And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thou'dft thank me but a little for my counsel,
And yet, I'll promife thee, fhe fhall be rich,
And very rich: but thou're too much my friend,
And I'll not with thee to her. =!

Pet. Signior Hortenfio, 'twixt fuch friends as used
Few words fuffice; and therefore if you know *IAL
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife;

(As wealth is burden of my wooing dance)
Be the as foul as was Florentius' love,
As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd:
As Socrates' Xantippe, or a worse,

She moves me not; or not removes, at least,
Affection's edge in me. Were the as rough
As are the fwelling Adriatick feas,

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua:
If wealthily, then happily, in Padua:

Gru. Nay, look you, Sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is why, give him gold enough, and marry him to a puppet, or an aglet-baby, or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, tho' he have as many difeafes as two and fifty horfes; why, nothing comes amifs, fo money comes withal,

Hor. Petruchio, fince we are ftept thus far in I will continue that I broach'd in jest..

I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and young and beauteous;
Brought up, as beft becomes a gentlewoman.
Her only fault, and that is fault enough,-

Is, that he is intolerable curst;

And fhrewd, and froward, fo beyond all measure,
That, were my ftate far worfer than it is,

Iwould not wed her for a mine of gold.

Pet. Hertenfio, peace; thou know'ft not gold's effect;: Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough:

For I will board her, tho' fhe chide as loud
As thunder, when the clouds in autumn crack.
Hor. Her father is Baptifta Minola,

An affable and courteous gentleman;
Her name is Catharina Minola,

Renown'd

Renown'd in Padua for her fcolding tongue.
Pet. I know her father, tho' I know not her;
And he knew my deceased father well.
I will not fleep, Hortenfio, 'till I fee her,
And therefore let me be thus bold with you,
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

Gru. I pray you, Sir, let him go while the humour lafts. O'my word, an fhe knew him as well as I do, fhe would think colding would do little good upon him. She may, perhaps, call him half a fcore knaves, or fo: why, that's nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks. I'll tell you what, Sir, an fhe ftand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and fo disfigure her with it, that the fhall have no more eyes to fee withal than a cat: you know him not, Sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee,

For in Baptifta's houfe my treafare is:

He hath the jewel of my life in hold,
His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca;

(9) And her with holds he from me, and others more
Suitors to her, and rivals in my love:
Suppofing it a thing impoffible,

(For thofe defeats I have before rehears'd,)
That ever Catharina will be woo'd;
Therefore this order hath Baptifta ta'en,
'That none fhall have accefs unto Bianca,
'I'ill Catharine the curft have got a husb.ind.
Gru. Catharine the curft?

A title for a maid of all titles the worst!

Hor. Now fhall my friend Petruchio do me grace, And offer me difguis'd in fober robes

To old Baptifta as a school mafter,

Well feen in mufick, to inftru&t Bianca;
That fo I may by this device, at least,

Other more

Juitors to ber, and

(9) And her withhelds be from me. rivals in my love: : &c.] The editors, in this carelefsnefs of their pointing, have made ftark nonfense of this paffage. The regulation, which I have given to the text, was dictated to me by the ingenious Dr. Thirlby.

Have leave and leifure to make love to her;
And, unfufpected, court her by herself,

Enter Gremio, and Lucentio difguis'd.

Gru. Here's no knavery! fee, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together. Master, look about you: who goes there? ha.

Hor. Peace, Grumio, 'tis the rival of my love.
Petruchio, ftand by a while.

Gru. A proper tripling, and an amorous.
Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note.
Hark you, Sir, I'll have them very fairly bound,
All books of love; fee that, at any hand;
And fee, you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me-Over and befide
Signior Baptifta's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largefs. Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;
For the is sweeter than perfume itself,

To whom they go: what will you read to her?
Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you,
As for my patron, ftand you fo affured;
As firmly, as you felf were still in place;
Yea, and, perhaps, with more fuccefsful words
Than you, unless you were a fcholar, Sir.

Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is!
Gru. Oh this woodcock, what an ass it is!
Pet. Peace, firrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum! God fave you, Signior Gremio. Gre. And you are well met, Signior Hortenfio. Trow you, whither I am going? to Baptifta Minola; I promis'd to enquire carefully about a fchool-mafter for the fair Banca; and by good fortune I have lighted well ou this young man; for learning and behaviour fit for her turn, well read in poetry, and other books, good ones, I warrant ye.

Hor. 'Tis well; and I have met a gentleman, Hath promis'd me to help me to another,

A fine musician to inftruct our mistress;

So fhall I no whit be behind in duty

Το

i

To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me,-and that my deeds fhall prove.
Gru. And that his bags fhall prove.

Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love.
Listen to me; and, if you speak me fait,
I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a gentleman whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,

Will undertake to wooe curft Catharine;

Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So faid,. fo done. is well ;----
Hortenfio, have you told him all her faults?
Pet. I know he is an irkfome brawling fcold;
If that be all, matters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No, fayeft me fo, friend? what countryman ?
Pet. Born in Kerena, old Antonio's fon;

My father's dead, my fortune lives for me,

And I do hope good days and long to fee.

Gre. Oh, Sir, fuch a life with fuch a wife were ftrange;

But if you have a ftomach, to't, o' God's name :
You fhall have me affifting you in all.

But will you wooe this wild cat?

Pet. Will Llive ?...

Gru. Will he wooe her? ay, or I'll hang her.
Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent?
Think you, a little din can daunt my ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the fea, puff'd up with winds,
Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat P
Have I not heard great ordnance in the field?
And heav'n's artillery thunder in the kies?
Have I not in a pitched battel heard

Loud larums, neighing fteeds, and trumpets clangue ?-
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,

That gives not half fo great a blow to hear,

As will a chefnut in a farmer's fire ?

Tufh, tufh, fear boys with bugs.
Gru. For he fears none..

Gre. Hortenfio, hark:

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,,

My

My mind prefumes, for his own good, and ours.
Hor. I promised, we would be contributors;
And bear his charge of wooing whatsoe'er.

Gre. And fo we will, provided that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as fure of a good dinner.

To them Tranio bravely apparell'd, and Biondello. Tra. Gentlemen, God fave you. If I may be bold,. tell me, I beseech you, which is the readieft way to the houfe of Signior Baptifta Minola?

Bion. He, that has the two fair daughters? is't he you.

mean?

Tra Even he, Biondello.

Gre. Hark you, Sir, you mean not her, to

Tra. Perhaps, him and her; what have you to do ? Pet. Nor her that chides, Sir, at any hand, I pray. Tra. I love no chiders, Sir: Biondello, let's away Luc. Well begun, Trania.

Hor. Sir, a word ere you go:

Are

you a fuitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no? Tra. An if I be, Sir, is it any offence?

Gre. No; if without more words you will get you hence. Tra. Why, Sir, I pray, are not the streets as free For me, as for you?

Gre. But fo is not the..

Tra. For what reason, I beseech you?

Gre. For this reason, if you'll know:

That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.
Hor. That fhe's the chofen of Signior Hortenfio.
Tra. Softly, my matters; if you be gentleinen,
Do me this right; hear me with patience.
Baptifta, is a noble-gentleman,

To whom my father is not all unknown;
And, were his daughter fairer than fhe is,
She may more fuitors have, and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have,
And fo fhe fhall. Lucentio fhall make one,
Tho' Paris came, in hope to speed alone.

Gre. What, this gentleman will out-talk us all!

Luca