Sec. Serv. Dost thou love pictures? we will fetch thee

straight

Adonis painted by a running brook,

And Cytherea all in sedges hid,

Which seem to move and wanton with her breath,

Even as the waving sedges play with wind.

Lord. We'll show thee Io as she was a maid,

And how she was beguiled and surprised,

As lively painted as the deed was done.

Third Serv. Or Daphne roaming through a thorny wood,

Scratching her legs that one shall swear she bleeds,

And at that sight shall sad Apollo weep,

So workmanly the blood and tears are drawn.

Lord. Thou art a lord and nothing but a lord:

Thou hast a lady far more beautiful

Than any woman in this waning age.

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First Serv. And till the tears that she hath shed for thee Like envious floods o'er-run her lovely face,

She was the fairest creature in the world;

And yet she is inferior to none.

Sly. Am I a lord? and have I such a lady?
Or do I dream? or have I dream'd till now?
I do not sleep: I see, I hear, I speak;

I smell sweet savours and I feel soft things:
Upon my life, I am a lord indeed

And not a tinker nor Christophero Sly.

Well, bring our lady hither to our sight;
And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale.

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Sec. Serv. Will 't please your mightiness to wash your

hands?

O, how we joy to see your wit restored!

O, that once more you knew but what you are!
These fifteen years you have been in a dream;
Or when you waked, so waked as if you slept.

Sly. These fifteen years! by my fay, a goodly nap.
But did I never speak of all that time?

First Serv. O, yes, my lord, but very idle words:
For though you lay here in this goodly chamber,
Yet would you say ye were beaten out of door;
And rail upon the hostess of the house;

And say you would present at her at the leet,

80.

Because she brought stone jugs and no seal'd quarts: 90 Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Hacket.

Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house.

Third Serv. Why, sir, you know no house nor no such maid,

Nor no such men as you have reckon'd up,

As Stephen Sly and old John Naps of Greece
And Peter Turph and Henry Pimpernell.
And twenty more such names and men as these
Which never were nor no man ever saw.

Sly. Now Lord be thankful for my good amends!
All. Amen.

Sly. I thank thee: thou shalt not lose by it.

Enter the Page as a lady, with attendants. Page. How fares my noble lord?

Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer enough. Where is my wife?

100

Page. Here, noble lord: what is thy will with her?
Sly. Are you my wife and will not call me husband?
My men should call me "lord:" I am your goodman.
Page. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband;
I am your wife in all obedience.

Sly. I know it well. What must I call her?
Lord. Madam.

Sly. Al'ce madam, or Joan madam?

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Lord. "6 'Madam," and nothing else: so lords call ladies. Sly. Madam wife, they say that I have dream'd

And slept above some fifteen year or more.

Page. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me, Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.

Sly. 'Tis much. Servants, leave me and her alone Madam, undress you and come now to bed.

Page. Thrice-noble lord, let me entreat of you To pardon me yet for a night or two,

Or, if not so, until the sun be set :

For your physicians have expressly charged,

In peril to incur your former malady,

That I should yet absent me from your bed:

I hope this reason stands for my excuse.

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Sly. Ay, it stands so that I may hardly tarry so long. But I would be loath to fall into my dreams again: I will therefore tarry in despite of the flesh and the blood. 130

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment, Are come to play a pleasant comedy;

For so your doctors hold it very meet,

Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,
And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy:

Therefore they thought it good you hear a play
And frame your mind to mirth and merriment,
Which bars a thousand harms and lengthens life.

1

Sly. Marry, I will, let them play it. Is not a comonty a Christmas gambold or a tumbling trick?

Page. No, my good lord; it is more pleasing stuff.
Sly. What, household stuff?

Page. It is a kind of history.

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Sly. Well, we'll see't. Come, madam wife, sit by my side and let the world slip: we shall ne'er be younger.

Flourish.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Padua. A public place.

Enter LUCENTIO and his man TRANIO.

Luc. 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;
And by my father's love and leave am arm'd
With his good will 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.
Pisa renown'd 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 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 happiness
By virtue specially to be achieved.
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.

Tra. 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 ;

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20

30

Or so devote to Aristotle's checks

As Ovid be an outcast quite abjured:

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.

Luc. 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 a while: what company is this?

Tra. Master, some show to welcome us to town.

40

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HOR TENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand by.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,
For how I firmly am resolved to know;

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter
Before I have a husband for the elder:

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well and love you well,

Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.

50

Gre. [Aside.] To cart her rather she's too rough for me.

There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

Kath. I pray you, sir, it is your will

To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for

you,

Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

Kath. 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

And paint your face and use you like a fool.

To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord deliver us!

Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Hush, master! here's some good pastime toward : That wench is stark mad or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence do I see

Maid's mild behaviour and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio !

Tra. Well said, master; mum! and gaze your fill.
Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good

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70

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.
Kath. A pretty peat! it is best

Put finger in the eye, an she knew why.

Bian. 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.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak.
Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange?

Sorry am I that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre.

Why will you mew her up,

Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolved:
Go in, 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

80

90

[Exit Bianca.

To mine own children in good bringing up :
And so farewell. Katharina, you may stay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca.

100 [Exit.

Kath 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.

Gre. 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.

Hor. 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.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.
Gre. A husband! a devil.

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