The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Page 460
HORTENSIO
Grumio, mum! God save you, Signor Gremio.
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GREMIO And you are well met, Signor Hortensio.
Trow you whither I am going? To Baptista Minola.
I promis’d to enquire carefully
About a schoolmaster for the fair Bianca,
And by good fortune I have lighted well
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On this young man, for learning and behaviour
Fit for her turn, well read in poetry
And other books, good ones, I warrant ye.
HORTENSIO ’Tis well. And I have met a gentleman
Hath promis’d me to help me to another,
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A fine musician to instruct our mistress.
So shall I no whit be behind in duty
To fair Bianca, so belov’d of me.
GREMIO Belov’d of me, and that my deeds shall prove.
GRUMIO And that his bags shall prove.
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HORTENSIO 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,
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Will undertake to woo curst Katherine,
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
GREMIO So said, so done, is well.
HORTENSIO , have you told him all her faults?
PETRUCHIO I know she is an irksome brawling scold.
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If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.
GREMIO
No, say’st me so, friend? What countryman?
PETRUCHIO Born in Verona, old Antonio’s son.
My father dead, my fortune lives for me,
And I do hope good days and long to see.
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GREMIO
O sir, such a life with such a wife were strange.
But if you have a stomach, to’t a God’s name,
You shall have me assisting you in all.
But will you woo this wildcat?
PETRUCHIO Will I live?
GRUMIO Will he woo her? Ay, or I’ll hang her.
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PETRUCHIO Why came I hither but to that intent?
Think you a little din can daunt mine 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?
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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?
And do you tell me of a woman’s tongue,
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That gives not half so great a blow to hear
As will a chestnut in a farmer’s fire?
Tush, tush, fear boys with bugs!
GRUMIO For he fears none.
GREMIO Hortensio, hark.
This gentleman is happily arriv’d,
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My mind presumes, for his own good and yours.
HORTENSIO I promis’d we would be contributors
And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe’er.
GREMIO And so we will, provided that he win her.
GRUMIO I would I were as sure of a good dinner.
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Enter TRANIO brave, and BIONDELLO.
TRANIO Gentlemen, God save you. If I may be bold,
Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way
To the house of Signor Baptista Minola?
BIONDELLO
He that has the two fair daughters, is’t he you mean?
TRANIO Even he, Biondello.
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GREMIO Hark you, sir, you mean not her too?
TRANIO
Perhaps him and her, sir. What have you to do?
PETRUCHIO
Not her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray.
TRANIO I love no chiders, sir. Biondello, let’s away.
LUCENTIO
Well begun, Tranio.
HORTENSIO Sir, a word ere you go.
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Are you a suitor to the maid you talk of, yea or no?
TRANIO And if I be, sir, is it any offence?
GREMIO
No, if without more words you will get you hence.
TRANIO Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free
For me as for you?
GREMIO But so is not she.
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TRANIO For what reason, I beseech you?
GREMIO For this reason, if you’ll know,
That she’s the choice love of Signor Gremio.
HORTENSIO That she’s the chosen of Signor Hortensio.
TRANIO Softly, my masters. If you be gentlemen,
Do me this right; hear me with patience.
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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 have, and me for one.
Fair Leda’s daughter had a thousand wooers,
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Then well one more may fair Bianca have.
And so she shall. Lucentio shall make one,
Though Paris came, in hope to speed alone.
GREMIO What, this gentleman will out-talk us all!
LUCENTIO
Sir, give him head, I know he’ll prove a jade.
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PETRUCHIO Hortensio, to what end are all these words?
HORTENSIO Sir, let me be so bold as ask you,
Did you yet ever see Baptista’s daughter?
TRANIO No, sir, but hear I do that he hath two:
The one as famous for a scolding tongue
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As is the other for beauteous modesty.
PETRUCHIO Sir, sir, the first’s for me, let her go by.
GREMIO Yea, leave that labour to great Hercules,
And let it be more than Alcides’ twelve.
PETRUCHIO Sir, understand you this of me in sooth,
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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 sister first be wed.
The younger then is free, and not before.
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TRANIO If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all and me amongst the rest,
And if you break the ice and do this feat,
Achieve the elder, set the younger free
For our access, whose hap shall be to have her
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Will not so graceless be to be ingrate.
HORTENSIO
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.
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TRANIO Sir, I shall not be slack. In sign whereof,
Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress’ health,
And do as adversaries do in law,
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
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GRUMIO , BIONDELLO
O excellent motion! Fellows, let’s be gone.
HORTENSIO The motion’s good indeed, and be it so.
Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto. Exeunt.
2.1 Enter KATHERINA and BIANCA.
BIANCA
Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,
To make a bondmaid and a slave of me.
That I disdain. But for these other gawds,
Unbind my hands, I’ll pull them off myself,
Yea, all my raiment, to m
y petticoat,
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Or what you will command me will I do,
So well I know my duty to my elders.
KATHERINA Of all thy suitors here I charge thee tell
Whom thou lov’st best. See thou dissemble not.
BIANCA Believe me, sister, of all the men alive
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I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.
KATHERINA Minion, thou liest. Is’t not Hortensio?
BIANCA If you affect him, sister, here I swear
I’ll plead for you myself but you shall have him.
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KATHERINA O then belike you fancy riches more.
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.
BIANCA Is it for him you do envy me so?
Nay then you jest, and now I well perceive
You have but jested with me all this while.
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I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.
KATHERINA If that be jest, then all the rest was so.
[Strikes her.]
Enter BAPTISTA.
BAPTISTA
Why, how now, dame, whence grows this insolence?
Bianca, stand aside. Poor girl, she weeps.
Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.
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For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne’er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?
KATHERINA Her silence flouts me, and I’ll be reveng’d.
[Flies after Bianca.]
BAPTISTA What, in my sight? Bianca, get thee in.
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Exit Bianca.
KATHERINA
What, will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see
She is your treasure, she must have a husband,
I must dance barefoot on her wedding-day,
And for your love to her lead apes in hell.
Talk not to me, I will go sit and weep,
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Till I can find occasion of revenge. Exit.
BAPTISTA Was ever gentleman thus griev’d as I?
But who comes here?
Enter GREMIO, LUCENTIO disguised as Cambio in the habit of a mean man; PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO disguised as Litio; and TRANIO disguised as Lucentio, with his boy BIONDELLO, bearing a lute and books.
GREMIO Good morrow, neighbour Baptista.
BAPTISTA Good morrow, neighbour Gremio. God save
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you, gentlemen.
PETRUCHIO
And you, good sir. Pray, have you not a daughter
Call’d Katherina, fair and virtuous?
BAPTISTA I have a daughter, sir, call’d Katherina.
GREMIO You are too blunt, go to it orderly.
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PETRUCHIO
You wrong me, Signor 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,
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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,
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[Presents Hortensio.]
Cunning in music and the mathematics,
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 Litio, born in Mantua.
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BAPTISTA
Y’are welcome, sir, and he for your good sake.
But for my daughter Katherine, this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more my grief.
PETRUCHIO I see you do not mean to part with her,
Or else you like not of my company.
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BAPTISTA Mistake me not, I speak but as I find.
Whence are you, sir? What may I call your name?
PETRUCHIO Petruchio is my name, Antonio’s son,
A man well known throughout all Italy.
BAPTISTA
I know him well. You are welcome for his sake.
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GREMIO Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray
Let us that are poor petitioners speak too.
Baccare! You are marvellous forward.
PETRUCHIO O pardon me, Signor Gremio, I would fain
be doing.
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GREMIO 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