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Lady. My lord, 'tis but begun.

Beg. 'Tis a verie excellent peece of worke, madame ladie:

would 'twere done.

They fit and marke

Enter Petruchio, and his man Grumio.

Petr. Verona, for a while I take my leaue,
To fee my friends in Padua ; but of all
My best beloued and approued friend
Hortenfio: and I trow this is his house:
Heere firra Grumio, knocke I fay.

Gru. Knocke fir? whome should I knocke? Is there any man has rebus'd your worship?

Petr. Villaine I fay, knocke me heere foundly.

Gru. Knocke you heere fir? Why fir, what am I fir, that

I should knocke you heere fir.

Petr. Villaine I fay, knocke me at this gate,

And rap me well, or Ile knocke your knaues pate.
Gru. My mr is growne quarrelfome:

I should knocke you firft,

And then I know after who comes by the worst.

Petr. Will it not be?

Faith firrah, and you'l not knocke Ile ring it,

Ile trie how you can Sol, Fa, and fing it.

He rings him by the eares.

Gru. Helpe miftris helpe, my master is mad.

Petr. Now knocke when I bid you: firrah villaine.

Enter Hortenfio.

Hor.. How now, what's the matter? my old friend Grumie, and my good friend Petruchio? How do you all at Verona? Petr. Signior Hortenfio come you to part the fray? Contutti le core bene trobatto, may I fay.

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Hor. Alla noftra cafa bene venuto multo honorata fignior mio Petruchio.

Rife Grumio rife, we will compound this quarrell.

Gru. Nay 'tis no matter fir, what he leges in Latine. If this be not a lawfull caufe for me to leaue his feruice, looke you fir: he bid me knocke him, and rap him foundly fir, well, was it fit for a feruant to vse his master so, being perhaps (for ought I fee) two and thirty, a peepe out? Whome would to God I had well knockt at first then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Petr. A fenceleffe villaine: good Hortenfio,

I bad the rascall knocke vpon your gate,

And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Gru. Knocke at the gate? Oh heauens: fpake you not thefe words plaine? Sirra, knocke mee heere: rappe me heere: knocke me well, and knocke me foundly? And come you now with knocking at the gate ?

Petr. Sirra begon, or talke not I aduise you.
Hor. Petruchio patience, I am Grumio's pledge:
Why this a heauie chance twixt him and you,
Your ancient truftie pleasant feruant Grumio:
And tell me now (fweete friend) what happie gale
Blowes you to Padna heere, from old Verana?

Petr. Such winde as fcatters yong men through the world,

To feeke their fortunes farther then at home,

Where small experiencc growes but in a few,
Signior Hortenfio, thus it ftands with me,
Antonio my father is deceast,

And I haue thruft myselfe into this maze,

Happily to wiue and thriue, as best I may :

Crownes in my purse I haue, and goods at home,

And fo am come abroad to see the world.

Hor. Petruchio, fhall I then come roundly to thee,

And wish thee to a fhrew'd ill-fauor'd wife?

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Thou'dft thanke me but a little for my counfell :
And yet Ile promise thee she shall be rich,
And verie rich but th'are too much my friend,
And Ile not wish thee to her.

Petr. Hortenfio, 'twixt fuch friends as wee,
Few words fuffice: and therefore, if thou know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife:
(As wealth is burthen of my woing dance)
Be fhe as foule as was Florentius loue,
As old as Sibell, and as curft and shrow'd
As Socrates Zentippe, or a worfe:

She moues me not, or not remoues at least
Affections edge in me. Were the as rough
As are the fwelling Adriaticke seas.

I come to wiue it wealthily in Padua :
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

Gru. Nay looke you fir, he tels you flatly what his minde is why giue him gold enough, and marrie him to a puppet or an aglet babie, or an old trot with ne're a tooth in her head, though she haue as many diseases as two and fiftie horses. Why nothing comes amiffe, fo monie comes withall.

Hor. Petruchio, fince we are ftept thus farr in,

I will continue that I broach'd in iest,

I can Petruchio helpe thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and yong and beautious,
Brought vp as beft becomes a gentlewoman.
Her only fault and that is faults enough,

Is, that she is intollerable curst,

And shrow'd and froward, fo beyond all measure,

That were my state farre worfer then it is,

I would not wed her for a mine of gold.

Petr. Hortenfio peace: thou know'ft not golds effect, Tell mee her fathers name, and 'tis enough ;

For

For I will boord her, though fhe chide as loud.
As thunder, when the clouds in autumne cracke.
Hor. Her father Baptifta Minola,

An affable and courteous gentleman,

Her name is Katherina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her fcolding tongue.

Petr. I know her father, though I know not her, And he knew my deceafed father well:

I will not sleepe Hortenfio til I fee her,

And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To giue you ouer at this first encounter,

Vnleffe you will accompanie mee thither.

Gru. I pray you fir let him go while the humor lafts. A my word, and fhe knew him as well as I do, fhe would thinke fcolding would do little good vpon him. Shee may perhaps call him halfe a score knaues, or fo: why that's nothing; and he begins once, hee'le raile in his rope trickes, Ile tell you what fir, and fhe stand him but a litle, he will throw a figure in her face, and fo disfigure hir with it, that she shall haue no more eies to fee withall then a cat: you know him not fir.

Hor. Tarrie Petruchio I must go with thee,

For in Baptiftas keepe my treasure is :
He hath the iewel of my life in hold,
His yongeft daughter, beautifull Bianca,
And her with-holds from me. Other more
Suters to her, and riuals in my loue:
Suppofing it a thing impoffible,

For thofe defects I haue before rehearst,
That euer Katherina wil be woo'd
Therfore this order hath Baptifta tane,
That none fhall haue acceffe vnto Bianca,
Till Katherine the curft, haue got a husband.

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Gru. Katherine the curft,

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

Hor. Now fhall my friend Petruchio do me grace,

And offer me difguis'd in sober robes,

To old Baptifta as a schoole-master.
Well feene in muficke, to inftruct Bianca,
That fo I may by this deuice at least
Haue leaue and leisure to make loue to her,
And vnfufpected court her by her felfe.

Enter Gremio and Lucentio difguis'd.

Gru. Heere's no knauerie. See, to beguile the olde folkes, how the young folkes lay their heads together. Master, master, looke about you: who goes there?

Hor. Peace Grumio, it is the riuall of my loue. Petruchio ftand by a while.

Gru. A propper ftripling, and an amorous.

Gremio. Oh very well, I haue perus'd the note:
Hearke you fir, Ile haue them verie fairely bound,
All bookes of loue, fee that at any hand,

And see you reade no other lectures to her :
You vnderstande me. Ouer and befide
Signior Baptiftas liberalitie,

Ile mend it with a largeffe. Take your paper too,
And let me haue them verie well perfum'd;

For she is sweeter then perfume itselfe

To whom they go to: what will you reade to her.
Luc. What ere I read to her, Ile pleade for you,
As for my patron, stand you so affur'd,

As firmely as your felfe were still in place,
Yea and perhaps with more fucceffefull words
Then you: vnleffe you were a scholler fir.

Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is.

Gru,

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