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? 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: insooth,
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.

Trą, If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me among the rest;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,
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.

18 So in the original: commonly, but needlessly changed to feat. This plainly refers to Katharine: if you seck this one

R

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 1 this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;
And do as adversaries 20 do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
Gre. Bion. O, excellent motion!

begone.

Fellows, let's

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so:— Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

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,
Unbind my hands, I'll put them off myself,

19 To contrive is to wear out, to pass away, from contrivi, the preterite of contero, one of the disused Latinisms. So in Damon and Pithias, 1571: "In travelling countries, we three have contrived full many a year."

20 Adversaries here signifies contending barristers, or counsel lors, not their clients.

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, tel 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 pr'ythee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

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

Enter BAPTISTA.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence ?.

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

1 A hilding signified a base low wretch: it is applied to Katha rina for the coarseness of her behaviour. See All's Well that Ends Well, Act iii. sc 6, note 1.

Kath. What! will you not suffer me? Nay
now I see

She is your treasure, she must have a husband:
I must dance barefoot on her wedding-day,
And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell.2
Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep,
Till I can find occasion of revenge.

[Exit

Bup. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? But who comes here!

Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in a mean habit ; PETRICHIO, with HORTENSIO as a Musician; ana TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books. Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista.

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

P.t. And you, good sir: Pray, have you not a daughter

Cald Katharina, fair and virtuous ?

Bag. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina.
Gr. You are too blunt: go to it orderly.

Pd. You wrong me, signior Gremio: give me
leave.-

I am a gentleman of Verona, sir,

That.-bearing of her beauty and her wit,
Her affability, and bashful modesty,

Her wordrous 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,

* The origin of this very old proverbial phrase is not known Sveins rests that it might have been considered a retribution De wooned who reissed to bear children, to have the care of apes gas atler death.

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. Petruchio 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, Petruchio, I pray, Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too: Backare! you are marvellous forward.

3

Pet. O pardon me, signior Gremio; I would fain be doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your

wooing.

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 Lu CENTIO.] that hath been long studying at Rheims,

3 A sort of proverbial check to over-confidence, meaning go back. Mr. Collier thinks it may be from back there. Thus in the old play, Ralf Roister Doister: "Ah, sir! backare, quotb Morti mer to us sow."

a.