Pet.
Verona, for a while I take my leave,
To see my friends in Padua, but of all ^note
My best beloved and approved friend,
Hortensio; and I trow this is his ^note house.
Here, sirrah Grumio; knock, I say.

Gru.

Knock, sir! whom should I knock? ^note is there any man has ^note rebused ^note your worship?

Pet.

Villain, I say, knock me here soundly.

Gru.

Knock you here, sir! why, sir, what am I, sir, that I should knock you here, sir?

Pet.
Villain, I say, knock me at this gate
And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.

Gru.
My master is grown quarrelsome. I should knock you first,

And then I know after who comes by the worst.

Pet.
Will it not be?
Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll ring ^note it;
I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it. [He wrings ^note him by the ears.

Gru.

Help, masters ^note, help! my master is mad.

Pet.

Now, knock when I bid you, sirrah villain! ^note

Hor.

How now! what's the matter? My old friend Grumio! and my good friend Petruchio! How do you all at Verona?

Pet.
Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?
‘Con tutto il core ben trovato ^note,’ may I say ^note.

Hor.

‘Alla nostra casa ben ^note venuto, molto ^note honorato ^note signor ^note mio Petrucio.’

Rise, Grumio, rise ^note: we will compound this quarrel.

Gru.

Nay, 'tis no matter, sir ^note, what he 'leges ^note in Latin. If this be not a lawful cause for me to leave his service, look you, sir, he bid me knock him and rap him soundly, sir: well, was it fit for a servant to use his master so, being perhaps, for aught I see, two-and-thirty, a pip ^note out ^note?

Pet.
A senseless villain! Good Hortensio,
I bade the rascal knock upon your gate
And could not get him for my heart to do it.

Gru.

Knock at the gate! O heavens! Spake you not these words plain, ‘Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here, knock me well, and knock me soundly’? And come you now with, ‘knocking at the gate’? ^note

Pet.
Sirrah, be gone, or talk not, I advise you.

Hor.
Petruchio, patience; I am Grumio's pledge:
Why, this's ^note a heavy chance 'twixt him and you,
Your ancient, trusty, pleasant servant Grumio ^note.
And tell me now, sweet friend, what happy gale
Blows you to Padua here from old Verona?

Pet.
Such wind as scatters young men ^note through the world
To seek their fortunes farther than at home
Where small experience grows. But in a few, ^note
Signior Hortensio, thus it stands with me:
Antonio, my father, is deceased;
And I have ^note thrust myself into this maze,
Haply ^note to wive and thrive as best I may:
Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home
And so am come abroad to see the world.

Hor.
Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee
And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?
Thou'ldst ^note thank me but a little for my counsel:
And yet I'll promise thee she shall be rich
And very rich: but thou'rt ^note too much my friend,
And I'll not wish thee to her.

Pet.
Signior ^note Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we ^note
Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou ^note know
One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,

As wealth is burden ^note of my wooing dance ^note,
Be she as foul as was Florentius' ^note love,
As old as Sibyl ^note, and as curst and shrewd
As Socrates' Xanthippe ^note, or a worse ^note,
She moves me not, or not removes, at least,
Affection's edge in me ^note, were she as ^note rough
As are the swelling Adriatic seas:
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

Gru.

Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is: why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet or an aglet-baby; or an old trot with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two and fifty ^note horses ^note: why, nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.

Hor.
Petruchio, since we are stepp'd thus far in,
I will continue that I broach'd in jest.
I can, Petruchio, help thee to a wife
With wealth enough and young and beauteous,
Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman:
Her only fault, and that ^note is faults ^note enough,
Is that she is intolerable ^note curst
And shrewd ^note and froward ^note, so beyond all measure,
That, were my state far worser than it is,
I would not wed her for a mine of gold.

Pet.
Hortensio, peace! thou know'st not gold's effect:
Tell me her father's name and 'tis enough;
Fro I will board her, though she chide as loud
As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.

Hor.
Her father is ^note Baptista Minola,

An affable and courteous gentleman:
Her name is Katharina Minola,
Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

Pet.
I know her father, though I know not her;
And he knew my deceased father well.
I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her;
And therefore let me be thus bold with you
To give you over at this first encounter,
Unless you will accompany me thither.

Gru.

I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O' ^note my word, an she knew him as well as I do, she would think scolding would do little good upon him: she may perhaps call him half a score knaves or so: why, that's nothing; an he begin ^note once, he'll rail in his ^note rope-tricks ^note. I'll tell you what, sir, an she stand him but a little, he will throw a figure in her face and so disfigure her with it that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat. You know him not, sir.

Hor.
Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee;
For in Baptista's keep ^note my treasure is:
He hath the jewel of my life in hold,
His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca;
And her ^note withholds from me and other more ^note,
Suitors to her and rivals in my love;
Supposing it a thing impossible,
For ^note those defects I have before rehearsed,
That ever Katharina will be woo'd;
Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en,
That none shall have access unto Bianca
Till Katharine the curst have got a husband.

Gru.
Katharine the curst!
A title for a maid of all titles the worst.

Hor.
Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace;
And offer me disguised in sober robes
To old Baptista as a schoolmaster
Well seen in music, to instruct Bianca;
That so I may, by this device, at least
Have leave and leisure to make love to her
And unsuspected court her by herself ^note. ^note

Gru. ^note

Here's no knavery! See, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads ^note together! Enter Gremio, and Lucentio disguised. ^note Master, master ^note, look about you: who goes there, ha? ^note

Hor.
Peace, Grumio! it is ^note the rival of my love.
Petruchio, stand ^note by a while ^note.

Gru.
A proper stripling and an amorous!

Gre.
O, very well; I have perused the note.
Hark you ^note, sir; I'll have them very ^note fairly bound:
All books of love, see that at any hand;
And see you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me: over and beside
Signior Baptista's liberality,
I'll mend it with a largess. Take your paper too, ^note
And let me have them very well perfumed:
For she is sweeter than perfume itself
To whom they go to ^note. What will you read to her?

Luc.
Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you
As for my patron, stand you so assured,
As firmly as yourself were still in place:
Yea, and perhaps with more successful words

Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.

Gre.
O this learning, what a thing it is!

Gru.
O this woodcock, what an ass it is!

Pet.
Peace, sirrah!

Hor.
Grumio, mum! ^note God save you, Signior Gremio.

Gre.
And you are ^note well met, Signior Hortensio.
Trow you whither ^note I am going? To Baptista Minola.
I promised ^note to inquire carefully
About a schoolmaster ^note for the fair ^note Bianca: ^note
And by good fortune I have lighted well
On this young man, for learning and behaviour
Fit for her turn, well read in poetry
And other books, good ones, I warrant ye ^note.

Hor.
'Tis well; and I have met a gentleman
Hath promised me to help me ^note to another, ^note
A fine musician to instruct our mistress;
So shall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, so beloved of me.

Gre.
Beloved of me; and that my deeds ^note shall prove.

Gru.
And that his bags shall prove.

Hor.
Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love:
Listen to me, and if you speak me fair,
I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a gentleman whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curst Katharine,
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.

Gre.
So said, so done, is well.
Hortensio, have you told him all her faults?

Pet.
I know she is an irksome brawling scold:
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gre.
No, say'st me so, friend? What ^note countryman?

Pet.
Born in Verona, old Antonio's ^note son:
My father ^note dead, my fortune lives for me;
And I do hope good days and long to see.

Gre.
O sir, such ^note a life, with such a wife, were strange!
But if you have a stomach ^note, to't i' ^note God's name: ^note
You shall have me assisting you in all.
But will you woo this wild-cat?

Pet.
Will I live?

Gru.
Will he woo her? ay, or ^note I'll hang her.

Pet.
Why came I hither but to that intent?
Think you a little din can daunt mine ^note ears?
Have I not in my time heard lions roar?
Have I not heard the sea puff'd up with winds
Rage like an angry boar chafed with sweat ^note?
Have I not heard great ordnance in the field,
And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies?
Have I not in a pitched battle heard
Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang ^note?
And do you tell me of a woman's tongue,
That gives not half so great a blow to hear ^note
As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire?
Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs.

Gru.
For he fears none.

Gre.
Hortensio, hark:
This gentleman is happily arrived,
My mind presumes, for his own good and ours ^note.

Hor.
I promised we would be contributors

And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe'er.

Gre.
And so we will, provided that he win her.

Gru.
I would I were as sure of a good dinner. ^noteEnter Tranio brave, ^note and Biondello.

Tra.
Gentlemen, God save you. If I may be bold, ^note
Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way
To the house of Signior Baptista Minola? ^note

Bion. ^note

He that has the two fair daughters: is't he ^note you mean?

Tra.

Even he, Biondello. ^note

Gre.
Hark you, sir; you mean not her to— ^note

Tra.
Perhaps, him and her, sir: what have you to do?

Pet.
Not ^note her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray.

Tra.
I love no chiders, sir. Biondello, let's away.

Luc.
Well begun, Tranio.

Hor.
Sir, a word ere you go;
Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?

Tra.
And if ^note I be, sir, is it any offence?

Gre.
No; if without more words you will get you hence.

Tra.
Why, sir, I pray ^note, are not the streets as free
For me as for you?

Gre.
But so is not she.

Tra.
For what reason, I beseech you?

Gre.
For this reason, if you'll know,
That she's ^note the choice love of Signior Gremio.

Hor.
That she's ^note the chosen of Signior ^note Hortensio.

Tra.
Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,

Do me this right; hear me with patience ^note.
Baptista is a noble gentleman,
To whom my father is not all unknown;
And were his daughter fairer than she is,
She may more suitors ^note have and me for one.
Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
Then well one more may fair Bianca have:
And so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came in hope to speed alone.

Gre.
What, ^note this gentleman will out-talk us all!

Luc.
Sir, give ^note him head: I know he'll prove a jade.

Pet.
Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

Hor.
Sir, let me be so bold as ask you ^note,
Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter?

Tra.
No, sir; but hear I do that he hath two,
The one as famous for a scolding tongue
As is the other ^note for beauteous modesty.

Pet.
Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by.

Gre.
Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules;
And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet.
Sir, understand you this of me in sooth:
The youngest daughter whom you hearken for
Her father keeps from all access of suitors;
And will not promise her to any man
Until the elder ^note sister first be wed:
The younger then is free and not before.

Tra.
If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead ^note us all and me amongst the rest;
And if ^note you break the ice and do this feat ^note,
Achieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access, whose hap shall be to have her
Will not so graceless be to be ingrate.

Hor.
Sir, you say well and well you do conceive;
And since you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholding ^note.

Tra.
Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof,
Please ye we may contrive ^note this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress' ^note health,
And do as adversaries do in law,
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

Gru. ^note Bion. ^note
O excellent motion! Fellows, let's be gone.

Hor.
The motion's good indeed and be it so,
Petruchio, I shall ^note be your ben venuto ^note. [Exeunt.

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