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Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the fea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with swear?
Have I not heard great Ordnance in the field?
And heav'n's artillery thunder in the skies?

Have I not in a pitched battel heard

Loud larums, neighing fteeds, and trumpets clangue?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,
That gives not half so great a blow to th' 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.

SCENE

VII.

To them Tranio bravely apparell'd, and Biondello.

Tra. Gentlemen, God fave you. If I may be bold, tell me, I beseech you, which is the readieft way to the house of Signior Baptifta Minola?

Bion. He, that has the two fair daughters? is't he you mean?

Tra. Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, Sir, you mean not her, to

Tra. Perhaps, him and her; what have you to do?
Pet. Not her that chides, Sir, at any hand, I pray.

3 That gives not half fo great a blow to HEAR,] This aukward phrafe could never

come from Shakespeare. He wrote, without queftion,

-fo great a blow to TH’EAR.

WARBURTON.
Tra.

Tra. I love no chiders, Sir: 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, Sir, is it any offence?

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?

Gre. But fo is not fhe.

Tra. For what reafon, I beseech you?
Gre. For this reafon, if you'll know:

That's fhe's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That fhe's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my masters; 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 fhe 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,
Tho' Paris came, in hope to fpeed alone.

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Gre. 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 thefe words?
Hor. Sir, let me be fo bold as to ask you,

Did

you yet ever fee Baptifta's daughter?

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

Pet. Sir, Sir, the firft's for me; let her go by. Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules; And let it be more than Alcids' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of this of me, infooth: The youngest Daughter, whom you hearken for,

Her father keeps from all accefs of fuitors,

And

And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest Sister first be wed;
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Muft fteed 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 muft, as we do, gratify this Gentleman,
To whom we all reft generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof,
Please ye, we may conitrve this afternoon +,
And quaff caroufes to our Miftrefs' health,
And do as adversaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. Bion. O excellent motion! fellows, let's be

gone.

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so,

Petruchio, I fhall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

[The Prefenters, above, speak here.

1 Man. My Lord, you nod; you do not mind the Play. Sly. Yea, by St. Ann, do I. A good matter, furely !.. comes there any more of it?

Lady. My Lord, 'tis but begun.

Sly. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, Madam Lady. 'Would, 'twere done!

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ACT II. SCENE I.

Baptifta's House in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

BIANCA.

OOOD Sifter, wrong me not, nor wrong your

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felf,

To make a bond-maid and a flave of me ;

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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.

Cath. Of all thy Suitors here, I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'ft beft: fee, thou diffemble not.
Bian. Believe me, Sifter, of all men alive

I never yet beheld that special face,
Which I could fancy more than any other.
Cath. Minion, thou lieft; is't not Hortenfio?
Bian. If you affect him, fifter, here I fwear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you fhall have him.
Cath. Oh, then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

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Bian. Is it for him you do fo envy me?

Nay, then you jeft; and now, I well perceive,
You have but jested with me all this while;

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I pr'ythee, fifter Kate, untie my hands,

Cath. If that be jeft, then all the reft was fo.

Enter Baptifta.

[Strikes ber.

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 fhe cross thee with a bitter word?

Gath. Her filence flouts me; and I'll be reveng'd.

[Flies after Bianca. Bap. What, in my fight?-Bianca, get thee in. [Exit Bianca. Cath. 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 Cath.

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd, as I? But who comes here?

SCENE IL

Enter Gremio, Lucentio in the habit of a mean man; Petruchio with Hortenfio, like a musician; Tranio and Biondello bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good morrow, neighbour Baptifta. Bap. Good morrow, neighbour Gremio: God fave you, Gentlemen.

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? bilding The word bilding, or hinderling, is a low wretch; it is applied to Ca

tharine for the coarseness of her behaviour.

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