Hor. From all fuch devils, good Lord, deliver us! Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. [Afide.] Hufb, mafter! here is fome good paftime toward;

That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful froward.

Luc. [Afide.] But in the other's filence do I fee Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. [Afide.] Why, well faid, mafter; mum, and gaze your fill.

Bap. Well, gentlemen, that I may foon make good
What I have faid,-Bianca, get you in:
And let it not difpleafe thee, good Bianca ;
For I will love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl.
Cat. A pretty peat! 'tis beft,

Put finger in the eye,-an fhe knew why.
Bia. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.-
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe :

My books, and inftruments, fhall be my company;
On them to look, and practise by myself.

Luc. [Afide.] Hark, Tranio! thou may't hear Minerva speak.

Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be fo ftrange? Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why, will you mew her up,

Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell †,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
Bap. Content ye, gentlemen; I am refolv'd:-

Go in, Bianca.

[Exit Bianca.

And for I know the taketh moft delight
In mufic, inftruments, and poetry,
Schoolmafters will I keep within my houfe,
Fit to inftruct her youth':-If you, Hortenfio,
Or, fignior Gremia, you,-know any fuch,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing-up;

A very rough ungentleman-like expreffion this, before a father,

however violent the daughter may be,

And

And fo farewel.-Catherina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit Baptifta. Cat. Why, and, I truft, 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 Catherine,

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are fo good, here's none will hold you.-Their love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and faft it fairly out; our cake's dough on both fides. Farewel :-Yet, for the love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man, to teach her that wherein the delights, I will with him to her father.

Hor. So will I, fignior Gremio: but a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brook'd parly, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both,that we may yet again have accefs to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca's love,—to labour and effect one thing 'specialty.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, fir, to get a husband for her fifter.
Gre. A hufband! a devil.

Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I fay, a devil: think't thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be marry'd to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio! though it pafs your patience, and mine, to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition,-to be whipt at the high cross every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's fmall choice in rotten apples. But, come; fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd,-'till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband, we fet his youngest free for a husband, and then have to't afresh.-Sweet Bianca !-Happy man be his dole !-He

that

that runs fafteft, gets the ring.-How say you, fignior Gremio ?

Gre. I am agreed; and 'would I had given him the beft horfe in Padua, to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on. [Exeunt Gre. and Hor. Tra. I pray, fir, tell me,-[advancing.] Is it poffible, That love fhould of a fudden take fuch hold?

Luc. O, Tranio, 'till I found it to be true,

I never thought it poffible, or likely ;
But fee! while idly I ftood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainnefs do confefs to thee,-
That art to me as fecret and as dear,
As Anna to the queen of Carthage was,-
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modest girl:
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;
Affift me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

"Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now; "Affection is not rated from the heart:

"If love have touch'd you, nought remains but fo,"Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

"Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward: this contents; "The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's found. "Tra. Mafter, you look'd fo longly on the maid, "Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all. "Luc. O yes, I faw fweet beauty in her face, "Such as the daughter of Agenor had;

"That made great Jove to humble him to her hand, "When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan ftrand.

"Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her "fifter

"Began to fcold; and raise up fuch a storm,
"That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
"Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move,

"And with her breath fhe did perfume the air;
"Sacred, and fweet, was all I saw in her.

Tra. "Nay, then, 'tis time to ftir him from his trance:"I pray, awake, fir; [fhaking him.]" If you love the

maid,

Bend thoughts and wits to atchieve her.

ftands:⇓

"Thus it

"Her elder fifter is fo curft and fhrewd,
"That, 'till the father rid his hands of her,
"Master, your love must live a maid at home;.
"And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
"Because she shall not be annoy'd with fuitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took fome care

Το

get

her cunning schoolmasters to inftru& her? Tra. Ay, marry, am I, fir;-and now 'tis plotted. Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Master, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. You will be schoolmaster,

And undertake the teaching of the maid:

That's your device.

Luc. It is May it be done?

Tra. Not poffible: For who fhall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon?

Keep house, and ply his book; welcome his friends;
Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Bafta, content thee for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any houfe ;
Nor can we be diftinguish'd by our faces,
For man, or mafter: then it follows thus ;-
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in
my stead,
Keep houfe, and port, and fervants, as I should:
I will fome other be; fome Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or mean man of Pisa-
'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so :-Tranio, at once
Uncafe thee; take my colour'd hat, and cloak:

[Exchanging cloaths with him. When Biondello comes, he waits on thee; But I will charm him firft to keep his tongue.

Some critics may ask where is the occafion for Tranio's telling. his mafter of Bianca's fituation, when both he and the audience have heard it? But, we prefume, it is, from a fuppofition that Lucentio is entranced or infatuated, to awaken his recollection; for which end he naturally recites the particulars before mentioned by Baptista.

Tra. So had you need. Sith it your pleasure is, And I am ty'd to be obedient;

(For fo your father charg'd me at our parting ;
Be ferviceable to my fon, quoth be,-

Although, I think, 'twas in another fenfe)
I am content to be Lucentio,

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves :
And let me be a flave, to atchieve that maid
Whofe fudden fight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Enter Biondello.

Here comes the rogue :-Sirrah, where have you been? Bio. Where have I been? Nay, how now, where are

you?

Mafter, has my fellow Tranio ftoln your cloaths ?
Or you stoln his? or both? pray, what's the news ?
Luc. Sirrah, come hither; 'tis no time to jeft,
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to fave my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,
And I, for my escape, have put on his;
For in a quarrel, fince I came afhore,
I kill'd a man, and fear I am defcry'd:
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,
While I make way from hence to fave my
You understand me?

Bio. Ay, fir, ne'er a whit.

life:

Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth;

Tranio is chang'd into Lucentio.

Bio. The better for him; 'would I were fo too!

Tra. So would I, i'faith, boy, to have the next wish

after,

That Lucentio indeed had Baptifta's youngest daughter. But, firrah, not for my fake, but your master's,—l advise you,

Ufe your manners difcreetly in all kind of company:
When I am alone, why, then I am Tranio;
But in all places elfe, your mafter Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, let's go :

One thing more rests, that thyself execute ;--