with ne'er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two and fifty horses: why, nothing comes amiss, so money comes withal.

Hor. Petruchio, since we have 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 intolerably curst9,

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.

Pet. 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.
Hor. Her father is Baptista Minola,
An affable and courteous gentleman:

Her name is Katharina Minola,

Renown'd in Padua for her scolding tongue.

'If low, an agate very vilely cut.'

And in Henry IV. Part II.:-'I was never mann'd with an agate till now.'

It may be remarked that aglet was also another name for a spangle, as may be seen in Florio's Ital. Dict. in the word tremola; who also distinguishes the tags of points as long aglets, in the word Puntale. This will explain a passage in Beaumont and Fletcher's Two Noble Kinsmen, Act iii. Sc. 4:

'The little stars and all, that look like aglets,' i. e. spangles. And another in Jeronimo, 1605:

And all those stars that gaze upon her face
Are aglets on her sleeve-pins and her train.'

Several passages in Spenser have been misinterpreted for want of a proper acquaintance with the meaning of aglets.

8 The fifty diseases of a horse seems to be proverbial, of which, probably, the text is only an exaggeration.

9 Cross, froward, petulant.

Pet. 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.

Gru. I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O' my word, an she knew him as well as I do, she would think scolding would do little good upon him: She may, perhaps, call him half a score knaves or so: why, that's nothing; an he begin once, he'll rail in his rope-tricks 10. I'll tell you what, sir,-an she stand11 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 12: You know him not, sir. Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee; For in Baptista's keep 13 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 Suitors to her, and rivals in my love: Supposing it a thing impossible,

(For those defects I have before rehears'd), That ever Katharina will be woo'd; Therefore this order 14 hath Baptista ta’en ;

10 i. e. roguish tricks. Ropery is used by Shakspeare in Romeo and Juliet for roguery. A rope-ripe is one for whom the gallows groans, according to Cotgrave. So in Bullein's Dialogue, ed. 1578:- Oh Lorde, it is sportation to hear the clowting beetles to rowle in their rope-ripe terms.'

11 Withstand.

12 To endeavour to explain this would certainly be lost labour. Mr. Boswell justly remarks that nothing is more common in ludicrous or playful discourse than to use a comparison where no resemblance is intended.'

13 Keep here means care, keeping, custody.

14 To take order is to take measures. So in Othello:'Honest Iago hath ta'en order for it.'

That none shall have access unto Bianca,

Till Katharine the curst have got a husband.
Gru. Katharine the curst!

A title for a maid, of all titles the worst.

Hor. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace; And offer me, disguis'd in sober robes,

To old Baptista as a schoolmaster

Well seen
15 in musick, to instruct Bianca :
That so I may by this device, at least,

Have leave and leisure to make love to her,
And, unsuspected, court her by herself.

Enter GREMIO; with him LUCENTIO disguised, with books under his arm.

Gru. Here's knavery! See, to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, master, look about you: Who goes there? ha!

Hor. Peace, Grumio; 'tis the rival of my love:Petruchio, stand by a while.

Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous !

[They retire. Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note. Hark you, sir; I'll have them very fairly bound: All books of love, see that at any hand 16; And see you read no other lectures to her: You understand me;-Over and beside Signior Baptista's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largess 17:-Take your papers too, And let me have them very well perfum'd;

For she is sweeter than perfume itself,

To whom they go. What will you read to her?

15 To be well seen in any art was to be well skilled in it. So Spenser's Faerie Queene, b. iv. c. 2:—

'Well seene in every science that mote be.'

Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you, As for my patron, (stand you so assur'd), As firmly as yourself were still in place: Yea, and (perhaps) with more successful words Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir. Gre. O this learning; what a thing it is! Gru. O this woodcock! what an ass it is! Pet. Peace, sirrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum!-God save you, signior
Gremio!

Gre. And you're well met, signior Hortensio.
Trow you,

Whither I am going?-To Baptista Minola.
I promis❜d to enquire carefully

About a schoolmaster for fair Bianca:
And, by good fortune, I have lighted well
On this young man; for learning and behaviour,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry

And other books,-good ones, I warrant you.
Hor. "Tis well: and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,
A fine musician to instruct our mistress;
So shall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me,—and that my deeds shall

prove.

Gru. And that his bags shall prove.

[Aside.

Hor. 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,
Will undertake to woo curst Katharine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So said, so done, is well:

Hortensio, have you told him all her faults?

Pet. I know, she is an irksome brawling scold; If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

Gre. No! say'st me so, friend? What countryman? Pet. 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.

Gre. O, sir, such a life, with such a wife, were
strange:

But, if
you
have a stomach, to't o' God's name,
You shall have me assisting you in all.
But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet.

Will I live?

Gru. Will he woo her? ay, or I'll hang her. [Aside. Pet. 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? 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,

That gives not half so great a blow to the ear
As will a chestnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs 18.

Gru.

Gre. Hortensio, hark!

For he fears none. [Aside.

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

My mind presumes, for his own good, and ours.
Hor. I promis'd, we would be contributors,
And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe❜er.

Gre. And so we will; provided that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as sure of a good dinner.
[Aside.

18 Fright boys with bug-bears. So in Cymbeline:The mortal bugs o' the field.'