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

6    Knock, sir! whom should I knock? is there man has
7    rebused your worship?

8    Villain, I say, knock me here soundly.

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

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

13   My master is grown quarrelsome. I should knock
14   you first,
15   And then I know after who comes by the worst.

16   Will it not be?
17   Faith, sirrah, an you'll not knock, I'll ring it;
18   I'll try how you can sol, fa, and sing it.

19   Help, masters, help! my master is mad.

20   Now, knock when I bid you, sirrah villain!

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

23   Signior Hortensio, come you to part the fray?
24   'Con tutto il cuore, ben trovato,' may I say.

25   'Alla nostra casa ben venuto, molto honorato signor
26   mio Petruchio.' Rise, Grumio, rise: we will compound
27   this quarrel.

28   Nay, 'tis no matter, sir, what he 'leges in Latin.
29   if this be not a lawful case for me to leave his
30   service, look you, sir, he bid me knock him and rap
31   him soundly, sir: well, was it fit for a servant to
32   use his master so, being perhaps, for aught I see,
33   two and thirty, a pip out? Whom would to God I had
34   well knock'd at first, Then had not Grumio come by the worst.

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

38   Knock at the gate! O heavens! Spake you not these
39   words plain, 'Sirrah, knock me here, rap me here,
40   knock me well, and knock me soundly'? And come you
41   now with, 'knocking at the gate'?

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

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

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

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

63   Signior Hortensio, 'twixt such friends as we
64   Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know
65   One rich enough to be Petruchio's wife,
66   As wealth is burden of my wooing dance,
67   Be she as foul as was Florentius' love,
68   As old as Sibyl and as curst and shrewd
69   As Socrates' Xanthippe, or a worse,
70   She moves me not, or not removes, at least,
71   Affection's edge in me, were she as rough
72   As are the swelling Adriatic seas:
73   I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;
74   If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

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

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

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

95   Her father is Baptista Minola,
96   An affable and courteous gentleman:
97   Her name is Katharina Minola,
98   Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

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

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

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

127  Katharina the curst!
128  A title for a maid of all titles the worst.

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

136  Here's no knavery! See, to beguile the old folks,
137  how the young folks lay their heads together!
Enter GREMIO, and LUCENTIO disguised
138  Master, master, look about you: who goes there, ha?

139  Peace, Grumio! it is the rival of my love.
140  Petruchio, stand by a while.

141  A proper stripling and an amorous!

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

152  Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you
153  As for my patron, stand you so assured,
154  As firmly as yourself were still in place:
155  Yea, and perhaps with more successful words
156  Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.

157  O this learning, what a thing it is!

158  O this woodcock, what an ass it is!

159  Peace, sirrah!

160  Grumio, mum! God save you, Signior Gremio.

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

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

174  Beloved of me; and that my deeds shall prove.

175  And that his bags shall prove.

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

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

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

187  No, say'st me so, friend? What countryman?

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

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

195  Will I live?

196  Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her.

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

210  For he fears none.

211  Hortensio, hark:
212  This gentleman is happily arrived,
213  My mind presumes, for his own good and ours.

214  I promised we would be contributors
215  And bear his charging of wooing, whatsoe'er.

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

217  I would I were as sure of a good dinner.

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

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

222  Even he, Biondello.

223  Hark you, sir; you mean not her to--

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

225  Not her that chides, sir, at any hand, I pray.

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

227  Well begun, Tranio.

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

230  And if I be, sir, is it any offence?

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

232  Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free
233  For me as for you?

234  But so is not she.

235  For what reason, I beseech you?

236  For this reason, if you'll know,
237  That she's the choice love of Signior Gremio.

238  That she's the chosen of Signior Hortensio.

239  Softly, my masters! if you be gentlemen,
240  Do me this right; hear me with patience.
241  Baptista is a noble gentleman,
242  To whom my father is not all unknown;
243  And were his daughter fairer than she is,
244  She may more suitors have and me for one.
245  Fair Leda's daughter had a thousand wooers;
246  Then well one more may fair Bianca have:
247  And so she shall; Lucentio shall make one,
248  Though Paris came in hope to speed alone.

249  What! this gentleman will out-talk us all.

250  Sir, give him head: I know he'll prove a jade.

251  Hortensio, to what end are all these words?

252  Sir, let me be so bold as ask you,
253  Did you yet ever see Baptista's daughter?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

281  O excellent motion! Fellows, let's be gone.

282  The motion's good indeed and be it so,
283  Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.