566Petr. Verona, for a while I take my leaue,

567To see my friends in Padua; but of all

568My best beloued and approued friend

569Hortensio: & I trow this is his house:

570Heere sirra Grumio, knocke I say.

571Gru. Knocke sir? whom should I knocke? Is there

572any man ha's rebus'd your worship?

573Petr. Villaine I say, knocke me heere soundly.

574Gru. Knocke you heere sir? Why sir, what am I sir,

575that I should knocke you heere sir.

576Petr. Villaine I say, knocke me at this gate,

577And rap me well, or Ile knocke your knaues pate.

578Gru. My M^r is growne quarrelsome:

579I should knocke you first,

580And then I know after who comes by the worst.

581Petr. Will it not be?

582'Faith sirrah, and you'l not knocke, Ile ring it,

583Ile trie how you can Sol,Fa, and sing it.

585Gru. Helpe mistris helpe, my master is mad.

586Petr. Now knocke when I bid you: sirrah villaine.

588Hor. How now, what's the matter? My olde friend

589Grumio, and my good friend Petruchio? How do you all

590at Verona?

591Petr. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?

592Contutti le core bene trobatto, may I say.

593Hor. Alla nostra casa bene venuto multo honorata signi-

594or mio Petruchio.

595Rise Grumio rise, we will compound this quarrell.

596Gru. Nay 'tis no matter sir, what he leges in Latine.

597If this be not a lawfull cause for me to leaue his seruice,

598looke you sir: He bid me knocke him,& rap him sound-

599ly sir. Well, was it fit for a seruant to vse his master so,

600being perhaps (for ought I see) two and thirty, a peepe

601out?

Whom would to God I had well knockt at first,

602then had not Grumio come by the worst.

603Petr. A sencelesse villaine: good Hortensio,

604I bad the rascall knocke vpon your gate,

605And could not get him for my heart to do it.

606Gru. Knocke at the gate? O heauens: spake you not

607these words plaine? Sirra, Knocke me heere: rappe me

608heere: knocke me well, and knocke me soundly? And

609come you now with knocking at the gate?

610Petr. Sirra be gone, or talke not I aduise you.

611Hor. Petruchio patience, I am Grumio's pledge:

612Why this a heauie chance twixr him and you,

613Your ancient trustie pleasant seruant Grumio:

614And tell me now (sweet friend) what happie gale

615Blowes you to Padua heere, from old Verona?

616Petr.Such wind as scatters yongmen throgh y^e world,

617To seeke their fortunes farther then at home,

618Where small experience growes but in a few.

619Signior Hortensio, thus it stands with me,

620Antonio my father is deceast,

621And I haue thrust my selfe into this maze,

622Happily to wiue and thriue, as best I may:

623Crownes in my purse I haue, and goods at home,

624And so am come abroad to see the world.

625Hor. Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee,

626And wish thee to a shrew'd ill-fauour'd wife?

627Thou'dst thanke me but a little for my counsell:

628And yet Ile promise thee she shall be rich,

629And verie rich: but th'art too much my friend,

630And Ile not wish thee to her.

631Petr. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as wee,

632Few words suffice: and therefore, if thou know

633One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife:

634(As wealth is burthen of my woing dance)

635Be she as foule as was Florentius Loue,

636As old as Sibell, and as curst and shrow'd

637As Socrates Zentippe, or a worse:

638She moues me not, or not remoues at least

639Affections edge in me. Were she is as rough

640As are the swelling Adriaticke seas.

641I come to wiue it wealthily in Padua:

642If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

643Gru. Nay looke you sir, hee tels you flatly what his

644minde is: why giue him Gold enough, and marrie him

645to a Puppet or an Aglet babie, or an old trot with ne're a

646tooth in her head, though she haue as manie diseases as

647two and fiftie horses. Why nothing comes amisse, so

648monie comes withall.

649Hor. Petruchio, since we are stept thus farre in,

650I will continue that I broach'd in iest,

651I can Petruchio helpe thee to a wife

652With wealth enough, and yong and beautious,

653Brought vp as best becomes a Gentlewoman.

654Her onely fault, and that is faults enough,

655Is, that she is intollerable curst,

656And shrow'd, and froward, so beyond all measure,

657That were my state farre worser then it is,

658I would not wed her for a mine of Gold.

659Petr. Hortensio peace: thou knowst not golds effect,

660Tell me her fathers name, and 'tis enough:

661For I will boord her, though she chide as loud

662As thunder, when the clouds in Autumne cracke.

663Hor. Her father is Baptista Minola,

664An affable and courteous Gentleman,

665Her name is Katherina Minola,

666Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

667Petr. I know her father, though I know not her,

668And he knew my deceased father well:

669I wil not sleepe Hortensio til I see her,

670And therefore let me be thus bold with you,

671To giue you ouer at this first encounter,

672Vnlesse you wil accompanie me thither.

673Gru. I pray you Sir let him go while the humor lasts.

674A my word, and she knew him as wel as I do, she would

675thinke scolding would doe little good vpon him. Shee

676may perhaps call him halfe a score Knaues, or so: Why

677that's nothing; and he begin once, hee'l raile in his rope

678trickes. Ile tell you what sir, and she stand him but a li-

679tle, he wil throw a figure in her face, and so disfigure hir

680with it, that shee shal haue no more eies to see withall

681then a Cat: you know him not sir.

682Hor. Tarrie Petruchio, I must go with thee,

683For in Baptistas keepe my treasure is:

684He hath the Iewel of my life in hold,

685His yongest daughter, beautiful Bianca,

686And her with-holds from me. Other more

687Suters to her, and riuals in my Loue:

688Supposing it a thing impossible,

689For those defects I haue before rehearst,

690That euer Katherina wil be woo'd:

691Therefore this order hath Baptista tane,

692That none shal haue accesse vnto Bianca,

693Til Katherine the Curst, haue got a husband.

694Gru. Katherine the curst,

695A title for a maide, of all titles the worst.

696Hor. Now shal my friend Petruchio do me grace,

697And offer me disguis'd in sober robes,

698To old Baptista as a schoole-master

699Well seene in Musicke, to instruct Bianca,

700That so I may by this deuice at least

701Haue leaue and leisure to make loue to her,

702And vnsuspected court her by her selfe.

704Gru. Heere's no knauerie. See, to beguile the olde-

705folkes, how the young folkes lay their heads together.

706Master, master, looke about you: Who goes there? ha.

707Hor. Peace Grumio, it is the riuall of my Loue.

708Petruchio stand by a while.

709Grumio. A proper stripling, and an amorous.

710Gremio. O very well, I haue perus'd the note:

711Hearke you sir, Ile haue them verie fairely bound,

712All bookes of Loue, see that at any hand,

713And see you reade no other Lectures to her:

714You vnderstand me. Ouer and beside

715Signior Baptistas liberalitie,

716Ile mend it with a Largesse. Take your paper too,

717And let me haue them verie wel perfum'd;

718For she is sweeter then perfume it selfe

719To whom they go to: what wil you reade to her.

720Luc. What ere I reade to her, Ile pleade for you,

721As for my patron, stand you so assur'd,

722As firmely as your selfe were still in place,

723Yea and perhaps with more successefull words

724Then you; vnlesse you were a scholler sir.

725Gre. Oh this learning, what a thing it is.

726Gru. Oh this Woodcocke, what an Asse it is.

727Petru. Peace sirra.

728Hor. Grumio mum: God saue you signior Gremio.

729Gre. And you are wel met, Signior Hortensio.

730Trow you whither I am going? To Baptista Minola,

731I promist to enquire carefully

732About a schoolemaster for the faire Bianca,

733And by good fortune I haue lighted well

734On this yong man: For learning and behauiour

735Fit for her turne, well read in Poetrie

736And other bookes, good ones, I warrant ye.

737Hor. 'Tis well: and I haue met a Gentleman

738Hath promist me to helpe one to another,

739A fine Musitian to instruct our Mistris,

740So shal I no whit be behinde in dutie

741To faire Bianca, so beloued of me.

742Gre. Beloued of me, and that my deeds shal proue.

743Gru. And that his bags shal proue.

744Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our loue,

745Listen to me, and if you speake me faire,

746Ile tel you newes indifferent good for either.

747Heere is a Gentleman whom by chance I met

748Vpon agreement from vs to his liking,

749Will vndertake to woo curst Katherine,

750Yea, and to marrie her, if her dowrie please.

751Gre. So said, so done, is well:

752Hortensio, haue you told him all her faults?

753Petr. I know she is an irkesome brawling scold:

754If that be all Masters, I heare no harme.

755Gre. No, sayst me so, friend? What Countreyman?

756Petr. Borne in Verona, old Butonios sonne:

757My father dead, my fortune liues for me,

758And I do hope, good dayes and long, to see.

759Gre. Oh sir, such a life with such a wife, were strange:

760But if you haue a stomacke, too't a Gods name,

761You shal haue me assisting you in all.

762But will you woo this Wilde-cat?

763Petr. Will I liue?

764Gru. Wil he woo her? I: or Ile hang her.

765Petr. Why came I hither, but to that intent?

766Thinke you, a little dinne can daunt mine eares?

767Haue I not in my time heard Lions rore?

768Haue I not heard the sea, puft vp with windes,

769Rage like an angry Boare, chafed with sweat?

770Haue I not heard great Ordnance in the field?

771And heauens Artillerie thunder in the skies?

772Haue I not in a pitched battell heard

773Loud larums, neighing steeds, & trumpets clangue?

774And do you tell me of a womans tongue?

775That giues not halfe so great a blow to heare,

776As wil a Chesse-nut in a Farmers fire.

777Tush, tush, feare boyes with bugs.

778Gru. For he feares none.

779Grem. Hortensio hearke:

780This Gentleman is happily arriu'd,

781My minde presumes for his owne good, and yours.

782Hor. I promist we would be Contributors,

783And beare his charge of wooing whatsoere.

784Gremio. And so we wil, prouided that he win her.

785Gru. I would I were as sure of a good dinner.

787Tra. Gentlemen God saue you. If I may be bold

788Tell me I beseech you, which is the readiest way

789To the house of Signior Baptista Minola?

790Bion. He that ha's the two faire daughters: ist he you

791meane?

792Tra. Euen he Biondello.

793Gre. Hearke you sir, you meane not her to---

794Tra. Perhaps him and her sir, what haue you to do?

795Petr. Not her that chides sir, at any hand I pray.

796Tranio. I loue no chiders sir: Biondello, let's away.

797Luc Well begun Tranio.

798Hor. Sir, a word ere you go:

799Are you a sutor to the Maid you talke of, yea or no?

800Tra. And if I be sir, is it any offence?

801Gremio.No: if without more words you will get you

802hence.

803Tra. Why sir, I pray are not the streets as free

804For me, as for you?

805Gre. But so is not she.

806Tra. For what reason I beseech you.

807Gre. For this reason if you'l kno,

808That she's the choise loue of Signior Gremio.

809Hor. That she's the chosen of signior Hortensio.

810Tra. Softly my Masters: If you be Gentlemen

811Do me this right: heare me with patience.

812Baptista is a noble Gentleman,

813To whom my Father is not all vnknowne,

814And were his daughter fairer then she is,

815She may more sutors haue, and me for one.

816Faire Laedaes daughter had a thousand wooers,

817Then well one more may faire Bianca haue;

818And so she shall: Lucentio shal make one,

819Though Paris came, in hope to speed alone.

820Gre. What, this Gentleman will out-talke vs all.

821Luc. Sir giue him head, I know hee'l proue a Iade.

822Petr. Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

823Hor. Sir, let me be so bold as aske you,

824Did you yet euer see Baptistas daughter?

825Tra. No sir, but heare I do that he hath two:

826The one, as famous for a scolding tongue,

827As is the other, for beauteous modestie.

828Petr. Sir, sir, the first's for me, let her go by.

829Gre. Yea, leaue that labour to great Hercules,

830And let it be more then Alcides twelue.

831Petr. Sir vnderstand you this of me (insooth)

832The yongest daughter whom you hearken for,

833Her father keepes from all accesse of sutors,

834And will not promise her to any man,

835Vntill the elder sister first be wed.

836The yonger then is free, and not before.

837Tranio. If it be so sir, that you are the man

838Must steed vs all, and me amongst the rest:

839And if you breake the ice, and do this seeke,

840Atchieue the elder: set the yonger free,

841For our accesse, whose hap shall be to haue her,

842Wil not so gracelesse be, to be ingrate.

843Hor. Sir you say wel, and wel you do conceiue,

844And since you do professe to be a sutor,

845You must as we do, gratifie this Gentleman,

846To whom we all rest generally beholding.

847Tranio. Sir, I shal not be slacke, in signe whereof,

848Please ye we may contriue this afternoone,

849And quaffe carowses to our Mistresse health,

850And do as aduersaries do in law,

851Striue mightily, but eate and drinke as friends.

852Gru.Bion.Oh excellent motion: fellowes let's be gon.

853Hor. The motions good indeed, and be it so,

854Petruchio, I shal be your Been venuto. Exeunt.