To fair Bianca, fo beloy'd of me. Gru. And that his bags fhall prove. deeds fhall Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love. prove. Gre. No, fayeft me fo, friend? what countryman? Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's fon; My father's dead, my fortune lives for me, And I do hope good days and long to fee. Gre. Oh, Sir, fuch a life with fuch a wife were strange: But if you have a ftomach, to't o' God's name: But will you wco this wild cat? Pet. Will I live? Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her. Loud larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets clangue? That gives not half fo great a blow to hear, As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire? Tush, tufh, fear boys with bugs. Gru. For he fears none. Gre. Hortenfio, hark: This gentleman is happily arriv'd, My My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours. Gre. And fo we will, provided that he win her. 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 houfe of Signior Baptifta Minola? Bion. He that has the two fair daughters? is't he mean? Tra. Even he, Biondello. you Gre. Hark you, Sir, you mean not her, to- Hor. Sir, a word ere you go: Are you a fuitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no? Gre. No; if without more words you will get you hence. Tra. Why, Sir, I pray, are not the ftreets as free. For me as for you? Gre. But fo is not she.. Tra.. For what reafon, I beseech you? Gre. For this reason, if you'll know : That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.. To whom my father is not all unknown n; Gre. What, this gentleman will out-talk us all! Luc. Sir, give him head; I know he'll prove a jade. Tra. No, Sir; but, hear I do, that he hath two: Pet. Sir, Sir, the firft's for me; let her go by. Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, infooth: 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, Tra. (10) Sir, I fhall not be flack; in fign whereof, (10) Sir, I fall not be flack; in fign zubereof, Pleafe you, que may contrive this afternoon,] Please What were they to contrive? or how is it any teftimony of Tranio's confenting to be liberal, that he will join in contriving with them? in fhort, a foolish corruption poffeffes the place, that quite ftrips the poet of his intended humour. What was faid here is purely, as the old Scholiafs call it, in character. Tranio is but a fuppos'd gentleman his habit is all the gentility he has about him: and the poet, I am perfuaded, meant that the Servingman's qualities thould break out upon him; and that his mind fhould rather run on good cbeer than contrivances. I have therefore ventured to fufpe&t; Phafe you we may convive this afternoon, This agrees with, quaff caroufes; and with what he fays at the conclufion of this fpeech, but eat and drink as friends. And this word convive, Please ye, we may convive this afternoon, 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 fo, 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. Anr., de 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! ACT II. SCENE, Baptifla's House in Padua. Go Enter Catharina and Bianca. BIANCA. OOD Sifter, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself, To make a bond-maid and a ilave of me; That I difdain; (11) but for thefe other gawds, Unbind convive, however queint and uncommon it may be, is again ufed by our poet in his Troilus and Creffida: First, all you Peers of Greece, go to my tent; There in the full convive you. It is regularly deriv'd from convivium of the Latins; and the active verb, ufed more obfoletely inftead of the paffive. Si calendis convivant idibus cœnant foris. And, Malo bercle fuo magno convivant, fine modo. (11) But for thefe other goods,] This is fo trifling and unexpreffive a word, that, I am satisfied, our author wrote, gawds, (i. e. toys, Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself; Cath. Of all thy fuitors here, I charge thee, tell I never yet beheld that special face, Which I could fancy more than any other. Bian. Is it for him you do so envy me ? Cath. If that be jeft, then all the reft was fo. Enter Baptista. [Strikes ber. Bap. Why,how now, dame, whence grows this infolence? Bianca, ftand aside; poor girl, she weeps ; Go ply thy needle, meddle not with her. toys, trifling ornaments;) a term that he frequently uses and feems fond of. Midfummer Night's dream. And again, With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits, As the remembrance of an idle garde, King John. Is all too wanton, and too full of gawds, So Beaumont and Fletcher in their Women pleas'd; Her rules and precepts hung with gawds and ribbands. And in their Two Noble Kinfien: What a mere child is fancy, That having two fair gazuds of equal fweetness,, &c. &c, &c.. For |