Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

Bap. What, in my sight?-Bianca, get thee [Exit BIA

Kath. Will you not suffer me? Nay, now I She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding-day, And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell. Talk not to me; I will go sit and weep, Till I can find occasion of revenge,

[Exit KATHARIN

Bap. Was ever gentleman thus griev'd as I? But who comes here?

Enter GREMIO, with Lucentio in the habit of mean man; PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as Musician; and TRANIO, with BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books.

Gre. Good-morrow, neighbour Baptista.

Bap. Good-morrow, neighbour Gremio: God save you, gentlemen!

Pet. And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a

daughter

Call'd Katharina, fair, and virtuous ?

Bap. I have a daughter, sir, call'd Katharina.
Gre. You are too blunt, go to it orderly.

Pet. You wrong me, signior Gremio; give me

leave.

I am a gentleman of Verona, sir,
That,-hearing of her beauty, and her wit,
Her affability, and bashful modesty,
Her wondrous qualities, and mild behaviour,-
Am bold to show myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness

Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,

[Presenting HORTENSIO.

Cunning in musick, and the mathematicks,
To instruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof, I know, she is not ignorant:
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong;
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.

Bap. You're welcome, sir; and he, for your good

sake:

But for my daughter Katharine, this I know,

She is not for your turn, the more my grief.

Pet. I see, you do not mean to part with her; Or else you like not of my company.

Bap. Mistake me not, I speak but as I find. Whence are you, sir? what may I call your name? Pet. Petruchio is my name; Antonio's son,.

A man well known throughout all Italy.

Bap. I know him well: you are welcome for his

sake.

Gre. Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray, Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too: Baccare! you are marvellous forward.

Pet. O, pardon me, signior Gremio; I would fain

be doing.

Gre. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your wooing.-

Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness myself, that have been more kindly beholden to you than any, I freely

■ A proverbial exclamation then in use.

give unto you this young scholar, [Presenting LuCENTIO.] that hath been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin, and other languages, as the other in musick and mathematicks: his name is Cambio; pray, accept his service.

Bap. A thousand thanks, signior Gremio: welcome, good Cambio. But, gentle sir, [TO TRANIO.] methinks, you walk like a stranger; May I be so bold to know the cause of your coming?

Tra. Pardon me, sir, the boldness is mine own; 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 [To HoR.] the lute, and you [To Luc.]

the set of books,

You shall go see your pupils presently.
Holla, within !

:

Sirrah, lead

Enter a Servant.

These gentlemen to my daughters; and tell them

both,

These are their tutors; bid them use them well.

[Exit Servant, with HORTENSIO, LUCENTIO,

and BIONDELLO.

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.
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 decreas'd:
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.

Бар. Ay, when the special thing is well obtain'd, This 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,

1

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 may'st 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 broken.

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

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

cian?

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,

2 A fret in music is the stop which causes or regulates the vibration of the string. 3 Paltry musician.

« ElőzőTovább »