'Redime te captum quam queas minimo.'

Luc. Gramercies, lad, go forward; this contents: The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.

Tra. Master, you look'd so longly on the maid, Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.

Luc. O yes, I saw sweet 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 strond.

Tra.

Saw you no more? mark'd you not how her
sister

Began to scold and raise up such a storm
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move
And with her breath she did perfume the air:
Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.

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Tra. Nay, then, 'tis time to stir him from his trance.

I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it stands:
Her eldest sister is so curst and shrewd

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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 will not be annoy'd with suitors.

Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advised, he took some care
To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?
Tra. Ay, marry, am I, sir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

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Tra. Not possible; for who shall bear your part, And be in Padua here Vincentio's son;

Keep house and ply his book, welcome his friends,

Visit his countrymen and banquet them?

Luc. Basta; content thee, for I have it full.

We have not yet been seen in any house,

Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces

For man or master; then it follows thus;
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,

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Keep house and port and servants, as I should:
I will some other be; some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
'Tis hatch'd and shall be so: Tranio, at once
Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.

Tra. So had you need.

In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is,
And I am tied to be obedient;

For so your father charged me at our parting,
'Be serviceable to my son,' quoth he,

Although I think 'twas in another sense;

I am content to be Lucentio,

Because so well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves:

And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid
Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.
Here comes the rogue.

Enter BIONDello.

Sirrah, where have you been?

Bion. Where have I been! Nay, how now! where are you? Master, has my fellow Tranio stolen your clothes? Or you stolen his? or both? pray, what's the news?

Luc. Sirrah, come hither: 'tis no time to jest,

And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life,
Puts my apparel and my countenance on,
And I for my escape have put on his;
For in a quarrel since I came ashore

I kill'd a man and fear I was descried:

Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,

While I make way from hence to save my life:
You understand me?

Luc. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth: Tranio is changed into Lucentio.

Bion. The better for him: would I were so too!

Tra. So could I, faith, boy, to have the next wish after,
That Lucentio indeed had Baptista's youngest daughter.
But, sirrah, not for my sake, but your master's, I advise
You use your manners discreetly in all kind of companies:
When I am alone, why, then I am Tranio;
But in all places else your master Lucentio.

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self execute, to make one among these wooers: if thou ask 240 me why, sufficeth, my reasons are both good and weighty.

The presenters above speak.

[Exeunt.

First Serv. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the

play.

Sly. Yes, by Saint Anne, do I. A good matter, surely: comes there any more of it?

Page. My lord, 'tis but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady: would 'twere done! [They sit and mark.

SCENE II. Padua. Before HORTENSIO'S house.

Enter PETRUCHIO and his man GRUMIO.

Pet. Verona, for a while I take my leave,
To see my friends in Padua, but of all
My best beloved and approved friend,
Hortensio; and I trow this is his house.

Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say.

Gru. Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is there any

man has rebused your worship?

Pet. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly.

Gru. Knock you here, sir! why, sir, what am I, sir,

that I should knock you here, sir?

Pet. Villain, I say, knock me at this gate

And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.

Gru. My master is grown quarrelsome. I should knock

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5

ΙΟ

And then I know after who comes by the worst.

Pet. Will it not be?

Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll ring it;

I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

[He wrings him by the ears.

Gru. Help, masters, help! my master is mad.
Pet. Now, knock when I bid you, sirrah villain!

Enter HORTENSIO.

Hor. How now! what's the matter? My old friend Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio! How do you all at Verona ?

Pet. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray? 'Con tutto il core ben trovato,' may I say.

J5

20

Hor. Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato

25

Rise, Grumio, rise: we will compound this quarrel.

signor mio Petrucio.'

Gru. Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges in Latin. If

this be not a lawful cause for me to leave his service, look

you, sir, he bid me knock him and rap him soundly, sir: 30 well, was it fit for a servant to use his master so, being perhaps, for aught I see, two-and-thirty, a pip out?

Whom would to God I had well knock'd at first,

Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

Pet. A senseless villain! Good Hortensio,

I bade the rascal knock upon your gate
And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Put in the margin as spurious by Pope.
27. Grumio, rise] F, QF, Gru-
mio F3 F4.

28. sir] om. Rowe.

he 'leges] Capell. he leges Ff Q. be leges Rann (Tyrwhitt conj.). he alledges Long conj. MS.

32. pip] Rowe (ed. 2). peepe F, Q F2. peep F3 F4.

out] mo Collier MS.

33, 34. Whom...worst] Printed as prose in Ff Q, as verse first by Rowe (ed. 2).

35