

Hor. Sir, a word ere you go;—

Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?

Tra. An if I be, sir, is it any offence?

[Aside.

Gre. No; if without more words you will get you hence.
Tra. Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free

For me as for you?

Gre.

But so is not she.

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?
Gre. For this reason, if you'll know,-

That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.

Hor. That she's the chosen of Signior Hortensio.
Tra. Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right,-hear me with patience.
Baptista is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;
And, were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have:
And so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What, this gentleman will out-talk us all!
Luc. Sir, give him head: I know he'll prove a jade.
Pet. Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

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Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as ask you,
Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter?

Tra. No, sir; but hear I do that he hath two;
The one as famous for a scolding tongue,
As is the other for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, sir, the first'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, in sooth:
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of suitors;
And will not promise her to any man
Until the elder sister first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me amongst the rest;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat, (21)
Achieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access,-whose hap shall be to have her
Will not so graceless be to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well you do conceive;

And since you do profess to be a suitor,

You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholding.

Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof,

Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;

And do as adversaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion. O excellent motion! Fellows, let's be gone. Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so :Petrucio, I shall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.

ACT II.

Padua. A room in BAPTISTA's house.

Enter KATHARINA and BIANCA.

Bian. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;

That I disdain: but for these other gawds, (22)

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.

Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best: see thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou liest: is't not Hortensio ?
Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Kath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more :
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so?
Nay, then you jest; and now I well perceive
You have but jested with me all this while :
I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so.

Enter BAPTISTA.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this inso

lence?

Bianca, stand aside :-poor girl! she weeps:

Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.—

For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,

Why dost thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?

Kath. Her silence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd.

[Flies after Bianca.

Bap. What, in my sight?-Bianca, get thee in.

[Exit Bianca. Kath. What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see She is your treasure, she must have a husband;

I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day,
And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell.
Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep,
Till I can find occasion of revenge.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I?

But who comes here?

[Exit.

Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in the habit of a mean man; PETRUCIO, with HORTENSIO as a musician; and TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptista.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio.-God save you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter Call'd Katharina, fair and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina.

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 modesty,

Her wondrous qualities and mild behaviour,—

Am bold to show myself a forward guest

Within your house, to make mine eye the witness

Of that report which I so oft have heard.

And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

I do present you with a man of mine, [Presenting Hortensio.
Cunning in music and the mathematics,

To instruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof I know she 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 sake. But for my daughter Katharine, this I know,

She is not for your turn, the more my grief.

Pet. I see you do not mean to part with her;
Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not; I speak but as I find.
Whence are you, sir? what may I call
your name?
Pet. Petrucio is my name; Antonio's son,

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his sake.
Gre. Saving your tale, Petrucio, I pray,

Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too:
Baccare! you are marvellous forward.

Pet. O, pardon me, Signor Gremio; I would fain be doing.
Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your woo-

ing.

Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar [presenting Lucentio], that hath been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in music and mathematics: his name is Cambio ; pray, accept his service.

Bap. A thousand thanks, Signior Gremio.-Welcome, good Cambio.-But, gentle sir [to Tranio], methinks you walk like a stranger: may I be so bold to know the cause of your coming?

Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own;

That, being a stranger in this city here,

Do make myself a suitor to your daughter,

Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous.

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest sister.
This liberty is all that I request,—
That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo,
And free access and favour as the rest:

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a simple instrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books:
If you accept them, then their worth is great.

Bap. Lucentio is your name-of whence, I pray?

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