Flourish. Enter Lucentio and Tranio.
LUCENTIO.
Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts
I am arriv’d for fruitful Lombardy
The pleasant garden of great Italy
And by my father’s love and leave am arm’d
With his good will and thy good company
My trusty servant well approv’d in all
Here let us breathe, and haply institute
A course of learning and ingenious studies.
Pisa, renowned for grave citizens
Gave me my being and my father first
A merchant of great traffic through the world
Vincentio, come of the Bentivolii.
Vincentio’s son, brought up in Florence
It shall become to serve all hopes conceiv’d
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study
Virtue and that part of philosophy
Will I apply that treats of happiness
By virtue specially to be achiev’d.
Tell me thy mind; for I have Pisa left
And am to Padua come as he that leaves
A shallow plash to plunge him in the deep
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.
TRANIO.
Mi perdonato, gentle master mine
I am in all affected as yourself
Glad that you thus continue your resolve
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy.
Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue and this moral discipline
Let’s be no stoics nor no stocks, I pray
Or so devote to Aristotle’s checks
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur’d.
Balk logic with acquaintance that you have
And practise rhetoric in your common talk
Music and poesy use to quicken you
The mathematics and the metaphysics
Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you
No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en
In brief, sir, study what you most affect.
LUCENTIO.
Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.
If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore
We could at once put us in readiness
And take a lodging fit to entertain
Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.
But stay awhile; what company is this
TRANIO.
Master, some show to welcome us to town.
Lucentio and Tranio stand aside.
Enter Baptista, Katherina, Bianca, Gremio and Hortensio.
BAPTISTA.
Gentlemen, importune me no farther
For how I firmly am resolv’d you know
That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter
Before I have a husband for the elder.
If either of you both love Katherina
Because I know you well and love you well
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
GREMIO.
To cart her rather: she’s too rough for me.
There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife
KATHERINA.
To Baptista] I pray you, sir, is it your will
To make a stale of me amongst these mates
HORTENSIO.
Mates, maid! How mean you that? No mates for you
Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.
KATHERINA.
I’ faith, sir, you shall never need to fear
I wis it is not half way to her heart
But if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg’d stool
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.
HORTENSIO.
From all such devils, good Lord deliver us
GREMIO.
And me, too, good Lord
TRANIO.
Husht, master! Here’s some good pastime toward
That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.
LUCENTIO.
But in the other’s silence do I see
Maid’s mild behaviour and sobriety.
Peace, Tranio
TRANIO.
Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill.
BAPTISTA.
Gentlemen, that I may soon make good
What I have said,—Bianca, get you in
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca
For I will love thee ne’er the less, my girl.
KATHERINA.
A pretty peat! it is best put finger in the eye, and she knew why.
BIANCA.
Sister, content you in my discontent.
Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe
My books and instruments shall be my company
On them to look, and practise by myself.
LUCENTIO.
Hark, Tranio! thou mayst hear Minerva speak.
HORTENSIO.
Signior Baptista, will you be so strange
Sorry am I that our good will effects
Bianca’s grief.
GREMIO.
Why will you mew her up
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell
And make her bear the penance of her tongue
BAPTISTA.
Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv’d.
Go in, Bianca.
Exit Bianca.
And for I know she taketh most delight
In music, instruments, and poetry
Schoolmasters will I keep within my house
Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio
Or, Signior Gremio, you, know any such
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal
To mine own children in good bringing up
And so, farewell. Katherina, you may stay
For I have more to commune with Bianca.
Exit.
KATHERINA.
Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What! shall I be appointed hours, as though, belike, I knew not what to take and what to leave? Ha
Exit.
GREMIO.
You may go to the devil’s dam: your gifts are so good here’s none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out; our cake’s dough on both sides. Farewell: yet, for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father.
HORTENSIO.
So will I, Signior Gremio: but a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brooked parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both,—that we may yet again have access to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca’s love,—to labour and effect one thing specially.
GREMIO.
What’s that, I pray
HORTENSIO.
Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.
GREMIO.
A husband! a devil.
HORTENSIO.
I say, a husband.
GREMIO.
I say, a devil. Thinkest thou, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell
HORTENSIO.
Tush, Gremio! Though it pass your patience and mine to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, and a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough.
GREMIO.
I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition: to be whipp’d at the high cross every morning.
HORTENSIO.
Faith, as you say, there’s small choice in rotten apples. But come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained, till by helping Baptista’s eldest daughter to a husband, we set his youngest free for a husband, and then have to’t afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest gets the ring. How say you, Signior Gremio
GREMIO.
I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on.
Exeunt Gremio and Hortensio.
TRANIO.
I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible
That love should of a sudden take such hold
LUCENTIO.
O Tranio! till I found it to be true
I never thought it possible or likely
But see, while idly I stood looking on
I found the effect of love in idleness
And now in plainness do confess to thee
That art to me as secret and as dear
As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio
If I achieve not this young modest girl.
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst
Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.
TRANIO.
Master, it is no time to chide you now
Affection is not rated from the heart
If love have touch’d you, nought remains but so
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.
LUCENTIO.
Gramercies, lad; go forward; this contents
The rest will comfort, for thy counsel’s sound.
TRANIO.
Master, you look’d so longly on the maid.
Perhaps you mark’d not what’s the pith of all.
LUCENTIO.
O, yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face
Such as the daughter of Agenor had
That made great Jove to humble him to her hand
When with his knees he kiss’d the Cretan strand.
TRANIO.
Saw you no more? mark’d you not how her sister
Began to scold and raise up such a storm
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din
LUCENTIO.
Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move
And with her breath she did perfume the air
Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.
TRANIO.
Nay, then, ’tis time to stir him from his trance.
I pray, awake, sir: if you love the maid
Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it stands
Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd
That till the father rid his hands of her
Master, your love must live a maid at home
And therefore has he closely mew’d her up
Because she will not be annoy’d with suitors.
LUCENTIO.
Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father’s he
But art thou not advis’d he took some care
To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her
TRANIO.
Ay, marry, am I, sir, and now ’tis plotted.
LUCENTIO.
I have it, Tranio.
TRANIO.
Master, for my hand
Both our inventions meet and jump in one.
LUCENTIO.
Tell me thine first.
TRANIO.
You will be schoolmaster
And undertake the teaching of the maid
That’s your device.
LUCENTIO.
It is: may it be done
TRANIO.
Not possible; for who shall bear your part
And be in Padua here Vincentio’s son
Keep house and ply his book, welcome his friends
Visit his countrymen, and banquet them
LUCENTIO.
Basta, content thee, for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house
Nor can we be distinguish’d by our faces
For man or master: then it follows thus
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead
Keep house and port and servants, 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
Uncase thee; take my colour’d hat and cloak.
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.
They exchange habits
TRANIO.
So had you need.
In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is
And I am tied to be obedient
For so your father charg’d me at our parting
Be serviceable to my son,’ quoth he
Although I think ’twas in another sense
I am content to be Lucentio
Because so well I love Lucentio.
LUCENTIO.
Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves
And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid
Whose sudden sight hath thrall’d my wounded eye.
Enter Biondello.
Here comes the rogue. Sirrah, where have you been
BIONDELLO.
Where have I been? Nay, how now! where are you
Master, has my fellow Tranio stol’n your clothes
Or you stol’n his? or both? Pray, what’s the news
LUCENTIO.
Sirrah, come hither: ’tis no time to jest
And therefore frame your manners to the time.
Your fellow Tranio here, to save my life
Puts my apparel and my count’nance on
And I for my escape have put on his
For in a quarrel since I came ashore
I kill’d a man, and fear I was descried.
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes
While I make way from hence to save my life.
You understand me
BIONDELLO.
I, sir! Ne’er a whit.
LUCENTIO.
And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth
Tranio is changed to Lucentio.
BIONDELLO.
The better for him: would I were so too
TRANIO.
So could I, faith, boy, to have the next wish after
That Lucentio indeed had Baptista’s youngest daughter.
But, sirrah, not for my sake but your master’s, I advise
You use 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.
LUCENTIO.
Tranio, let’s go.
One thing more rests, that thyself execute
To make one among these wooers: if thou ask me why
Sufficeth my reasons are both good and weighty.
Exeunt.
The Presenters above speak.
FIRST SERVANT.
My lord, you nod; you do not mind the play.
SLY.
Yes, by Saint Anne, I do. A good matter, surely: comes there any more of it
PAGE.
My lord, ’tis but begun.
SLY.
Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady: would ’twere done
They sit and mark.
