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By virtue fpecially to be atchiev'd.
Tell me thy mind, for I have Pifa left,
And am to Padua come, as he that leaves
A fhallow plash to plunge him in the deep,
And with fatiety feeks to quench his thirft.
Tra. Me pardonato, gentle mafter mine,
I am in all affected as your felf:
Glad that you thus continue your refolye,
To fuck the sweets of fweet philofophy:
Only, good mafter, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral difcipline,
Let's be no ftoicks, nor no ftocks, I pray;
Or, fo devote to Ariftotle's checks
As Ovid be an outcaft quite abjur'd.
Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practife rhetorick in your common talk
Mufick and poefie ufe to quicken you,
The mathematicks, and the metaphyficks,
Fall to them as you find your ftomach ferves you:
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en:
In brief, Sir, ftudy what you most affect.

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Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well doft thou advise;
If, Biondello, thou wert come afhore,
We could at once put us in readiness,
And take a lodging fit to entertain

Such friends, as time in Padua fhall beget.
But ftay a while, what company is this?

Tra. Mafter, fome fhow to welcome us to town.

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

Bap. Gentlemen, 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 Katharina,
Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave fhall you have to court her at your pleasure.

Gre. To cart her rather. She's too rough for me. There, there, Hortenfe, will you any wife? Kath. I pray you, Sir, is it

your will

To make a stale of me amongst thefe mates?

Hor. Mates, maid, how mean you that? no mates for you;

Unless you were of gentler milder mould.

Kath. 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 froward. Luc. But in the other's filence I do fee Maid's mild behaviour and fobriety.

Peace, Tranio.

Tra. Well faid, mafter, mum, and gaze your fill. Bap. Gentlemen, that I may foon make good What I have faid, Bianca get you in,

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

Kath. A pretty pet, it is beft put finger in the eye an fhe knew why.

Bian. Sifter, content you in my difcontent.
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubscribe:

My books and inftruments fhall be my company,
On them to look, and practife by my felf.

Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may't hear Minerva Ipeak.
Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be so strange?
Sorry am I that our good-will effects

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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.

And for I know she taketh moft.delight

Ia

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
I will be very kind and liberal,

To mine own children, in good bringing up,
And fo farewel. Katharina, you may ftay,
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

[Exit. Kath. Why, I truft 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. SCENE III.

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 togegether, and faft it fairly out. Our cake's dow on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein the delights, I will wifh 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 'fpecially.

Gre. What's that, I pray ?

Hor. Marry Sir, to get a husband for her fifter.
Gre. A husband! 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 fo very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio; tho' it pafs your patience and mine to endure her a 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.

a lewd.

Gre.

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 fmall choice in rotten apples: come, fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd, 'till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a hufband, we let his youngeft free for a husband, and then have 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 beft horfe in Padua to begin the wooing that would throughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on.

[Exeunt Gre. and Hor. Manent Tra, and Lucen.

SCENE IV.

Tra. I pray, Sir, tell me, is it poffible
That love fhould 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 canft;
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,
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

Luc. Gramercy, lad; go forward, this contents,
The reft will comfort, for thy counfel's found.
Tra. Mafter, you look'd fo longly on the maid,
Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.

Luc

Luc. O yes, 1 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 raife up fuch 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 fhrewd,
That till the father rids his hands of her,
Mafter, your love muft live a maid at home,
And therefore has he clofely mew'd her up,
Because she fhall 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 to inftruct her?
Tra. Ay marry am I, Sir, and now 'tis plotted..
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.
Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. You will be fchool-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 houfe,
Nor can we be diftinguifh'd by our faces,
For man or mafter: then it follows thus.
Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my stead;

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