And twenty more such names and men as these, Sly. Now, Lord be thanked for my good amends! Enter the Page, as a lady, with Attendants. Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer enough. Where is my wife? Page. Here, noble lord; what is thy will with her? Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call me husband? My men should call me-lord; I am your good-man. Page. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband; Sly. I know it well :- What must I call her? dies. Sly. Madam wife, they say, that I have dream'd, and slept Above some fifteen year more, your bed. Sly. 'Tis much; Servants, leave me and her alone. Madam, undress you, and come now to bed, Page. Thrice noble lord, let me intreat of you, Sly. Ay, it stands so, that I may hardly tarry so long. But I would be loth to fall into my dreams again; I will therefore tarry, in despite of the flesh and the blood. bed: Enter a Servant. Serv. Your honour's players, hearing your amend ment, Are come to play a pleasant comedy, For so your doctors hold it very meet; Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood, And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy, Therefore they thought it good you hear a play, And frame your mind to mirth and merriment, Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life. Sly. Marry, I will; let them play it: Is not a commonty a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick? Page. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing stuff. Sly. Well, we'll see't: Come, madam wife, sit by my side, and let the world slip; we shall ne'er be younger. [They sit down. Luc. Tranio, since-for the great desire I had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts, — I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy, The pleasant garden of great Italy; And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd With his good will, and thy good company, Most trusty servant, well approv'd in all; Here let us breathe, and happily institute A course of learning, and ingenious studies. . Pisa, renowned for grave citizens, Gave me my being, and my father first, A merchant of great traffick through the world, Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii. Vincentio his son, brought up in Florence, It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd, To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds ; And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study, Virtue, and that part of philosophy Will I apply, that treats of happiness By virtue 'specially to be achiev'd. Tell me thy mind: for I have Pisa left, And am to Padua come; as he that leaves A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deep, And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst. Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine, you thus continue your resolve, To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy. Only, good master, while we do admire This virtue, and this moral discipline, Let's be no stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray; Or so devote to Aristotle's checks 14, As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd: Talk logick with acquaintance that you have, And practise rhetorick in your common talk; Musick and poesy use, to quicken you; The mathematicks, and the metaphysicks, Fall to them, as you find your stomach serves you: No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta’en ;In brief, sir, study what you most affect. Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise. If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore, We could at once put us in readiness; And take a lodging, fit to entertain Such friends as time in Padua shall beget. But stay awhile: What conpany is this? Tra. Master, some show, to welcome us to town. Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. Lucentio and Tranio stand aside. Bap. Genteiden, importune me no further, |