The Taming of the Shrew

    Here comes the rogue. Sirrah, where have you been?  BIONDELLO. Where have I been! Nay, how now! where are you?    Master, has my fellow Tranio stol'n your clothes?    Or you stol'n 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,    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 kill'd a man, and fear I was descried.    Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,    While I make way from hence to save my life.    You understand me?  BIONDELLO. I, sir? Ne'er a whit.  LUCENTIO. And not a jot of Tranio in your mouth:    Tranio is chang'd into Lucentio.  BIONDELLO. 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, I 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. Tranio, 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. Exeunt

The Presenters above speak

  FIRST SERVANT. My lord, you nod; you do not mind the play.  SLY. Yes, by Saint Anne do I. A good matter, surely; comesthere    any more of it?  PAGE. My lord, 'tis but begun.  SLY. 'Tis a very excellent piece of work, madam lady    Would 'twere done! [They sit and mark]

SCENE II. Padua. Before HORTENSIO'S house

Enter PETRUCHIO and his man GRUMIO

  PETRUCHIO. Verona, for a while I take my leave,    To see my friends in Padua; but of all    My best beloved and approved friend,    Hortensio; and I trow this is his house.    Here, sirrah Grumio, knock, I say. GRUMIO. Knock, sir! Whom should I knock?    Is there any man has rebus'd your worship?  PETRUCHIO. Villain, I say, knock me here soundly.  GRUMIO. Knock you here, sir? Why, sir, what am I, sir, that I    should knock you here, sir?  PETRUCHIO. Villain, I say, knock me at this gate,    And rap me well, or I'll knock your knave's pate.  GRUMIO. My master is grown quarrelsome. I should knock youfirst,    And then I know after who comes by the worst.  PETRUCHIO. Will it not be?    Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock I'll ring it;    I'll try how you can sol-fa, and sing it.                                     [He wrings him by the ears]  GRUMIO. Help, masters, help! My master is mad.  PETRUCHIO. Now knock when I bid you, sirrah villain!

Enter HORTENSIO

  HORTENSIO. How now! what's the matter? My old friend Grumio andmy    good friend Petruchio! How do you all at Verona?  PETRUCHIO. Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?    'Con tutto il cuore ben trovato' may I say.  HORTENSIO. Alla nostra casa ben venuto,    Molto honorato signor mio Petruchio.    Rise, Grumio, rise; we will compound this quarrel.  GRUMIO. Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges in Latin. Ifthis    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 itfit    for a servant to use his master so; being, perhaps, for aughtI    see, two and thirty, a pip out?    Whom would to God I had well knock'd at first,    Then had not Grumio come by the worst.  PETRUCHIO. A senseless villain! Good Hortensio,    I bade the rascal knock upon your gate,    And could not get him for my heart to do it.  GRUMIO. 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 thegate'?  PETRUCHIO. Sirrah, be gone, or talk not, I advise you.  HORTENSIO. Petruchio, patience; I am Grumio's pledge;    Why, this's a heavy chance 'twixt him and you,    Your ancient, trusty, pleasant servant Grumio.    And tell me now, sweet friend, what happy gale    Blows you to Padua here from old Verona?  PETRUCHIO. Such wind as scatters young men through the world    To seek their fortunes farther than at home,    Where small experience grows. But in a few,    Signior Hortensio, thus it stands with me:    Antonio, my father, is deceas'd,    And I have thrust myself into this maze,    Haply 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.  HORTENSIO. Petruchio, shall I then come roundly to thee    And wish thee to a shrewd ill-favour'd wife?    Thou'dst thank me but a little for my counsel,    And yet I'll promise thee she shall be rich,    And very rich; but th'art too much my friend,    And I'll not wish thee to her.  PETRUCHIO. Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we    Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know    One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,    As wealth is burden of my wooing dance,    Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,    As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd    As Socrates' Xanthippe or a worse-    She moves me not, or not removes, at least,    Affection's edge in me, were she as rough    As are the swelling Adriatic seas.    I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;    If wealthily, then happily in Padua.  GRUMIO. Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mindis.    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 has as many diseases as two and fifty horses. Why,nothing    comes amiss, so money comes withal.  HORTENSIO. 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 is faults enough,    Is- that she is intolerable curst,    And shrewd and froward so beyond all measure    That, were my state far worser than it is,    I would not wed her for a mine of gold.  PETRUCHIO. Hortensio, peace! thou know'st not gold's effect.    Tell me her father's name, and 'tis enough;    For I will board her though she chide as loud    As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.  HORTENSIO. Her father is Baptista Minola,    An affable and courteous gentleman;    Her name is Katherina Minola,    Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.  PETRUCHIO. 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.  GRUMIO. I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O'my    word, and she knew him as well as I do, she would thinkscolding    would do little good upon him. She may perhaps call him halfa    score knaves or so. Why, that's nothing; and he begin once,he'll    rail in his rope-tricks. I'll tell you what, sir: an shestand    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.  HORTENSIO. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee,    For in Baptista's keep my treasure is.    He hath the jewel of my life in hold,    His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca;    And her withholds from me, and other more,

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