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 ?

Cath. Her filence flouts me; and I'll be reveng'd.
[Flies after Bianca.
Bap. What, in my fight? Bianca, get thee in.
[Exit Bian.

Cath. Will you not suffer me?, nay, now I fee,
She is your treasure; fhe muft 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?

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 Baptifa.

Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God fave you, gentlemen.

Pet. And you, good Sir; pray have you not a daughter call'd Catharina, fair and virtuous?

Bap. I have a daughter, Sir, call'd Catharina,

Gre. You are too blunt; go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, Signior Gremio, give me leave. am a gentleman of Verona, Sir,

That hearing of her beauty and her wit,

Her affability, and bashful modefty,

Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,
Am bold to fhew myself a forward guest

Within your houfe, to make mine eyes the witnefs
Of that report, which I fo oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,

[Prefenting Hor.

I do prefent you with a man of mine,
Cunning in mufick, and the mathematicks,
To inftruct her fully in thofe fciences,
Whereof, I know, the is not ignorant :

Accept

Accept of him, or else you do me wrong,
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, Sir, and he for your good fake.
But for my daughter Catharine, this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more's my grief.
Pet. I fee you do not mean to part with her;
Or elfe you like not of my company.

Bap. Miftake me not, I fpeak but what I find.
Whence are you, Sir? what may I call your name?
Pet. Petruchio is my name. Antonio's fon,
A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his fake. Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, let us, that are poor petitioners, fpeak too. Baccalare!-you are marvellous forward. (12)

Pet. Oh, pardon me, Signior Gremio, I would fain be doing. (13)

Gre. I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfe your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am fure of it. To exprefs the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, free leave

(12) Baccare, you are marvellous forward.] But not fo forward, as our editors are indolent and acquiefcing. This is a ftupid corruption of the prefs, that none of them have div'd into. We must read, Baccalare, as Mr. Warburton acutely observ'd to me; by which the Italians mean, thou arrogant, presumptuous man! The word is nfed fcornfully, upon any one that would affume a port of grandeur and bigh repute: Per derifione d'buomo che ftia in riputatione, e che grandeggi; fays La Crufea. The French call such a character, un Bravache; and the Spaniards, el Fanfarron.

(13) Ob, pardon me, Signor Gremio, I would fain be doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, Sir, but you will curfer wooing neighbours. This is a gift;] It would be very unreasonable, after fuch a number of inftances, to fufpect the editors ever dwelt on the meaning of any paffage: But why should Petruchio curfe his wooing Neighbours? They were none of them his rivals: Nor, though he fhould curfe his own match afterwards, did he commence his courtship on their accounts. In short, Gremio is defign'd to answer to Petruchio in doggrel rhyme, to this purpose, "Yes; I know, you would fain be doing; but you'll coap with fuch a devil, that you'll have reason to curse your "wocing."—and then immediately turns his difcourfe to Baptifta, whom he calls Neighbour, (as he had done before at the beginning of this fcene,) and makes his present to him.

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 ftranger; [To Tranio.] may I be fo bold to know the cause of your coming?

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

Do make myself a fuitor to your daughter,

Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous;

Nor is your firm refolve 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 Pifa, Sir, fon to Vincentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pifa; 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 Servant.

Sirrah, lead these gentlemen

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

[Exit Servant 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.

Pet.

Pet. Signior Baptifta, my bufinefs afketh hafte,
And every day I cannot come to woo.
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 she survive 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 gufts will blow out fire and all : So I to her, and fo fhe yields to me, For I am rough, and woo not like a babe.

Bap. Well may'ft thou woo, and happy be thy fpeed! 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 doft thou look fo palet
Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale.
Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good mufician?
Hor. 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, she mistook her frets,
And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering,
When, with a most impatient devilish fpirit,

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,

As on a pillory, looking through the lute:
While fhe did call me rafcal, fidler,

And twangling Jack, with twenty fuch yile terms,
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!

Bap. Well, go with me, and be not fo discomfited,
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 woo her with some spirit when she comes. Say, that she rail; why then I'll tell her plain, She fings as fweetly as a nightingale : Say, that the frowns; I'll fay, fhe looks as clear As morning rofes newly wafh'd with dew; Say, fhe be mute, and will not speak a word Then I'll commend her volubility; And fay, the uttereth piercing eloquence: If fhe do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks, As though the bid me stay by her a week; If the deny to wed, I'll crave the day

;

When I shall ask the banes, and when be married?`
But here fhe comes, and now Petruchio speak.
Enter Catharina.

Good-morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear.
Gath. Well have you heard, but fomething hard of hear-

They call me Catherine, that do talk of me.

[ing.

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

(For