Lady. Thrice-noble Lord, let me entreat of you, Sly. Ay, it ftands so, that I may hardly tarry so long, but I would be loath to fall into my dream again: I will therefore tarry in despight of the flesh and the blood. Enter a Messenger. Meff. Your Honour's players, hearing your amendment, Are come to play a pleasant comedy; For so your doctors hold it very meet, Seeing too much fadness 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; is it not a com modity? a Christmas gambol, or a tumbling trick? Lady. No, my good Lord, it is more pleasing stuff. Sly. What, houshold stuff? Lady. It is a kind of history. Sly. Well, we'll fee't: Come Madam wife, fit by my fide, and let the world flip, we shall ne'er be younger. The The TAMING of the SHREW. ACTI. SCENE, a Street in Padua. Flourish. Enter Lucentio and Tranio. LUCENTΙΟ. I had To fee fair Padua, nursery of arts, (7) I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,] Though all the impref. fions concur in this, I take it to be a blunder of the editors, and not of the author. Padua is not in Lombardy; but Pifa, from which Lucentio comes, is really in those territories, And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study, Tra. Me pardonato, gentle master mine, Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advifes Tra. Master, some show to welcome as to town. Bap. Gentlemen both, importune me no farther, If either of you both love Catharina, Beçaufe : Because I know you well, and love you well, Cath. I'faith, Sir, you shall never need to fear, Tra. Hush, master, here's some good pastime toward; That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward. afide. Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fili. J What I have faid, Bianca, get you in; Cath. A pretty peat! it is best put finger in the eye, an the knew why. Bian. Sifter, content you in my discontent. Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe: My books and instruments shall be my company, On them to look, and practise by myself. Luc. Hark, Tranio, thou may'st hear Minerva speak. Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange? Sorry am I, that our good will effects Gre. Why will you mew her up, [afide. 1 And 7 [Exit Bianca. And make her bear the penance of her tongue ? [Exit. Cath. Why, and, I trust, I may go too, may I not P what, shall I be appointed hours, as though, belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? ha! [Exit. Gre. You may go to the devil's dam: Your gifts are so good, here is none will hold you. Our love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out. Our cake's dow on both fides. Farewel; yet for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if L can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein the delights, I will with him to her father. Hor. So will I, Signior Gremio: But a word, I pray; though 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 'specially.. Gre. What's that, I pray? Hor. Marry, Sir, to get a husband for her fifter. Hor. I say, a husband. Gre. I fay, a devil. Think'st thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell? Hor. Tush, Gremio; though it pass your patience and mine to endure her loud alarms, why, man, there be |