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Enter Baptifta with Catharina and Bianca, Gremio. and Hortenfio. Lucentio and Tranio ftand by.

Bap. Gentlemen both, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am refolv'd, you know;
That is, not to beftow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder;

If either of you both love Catharina,
Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather. She's too rough for me.
There, there, Hortenfio, will you any wife?
Cath. 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.

Cath. I'faith, Sir, you fhall never need to fear,
I wis, it is not half way to her heart:

But if it were, doubt not, her care shall be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd ftool,
And paint your face, and ufe you like a fool.

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

Tra. Hufh, mafter, here's fome good paftime? toward;

That wench is ftark mad, or wonderful fro

ward.

Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee

Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well faid, master; mum! and gaze

your fill.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good What I have faid, Bianca, get you in;

afide,

VOL. III.

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And let it not displease thee, good Bianca ;
For I will love thee ne'er the lefs, my girl.

Cath. A pretty Peat! it is beft put finger in the eye, an fhe knew why.

Bian. Sifter, content you in my discontent.
-Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe :
My books and inftruments fhall be my company,
On them to look, and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may't hear Minerva fpeak.

[afide. Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be fo* ftrange? Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre. Why will you mew her up,
Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am refolv'd.
Go in, Bianca.-

?

[Exit Bianca,
And for I know, she taketh most delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry;
School-mafters will I keep within my houfe,
Fit to inftruct her youth. If you, Hortenfio,
Or Signior Gremio, you, know any fuch,
Prefer them hither: for to cunning men t
I will be very kind; and liberal

To mine own children, in good bringing up;
And fo farewel: Catharina, you may stay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit. Cath. Why, and, I trust, I may go too, may I not? what, fhall I be appointed hours, as tho', belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha! [Exit.

3 A pretty Peat.] Peat or Pet is a word of endearment from petit, little, as if it meant pretty little thing.

So ftrange.] That is, fo odd, fo different from others in your

conduct.

+ Cunning men.] Cunning had not yet lost its original fignification of knowing, learned, as may be obferved in the translation of the Bible.

SCENE

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Gre. You may go to the devil's dam. Your gifts are fo good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and faft it fairly out. Our cake's dough on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my tweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her That wherein the delights, I will with him to her Father.

Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio; but a word, I pray; tho' the nature of our quarrel never yet brook'd Parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both, that we may yet again have access to our fair Mistress, and be happy rivals 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 fifter.
Gre. A hufband! a devil.

Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I fay, a devil. Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, tho' her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio; tho' it pafs your patience and mine to endure her loud alarms, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an' a man could light on them, would take her with all her faults, and mony enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whip'd at the high crofs every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's a fmall choice in rotten apples. But, come, fince this bar in law inakes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain❜d, 'till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband, we fet his youngest free for a husband, and then have

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to't afresh. Sweet Bianca! happy man be his dole! he that runs fastest gets the ring; how fay you, Signior

Gremio ?

Gre. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would throughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio.

SCENE IV.

Manent Tranio and Lucentio.

Tra. I pray, Sir, tell me, is it poffible
That love thould on a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. Oh Tranio, 'till I found it to be true,
I never thought it poffible or likely.
But fee, while idly I ftood looking on,
I found th' effect of Love in idleness:
And now in plainnefs do confefs to thee,
(That art to me as fecret, and as dear,
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was ;)
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perifh Tranio.
If I atchieve not this young modest girl :
Counsel me, Tranio, for, I know, thou canst;
Affift me, Tranio, for, I know, thou wilt.

Tra. Mafter, it is no time to chide you now;
Affection is not rated from the heart.

If love hath touch'd you, nought remains but fo, 4 * Redime te captum quàm queas minimô.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents; The reft will comfort, for thy counsel's found. Tra. Mafter, you look'd fo longly on the maid,

If Love hath TOUCH'D you, nought remains but fo,] The next line from Terence, fhews that we should read,

If Love hath TOYL'D you,— i. e. taken you in his toils, his nets.. Alluding to the captus efl,

babet, of the fame Author.

WARBURTON.

* Our author had this line from Lilly, which I mention, that it may not be brought as an argument of his learning.

Per

Perhaps, you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
Luc. O yes, I faw fweet Beauty in her face;
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kifs'd the Cretan ftrand.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her fifter

Began to fcold, and raise up such a storm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath fhe did perfume the air;
Sacred and fweet was all I faw in her.

Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to ftir him from his trance, I pray, awake, Sir; if you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wit t'atchieve her. Thus it ftands;
Her eldest fifter is fo curft and shrewd,

That till the Father rids his hands of her,
Mafter, your love must live a Maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because she shall not be annoy'd with fuitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel Father's he!
But art thou not advis'd he took fome care

To get her cunning fchool-mafters t' inftruct her?
Tra. Ay, marry, am I, Sir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, ranio.

Tra. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. You will be school-mafter,

And undertake the teaching of the maid :

That's your device.

Luc. It is may it be done?

Tra. Not poffible: for who fhall bear your part, And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon,

Keep houfe, and ply his book, welcome his friends, Vifit his countrymen, and banquet them?

Luc. Bafta;-content thee; for I have it full,

We have not yet been seen in any house,

C 3

Nor

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