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Tra. That only came well in-Sir, list to me, I am my father's heir, and only son : If I may have your daughter to my wife, I'll leave her houses three or four as good, Within rich Pisa walls, as any one Old signior Gremio has in Padua ; Besides two thousand ducats by the year, Of fruitful land, all which shall be her jointure.What, have I pinch'd you, signior Gremio?

Gre. Two thousand ducats by the year, of land! My land amounts not to so much in all : That she shall have; besides an argosy,1 That now is lying in Marseilles' road :What, have I chok'd you with an argosy?

Tra. Gremio, 'tis known, my father hath no less Than three great argosies; besides two galliasses, 2 And twelve tight gallies: these I will assure her, And twice as much, whate'er thou offer'st next.

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, she shall have me and mine.
Tra. Why, then the maid is mine from all the
world,

By your firm promise; Gremio is out-vied.
Bap. I must confess, your offer is the best;
And, let your father make her the assurance,
She is your own; else, 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,

I am thus resolv'd:--On Sunday next you know,
My daughter Katharine is to be married:
Now, on the Sunday following, shall Bianca
Be bride to you, if you make this assurance;
If not, to signior Gremio:

(1) A large merchant-ship.

(2) A vessel of burthen worked both with sails And so I take my leave, and thank you both. [Ex. Gre. Adieu, good neighbour. Now I fear thee

and oars.

not;

Sirrah, young gamester, your father were a fool
To give thee all, and, in his waning age,
Set foot under thy table: Tut! a toy!
An old Italian fox is not so kind, my boy. [Exit.
Tra. A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide!
Yet I have faced it with a card of ten, 1
'Tis in my head to do my master good :-
I see no reason, but suppos'd Lucentio
Must get a father, call'd-suppos'd Vincentio;
And that's a wonder: fathers, commonly,
Do get their children; but, in this case of wooing,
A child shall get a sire, if I fail not of my cunning.

[Exit.

ACT III.

SCENE I.-A room in Baptista's house. Enter Lucentio, Hortensio, and Bianca.

Luc. Fiddler, forbear; you grow too forward, sir: Have you so soon forgot the entertainment Her sister Katharine welcom'd you withal? Hor. But, wrangling pedant, this is The patroness of heavenly harmony: Then give me leave to have prerogative; And when in music we have spent an hour, Your lecture shall have leisure for as much.

Luc. Preposterous ass! that never read so far To know the cause why music was ordain'd! Was it not, to refresh the mind of man, After his studies, or his usual pain? Then give me leave to read philosophy, And, while I pause, serve in your harmony. Hor. Sirrah, I will not bear these braves of thine.

(1) The highest card.

Bian. Why, gentlemen, you do me double wrong,
To strive for that which resteth in my choice:
I am no breeching scholart in the schools;
I'll not be tied to hours, nor 'pointed times,
But learn my lessons as I please myself.
And, to cut off all strife, here sit we down:-
Take you your instrument, play you the whiles;
His lecture will be done ere you have tun'd.

Hor. You'll leave his lecture when I am in tune?
[To Bianca. Hortensio retires.
Luc. That will be never;-tune your instrument.
Bian. Where left we last?
Luc. Here, madam:-

Hac ibat Simois; hic est Sigeia tellus;
Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis.
Bian. Construe them.

Luc. Hac ibat, as I told you before, Simois, I am Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa, -Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love;Hic steterat, and that Lucentio that comes a wooing,-Priami, is my man Tranio, regia, bearing my port,-celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.2

Hor. Madam, my instrument's in tune.

Bian. Let's hear;

O fie! the treble jars.

[Returning.

[Hortensio plays.

Luc. Spit in the hole, man, and tune again. Bian. Now let me see if I can construe it: Нас

ibat Simois, I know you not; hic est Sigeia tellus, I trust you not,-Hic steterat Priami, take heed he hear us not;-regia, presume not;-celsa senis, despair not.

Hor. Madam, 'tis now in tune.

Luc.

All but the base.

Hor. The base is right; 'tis the base knave that

jars.

(1) No schoolboy, liable to be whipped.
(2) The old cully in Italian farces,

How fiery and forward our pedant is!
Now, for my life, the knave doth court my love:
Pedascule, I'll watch you better yet.

Bian. In time I may believe, yet I mistrust.
Luc. Mistrust it not; for, sure, Æacides

Was Ajax,-call'd so from his grandfather.

Bian. I must believe my master; else, I promise

you,

I should be arguing still upon that doubt:
But let it rest.-Now, Licio, to you :-
Good masters, take it not unkindly, pray,
That I have been thus pleasant with you both.

Hor. You may go walk, [7o Lucentio.] and

give me leave a while;

My lessons make no music in three parts.

Luc. Are you so formal, sir? well, I must wait,

And watch withal; for, but I be deceiv'd,
Our fine musician groweth amorous.

[Aside.

Hor. Madam, before you touch the instrument,

To learn the order of my fingering,
I must begin with rudiments of art;
To teach you gamut in a briefer sort,
More pleasant, pithy, and effectual,
Than hath been taught by any of my trade:
And there it is in writing, fairly drawn.

Bian. Why, I am past my gamut long ago.
Hor. Yet read the gamut of Hortensio.

Bian. [Reads.] Gamut I am, the ground of all

accord,

A re, to plead Hortensio's passion;
B mi, Bianca, take him for thy lord,
C faut, that loves with all affectión;

D sol re, one cliff, two notes have I;
E la mi, show pity, or I die.

Call you this-gamut? tut! I like it not:
Old fashions please me best; I am not so nice,2
To change true rules for odd inventions.

(1) Pedant.

(2) Fantastical.

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. Gre. You are too blunt, go to it orderly.

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 affability, and bashful modesty,
Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,-
Am bold to show myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,

[Presenting Hortensio.

Cunning in music, and the mathematics,
To instruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof, I know, she is not ignorant :
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong;
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

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? Pet. Petruchio is my name; Antonio's son, A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his

sake.

Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too: Baccare!! you are marvellous forward.

(1) A proverbial exclamation then in use.

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