ACT I Crowns in my purse I have, and goods at home, PET. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we As wealth is burden of my wooing dance, Be she as foul as was Florentius' love, I come to wive it wealthily in Padua ; 60 70 GRU. Nay; look you, Sir, he tells you flatly what his HOR. Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus far in, I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife With wealth enough, and young and beauteous; Is that she is intolerable curst, And shrewd, and froward; so beyond all measure I would not wed her for a mine of gold. 81 90 HOR. Her father is Baptista Minola, An affable and courteous gentleman: Her name is Katharina Minola, Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue. I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her; 100 GRU. I pray you, Sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O' my word, an she knew him as well as I do, she would think scolding would do little good upon him: she may, perhaps, call him half a score knaves or so: why, that's nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope1-tricks. I'll tell you what, Sir, an she stand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and so disfigure her with it that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat. You know him not, Sir. HOR. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee, For in Baptista's keep my treasure is : He hath the jewel of my life in hold, His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca, And her withholds from me, and other more, For those defects I have before rehears'd, Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en A title for a maid, of all titles the worst. HOR. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace ; And offer me, disguis'd in sober robes, To old Baptista as a schoolmaster Well seen3 in music, to instruct Bianca; That so I may by this device at least 120 130 ACT I Sc. II ACT I GRU. Here's no knavery! See, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Sc. II Enter GREMIO, and LUCENTIO disguised. Master, Master, look about you: who goes there, ha? HOR. Peace, Grumio! 'tis the rival of my love. Petruchio, stand by awhile. GRU. A proper stripling and an amorous! Hark you; I'll have them very fairly bound: Signior Baptista's liberality, I'll mend it with a largess. Take your paper too, To whom they go to. What will you read to her? As for my patron, stand you so assur'd, 140 150 GRU. O this woodcock! what an ass it is! PET. Peace, sirrah! HOR. Grumio, mum! God save you, Signior Gremio! Trow you whither I am going? To Baptista Minola. About a schoolmaster for fair Bianca: And by good fortune I have lighted well On this young man; for learning and behaviour Fit for her turn; well read in poetry And other books, good ones, I warrant ye. 161 170 So shall I be no whit behind in duty To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me. GRE. Belov'd of me; and that my deeds shall prove. GRU. And that his bags shall prove! HOR. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love: Hortensio, have you told him all her faults? GRE. No? sayest me so, Friend? What country man? PET. Born in Verona, old Antonio's son: 180 ACT I My father dead, my fortune lives for me; And I do hope good days and long to see. 190 GRE. Sir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange! But if you have a stomach, to 't a' God's name! But will you woo this wild-cat? Will I live? PET. And Heaven's artillery thunder in the skies? Have I not in a pitched battle heard Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang? That gives not half so great a blow to th' ear As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire? Tush, tush! fear2 boys with bugs. GRU. 200 For he fears* none! 1 equally, not differently. 2 frighten. 3 bogies. 4 is afraid of. ACT I GRE. Hortensio, hark: Sc. II This gentleman is happily arriv'd, My mind presumes, for his own good and our's. And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoever. Enter TRANIO, brave,' and BIONDELLO. 210 TRA. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold, tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way to the house of Signior Baptista Minola? GRE. 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, Sir: what have you to do? TRA. I love no chiders, Sir. Luc. Well begun, Tranio. HOR. Biondello, let's away. Sir, a word ere you go: Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no? TRA. An if I be, Sir, is it any offence? 220 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. 230 But so is not she. For this reason, if you'll know, TRA. For what reason, I beseech you? GRE. That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio. To whom my father is not all unknown; 1 richly dressed. 240 |