And practise rhetoric in your common talk;
Music and poesy use to quicken you;

The mathematics and the metaphysics,

Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you;

No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en:
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

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Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.

40

If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness,
And take a lodging fit to entertain

Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.

But stay a while: what company is this?

Tra. Master, some show to welcome us to town.

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO.
LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand by.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,

For how I firmly am resolved you know;

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter
Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well and love you well,

Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

Gre. [Aside] To cart her rather: she's too rough for me.

There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

Kath. I pray you, sir, is it your will

To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you,

Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

Kath. I'faith, sir, you shall never need to fear:

I wis it is not half way to her heart;

But if it were, doubt not her care should be

To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool
And paint your face and use you like a fool.

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

Tra. Husht, master! here's some good pastime toward :
That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence do I see

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio!

Tra.

Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill. Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good

What I have said, Bianca, get you in:

And let it not displease thee, good Bianca,
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.
Kath. A pretty peat! it is best

Put finger in the eye, an she knew why.

Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent.

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70

75

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Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:

My books and instruments shall be my company,

On them to look and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak.
Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange?

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Sorry am I that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why will you mew her up,

Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolved:
Go in, Bianca:

62. I wis] F4. I-wis F1QF2F3.
63. should] F, QF, shall F3 F4.
66. us] me Hanmer.

67. good] O good Hanmer. 68. Husht] F, QF2. Hush'd F3 F4. Hush Rowe (ed. 2).

here's] F4. heres F, QF2 F3.

here is Hanmer.

I

72. Peace, Tranio!] Peace! Anon. conj.

73. Well] Why, well Hanmer.

[Exit Bianca.

74. Gentlemen] Come, gentlemen
Hanmer. Well, gentlemen Capell.
78, 79. A pretty...why] Printed as
prose in FfQ.

86. our] your Hanmer (ed. 2), a
misprint.

90. Gentlemen, content ye] Content ye, gentlemen Hanmer.

91. Exit Bianca.] Theobald. om. Ff Q.

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And for I know she taketh most delight
In music, instruments and poetry,

Schoolmasters will I keep within my house,
Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio,
Or Signior Gremio, you, know any such,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing-up:
And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit.

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Kath. Why, and I trust 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. Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: your gifts are so 105 good, here's none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out our cake's dough on both sides. Farewell: yet, for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein she 110 delights, I will wish him to her father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brooked parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both, that we may yet again have access to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals 115 in Bianca's love, to labour and effect one thing specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.

Gre.

A husband! a devil.

Hor. I say, a husband.

Gre. I say, a devil. Thinkest thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience and

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mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good 125 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 whipped at the high-cross every morning.

Hor. Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten 130 apples. But come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained till by helping Baptista's eldest daughter to a husband we set his youngest free for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest gets 135 the ring. How say you, Signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing that would thoroughly woo her, wed her and bed her and rid the house of her! Come on. [Exeunt Gremio and Hortensio. 140

Tra. I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible
That love should of a sudden take such hold?
Luc. O Tranio, till I found it to be true,

I never thought it possible or likely;
But see, while idly I stood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainness do confess to thee,
That art to me as secret and as dear
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was,
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl.
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;
Assist 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 so,

J45

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J55

'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,

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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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170

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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