תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

give to this young scholar, that hath been long ftudying at Reims, [Prefenting Luc.] as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in mufick and mathematicks; his name is Cambio; pray, accept his fervice.

Bap. A thoufand thanks, Signior Gremio; welcome, good Cambio. But, gentle Sir, methinks, you walk like a stranger; [To Tranio.] may I be fo bold to know the caufe of your coming?

Tra. Pardon me, Sir, the boldness is mine own, That, being a franger in this city here,

Do make myself a fuitor to your daughter,

Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous!'

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest fifter.
This liberty is all that I request,

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,
I may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo,
And free accefs and favour as the reft.
And toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a fimple inftrument,

And this fmall packet of Greek and Latin books.
If you accept them, then their worth is great.

[They greet privately. Bap. Lucentio is your name? of whence I pray? Tra. Of Pisa, Sir, fon to Vincentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pisa; by report,
I know him well; you are very welcome, Sir.
Take you the lute, and you the fet of books,

[To Hortenfio and Lucentio, You fhall go fee your pupils prefently.

Holla, within!

Enter a fervant.

Sirrah, lead thefe gentlemen

To my two daughters; and then tell them both,
Thefe are their tutors, bid them ufe them well.

[Exit Serv. with Hortenfio and Lucentio.

We will go walk a little in the orchard,

And then to dinner. You are paffing welcome,
And fo, I pray you all, to think yourselves.

Pe

Pet. Signior Baptifta, my business asketh hafte,
And every day I cannot come to wood.
You knew my father well, and in him 'me,
Left folely heir to all his lands and goods,
Which I have better'd, rather than decreas'd;
Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love,
What dowry fhall I have with her to wife?
Bap. After my death, the one half of my lands:
And, in poffeffion, twenty thousand crowns.
Pet. And for that dowry, I'll affure her of
Her widowhood, be it that the furvive me,
In all my lands and leafes whatsoever;

Let fpecialties be therefore drawn between us,
That covenants may be kept on either hand.

Bap. Ay, when the fpecial thing is well obtain'd,
That is, her love; for that is all in all.

Pet. Why, that is nothing: For I tell you, father,
I am as peremptory as the proud-minded.
And where two raging fires meet together;
They do confume the thing that feeds their fury:
Tho' little fire grows great with little wind,
Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all:
So I to her, and fo the yields to me,
For I am rough, and wooe not like a babe.

Bap. Well may ft thou wooe, and happy be thy speedt But be thou arm'd for fome unhappy words.

Pet. Ay, to the proof, as mountains are for winds: That shake not, tho' they blow perpetually.

Enter Hortenfio with his head broke.

Bap. How now, my friend; why doit thou look fo pale
Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale.
Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good musician ?
Hor. I think, fhe'll fooner prove a foldier;

Iron may hold with her, but never lutes.

Bap. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute
Hor. Why, no; for fhe hath broke the lute to`me.

I did but tell her, fhe miftook her frets,
And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering,
When, with a moft impatient devilish spirit,

Frets

Frets call you them? quoth the: I'll fume with them:
And with that word the ftruck me on the head,
And through the inftrument my pate made way,
And there I ftood amazed for a while, ya
As on a pillory, looking through the lute:
While the did call me rafcal, fidler,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

And twangling Jack, with twenty fuch vile terms, er') As fhe had ftudied to mifufe me fo..

Pet. Now, by the world, it is a lufty wench;

I love her ten times more than e'er I did;
Oh, how I long to have fome chat with her!

[ocr errors]

Bap. Well, go with me, and be not fo difcomfited, Proceed in practice with my younger daughter, She's apt to learn, and thankful for good turns; Signior Petruchio, will you go with us, Or fhall I fend my daughter Kate to you? Pet. I pray you, do. I will attend her here:

[Exit Bap. with Grem. Horten. and Tranio. And wooe her with fome fpirit when he comes. Say, that the rail; why, then I'll tell her plain, She fings as fweetly as a nightingale:

[ocr errors]

Say, that the frowns; I'll fay, the looks as clean
As morning rofes newly wash'd with dew;
Say, he be mute, and will not speak a word;
Then I'll commend her volubility;

And fay, the uttereth piercing eloquence:
If the do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,
As tho' the bid me ftay by her a week;
If the deny to wed, I'll crave the day

When I fhall ask the banes, and when be married?
But here he comes, and now Petruchio fpeak.
Enter Catharina.

Good-morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear.

Cath. Well have you heard, but fomething hard of hear

They call me Catharine, that do talk of me.

7

[ing.

Pet You lye, in faith, for you are call'd plain Kate; And bonny Kate, and fometimes Kate the curtt: But Kate, the prettieft Kate in christendom, Kate of Kate-ball, my fuper-dainty Kate,

(For

(For dainties are all Cates) and therefore Kate ;
Take this of me, Kate of my confolation!
Hearing thy mildnefs prais'd in every town,
Thy virtues fpoke of, and thy beauty founded,
Yet not fo deeply as to thee belongs:

Myfelf am mov'd to wooe thee for my wife

Cath. Mov'd! in good time; let him, that mov'd you

Remove you hence; I knew you at the first

You were a moveable.

Pet. Why, what's a moveable?

Cath. A join'd stool.

Pet. Thou haft hit it; come, fit on me.

[hither,

Cath. Affes are made to bear, and so are you.
Pet. Women are made to bear, and fo are you.
Cath. No fuch jade, Sir, as you; if me you mean.
Pet. Alas, good Kate, I will not burden thee;
For knowing thee to be but young and light

Cath. Too light for fuch a fwain as you to catch;
And yet as heavy as my weight should be.
Pet. Should bee;- -fhould buz..

Cath. Well ta'en, and like a buzzard.

Pet. Oh, flow-wing'd turtle, fhall a buzzard take thee? Cath. Ay, for a turtle, as he takes a buzzard.

Pet. Come, come, you wafp, i'faith, you are too angry. Cath. If I be wafpifh, 'beft beware my fting.

Pet. My remedy is then to pluck it out.

Cath. Áh, if the fool could find it, where it lies. Pet. Who knows not, where a wafp doth wear his fting? In his tail..

Cath. In his tongue.

Pet. Whofe tongue?

Cath. Yours, if you talk of tails; and fo farewel.

Pet. What, with my tongue in your tail? nay, come

Good Kate, I am a gentleman.

Cath. That I'll try.

[again,

[She Atrikes him.

Pet. I fwear, I'll cuff you, if you ftrike again.

Cath. So may you lofe your arms.

If you firike me, you are no gentleman;
And if no gentleman, why, then no arms.

Per. A herald, Kate? oh, put me in thy books.

Cath.

Cath. What is your creft, a coxcomb?

Pet. A comblefs cock, fo Kate will be my hen.
Cath. No cock of mine, you crow too like a craven.

Pet. Nay, come, Kate; come, you must not look fo
Cath. It is my fashion, when I see a crab.

[fower.

Pet. Why, here's no crab, and therefore look not so
Cath. There is, there is.

Pet. Then fhew it me.

[fower.

Cath. Had I a glass, I would.

Pet. What, you mean my face?

Cath. Well aim'd, of fuch a young one.

Pet. Now, by St. George, I am too young for you.
Cath. Yet you are wither'd.

[ocr errors]

Pet. 'Tis with cares.

Cath. I care not.

Pet. Nay, hear you, Kate; infooth, you 'fcape not fo
Cath, I chafe

you, if I tarry;

let me go.

Pet. No, not a whit, I find you paffing gentle :
'Twas told me, you were rough, and coy, and fullen,
And now I find report a very liar;

For thou art pleafant, gamefome, paffing courteous,
But flow in fpeech, yet fweet as fpring-time flowers.
Thou canst not frown, thou can'st not look ascance,
Nor bite the lip, as angry wenches will,

Nor haft thou pleasure to be cross in talk:
But thou with mildnefs entertain'ft thy wooers,
With gentle conf'rence, foft and affable.

Why doth the world report, that Kate doth limp?
Oh fland'rous world! Kate, like the hazle twig,
Is trait, and flender; and as brown in hue
As hazle nuts, and fweeter than the kernels.

O, let me fee thee walk: Thou doft not halt.

Cath. Go, fool, and whom thou keep'ft command.
Pet. Did ever Dian fo become a grove,

As Kate this chamber with her princely gaite?

O, be thou Dian, and let her be Kate,

And then let Kate be chafte, and Dian fportful!-
Cath. Where did you ftudy all this goodly fpeech?
Pet. It is extempore, from my mother-wit.
Cath. A witty mother, witlefs else her fon.

Pet.

« הקודםהמשך »