Fit for her turn; well read in poetry,
And other books, good ones, I warrant ye.
Hor. 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine musician to inftruct our mistress;

So fhall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, fo belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me, and that my deeds fall prove. Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love :
Liften to me, and, if you speak me fair,

I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curft Catherine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So faid, so done, is well :—
Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults?

Pet. I know, fhe is an irksome brawling scold;

If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

"Gre. No, fay'st me fo, friend? Pray, what country

"man?

"Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon : "My father dead, my fortune lives for me; "And I do hope good days, and long, to fee. "Gre. Sir, fuch a life, with fuch a wife, "strange:

"But, if you have a stomach, to't o'God's name, "You fhall have me affifting you in all.

But will you woo this wild-cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you, a little din can daunt mine ears?
Have I not in my time heard. lions roar?
Have I not heard the fea, puft 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

were

Loud

Loud arums, neighing fteeds, and trumpets' clangue ?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue *;

That gives not half fo great a blow to the ear,
As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire?

Tufh, tufh! fear boys with bugs.
Gru. For he fears none.-

Gre. Hortenfio, hark!

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours.
Hor. I promis'd we would be contributors,
And bear his charge of wooing, whatfoe'er.
Gre. And fo we will; provided, that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as fure of a good dinner.
Enter Tranio, brave; and Biondello.

Tra. Gentlemen, Heav'n fave you! If I may be bold,
Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readieft way,
To the house of fignior Baptifta Minola?

Gre. He that has the two fair daughters! is't he you

mean?

Tra. Even he, fir.

Gre. Hark you, fir; you mean not her to

Tra. Perhaps, him and her, fir: What have you to do? Pet. Not her that chides, fir, at any hand, I pray. Tra. I love no chiders, fir:- Biondello, let's away. Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

Hor. Sir, a word ere you go ;

Are you a fuitor to the maid you talk of, yea, or no? Tra. An if I be, fir, is it any offence?

Gre. No; if, without more words, you will get you hence.

Tra. Why, fir, I pray you, are not the streets as free For me, as for you?

Gre. But fo is not she.

Tra. For what reafon, I befeech you?

Gre. For this reason, if you'll know,

That he's the choice love of fignior Gremio.

This fpeech manifefts a spirited grandeur of idea; the allufione fpeak our author ftrongly, though ftrictness of climax is not maintained; but that objection, in comic writing, is trifling.

Hor. That he is the chofen of fignior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my mafters! if you be gentlemen,
Do me this right,-hear me with patience.-
Baptifta is a noble gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;
And, were his daughter fairer than the is,
She may more fuitors have, and me for one.
"Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
"Then well one more may fair Bianca have:
And fo fhe fhall; Lucentio fhall make one,
Though Paris came, in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What, what! this gentleman will out-talk us all.
Luc. Sir, give him head; I know, he'll prove a jade.
Pet. Hortenfio, to what end are all these words?
Hor. Sir, let me be fo bold as afk you this ;-
Did you yet ever fee Baptifta's daughter?

Tra. No, fir; but hear I do, that he hath two:
The one as famous for a fcolding tongue,
As the other is for beauteous modefty.

Pet. Sir, fir, the firft'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 infooth ;-
The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all accefs of fuitors;
And will not promife her to any man,
Until her elder fifter first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, fir, that you are the man
Muft ftead us all, and me amongst the reft;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
Atchieve the elder, fet the younger free
For our access,-whofe hap fhall be to have her,
Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well you do conceive:

And fince you do profefs to be a fuitor,

You must, as we do,-gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all reft generally beholding.

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack: in fign whereof,

Please ye we may convive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;

And

And do as adverfaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. O excellent motion !-Fellows, let's be gone. Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so ;Petruchio, I'll be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt *.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The fame. A Room in Baptifta's Houfe. Enter Catherina, and Bianca, her Hands bound.

G

"BIANCA.

OOD fifter, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself, To make a bondmaid and a slave of me; "That I difdain: 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.

"Cat. Of all thy fuitors, here I charge thee, tell "Whom thou lov'ft beft: fee thou diffemble not. "Bia. Believe me, fifter, of all the men alive, "I never yet beheld that fpecial face "Which I could fancy more than any other.

"Cat. Minion, thou ly'ft; Is't not Hortenfio? "Bia. If you affect him, fifter, here I fwear, "I'll plead for you myself, but you fhall have him. "Cat. O then, belike, you fancy riches more } "You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

"Bia. Is it for him you do envy me fo? "Nay, then you jeft; and now I well perceive, "You have but jefted with me all this while : "I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands.

There is a great deal of plot, well conceived, and good difpo fitions in this Act: it contains fome-humour, and a confiderable fhare of more elevated. fancy; but (including the introduction) must prove much too long for the ftage, even as we have curtailed it.

VOL. VI.

F

"Cat. If that be jeft, [ftriking her] then all the reft 66 was fo.

Enter Baptifta.

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

infolence?—

Bianca, ftand afide;-poor girl! fhe weeps:-"Go, ply thy needle; meddle not with her."For fhame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit, "Why doft thou wrong her that did ne'er wrong thee? "When did the crofs thee with a bitter word ? "Cat. Her filence flouts me, and I'll be reveng'd. [Flies after Bianca. Bap. What, in my fight ?-[topping her.] Bianca, 66 get thee in. [Exit Bianca. "Cat. Will you not fuffer me? Nay, now I fee, "She is your treasure, she must have a husband; "I muft dance bare-foot on her wedding-day, "And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell. "Talk not to me; I will go fit and weep,

"Till I can find occafion of revenge. [Exit Catherine. "Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? "But who comes here?

* Enter Gremio, and Lucentio; Petruchio, with Hortenfio as a Mufician; and Tranio, with Biondello attending, bearing a Lute and Books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptifta.

Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio-Heav'n fave you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good fir! Pray, have you not a daughter

Call'd-Catherina, fair, and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, fir, call'd-Catherina.
Gre. You are too blunt, go to it orderly.

As all preceding this is an uneffential aggravation of Cathe rine's turbulence, the fecond Act would undoubtedly begin better here; especially as it relieves Bianca from being feen in fuch an aukward, disagreeable fituation.