Tra. No, sir; but hear I do, that he hath two; Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by. Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, insooth ;— Hor. Sir, you say well, and well do you conceive; You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman, To whom we all rest generally beholden. Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof, Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends. Gru. Bion. O excellent motion !-Fellows, lets be gone. Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so ;Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE 1.-The same. A Room in BAPTISTA's House. Enter KATHARINA and BIANCA. Bianca. GOOD sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself, So well I know my duty to my elders. Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive, Kath. Minion, thou liest; Is't not Hortensio ? Bian. Is it for him you do envy me so? Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so. Enter BAPTISTA. [Strikes her. Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this insolence? Bianca, stand aside;-poor girl! she weeps:- -For shame, thou hildings of a devilish spirit, Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see, [Exit KATH. Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? But who comes here? [5] The word hilding or hinderling, is a low wretch: it is applied to Katharine for the coarseness of her behaviour JOHNS. [6] "To lead apes" was in our author's time, as at present one of the employments of a bear herd, who often carries abour one of those animals along with his bear but i know not how this phrase came to be applied to old maids. MALONE. : That women who refused to bear children, should, after death, be condemned to the care of apes in leading-strings, might have been considered as an act of posthumous retribution. STEEV. Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in the habit of a mean man; PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as a musician; and TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books. Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista. Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio:-God save you, gentlemen! Pet. And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous? Bap. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina. Pet. You wrong me,signior Gremio; give me leave.I am a gentleman of Verona, sir, That, hearing of her beauty, and her wit, Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,- Within your house, to make mine eye the witness [Presenting HORTENSIO. Bap. You're welcome, sir; and he,for your good sake: But for my daughter Katharine,-this I know, She is not for your turn, the more my grief. Pet. I see, you do not mean to part with her; Or else you like not of my company. Bap. Mistake me not, I speak but as I find. Whence are you, sir, what may I call your name? A man well known throughout all Italy. Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his sake. Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too: Pet. O, pardon me, signior Gremio; I would fain be doing. Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your wooing. [7] The word is an old proverbial one. FARMER. -Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, I freely give unto you this young scholar, that hath been long studying at Rheims [Presenting LUCENTIO]; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in music and mathematics: His name is Cambio; pary,accept his service. Bap. A thousand thanks, signior Gremio:-Welcome, good Cambio.-But, gentle sir, methinks, you walk like a stranger; [To TRANIO.] May I be so bold to know the cause of your coming? Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own; That, being a stranger in this city here, Do make myself a suitor to your daughter, Unto Bianca, fair, and virtuous. Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me, I may have welcome 'mongst the rest that woo, And this small packet of Greek and Latin books: Bap. A mighty man of Pisa ; by report I know him well: you are very welcome, sir.— Take you [To HOR.] the lute, and you [To Luc.] the set of books, You shall go see your pupils presently. Holla, within!-Sirrah, lead Enter a Servant. These gentlemen to my daughters; and tell them both, These are their tutors; bid them use them well.[Ex. Servant, with HORT. LUCEN. and BION. We will go walk a little in the orchard, And then to dinner: You are passing welcome, Pet. Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste, [8] In Queen Elizabeth's time the young ladies of quality were usually instructed in the learned languages, if any pains were bestowed on their minds at all. Lady Jane Grey and her sisters, Queen Elizabeth, &c. are trite instances. PERCY. And every day I cannot come to woo. Bap. Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd, Pet. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father, For I am rough, and woo not like a babe. Bap. Well may'st thou woo, and happy be thy speed! But be thou arm'd for some unhappy words. Pet. Ay, to the proof; as mountains are for winds, That shake not, though they blow perpetually. Re-enter HORTENSIO, with his head broken. Bap. How now,my friend? why dost thou look so pale? Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale. Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good musician? Hor. I think, she'll sooner prove a soldier; Iron may hold with her, but never lutes. Bap. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute? Hor. Why, no; for she hath broke the lute to me. I did but tell her, she mistook her frets, 9 And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering; When, with a most impatient devilish spirit, Frets, call you these? quoth she: I'll fume with them: [9] A fret is that stop of a musical instrument which causes or regulates the vibration of the string. JOHNSON. |