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Listen to me; and if you speak me fair,
I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a Gentleman whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curst Catharine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So faid, fo done, is well;
Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults?
Pet. I know, she is an irksome brawling Scold;
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayeft me fo, friend? what Countryman?
Pet. Born in Verona, old Antonio's Son;
My Father's dead, my fortune lives for me,
And I do hope good days and long to fee.

Gre. Oh, Sir, such a life with such a wife were

strange;

But if you have a stomach, to't, o' God's name:
You shall have me assisting you in all.
But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet. Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?

Think you, a little din can daunt my ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the fea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat?
Have I not heard great Ordnance in the field?
And heav'n's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard

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Loud larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets clangue?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,
* That gives not half fo great a blow to th' ear,
As will a chesnut in a farmer's fire ?

Tush, tush, fear boys with bugs.

* That gives not half so great a blow to hear,] This aukward Phrase could never come from Shakespear. He wrote, without Question,

----fo great a blow to th' car.

Gru.

ld:

Gru. For he fears none.

Gre. Hortenfio, hark:

This Gentleman is happily arriv'd,

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours.
Hor. I promis'd, we would be contributors;

And bear his charge of wooing whatsoe'er.

Gre. And fo we will, provided that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as fure of a good dinner.

SCENE

VII.

To them Tranio bravely apparelli'd and Biondello.

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Tra.

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GENTLEMEN, God fave you. If I may be

bold, tell me, I beseech you, which is

readiest way to the house of Signior Baptista Minola? Bion. He, that has the two fair Daughters? is't he

e: you mean?

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Tra. Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, Sir, you mean not her, to
Tra. Perhaps, him and her; what have you to do?
Pet. Not her that chides, Sir, at any hand, I pray.
Tra. I love no chiders, Sir: Biondello, let's away.
Luc. Well begun, Tranio.

Hor. Sir, a word, ere you go:

Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?
Tra. An if I be, Sir, is it any offence?

Gre. No; if without more words you will get you

hence.

Tra. Why, Sir, I pray, are not the streets as free For me, as for you?

Gre. But so is not she.

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?
Gre. For this reason, if you'll know :

That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.

Hor. That she's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my masters; if you be gentlemen,

Do me this Right; hear me with patience.
Baptista is a noble Gentleman,

To

To whom my Father is not all unknown;
And, were his Daughter fairer then she is,
She may more suitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's Daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well One more may fair Bianca have,
And fo she shall. Lucentio shall make one,
Tho' Paris came, in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What, this Gentleman will out-talk us all!
Luc. Sir, give him head; I know, he'll prove a

jade.

Pet. Hortenfio, to what end are all these words? Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as to ask you,

Did you yet ever see Baptista's Daughter?

Tra. No, Sir; but hear I do that he hath two: The one as famous for a fcolding tongue, As the other is for beauteous modesty.

Pet. Sir, Sir, the first's for me; let her go by.
Gre. Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules;
And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, insooth:
The youngest Daughter, whom you hearken for,
Her father keeps from all access of fuitors,
And will not promise her to any man,
Until the eldest Sister first be wed:
The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be fo, Sir, that you are the man
Must steed us all, and me among the rest;
And if you break the ice, and do this feat,
Atchieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access; whose hap shall be to have her,
Will not fo graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you fay well, and well you do conceive:
And fince you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this Gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholden.
Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack; in sign whereof,

Please ye, we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our Mistress' health;

And

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And do as adversaries do in law,

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
Gru. Bion. O excellentmotion! fellows, let's be gone.
Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so,

Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

[The Presenters, above, speak here. I Man. My Lord, you nod; you do not mind the Play. Sly. Yea, by St. Ann, do 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 I.

G

Baptifta's HOUSE in Padua.

Enter Catharina and Bianca.

BIANCA.

OOD Sifter, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself.
To make a bond-maid and a flave of me;

That I disdain; but for these other Gawds,
Unbind my hands, I'll pull them off myself;
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat,
Or, what you will command me, will I do;
So well I know my duty to my elders.

Cath. Of all thy Suitors here, I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best: fee, thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, Sister, of all men alive

I never yet beheld that special face,
Which I could fancy more than any other.
Cath. Minion, thou lieft: is't not Hortenfio?
Bian. If you affect him, fister, here I swear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Cath. Oh, then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio, to keep you fair.

Bian. Is it for him you do so envy me?
Nay, then you jeft; and now, I well perceive,
You have but jefted with me all this while ;
I pr'ythee, fister Kate, untie my hands.

Cath. If That be jest, then all the rest was fo.

Enter Baptifta.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame, whence grows this

infolence?

Bianca, ftand afide; poor girl, she weeps;
Go ply thy needle, meddle not with her
For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why doft thou wrong her, that did ne'er wrong thee?
When did the 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 Bianca.

Cath. Will you not fuffer me? nay, now I fee,
She is your treasure; she must have a husband;
I must 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?

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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.

COOD-morrow, neighbour Baptista.
Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio:

God save you, gentlemen.

Pet. And you, good Sir; pray, have you not a

daughter call'd Catharina, fair and virtuous?

Bap.

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