ACT I.

SCENE I. Padua. A public place.

Enter LUCENTIO and his man TRANIO.

Luc. Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,
I am arrived for 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,
My trusty servant, well approved in all,
Here let us breathe and haply 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 traffic through the world,
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.

Vincentio's son brought up in Florence
It shall become to serve all hopes conceived,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study,

5

10

15

Hanmer. Vin

Vincentio's son Vincentio comes

Bentivolij, Ff Q.
Vincentio his

Pope. Lucentio his Hanmer.
son] only son Keightley conj. son
and heir Keightley (Errata).
brought] brough F1.

Virtue and that part of philosophy
Will I apply that treats of happiness
By virtue specially to be achieved.
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 thirst.
Tra. Mi perdonato, 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 stoics nor no stocks, I pray;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjured:
Balk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk;
Music and poesy use to quicken you;

The mathematics and the metaphysics,

Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you;
No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en :

In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness,

18 Virtue] To virtue Hanmer.

25 Mi perdonato] Me Pardonato Ff. Me pardinato Q. Mi perdonate Capell (Heath conj.).

28 sweet] fair Anon. conj. Greek Elze conj. (Athen. 1868).

32 checks] Ff Q. ethicks Rann (Blackstone conj.). walks French conj. (Ill. News, 1856). See note (VIII).

VOL. III.

33 Ovid] FF. Ouid; FQ F2.
34 Balk] Talk Rowe. Chop Capell
conj. Hack Anon. conj.

with] with' Hunter conj.
38 you find] om. F4.

serves you] serves Anon. conj.

41 Gramercies] Gramercy Hanmer.
42 thou wert] now were Dyce (Collier
MS.). then were Delius conj.

2

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.

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO.
LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand by.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am resolved you know;
That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter
Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well and love you well,

Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. [Aside] To cart her rather she's too rough for me.
There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

Kath. I pray you, sir, is it your will

To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

56

Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

Kath. I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear:

I wis it is not half way to her heart;

45 as time] Rowe. (as time) Ff Q.
47 Baptista...Bianca] Baptista with

his two daughters, Katerina and Bi-
anca Ff. B. with and his...K. B. Q.
...Gremio...]...Gremio a Pantalowne
Ff (Pantelowne F1Q).

a

...and Hortensio...] ...Hortentio
sister to Bianca... FQ. ...H.
shuiter to B.... F. ...H. a suitor to
B.... F3F4.

Lucentio and Tranio] Lucen. Tranio
FfQ.

48 Gentlemen] Gentlemen both Theobald.
Good gentlemen Keightley. Pray
(or Now) gentlemen Id. conj.

no] not Rowe (ed. 2).

farther] further Steevens (1793). 52 Katharina] Katharine Collier MS. 55 [Aside] Edd.

57 sir,] sir, [to Bap.] Capell.

60

But if it were, doubt not her care should 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 us!
Gre. And me too, good Lord!

65

Tra. Husht, master! here's some good pastime toward: That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence do I see

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio !

Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill. Bap. 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.
Kath. 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.

70

70

85

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak." Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange? 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. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolved:
Go in, Bianca:

And for I know she taketh most delight

In music, instruments and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house,
Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio,
Or Signior 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 farewell. Katharina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

90

[Exit Bianca.

100

[Exit.

Kath. Why, and I trust 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? [Exit. Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are so good, here's none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out our cake's dough on both sides. Farewell: 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. 111

89 tongue?] tongue. F1.

90 Gentlemen, content ye] Content ye, gentlemen Hanmer.

90, 91 content... Bianca:] One line in Keightley.

90 resolved] resould F. resolud Q. 91 [Exit Bianca.] Theobald. om. Ff Q. 98 liberal] liberall, Ff Q. 102-104] Printed in Ff Q as four lines,

ending not?...though...take,....Ha.

As prose by Pope; by Capell as three lines, ending not?...belike,... ha!

102 and] om. Rowe.

104 leave, ha?] Dyce. leave? Ha. FfQ. 106 here's] here is F4

Their] FF. There Q. our F3F4. Your Malone conj. There; Collier. This Collier MS. Her Bubier conj. 108 cake's] F3F4. cakes F1F2.