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Upon my life, I am a lord, indeed,
And not a tinker, nor Christopher Sly.
Well, bring our lady hither to our sight;
And once again, a pot o' the smallest ale.

2 Ser. Will 't please your mightiness to wash your hands?
[Servants present an ewer, bason, and napkin.

O, how we joy to see your wit restor❜d!

O, that once more you knew but what you are!
These fifteen years you have been in a dream,
Or, when you wak'd, so wak'd as if you slept.
Sly. These fifteen years! by my fay, a goodly nap.
But did I never speak of all that time?

1 Serv. O! yes, my lord, but very idle words;
For though you lay here in this goodly chamber,
Yet would you say, ye were beaten out of door,
And rail upon the hostess of the house,

And say you would present her at the leet,
Because she brought stone jugs and no seal'd quarts.
Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Hacket.

Sly. Ay, the woman's maid of the house.

3 Serv. Why, Sir, you know no house, nor no such maid,
Nor no such men, as you have reckon❜d up,
As Stephen Sly, and old John Naps of Greece,
And Peter Turf, and Henry Pimpernell,
And twenty more such names and men as these,
Which never were, nor no man ever saw.

Sly. Now, Lord be thauked for my good amends!
All. Amen.

Sly. I thank thee; thou shalt not lose by it.

Enter the Page, as a lady, with Attendants.

Page. How fares my noble lord?

Sly. Marry, I fare well; for here is cheer enough. Where is my wife?

Page. Here, noble lord: what is thy will with her? Sly. Are you my wife, and will not call me husband? My men should call me lord: I am your good-man.

Page. My husband and my lord, my lord and husband; I am your wife in all obedience.

Sly. I know it well.

Lord.

Madam.

What must I call her?

Sly. Al'ce madam, or Joan madam?

Lord. Madam, and nothing else: so lords call ladies.

Sly. Madam wife, they say that I have dream'd,

And slept above some fifteen year and more.

Page. Ay, and the time seems thirty unto me, Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.

Sly. 'Tis much. Servants, leave me and her alone. Madam, undress you, and come now to bed.

Page. Thrice noble lord, let me entreat of you

To pardon me yet for a night or two;

Or if not so, until the sun be set,

For your physicians have expressly charg'd,
In peril to incur your former malady,

That I should yet absent me from your bed.

I hope this reason stands for my excuse.

Sly. Ay, it stands so, that I may hardly tarry so long; but I would be loath to fall into my dreams again: I will therefore tarry, in despite of the flesh and the blood.

Enter a Servant.

Serv. Your honour's players, hearing your amendment Are come to play a pleasant comedy;

For so your doctors hold it very meet,

Seeing too much sadness hath congeal'd your blood,

And melancholy is the nurse of frenzy:

Therefore, they thought it good you hear a play,

And frame your mind to mirth and merriment,

Which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

Sly. Marry, I will let them play it. Is not a commonty a

Christmas gambol, or a tumbling-trick?

Page. No, my good lord: it is more pleasing stuff.

Sly. What. household stuff?

Page. It is a kind of history.

Sly. Well, we'll see 't. Come, madam wife, sit by my side, And let the world slip: we shall ne'er be younger.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Padua. A public Place.

Enter LUCENTIO and TRANIO.

Luc. Tranio, since, for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,
I am arriv'd for fruitful Lombardy,
The pleasant garden of great Italy;

And, by my father's love and leave, am arm'd
With his good will, and thy good company,
My trusty servant, well approv'd in all,
Here let us breathe, and haply institute
A course of learning, and ingenious studies.
Pisa, renowned for grave citizens,

Gave me my being; and my father, first
A merchant of great traffic through the world
Vincentio 's come of the Bentivolii.

Vincentio's son, brought up in Florence,
It shall become, to serve all hopes conceiv'd,
To deck his fortune with his virtuous deeds:
And therefore, Tranio, for the time I study
Virtue, and that part of philosophy
Will I apply, that treats of happiness
By virtue specially to be achiev'd.
Tell me thy mind; for I have Pisa left,
And am to Padua come, as he that leaves
A shallow plash, to plunge him in the deep,
And with satiety seeks to quench his thirst.

Tra. Mi perdonate, gentle master mine,
I am in all affected as yourself,

Glad that you thus continue your resolve,
To suck the sweets of sweet philosophy:

Only, good master, while we do admire
This virtue, and this moral discipline,
Let's be no stoics, nor no stocks, I pray;
Or so devote to Aristotle's checks,
As Ovid be an outcast quite abjur'd.
Talk logic with acquaintance that you have,
And practise rhetoric in your common talk:
Music and poesy use to quicken you :

The mathematics, and the metaphysics,

Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you.
No profit grows, where is no pleasure ta'en:
In brief, Sir, study what you most affect.

Luc. Gramercies, Tranio, well dost thou advise.

If, Biondello, thou wert come ashore,
We could at once put us in readiness,
And take a lodging fit to entertain

Such friends as time in Padua shall beget.

But stay awhile: what company is this?

Tra. Master, some show, to welcome us to town.

Enter BAPTISTA, KATHARINA, BIANCA, GREMIO, and HORTENSIO. LUCENTIO and TRANIO stand aside.

Bap. Gentlemen, importune me no farther,

For how I firmly am resolv'd you know;

That is, not to bestow my youngest daughter,
Before I have a husband for the elder.

If either of you both love Katharina,

Because I know you well, and love you well,
Leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure.
Gre. To cart her rather: she 's too rough for me.

There, there, Hortensio, will you any wife?

Kath. [To BAP.] I pray you, Sir, is it your will

To make a stale of me amongst these mates?

Hor. Mates, maid! how mean you that? no mates for you, Unless you were of gentler, milder mould.

Kath. I' faith, Sir, you shall never need to fear:

I wis, it is not half way to her heart;

But, if it were, doubt not her care should be
To comb your noddle with a three-legg'd stool,
And paint your face, and use you like a fool.

Hor. From all such devils, good Lord, deliver us!
Gre. And me too, good Lord!

Tra. Hush, master! here is some good pastime toward:
That wench is stark mad, or wonderful froward.

Luc. But in the other's silence do I see

Maids' mild behaviour, and sobriety.

Peace, Tranio!

Tra. Well said, master: mum! and gaze your fill.

Bap. Gentlemen, that I may soon make good

What I have said, - Bianca, get you in:
And let it not displease thee, good Bianca,
For I will love thee ne'er the less, my girl.
Kath. A pretty peat! it is best
an she knew why.

Put finger in the eye,

Bian. Sister, content you in my discontent.

Sir, to your pleasure humbly I subscribe:

My books, and instruments, shall be my company,

On them to look, and practise by myself.

Luc. Hark, Tranio! thou may'st hear Minerva speak.
Hor. Signior Baptista, will you be so strange?

Sorry am I, that our good will effects

Bianca's grief.

Gre.

Why, will you mew her up,

Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,

And make her bear the penance of her tongue?

Bap. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd. Go in, Bianca.

And for I know, she taketh most delight

In music, instruments, and poetry,
Schoolmasters will I keep

Fit to instruct her youth.

Or signior Gremio, you,

within my house,

If you, Hortensio,
know any such,

Prefer them hither; for to cunning men
I will be very kind, and liberal

[Exit BIANCA.

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