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Pet. It is extempore, from my mother-wit.
Cath. A witty mother, witlefs else her fon.
Pet. Am I not wife?

Cath. Yes; keep you warm.

Pet. Why, fo I mean, sweet Catharine, in thy bed:

And therefore fetting all this chat aside,

Thus in plain terms: your father hath confented,
That you fhall be my wife; your dow'ry 'greed on;
And, will you, nill you, I will marry you.
Now, Kate, I am a husband for your turn,
For by this light, whereby I fee thy beauty,
(Thy beauty, that doth make me like thee well;)
Thou must be married to no man but me.
For I am he, am born to tame you, Kate;
And bring you from a wild cat to a Kate,
Conformable as other houfhold Kates;
Here comes your father, never make denial,
I must and will have Catharine to my Wife.

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Enter Baptifta, Gremio, and Tranio.

Bap. Now, fignior Petruchio, how speed you with my daughter?

Pet. How but well, Sir? how but well? It were impoffible, I fhould fpeed amifs.

Bap. Why, how now, daughter Catharine, in your dumps?

Cath. Call you me daughter? now, I promise you, You've fhew'd a tender fatherly regard,

To with me wed to one half lunatick;

A madcap ruffian, and a swearing Jack,

That thinks with oaths to face the matter out.
Pet. Father, 'tis thus; yourself and all the World,
That talk'd of her, have talk'd amiss of her;
If fhe be curft, it is for policy,

For

For fhe's not froward, but modeft as the dove:
She is not hot, but temperate as the morn;
For patience, fhe will prove a fecond Griffel;
And Roman Lucrece for her chastity.

And to conclude, we've 'greed fo well together,
That upon Sunday is the wedding-day.

Cath. I'll fee thee hang'd on Sunday first.

Gre. Hark: Petruchio! fhe fays, fhe'll fee thee hang'd first.

Tra. Is this your speeding? nay, then, good night,
our part!

Pet. Be patient, Sirs, I chufe her for my self;
If the and I be pleas'd, what's that to you?
'Tis bargain'd 'twixt us twain, being alone,
That the fhall ftill be curft in company.

I tell you, 'tis incredible to believe

How much she loves me; oh, the kindeft Kate!-
She hung about my neck, and kifs on kifs
She vy'd fo faft, protefting oath on oath,
That in a twink fhe won me to her love,
Oh, you are novices; 'tis a world to fee,
How tame (when men and women are alone)
A meacock wretch can make the curfteft fhrew.
Give me thy hand, Kate, I will unto Venice,
To buy apparel 'gainst the wedding-day;
Father, provide the feaft, and bid the guests;
I will be fure, my Catharine fhall be fine.

Bap. I know not what to fay, but give your
hands ;

God fend you joy, Petruchio! 'tis a match.

Gre. Tra. Amen, fay we; we will be witneffes.
Pet. Father, and wife, and Gentlemen, adieu;
I will to Venice, Sunday comes apace,

We will have rings and things, and fine array;
And kiss me, Kate, we will be married o' Sunday.
[Exeunt Petruchio, and Catharine feverally.

SCENE

1

SCENE VI

Gre. Was ever match clapt up fo fuddenly?
Bap. Faith, gentlemen, I play a merchant's part,
And venture madly on a defperate mart.

Tra. 'Twas a commodity lay fretting by you;
'Twill bring you gain, or perifh on the Seas.
Bap. The gain I feek is quiet in the match.
Gre. No doubt, but he hath got a quiet catch:
But now, Baptifta, to your younger daughter:
Now is the day we long have looked for:
I am your neighbour, and was fuitor first.

Tra. And I am one, that love Bianca more
Than words can witness, or your thoughts can guess.
Gre. Youngling! thou can'ft not love fo dear as I.
Tra. Grey-beard! thy love doth freeze.

Gre. But thine doth fry.

Skipper, stand back; 'tis age that nourisheth.
Tra. But youth, in ladies' eyes that flourisheth.
Bap. Content you, Gentlemen, I will compound
this ftrife;

'Tis deeds muft win the prize; and he, of Both,
That can affure my daughter greatest dower,
Shall have Bianca's love.

Say, Signior Gremio, what can you affure her?
Gre. First, as you know, my house within the city
Is richly furnished with plate and gold,

Bafons and ewers to lave her dainty hands:
My hangings all of Tyrian tapestry;
In ivory coffers I have stuft my crowns ;
In cyprefs chefts my arras, counterpanes,
Coftly apparel, tents and canopies,

Fine linnen, Turkey cushions bofs'd with pearl;
Valance of Venice gold in needle-work;
Pewter and brass, and all things that belong
To house, or houfe-keeping: then, at my farm,
I have a hundred milch-kine to the pail,

Six

Sixfcore fat oxen standing in my ftalls;
And all things answerable to this portion.
My felf am ftruck in years, I must confess,
And if I die to morrow, this is hers;
If, whilft I live, fhe will be only mine.

Tra. That only came well in-Sir, lift to me;
I am my father's heir, and only fon;

If I may have your daughter to my wife,
I'll leave her houfes three or four as good,
Within rich Pifa walls, as any one
Old Signior Gremio has in Padua ;
Befides two thousand ducats by the year
Of fruitful land; all which fhall be her jointure.
What, have I pinch'd you, Signior Gremio?

3 Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year of land!
My land amounts but to fo much in all:
That the fhall have, befides an Argofie
That now is lying in Marseilles's road.
What, have I choakt you with an Argofie?

Tra. Gremio, 'tis known, my father hath no less Than three great Argofies, besides two galliaffes And twelve tight gallies; these I will affure her, And twice as much, what e'er thou offer'ft next.

3 Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year of land! My land amounts not to fo much in all:

That he shall have, and

-]

Tho' all the copies concur 'in this reading, furely, if we examine the reasoning, fomething will be found wrong. Gremio is ftartled at the high fettlement Tranio propofes; fays, his whole estate in land can't match it, yet he'll fettle fo much a year upon her, &c. This is playing at crofs purposes. The change of the negative in the fecond line falves the abfurdity, and fets the paffage right. Gremio and Tranio are vyeing in their offers to carry Bianca: The latter boldly propoies to fettle land to the amount of two thousand ducats per annum. My whole eftate, fays the other, in land, amounts but to that value; yet fhe fhall have that: I'll endow her with the whole; and confign a rich veffel to her use, over and above. Thus all is intelligible, and he goes on to outbid his rival.

Gre.

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Gre. Nay, I have offer'd all; I have no more; And she can have no more than all I have;

If you like me, fhe fhall have me and mine.

Tra. Why, then the maid is mine from all the world,

By your firm promife; Gremio is out-vied.

Bap. I must confefs, your offer is the best;
And let your father make her the affurance,
She is your own, elfe you must pardon me:
If you should die before him, where's her dower?
Tra. That's but a cavil; he is old, I young.

Gre. And may not young men die, as well as old? Bap. Well, gentlemen, then I am thus refolv'd: On Sunday next, you know,

My daughter Catharine is to be married:
Now on the Sunday following fhall Bianca
Be bride to you, if you make this affurance;
If not, to Signior Gremio:

And fo I take my leave, and thank you both. [Exit.
Gre. Adieu, good neighbour.-Now I fear thee

not:

Sirrah, young gamefter, your father were a fool
To give thee all; and in his waining age
Set foot under thy table: tut! a toy!
An old Italian fox is not fo kind, my boy.

[Exit.

Tra. A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide!

4 Yet I have fac'd it with a card of ten:

'Tis in my head to do my mafter good:

4 Yet I have fac'd it with a card of ten :] That is, with the highest card, in the old fimple games of our ancestors. So tha: this became a proverbial expression. So Skelton,

Fyrfte pycke a quarrel, and fall out with him then,

And fo outface him with a card of ten.

And Ben Johnson in his Sad Shepherd,

a Hart of ten

I trow he be,

i, e. an extraordinary good one.

I

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