Think you a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the sea puff'd up with winds
Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat?
Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard
Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets'
clang?

And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,
That gives not half so great a blow to hear
As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.

Gru.

Gre. Hortensio, hark:

210

For he fears none.

This gentleman is happily arrived,

My mind presumes, for his own good and ours. Hor. I promised we would be contributors

And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe❜er. 220 Gre. And so we will, provided that he win her. Gru. I would I were as sure of a good dinner.

Enter Tranio brave, 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 you mean?

he

Tra. Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, sir; you mean not her to
Tra. Perhaps, him and her, sir: what have you
to do?

229

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. And if I be, sir, is it any offense?

231

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?

But so is not she.

Gre.
Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?

Gre.

240

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;250
Then well one more may fair Bianca have:
And so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,

227. "Not her to"; the original has a dash in this place. As the dialogue here runs in rhyme, the ending of the next verse shows that this was to end with woo. Of course Tranio anticipates and interrupts Gremio.-H. N. H.

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 labor to great Hercules;

260

270

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,
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,

273. "gratify," reward.-C. H. H.

280

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!

gone.

Fellows, let's be

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

286. "motion," proposal.-C. H. H.

[Exeunt.

·ACT SECOND

SCENE I

Padua. A room in Baptista's house.
Enter Katharina and Bianca.

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

self,

To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;
That I disdain: but for these other gawds,
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 lovest 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

10

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