Pet. Sir, sir, the first's for me; let her go by. Gre. Yea, leave that labor to great Hercules; And let it be more than Alcides' twelve.

Pet. Sir, understand you this of me, in sooth;The youngest daughter, whom you hearken for, Her father keeps from all access of suitors, And will not promise her to any man, Until the elder sister first be wed. The younger then is free, and not before.

Tra. If it be so, sir, that you are the man
Must stead us all, and me among the rest;
An if you break the ice, and do this feat,-
Achieve the elder, set the younger free

For our access,—whose hap shall be to have her,
Will not so graceless be, to be ingrate.

Hor. Sir, you say well, and well do you conceive;

And since you do profess to be a suitor,

You must, as we do, gratify this gentleman,

To whom we all rest generally beholden.

Tra. Sir, I shall not be slack: in sign whereof, Please ye we may contrive this afternoon,

1

And quaff carouses to our mistress' health;
And do as adversaries do in law,-

Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
Gre. Bion. O excellent motion!

gone.

Fellows, let's be

Hor. The motion's good indeed, and be it so ;— Petruchio, I shall be your ben venuto.

[Exeunt.

1 To contrive is to wear out, to pass away, from contrivi, the preterit of contero, one of the disused Latinisms.

2 Fellows means companions, and not fellow-servants, as Malone supposed.

ACT II.

SCENE I. The same. A Room in Baptista's House.

Enter KATHARINA and BIANCA.

Bian. Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong your

self,

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.

Kath. Of all thy suitors, here I charge thee, tell
Whom thou lov'st best. See thou dissemble not.
Bian. Believe me, sister, of all the men alive,
I never yet beheld that special face
Which I could fancy more than any other.

Kath. Minion, thou liest. Is't not Hortensio ?
Bian. If you affect him, sister, here I swear,
I'll plead for you myself, but you shall have him.
Kath. O then, belike, you fancy riches more;
You will have Gremio to keep you fair.

Bian. 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 pr'ythee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

Kath. If that be jest, then all the rest was so.

Enter BAPTISTA.

[Strikes her.

Bap. Why, how now, dame! whence grows this

insolence ?

Bianca, stand aside;-poor girl! she weeps.-
Go, ply thy needle; meddle not with her.-

1 Love.