That, being a stranger in this city here,
Do make myself a suitor to your daughter,
Unto Bianca, fair and virtuous.

Nor is your firm resolve unknown to me,
In the preferment of the eldest sister.
This liberty is all that I request,

That, upon knowledge of my parentage,

I may have welcome, 'mongst the rest that woo,
And free access and favour as the rest:

And, toward the education of your daughters,
I here bestow a simple instrument,

And this small packet of Greek and Latin books:
If you accept them, then their worth is great.
Bap. Lucentio is your name; of whence, I
pray?

Tra. Of Pisa, sir; son to Vincentio.

Bap. A mighty man of Pisa; by report

I know him well: you are very welcome, sir.
Take you the lute, and you the set of books;
You shall go see your pupils presently.
Holla, within!

90

100

Enter a Servant.

Sirrah, lead these gentlemen

To my daughters; and tell them both.

These are their tutors: bid them use them well.
[Exit Servant, with Lucentio and Hortensio,

Biondello following.

We will go walk a little in the orchard,

And then to dinner. You are passing welcome,
And so I pray you all to think yourselves.

Pet. Signior Baptista, my business asketh haste,
And every day I cannot come to woo.

103. Lucentio is your name. Probably by an inadvertence, it is not made apparent how

Baptista knew this.

112. orchard, garden.

110

You knew my father well, and in him me,
Left solely heir to all his lands and goods,
Which I have better'd rather than decreased:
Then tell me, if I get your daughter's love,
What dowry shall I have with her to wife?

Bap. After my death the one half of my lands,
And in possession twenty thousand crowns.

Pet. And, for that dowry, I'll assure her of
Her widowhood, be it that she survive me,
In all my lands and leases whatsoever :
Let specialties be therefore drawn between us,
That covenants may be kept on either hand.

Bap. Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd,
That is, her love; for that is all in all.

Pet. Why, that is nothing; for I tell you, father,
I am as peremptory as she proud-minded;
And where two raging fires meet together

They do consume the thing that feeds their fury:
Though little fire grows great with little wind,
Yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all:
So I to her and so she yields to me;

For I am rough and woo not like a babe.

Bap. Well mayst thou woo, and happy be thy speed!

But be thou arm'd for some unhappy words.

Pet Ay, to the proof; as mountains are for winds,

That shake not, though they blow perpetually.

Re-enter HORTENSIO, with his head broke.

Bap. How now, my friend! why dost thou look so pale?

120

130

140

127. specialties, a specific deed of contract.

E

Hor. For fear, I promise you, if I look pale.
Bap. What, will my daughter prove a good

musician?

Hor. I think she'll sooner prove a soldier : Iron may hold with her, but never lutes.

Bap. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?

Hor. Why, no; for she hath broke the lute to

me.

I did but tell her she mistook her frets,
And bow'd her hand to teach her fingering;
When, with a most impatient devilish spirit,
'Frets, call you these?' quoth she; 'I'll fume with
them :'

And, with that word, she struck me on the head,
And through the instrument my pate made way;
And there I stood amazed for a while,

As on a pillory, looking through the lute:
While she did call me rascal fiddler

And twangling Jack; with twenty such vile terms,
As had she studied to misuse me so.

Pet. Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench;
I love her ten times more than e'er I did:

O, how I long to have some chat with her!

Bap. Well, go with me and be not so discom

fited:

Proceed in practice with my younger daughter;
She's apt to learn and thankful for good turns.
Signior Petruchio, will you go with us,

Or shall I send my daughter Kate to you?
Pet. I pray you do. [Exeunt all but Petruchio.]
I will attend her here,

And woo her with some spirit when she comes.
Say that she rail; why then I'll tell her plain

150. frets, stops regulating the strings.

161. lusty, vigorous, lively.

150

160

170

She sings as sweetly as a nightingale :

Say that she frown; I'll say she looks as clear
As morning roses newly wash'd with dew:
Say she be mute and will not speak a word;
Then I'll commend her volubility,

And say she uttereth piercing eloquence:
If she do bid me pack, I'll give her thanks,
As though she bid me stay by her a week:
If she deny to wed, I'll crave the day

When I shall ask the banns and when be married.
But here she comes; and now, Petruchio, speak.

Enter KATHARINA.

Good morrow, Kate; for that's your name, I hear. Kath. Well have you heard, but something hard

of hearing :

They call me Katharine that do talk of me.

Pet. You lie, in faith; for you are call'd plain
Kate,

And bonny Kate and sometimes Kate the curst;
But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom,
Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate,
For dainties are all Kates, and therefore, Kate,
Take this of me, Kate of my consolation;
Hearing thy mildness praised in every town,
Thy virtues spoke of, and thy beauty sounded,
Yet not so deeply as to thee belongs,
Myself am moved to woo thee for my wife.

Kath. Moved! in good time: let him that moved you hither

Remove you hence: I knew you at the first

You were a moveable.

190. Kates, i.e. cates, delicate viands.

196. in good time, the phrase

180

190

often expressed ironical (as well as sincere) acquiescence, like Fr. à la bonne heure.

Pet.

Why, what's a moveable?

Kath. A join'd-stool.

Pet. Thou hast hit it: come, sit on me. Kath. Asses are made to bear, and so are you. Pet. Women are made to bear, and so are you. Kath. No such jade as you, if me you mean. Pet. Alas! good Kate, I will not burden thee; For, knowing thee to be but young and lightKath. Too light for such a swain as you to catch;

And yet as heavy as my weight should be.

Pet. Should be! should-buzz!

Kath.
Well ta'en, and like a buzzard.
Pet. O slow-wing'd turtle! shall a buzzard take
thee?

Kath. Ay, for a turtle, as he takes a buzzard.
Pet. Come, come, you wasp; i' faith, you are

too angry.

Kath. If I be waspish, best beware my sting. Pet. My remedy is then, to pluck it out. Kath. Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies. Pet. Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting? In his tail.

Kath. In his tongue.

Pet. Whose tongue?

Kath. Yours, if you talk of tails: and so farewell.

Pet. What, with my tongue in your tail? nay, come again,

200

210

209. Katharine says a 'buzzard' may take her for a dove as much as he takes a 'buzzard' for one.

210. Petruchio plays again upon buzzard, understood in a third sense purely his own, viz. a 'buzzing-creature,'-wasp.