T

A Street in PADUA.

Flourish. Enter Lucentio and Tranio.

LUCENTIO.

RANIO, fince for the great defire I had
To fee fair Padua, nursery of arts,

I am arriv'd from 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 fervant, well approv'd in all,
Here let us breathe, and haply institute
A courfe of learning, and ingenious ftudies.
Pifa, renowned for grave citizens,

Gave me my Being; and my father first,

A merchant of great traffick through the world:
Vincentio's come of the Bentivoli,

1-from fruitful Lombardy.] So Mr. Theobald. The former editions, inftead of from, had for. ingenious] I rather

think it was written ingenuous ftudies, but of this and a thoufand fuch obfervations there is little certainty.

2

Vincentio his fon, brought up in Florence,
It shall become to ferve 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 philofophy
Will I apply, that treats of happiness
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 shallow plash to plunge him in the deep,
And with fatiety feeks to quench his thirst.
Tra. Me pardonato, gentle mafter mine,
I am in all affected as yourself:

Glad, that you thus continue your refolve,
To fuck the sweets of sweet philosophy :
Only, good mafter, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no Stoicks, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or, fo devote to Ariftotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd.
Talk logick with acquaintance that you have,
And practice rhetorick in your common talk;
Mufick and Poefy ufe to quicken you;
The Mathematicks, and the Metaphyficks,
Fall to them, as you find your ftomach serves you :
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en :
In brief, Sir, ftudy what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost 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 stay a while, what company is this?

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

2 Sir Thomas Hanmer, and after him Dr. Warburton, read to virtue; but formerly ply and ap

ply were indifferently used, as to ply or apply his ftudies.

SCENE

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 bestow 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 amongft 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. Hush, master, here's fome good pastime 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, mafter; mum! and gaze

your fill.

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

afide.

And

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 speak.

[afide. Hor. Signior Baptifta, will you be fo* strange? 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, fhe taketh most delight
In musick, 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 ment
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 truft, I may go too, may I not? what, fhall I be appointed hours, as tho', be-· like, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ba! [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 loft its original fignification of knowing, learned, as may be observed in the tranflation of the Bible.

SCENE

not fo

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam. Your gifts are fo good, here is none will hold you. Our love is 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 sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her That wherein the delights, I will wish 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 accefs to our fair Miftrefs, 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 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 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 cross every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's a small choice in rotten apples. But, 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 husband, we fet his youngest free for a husband, and then have