Bap.Content you, gentlemen ; I'll compound this strife: -Say, signior Gremio, what can you assure her? Basons, and ewers, to lave her dainty hands; In ivory coffers I have stuff'd my crowns ; Fine linen, Turkey cushions boss'd with pearl, Tra. That only came well in.-Sir, list to me, I am my father's heir, and only son: If I may have your daughter to my wife, Old signior Gremio has in Padua ; Of fruitful land, all which shall be her jointure.-- Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year, of land! Tra. Gremio, 'tis known, my father hath no less [8] Counterpoints were in ancient times extremely costly. In Wat Tyler's rebellion, Stowe informs us, when the insurgents broke into the wardrobe in the Savoy, they destroyed a coverlet, worth a thousand marks. MAL. [9] We may suppose that pewter was, even in the time of Queen Elizabeth, too costly to be used in common. STEEV. [1] A galeas or gelliass, is a heavy low-built vessel of burthen, with both sails and oars, partaking at once of the nature of a ship and a galley. STE. And twice as much, whate'er thou offer'st next. Tra. Why, then the maid is mine from all the world, By your firm promise; Gremio is out-vied.2 Bap. I must confess, your offer is the best ; If Gre. And may not young men die, as well as old? I am thus resolv'd:-On Sunday next, you know, And so I take my leave, and thank you both. [Exit. Gre. Adieu, good neighbour.-Now I fear thee not; Sirrah, young gamester, your father were a fool To give thee all, and, in his waning age, Set foot under thy table: Tut! a toy! An old Italian fox is not so kind, my boy. [Exit. Tra. A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide! Yet I have faced it with a card of ten. 3 [Exit. [2] This is a term at the old game of gleek. When one man was vied upon another, he was said to be out-vied. STEEV. Vye and revye were terms at cards, now superseded by the more modern word, brag. The words were frequently used in a sense somewhat remote from the original one. In the famous trial of the seven bishops, the chief justice says: "We must not permit vying and revying upon one another." FARMER. [3] That is, with the highest card, in the old simple games of our ances tors. So that this became a proverbial expression. WARBURTON. As we are on the subject of cards, it may not be amiss to take notice of a common blunder relative to their names. We call the king, queen, and knave, court-cards, whereas they were anciently denominated coats, or coattards, from their coats or dresses. STEEV. ACT III. SCENE 1-A Room in BAPTISTA's House. Enter LUCENTIO, HORTENSIO, and BIANCA. Lucentio. FIDDLER, forbear; you grow too forward, sir: Then give me leave to read philosophy, And, while I pause, serve in your harmony. Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine. Hor. You'll leave his lecture when I am in tune? Luc. Here, Madam: Hac ibat Simois; hic est Sigeia tellus; Luc. Hac ibat, as I told you before,-Simois, I am Lucentio,-hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa,—Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love ;-Hic steterat, and that Lucentio that comes a wooing,-Priami, is my man Tranio,-regia, bearing my port,-celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.4 [4] The old cully in Italian farces. JOHNSON. Hor. Madam, my instrument's in tune. [Returning. [HORTENSIO plays. Bian. Let's hear; O fie! the treble jars. Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again. Bian. Now let me see if I can construe it: Hac ibat Simois, I know you not ;-hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust you not ;-Hic steterat Priami, take heed he hear us not;-regia, presume not ;-celsa senis, despair not. Hor. Madam, 'tis now in tune. Luc. All but the bass. Hor. The bass is right; 'tis the base knave that jars. How fiery and forward our pedant is! Now, for my life, the knave doth court my love : Bian. In time I may believe, yet I mistrust. Bian. I must believe my master; else, I promise you, I should be arguing still upon that doubt: But let it rest.-Now, Licio, to you : Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray, That I have been thus pleasant with you both. Hor. You may go walk, [To LUCENTIO.] and give me leave awhile; My lessons make no music in three parts. Luc. Are you so formal, sir? well, I must wait, And watch withal; for, but I be deceiv'd, Our fine musician groweth amorous. [Aside. Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument, To learn the order of my fingering, Than hath been taught by any of my trade: Bian. Why, I am past my gamut long ago. Bian. [reads.] Gamut I am, the ground of all accord, Call you this-gamut? tut! I like it not: To change true rules for odd inventions. Enter a Servant. Ser. Mistress, your father prays you leave your books, And help to dress your sister's chamber up; You know, to-morrow is the wedding-day. Bian. Farewell, sweet masters, both; I must be gone. [Exe. BIANCA and Servant. Luc.Faith,mistress, then I have no cause to stay. [Exit. Hor. But I have cause to pry into this pedant; Methinks, he looks as though he were in love :Yet if thy thoughts, Bianca, be so humble, To cast thy wand'ring eyes on every stale, Seize thee, that list: If once I find thee ranging, Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing. SCENE II. [Exit.. The same. Before BAPTISTA's House. Enter BAPTISTA, GREMIO, TRANIO, KATHARINE, BIANCA, LUCENTIO, and Attendants. Bap. Signior Lucentio, [To TRANIO.] this is the 'pointed day That Katharine and Petruchio should be married, What will be said? what mockery will it be, Kath. No shame but mine: I must, forsooth, be forc'd To give my hand, oppos'd against my heart, Unto a mad-brain'd rudesby, full of spleen ;5 Who woo'd in haste, and means to wed at leisure. I told you, I, he was a frantic fool, Hiding his bitter jests in blunt behaviour: He'll woo a thousand, 'point the day of marriage, [5] That is, full of humour, caprice and inconstancy. JOHNSON. |