William Shakespeare - Ultimate Collection: Complete Plays & Poetry in One Volume. William Shakespeare
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you do profess to be a suitor,
You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,
To whom we all rest generally beholding.
TRANIO.
Sir, I shall not be slack; in sign whereof,
Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,
And quaff carouses to our mistress’ health;
And do as adversaries do in law,
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
GRUMIO, BIONDELLO.
O excellent motion! Fellows, let’s be gone.
HORTENSIO.
The motion’s good indeed, and be it so:—
Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.
[Exeunt.]
ACT II.
SCENE I. Padua. A room in BAPTISTA’S house.
[Enter KATHERINA and BIANCA.]
BIANCA.
Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,
To make a bondmaid and a slave of me;
That I disdain; but for these other gawds,
Unbind my hands, I’ll pull them off myself,
Yea, all my raiment, to my petticoat;
Or what you will command me will I do,
So well I know my duty to my elders.
KATHERINA.
Of all thy suitors here I charge thee tell
Whom thou lov’st best: see thou dissemble not.
BIANCA.
Believe me, sister, of all the men alive
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.
KATHERINA.
Minion, thou liest. Is’t not Hortensio?
BIANCA.
If you affect him, sister, here I swear
I’ll plead for you myself but you shall have him.
KATHERINA.
O! then, belike, you fancy riches more:
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.
BIANCA.
Is it for him you do envy me so?
Nay, then you jest; and now I well perceive
You have but jested with me all this while:
I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.
KATHERINA.
If that be jest, then an the rest was so.
[Strikes her.]
[Enter BAPTISTA.]
BAPTISTA.
Why, how now, dame! Whence grows this insolence?
Bianca, stand aside. Poor girl! she weeps.
Go ply thy needle; meddle not with her.
For shame, thou hilding of a devilish spirit,
Why dost thou wrong her that did ne’er wrong thee?
When did she cross thee with a bitter word?
KATHERINA.
Her silence flouts me, and I’ll be reveng’d.
[Flies after BIANCA.]
BAPTISTA.
What! in my sight? Bianca, get thee in.
[Exit BIANCA.]
KATHERINA.
What! will you not suffer me? Nay, now I see
She is your treasure, she must have a husband;
I must dance barefoot on her wedding-day,
And, for your love to her, lead apes in hell.
Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep
Till I can find occasion of revenge.
[Exit.]
BAPTISTA. Was ever gentleman thus griev’d as I?
But who comes here?
[Enter GREMIO, with LUCENTIO in the habit of a mean man;
PETRUCHIO, with HORTENSIO as a musician; and TRANIO, with
BIONDELLO bearing a lute and books.]
GREMIO.
Good morrow, neighbour Baptista.
BAPTISTA.
Good morrow, neighbour Gremio. God save you, gentlemen!
PETRUCHIO.
And you, good sir! Pray, have you not a daughter
Call’d Katherina, fair and virtuous?
BAPTISTA.
I have a daughter, sir, call’d Katherina.
GREMIO.
You are too blunt: go to it orderly.
PETRUCHIO.
You wrong me, Signior Gremio: give me leave.
I am a gentleman of Verona, sir,
That, hearing of her beauty and her wit,
Her affability and bashful modesty,
Her wondrous qualities and mild behaviour,
Am bold to show myself a forward guest
Within your house, to make mine eye the witness
Of that report which I so oft have heard.
And, for an entrance to my entertainment,
I do present you with a man of mine,
[Presenting HORTENSIO.]
Cunning in music and the mathematics,
To instruct her fully in those sciences,
Whereof I know she is not ignorant.
Accept of him, or else you do me wrong:
His name is Licio, born in Mantua.
BAPTISTA.
You’re welcome, sir, and he for your good sake;
But for my daughter Katherine, this I know,
She is not for your turn, the more my grief.
PETRUCHIO.
I see you do not mean to part with her;
Or else you like not of my company.
BAPTISTA.
Mistake me not; I speak but as I find.
Whence are you, sir? What may I call your name?
PETRUCHIO.
Petruchio is my name, Antonio’s son;
A man well known throughout all Italy.
BAPTISTA.
I know him well: you are welcome for his sake.
GREMIO.
Saving your tale, Petruchio, I pray,
Let us, that are poor petitioners, speak too.
Backare! you are marvellous forward.
PETRUCHIO.
O, pardon me, Signior Gremio; I would fain be doing.
GREMIO. I doubt it not, sir; but you will curse your wooing. Neighbour, this is a gift very grateful, I am sure of it. To express the like kindness, myself, that have been more kindly beholding to you than any, freely give unto you this young scholar, [Presenting LUCENTIO.]
that has been long studying at Rheims; as cunning in Greek, Latin,