Kath. Why, and I trust, I may go too; May I not? What, shall I be appointed hours; as though, belike, I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha! [Exit. Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are so good, here is none will hold you. Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out; our cake 's dough on both sides. Farewel:-Yet, for the love I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man, to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father."

Hor. So will I, signior Gremio: But a word, I pray. Though the nature of our quarrel yet never brook'd parle, know now, upon advice, it toucheth us both,— that we may yet again have access to our fair mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca's love,-to labour and effect one thing 'specially.

5

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.
Gre. A husband! a devil.

Hor. I say, a husband.

Gre. I say, a devil: Think'st thou, Hortensio, though

・your gifts

Gifts for endowments. Malone.

So, before in this comedy:

6

a woman's gift,

"To rain a shower of commanded tears." Steevens.

Their love is not so great, Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairly out;] I cannot conceive whose love Gremio can mean by the words their love, as they had been talking of no love but that which they themselves felt for Bianca. We must therefore read, our love, instead of their. M. Mason.

Perhaps we should read-Your love. In the old manner of writing yr stood for either their or your. The editor of the third folio and some modern editors, with, I think, less probability, read our. If their love be right, it must mean-the good will of Baptista and Bianca towards us. Malone.

7 I will wish him to her father.] i. e. I will recommend him. So, in Much Ado about Nothing:

8

"To wish him wrestle with affection." Reed.

upon advice,] i. e. on consideration, or reflection. So, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona :

"How shall I dote on her, with more advice,

"That thus, without advice, begin to love her!" Steevens.

her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tush, Gremio, though it pass your patience and mine, to endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in the world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all faults, and money enough.

Gre. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with this condition, to be whipped at the high-cross every morning.

Hor. 'Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten apples. But, come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it shall be so far forth friendly maintained,―till by helping Baptista's eldest daughter to a husband, we set his youngest free for a husband, and then have to 't afresh.-Sweet Bianca!-Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest, gets the ring.' How say you, signior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed: and 'would I had given him the best horse in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the house of her. Come on. [Exeunt GRE. and HOR.

Tra. [advancing] I pray, sir, tell me,-Is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold?

Luc. O Tranio, till I found it to be true,

I never thought it possible, or likely;
But see! while idly I stood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainness do confess to thee,-
That art to me as secret, and as dear,
As Anna to the queen of Carthage was,-
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,
If I achieve not this young modest girl:

9 Happy man be his dole!] A proverbial expression. It is used in Damon and Pithias, 1571. Dole is any thing dealt out or distributed, though its original meaning was the provision given away at the doors of great men's houses. Steevens.

In Cupid's Revenge, by Beaumont and Fletcher, we meet with a similar expression, which may serve to explain that before us: "Then happy man be his fortune!" i. e. May his fortune be that of a happy man! Malone.

1

He that runs fastest, gets the ring.] An allusion to the sport of running at the ring. Douce.

Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;
Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

Tra. Master, it is no time to chide you now;
Affection is not rated2 from the heart:

3

If love have touch'd you, nought remains but so,3.
Redime te captum quam queas minimo.4

Luc. Gramercies, lad; go forward: this contents; The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.

Tra. Master, you look'd so longly5 on the maid,
Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.
Luc. O yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face,
Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,
When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan strand.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her sister Began to scold; and raise up such a storm,

That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?

2

is not rated—] Is not driven out by chiding. Malone. So, in Antony and Cleopatra:

3

If

66 'tis to be chid,

"As we rate boys."

Steevens.

love have touch'd you, nought remains but so,] The next line from Terence shows that we should read:

If Love hath toyl'd you,

i. e. taken you in his toils, his nets. Alluding to the captus est, habet, of the same author.

Warburton.

It is a common expression at this day to say, when a bailiff has arrested a man, that he has touched him on the shoulder: Therefore touch'd is as good a translation of captus, as toyl'd would be. Thus, in As you Like it, Rosalind says to Orlando: "Cupid hath clapt him on the shoulder, but I warrant him heart-whole." M. Mason.

4 Redime &c.] Our author had this line from Lilly, which I mention, that it may not be brought as an argument for his learning. Johnson.

Dr. Farmer's pamphlet affords an additional proof that this line was taken from Lilly, and not from Terence; because it is quoted, as it appears in the grammarian, and not as it appears in the poet. It is introduced also in Decker's Bellman's Night-Walk, &c. It may be added, that captus est, habet, is not in the same play which furnished the quotation. Steevens.

5

- longly-] i. e. longingly. I have met with no example of this adverb. Steevens.

6 daughter of Agenor -] Europa, for whose sake Jupiter transformed himself into a bull. Steevens.

Luc. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move, And with her breath she did perfume the air; Sacred and sweet, was all I saw in her.

Tra. Nay, then, 'tis time to stir him from his trance. I pray, awake, sir; If you love the maid,

Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it stands:-
Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd,

That, till the father rid his hands of her,
Master, your love must live a maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because she shall not be annoy'd' with suitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father 's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took some care
To get her cunning schoolmasters to instruct her?
Tra. Ay, marry, am I, sir; and now 'tis plotted.
Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra.

Master, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine first.

Tra. Not possible; For who shall bear your part,
And be in Padua here Vincentio's son?

Keep house, and ply his book; welcome his friends;
Visit his countrymen, and banquet them?

8

Luc. Basta; content thee; for I have it full."`

We have not yet been seen in any house;
Nor can we be distinguished by our faces,
For man, or master: then it follows thus ;-
Thou shalt be master, Tranio, in my stead,
Keep house, and port,1 and servants, as I should:

7 ———— she shall not be annoy'd —] Old copy—she will not. Corrected by Mr. Rowe. Malone.

8 Basta;] i. e. 'tis enough; Italian and Spanish. This expres sion occurs in The Mad Lover, and The Little French Lawyer, of Beaumont and Fletcher. Steevens.

9

I have it full.] i. e. conceive our stratagem in its full extent. I have already planned the whole of it. So, in Othello:

"I have it, 'tis engender'd." Steevens.

1. — port,] Port is figure, show, appearance. Johnson.

I will some other be; some Florentine,
Some Neapolitan, or mean man of Pisa.
'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so:-Tranio, at once
Uncase thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:
When Biondello comes, he waits on thee;
But I will charm him first to keep his tongue.
Tra. So had you need.

[They exchange habits. In brief then, sir, sith it your pleasure is, And I am tied to be obedient;

(For so your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be serviceable to my son, quoth he,

Although, I think, 'twas in another sense,)
I am content to be Lucentio,

Because so well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be so, because Lucentio loves: And let me be a slave, to achieve that maid

Whose sudden sight hath thrall'd my wounded eye.

Enter BIONDELLO.

Here comes the rogue.-Sirrah, where have you been? Bion. 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?
Luc. 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 countenance 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:3
Wait you on him, I charge you, as becomes,

So, in The Merchant of Venice:

""Tis not unknown to you, Antonio,

"How much I have disabled mine estate

"By something showing a more swelling port

"Than my faint means would grant continuance." Reed.

2 — or mean man of Pisa.] The old copy, regardless of metre, reads-meaner. Steevens.

3

and fear I was descried:] i. e. I fear I was observed in the act of killing him. The editor of the third folio reads-I am descried, which has been adopted by the modern editors.

Malone.

1