Flourish. Enter Lucentio and his man Tranio.LUCENTIO Tranio, since for the great desire I had To see fair Padua, nursery of arts, I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy, The pleasant garden of great Italy,5 And by my father’s love and leave am armed With his goodwill and thy good company. My trusty servant well approved in all, Here let us breathe and haply institute A course of learning and ingenious studies.10 Pisa, renownèd 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,15 It shall become to serve all hopes conceived 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 happiness20 By virtue specially to be achieved. Tell me thy mind, for I have Pisa left And am to Padua come, as he that leaves
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A shallow plash to plunge him in the deep And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.TRANIO 25 ⌜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 admire30 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 abjured. Balk logic with acquaintance that you have,35 And practice 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.40 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 entertain45 Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.Enter Baptista with his two daughters, Katherine and
Bianca; Gremio, a pantaloon, ⌜and⌝ Hortensio, ⌜suitors⌝
to Bianca. But stay awhile! What company is this?TRANIO Master, some show to welcome us to town.Lucentio ⌜and⌝ Tranio stand by.BAPTISTA, ⌜to Gremio and Hortensio⌝ Gentlemen, importune me no farther, For how I firmly am resolved you know:
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50 That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter Before I have a husband for the elder. If either of you both love Katherine, Because I know you well and love you well, Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.GREMIO 55 To cart her, rather. She’s too rough for me.— There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?KATHERINE, ⌜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 for60 you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mold.KATHERINE I’ faith, sir, you shall never need to fear. Iwis it is not halfway to her heart. But if it were, doubt not her care should be65 To comb your noddle with a three-legged 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, ⌜aside to Lucentio⌝ Husht, master, here’s some good pastime toward;70 That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.LUCENTIO, ⌜aside to Tranio⌝ But in the other’s silence do I see Maid’s mild behavior and sobriety. Peace, Tranio.TRANIO, ⌜aside to Lucentio⌝ Well said, master. Mum, and gaze your fill.BAPTISTA, ⌜to Gremio and Hortensio⌝ 75 Gentlemen, that I may soon make good What I have said—Bianca, get you in,
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And let it not displease thee, good Bianca, For I will love thee ne’er the less, my girl.KATHERINE A pretty peat! It is best80 Put finger in the eye, an 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 practice by myself.LUCENTIO, ⌜aside to Tranio⌝ 85 Hark, Tranio, thou mayst hear Minerva speak!HORTENSIO Signior Baptista, will you be so strange? Sorry am I that our goodwill effects Bianca’s grief.GREMIO Why will you mew her up,90 Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell, And make her bear the penance of her tongue?BAPTISTA Gentlemen, content you. I am resolved.— Go in, Bianca.⌜Bianca exits.⌝ And for I know she taketh most delight95 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 men100 I will be very kind, and liberal To mine own children in good bringing up. And so, farewell.—Katherine, you may stay, For I have more to commune with Bianca.He exits.KATHERINE Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?105 What, shall I be appointed hours as though, belike, I knew not what to take and what to leave? Ha!She exits.
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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 nails110 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 115So 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) to120 labor 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 125I say “a devil.” Think’st 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,130 man, there be good fellows in the world, an 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 whipped at the high cross135 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 daughter140 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?
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GREMIO I am agreed, and would I had given him the145 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.⌜Gremio and Hortensio⌝ exit.
Tranio and Lucentio remain onstage.TRANIO I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold?LUCENTIO 150 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 thee155 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.160 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 touched you, naught remains but so: Redime te ⌜captum⌝ quam queas minimo.LUCENTIO 165 Gramercies, lad. Go forward. This contents; The rest will comfort, for thy counsel’s sound.TRANIO Master, you looked so longly on the maid, Perhaps you marked not what’s the pith of all.LUCENTIO O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face,170 Such as the daughter of Agenor had, That made great Jove to humble him to her hand When with his knees he kissed the Cretan strand.
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TRANIO Saw you no more? Marked you not how her sister Began to scold and raise up such a storm175 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, ⌜aside⌝ Nay, then ’tis time to stir him from his trance.—180 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,185 Master, your love must live a maid at home, And therefore has he closely mewed her up, Because she will not be annoyed with suitors.LUCENTIO Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father’s he! But art thou not advised he took some care190 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 195 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 200 Not possible. For who shall bear your part
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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.205 We have not yet been seen in any house, Nor can we be distinguished 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.210 I will some other be, some Florentine, Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa. ’Tis hatched, and shall be so. Tranio, at once Uncase thee. Take my colored hat and cloak.⌜They exchange clothes.⌝ When Biondello comes, he waits on thee,215 But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.TRANIO So had you need. In brief, sir, sith it your pleasure is, And I am tied to be obedient (For so your father charged me at our parting:220 “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,225 And let me be a slave, t’ achieve that maid Whose sudden sight hath thralled 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?
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230 Master, has my fellow Tranio stolen your clothes? Or you stolen 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,235 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 killed a man and fear I was descried. Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,240 While I make way from hence to save my life. You understand me?BIONDELLO Ay, sir. ⌜Aside.⌝ Ne’er a whit.LUCENTIO And not a jot of “Tranio” in your mouth. Tranio is changed into Lucentio.BIONDELLO 245 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, I250 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 255Tranio, 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.They exit.The Presenters above ⌜speak.⌝FIRST SERVINGMAN My lord, you nod. You do not mind the play.
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SLY 260Yes, by Saint Anne, do I. A good matter, surely. Comes there any more of it?⌜PAGE, as⌝ Lady My lord, ’tis but begun.SLY ’Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady. Would ’twere done.They sit and mark.
