She eat no meat to-day, nor none shall eat;

Last night she slept not, nor to-night she shall not; As with the meat, some undeserved fault

I'll find about the making of the bed;

And here I'll fling the pillow, there the bolster,
This way the coverlet, another way the sheets:
Ay, and amid this hurly, I intend 24

That all is done in reverend care of her;
And, in conclusion, she shall watch all night:
And, if she chance to nod, I'll rail and brawl,
And with the clamour keep her still awake.
This is a way to kill a wife with kindness;
And thus I'll curb her mad and headstrong humour.
He that knows better how to tame a shrew,
Now let him speak; 'tis charity to shew.

[Exit.

SCENE II. Padua. Before Baptista's House.

Enter TRANIO and HORTENSIO.

Tra. Is't possible, friend Licio, that Bianca Doth fancy any other but Lucentio ?

I tell you, sir, she bears me fair in hand.

Hor. Sir, to satisfy you in what I have said, Stand by, and mark the manner of his teaching. [They stand aside.

Enter BIANCA and LUCENTIO.

Luc. Now, mistress, profit you in what you read? Bian. What, master, read you? first resolve me that.

Luc. I read that I profess the art to love.

Bian. And may you prove, sir, master of your art!
Luc. While you, sweet dear, prove mistress of
my heart.
[They retire.

24 Intend is used for pretend. As again in K. Richard III. 'Intending deep suspicion.'

Hor. Quick proceeders, marry! Now, tell me, I

pray,

You that durst swear that your mistress Bianca
Lov'd none in the world so well as Lucentio.

Tra. O despiteful love! unconstant womankind!I tell thee, Licio, this is wonderful.

Hor. Mistake no more: I am not Licio,
Nor a musician, as I seem to be;

But one that scorn to live in this disguise,
For such a one as leaves a gentleman,
And makes a god of such a cullion 1:
Know, sir, that I am call'd-Hortensio.

Tra. Signior Hortensio, I have often heard

Of your entire affection to Bianca ;

And since mine eyes are witness of her lightness,
I will with
be so contented,-
Forswear Bianca and her love for ever.

you,-if

you

Hor. See, how they kiss and court!

Lucentio,

--

-Signior

Here is my hand, and here I firmly vow—
Never to woo her more; but do forswear her,
As one unworthy all the former favours
That I have fondly flatter'd her withal.

Tra. And here I take the like unfeigned oath,Ne'er to marry with her though she would entreat: Fye on her! see, how beastly she doth court him. Hor. 'Would, all the world, but he, had quite forsworn!

For me, that I may surely keep mine oath,
I will be married to a wealthy widow,

Ere three days pass; which hath as long loved me,
As I have lov'd this proud disdainful haggard :
And so farewell, signior Lucentio.—

Kindness in women, not their beauteous looks,

1 Coglione, a cuglion, a gull, a meacock,' says Florio. It is equivalent to a great booby.

Shall win my love:—and so I take my leave,
In resolution as I swore before.

[Exit HORTENSIO.-LUCENTIO and BIANCA
advance.

Tra. Mistress Bianca, bless you with such grace As 'longeth to a lover's blessed case!

Nay, I have ta'en you napping, gentle love;
And have forsworn you, with Hortensio.

Bian. Tranio, you jest; But have you both forsworn me?

Tra. Mistress, we have.

Luc.

Then we are rid of Licio.

Tra. I'faith, he'll have a lusty widow now, That shall be woo'd and wedded in a day. Bian. God give him joy! Tra. Ay, and he'll tame her. Bian. says so, Tranio. Tra. 'Faith, he is gone unto the taming-school. Bian. The taming-school! what, is there such a

place?

He

Tra. Ay, mistress, and Petruchio is the master: That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,To tame a shrew, and charm2 her chattering tongue.

Enter BIONDELLO, running.

Bio. O master, master, I have watch'd so long That I'm dog-weary; but at last I spied

An ancient angel3 coming down the hill,
Will serve the turn.

2 So in King Henry VI. Part III.

'Peace, wilful boy, or I will charm your tongue.' In Psalm lviii. we read of the charmer who charms wisely, in order to quell the fury of the adder.

3 For angel, Theobald, and after him Hanmer and Warburton, read engle; which Hanmer calls a gull, deriving it from engluer, French, to catch with bird-lime; but without sufficient reason. Mr. Gifford, in a note on Jonson's Poetaster, is decidedly in favour of enghle with Hanmer's explanation, and supports it by referring to Gascoigne's Supposes, from which Shakspeare took

Tra.

What is he, Biondello?

Bion. Master, a mercatantè, or a pedant,
I know not what; but formal in apparel,
In gait and countenance surely like a father.
Luc. And what of him, Tranio ?

Tra. If he be credulous, and trust my tale,
I'll make him glad to seem Vincentio ;
And give assurance to Baptista Minola,
As if he were the right Vincentio.
Take in your love, and then let me alone.

[Exeunt LUCENTIO and BIANCA.

Enter a Pedant.

Ped. God save you, sir!

Tra.

And you, sir! you are welcome. Travel you far on, or are you at the furthest?

this part of his plot. 'There Erostrato, the Biondello of Shakspeare, looks out for a person to gull by an idle story, judges from appearances that he has found him, and is not deceived:At the foot of the hill I met a gentleman, and as methought by his habits and his looks he should be none of the wisest. Again, 'this gentleman being, as I guessed at the first, a man of small sapientia.' And Dulippo (the Lucentio of Shakspeare), as soon as he spies him coming, exclaims, 'Is this he? go meet him: by my troth, HE LOOKS LIKE A GOOD SOUL, he that fisheth for him might be sure to catch a codshead.' Act ii. Sc. 1. These are the passages (says Mr. Gifford) which our great poet had in view; and these, I trust, are more than sufficient to explain why Biondello concludes at first sight, that this "ancient piece of formality" will serve his turn.' This is very true, and yet it is not necessary to change the reading of the old copy, which is undoubtedly correct, though the commentators could not explain it. An ancient angel then was neither more nor less than the good soul of Gascoigne; or as Cotgrave (often the best commentator on Shakspeare) explains it, ' AN OLD ANGEL, by metaphor, a fellow of th' old sound honest and worthie stamp,' un angelot à gros escaille.' One who, being honest himself, suspects no guile in others, and is therefore easily duped. I am quite of Mr. Nares's opinion, that enghle is only a different spelling of ingle, which is often used for a favourite, and originally meant one of the most detestable kind; we have no example adduced of it ever having been used for a gull.

4 i, e. a merchant or a schoolmaster.

Ped. Sir, at the furthest for a week or two:
But then up further; and as far as Rome;
And so to Tripoly, if God lend me life.
Tra. What countryman, I pray ?

Ped.

Of Mantua.

Tra. Of Mantua, sir?-marry, God forbid! And come to Padua, careless of your life?

Ped. My life, sir! how, I pray? for that goes hard.
Tra. 'Tis death for any one in Mantua

To come to Padua: Know you not the cause?
Your ships are staid at Venice; and the duke
(For private quarrel 'twixt your duke and him)
Hath publish'd and proclaim'd it openly:
"Tis marvel; but that you're but newly come,
You might have heard it else proclaim'd about.
Ped. Alas, sir, it is worse for me than so;
For I have bills for money by exchange
From Florence, and must here deliver them.
Tra. Well, sir, to do you courtesy,
This will I do, and this will I advise you ;-
First, tell me, have you ever been at Pisa?

Ped. Ay, sir, in Pisa have I often been;
Pisa, renowned for grave citizens.

Tra. Among them, know you one Vincentio? Ped. I know him not, but I have heard of him; A merchant of incomparable wealth.

Tra. He is my father, sir; and, sooth to say, In countenance somewhat doth resemble you. Bion. As much as an apple doth an oyster, and all one.

Tra. To save your life in this extremity, This favour will I do you for his sake;

[Aside.

And think it not the worst of all your fortunes,
That you are like to Sir Vincentio.

His name and credit shall you

undertake,

And in my house you shall be friendly lodged ;
Look, that you take upon you as you should;