Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange, Sorrie am I that our good will effects Bianca"s greefe
Gre. Why will you mew her vp (Signior Baptista) for this fiend of h.e.l.l, And make her beare the pennance of her tongue
Bap. Gentlemen content ye: I am resolud: Go in Bianca.
And for I know she taketh most delight In Musicke, Instruments, and Poetry, Schoolemasters will I keepe within my house, Fit to instruct her youth. If you Hortensio, Or signior Gremio you know any such, Preferre them hither: for to cunning men, I will be very kinde and liberall, To mine owne children, in good bringing vp, And so farewell: Katherina you may stay, For I haue more to commune with Bianca.
Enter.
Kate. Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?
What shall I be appointed houres, as though (Belike) I knew not what to take, And what to leaue? Ha.
Exit
Gre. You may go to the diuels dam: your guifts are so good heere"s none will holde you: Their loue is not so great Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairely out. Our cakes dough on both sides.
Farewell: yet for the loue I beare my sweet Bianca, if I can by any meanes light on a fit man to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father
Hor. So will I signiour Gremio: but a word I pray: Though the nature of our quarrell yet neuer brook"d parle, know now vpon aduice, it toucheth vs both: that we may yet againe haue accesse to our faire Mistris, and be happie riuals in Bianca"s loue, to labour and effect one thing specially
Gre. What"s that I pray?
Hor. Marrie sir to get a husband for her Sister
Gre. A husband: a diuell
Hor. I say a husband
Gre. I say, a diuell: Think"st thou Hortensio, though her father be verie rich, any man is so verie a foole to be married to h.e.l.l?
Hor. Tush Gremio: though it pa.s.se your patience & mine to endure her lowd alarums, why man there bee good fellowes in the world, and a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and mony enough
Gre. I cannot tell: but I had as lief take her dowrie with this condition; To be whipt at the hie crosse euerie morning
Hor. Faith (as you say) there"s small choise in rotten apples: but come, since this bar in law makes vs friends, it shall be so farre forth friendly maintain"d, till by helping Baptistas eldest daughter to a husband, wee set his yongest free for a husband, and then haue too"t afresh: Sweet Bianca, happy man be his dole: hee that runnes fastest, gets the Ring: How say you signior Gremio?
Grem. I am agreed, and would I had giuen him the best horse in Padua to begin his woing that would thoroughly woe her, wed her, and bed her, and ridde the house of her. Come on.
Exeunt. ambo. Manet Tranio and Lucentio
Tra. I pray sir tel me, is it possible That loue should of a sodaine take such hold
Luc. Oh Tranio, till I found it to be true, I neuer thought it possible or likely.
But see, while idely I stood looking on, I found the effect of Loue in idlenesse, And now in plainnesse do confesse to thee That art to me as secret and as deere As Anna to the Queene of Carthage was: Tranio I burne, I pine, I perish Tranio, If I atchieue not this yong modest gyrle: Counsaile me Tranio, for I know thou canst: a.s.sist me Tranio, for I know thou wilt
Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now, Affection is not rated from the heart: If loue haue touch"d you, naught remaines but so, Redime te captam quam queas minimo
Luc. Gramercies Lad: Go forward, this contents, The rest wil comfort, for thy counsels sound
Tra. Master, you look"d so longly on the maide, Perhaps you mark"d not what"s the pith of all
Luc. Oh yes, I saw sweet beautie in her face, Such as the daughter of Agenor had, That made great Ioue to humble him to her hand, When with his knees he kist the Cretan strond
Tra. Saw you no more? Mark"d you not how hir sister Began to scold, and raise vp such a storme, That mortal eares might hardly indure the din
Luc. Tranio, I saw her corrall lips to moue, And with her breath she did perfume the ayre, Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her
Tra. Nay, then "tis time to stirre him fro[m] his trance: I pray awake sir: if you loue the Maide, Bend thoughts and wits to atcheeue her. Thus it stands: Her elder sister is so curst and shrew"d, That til the Father rid his hands of her, Master, your Loue must liue a maide at home, And therefore has he closely meu"d her vp, Because she will not be annoy"d with suters
Luc. Ah Tranio, what a cruell Fathers he: But art thou not aduis"d, he tooke some care To get her cunning Schoolemasters to instruct her
Tra. I marry am I sir, and now "tis plotted
Luc. I haue it Tranio
Tra. Master, for my hand, Both our inuentions meet and iumpe in one
Luc. Tell me thine first
Tra. You will be schoole-master, And vndertake the teaching of the maid: That"s your deuice
Luc. It is: May it be done?
Tra. Not possible: for who shall beare your part, And be in Padua heere Vincentio"s sonne, Keepe house, and ply his booke, welcome his friends, Visit his Countrimen, and banquet them?
Luc. Basta, content thee: for I haue it full.
We haue not yet bin seene in any house, Nor can we be distinguish"d by our faces, For man or master: then it followes thus; Thou shalt be master, Tranio in my sted: Keepe house, and port, and seruants, as I should, I will some other be, some Florentine, Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa.
"Tis hatch"d, and shall be so: Tranio at once Vncase thee: take my Coulord hat and cloake, When Biondello comes, he waites on thee, But I will charme him first to keepe his tongue
Tra. So had you neede: In breefe Sir, sith it your pleasure is, And I am tyed to be obedient, For so your father charg"d me at our parting: Be seruiceable to my sonne (quoth he) Although I thinke "twas in another sense, I am content to bee Lucentio, Because so well I loue Lucentio
Luc. Tranio be so, because Lucentio loues, And let me be a slaue, t" atchieue that maide, Whose sodaine sight hath thral"d my wounded eye.
Enter Biondello.
Heere comes the rogue. Sirra, where haue you bin?
Bion. Where haue I beene? Nay how now, where are you? Maister, ha"s my fellow Tranio stolne your cloathes, or you stolne his, or both? Pray what"s the newes?
Luc. Sirra come hither, "tis no time to iest, And therefore frame your manners to the time Your fellow Tranio heere to saue my life, Puts my apparrell, and my count"nance on, And I for my escape haue put on his: For in a quarrell since I came a-sh.o.r.e, I kil"d a man, and feare I was descried: Waite you on him, I charge you, as becomes: While I make way from hence to saue my life: You vnderstand me?
Bion. I sir, ne"re a whit
Luc. And not a iot of Tranio in your mouth, Tranio is chang"d into Lucentio
Bion. The better for him, would I were so too
Tra. So could I "faith boy, to haue the next wish after, that Lucentio indeede had Baptistas yongest daughter.
But sirra, not for my sake, but your masters, I aduise you vse your manners discreetly in all kind of companies: When I am alone, why then I am Tranio: but in all places else, your master Lucentio
Luc. Tranio let"s go: One thing more rests, that thy selfe execute, To make one among these wooers: if thou ask me why, Sufficeth my reasons are both good and waighty.
Exeunt. The Presenters aboue speakes.
1.Man. My Lord you nod, you do not minde the play
Beg. Yes by Saint Anne do I, a good matter surely: Comes there any more of it?
Lady. My Lord, "tis but begun