Bian, Sifter, content you in my difcontent.Sir, to your pleasure humbly I fubfcribe: My books, and inftruments, fhall be my company; On them to look, and practise by myself,

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'ft hear Minerva speak.

[afide

Hor, Signior Baptifta, will you be foftrange? Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief,

Gre. Why, will you mew her up,

Signior Baptifta, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue ?
Bap, Gentlemen, content ye; I am refolv'd ;--
Go in, Bianca,
[Exit Bianca.
And for I know, fhe taketh most delight
In mufick, inftruments, and poetry,

Schoolmafters will I keep within my houfe,
Fit to inftruct her youth.-If you, Hortenfio,-
Or fignior Gremio, you,-know any fuch,
Prefer them hither; for to cunning men 3
I will be very kind, and liberal

To mine own children in good bringing-up;
And fo farewel. Katharina, you may ftay;
For I have more to commune with Bianca. [Exit.
Kath. Why, and I truft, I may go too, May I not?
What, fhall I be appointed hours; as though, belike,
I knew not what to take, and what to leave? Ha!

"And God fend every pretty peate,
"Heigh hoe the pretty peate, &c."

[Exit

and is, I believe, of Scotch extraction. I find it in one of the proverbs of that country, where it fignifies darling.

"He has fault of a wife, that marries mam's pet." i. e. He is in great want of a wife who marries one that is her mother's darling. STEEVENS.

2

-fo frange?] That is, fo odd, fo different from others in your conduct. JOHNSON.

3 Cunning men] Cunning had not yet loft its original fignification of knowing, learned, as may be obferved in the tranflation of the Bible. JOHNSON.

Gre. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are fo good, here is none will hold you. Their love is not fo great, Hortenfio, but we may blow our nails together, and faft it fairly out; our cake's dough on both fides, Farewel :-Yet, for the love I bear my fweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit man, to teach her that wherein the delights, I will 4 with him to her father.

Hor. So will I, fignior Gremio: But a word, I pray, Though the nature of our quarrel never yet 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' love,— to labour and effect one thing 'specially.

Gre. What's that, I pray?

Hor. Marry fir, to get a husband for her fifter. Gre, A hufband! a devil.

Hor. I fay, a husband.

Gre. I fay, a devil: Think'ft thou, Hortenfio, though her father be very rich, any man is fo very a fool to be married to hell?

Hor. Tufh, Gremio! though it pafs 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 her faults, and money enough.

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

Hor. 'Faith, as you fay, there's small choice in rotten apples. But, come; fince this bar in law makes us friends, it fhall be fo far forth friendly maintain'd, till by helping Baptifta's eldest daughter to a husband, we fet his youngest free for a hufband, and then have to't afrefh.-Sweet Bianca !—

4qyish him] i, e. recommend him. See vol. ii. p. 317.

EDITOR.
Happy

Happy man be his dole 3! He that runs fastest gets the ring. How fay you fignior Gremio?

Gre. I am agreed and 'would I had given him the beft horfe in Padua to begin his wooing, that would thoroughly woo her, wed her, and bed her, and rid the houfe of her. Come on.

[Exeunt Gremio and Hortenfio,

Manent Tranio, and Lucentio.

Tra. I pray, fir, tell me,-Is it poffible
That love fhould of a fudden take fuch hold?
Luc. Oh, Tranio, 'till I found it to be true,
I never thought it poffible, or likely;
But fee! while idly I stood looking on,
I found the effect of love in idleness:
And now in plainnefs do confefs to thee,-
That art to me as fecret, and as dear,
As Anna to the queen of Carthage was,-
Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perifh Tranio,
If I atchieve not this young modeft girl:
Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canft;
Affift me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

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

If love have touch'd you, nought remains but fo1, 5 Redime te captum quam queas minimo.

3-happy man be his dole !] Sec vol. iv. p. 312. STEEVENS. 4 If love hath touch'd you, nought remains but fo,] The next line from Terence, fhews that we should read:

"If Love bath toyl'd you,'

i. e. taken you in his toils, his nets. Alluding to the captus eft, habet, of the fame author. WARBURTON.

5 Redime &c.] Our author had this line from Lilly, which I mention, that it may not be brought as an argument of 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 may be added, that captus eft, habet, is not in the fame play which furnished the quotation. STEEVENS.

Luc.

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

Tra. Mafter, you look'd fo longly on the maid, Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all. Luc. O yes, I faw fweet 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 kifs'd the Cretan ftrand.

Tra. Saw you no more? mark'd you not, how her fifter

Began to fcold; and raise up fuch a storm,
That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?
Luc. Tranio, I faw her coral lips to move,
And with her breath fhe did perfume the air;
Sacred, and fweet, was all I faw in her.

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

Bend thoughts and wits to atchieve her. Thus it ftands :

Her eldeft fifter is fo curft and fhrewd,

That, till the father rid his hands of her,
Mafter, your love muft live a maid at home;
And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,
Because the fhall not be annoy'd with fuitors.
Luc. Ah, Tranio, what a cruel father's he!
But art thou not advis'd, he took some care
Το

get her cunning fchoolmasters to inftruct her? Tra. Ay, marry, am I, fir; and now 'tis plotted. Luc. I have it, Tranio.

Tra. Mafter, for my hand,

Both our inventions meet and jump in one.

Luc. Tell me thine firft.

Tra. You will be fchool-mafter,

And undertake the teaching of the maid;
That's your device.

6 daughter of Agenor,] Europa, for whofe fake Jupiter transformed himfelt into a bull.

STEEVENS.

Luc.

Luc. It is: May it be done?

Tra. Not poffible; For who fhall bear your part, And be in Padua here Vincentio's fon

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

Luc. Bafta"; content thee; for I have it full.
We have not yet been seen in any house;
Nor can we be diftinguifh'd by our faces,
For man, or mafter: then it follows thus ; →→→→
Thou shalt be mafter, Tranio, in my ftead,

Keep house, and port, and fervants, as I fhould:
I will fome other be; fome Florentine,

Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pifa.-
"Tis hatch'd, and shall be fo :-Tranio, at once
Uncafe thee; take my colour'd hat and cloak:
When Biondello comes he waits on thee:
But I will charm him firft to keep his tongue.
Tra. So had you need.

[They exchange habits. In brief, fir, fith it your pleasure is,

And I am ty'd to be obedient;

(For fo your father charg'd me at our parting;
Be ferviceable to my fon, quoth he,

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

Because fo well I love Lucentio.

Luc. Tranio, be fo, because Lucentio loves : And let me be a flave, to atchieve that maid Whofe fudden fight hath thrall'd my

wounded

eye.

7 Bafta ;] i. e. 'tis enough; Italian and Spanish. This expreffion occurs in the Mad Lover, and the Little French Lawyer, of Beaumont and Fletcher. STEEVENS.

8 port,] Port, is figure, fhow, appearance. JOHNSON.

So, in The Merchant of Venice:

'Tis not unknown to you, Anthonio, "How much I have difabled mine eftate "By fometime fhewing a more fwelling port, "Than my faint means, would grant continuance."

EDITOR.

Enter