but a little, he will throw a figure in her face, and so disfigure her with it, that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat: You know him not, sir.

Hor. Tarry, Petruchio, I must go with thee;
For in Baptista's keep my treasure is:
He hath the jewel of my life in hold,
His youngest daughter, beautiful Bianca;
And her withholds from me, and other more
Suitors to her, and rivals in my love:1
Supposing it a thing impossible,

(For those defects I have before rehears'd)
That ever Katharina will be woo'd,

Therefore this order hath Baptista ta'en;2-
That none shall have access unto Bianca,

fellow in the countrey, being an officer and maiour of a toune, and desirous to speak like a fine learned man, having just occasion to rebuke a runnegate fellow, said after this wise in great heate: Thou yngram and vacation knave, if I take thee any more within the circumcision of my damnacion, I will so corrupte thee that all vacation knaves shall take ill sample by thee." So, in May-day, a comedy, by Chapman, 1611: "Lord! how you roll in your rope-ripe terms." Malone.

7

stand him-] i. e. withstand, resist him.

Steevens.

that she shall have no more eyes to see withal than a cat:] The humour of this passage I do not understand. This animal is remarkable for the keenness of its sight. In The Castell of Laboure, however, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, 1506, is the following line: "That was as blereyed as a cat."

There are two proverbs which, any reader who can, may apply to this allusion of Grumio:

"Well might the cat wink when both her eyes were out." "A muffled cat was never a good hunter."

The first is in Ray's Collection, the second in Kelly's. Steevens. It may mean, that he shall swell up her eyes with blows, till she shall seem to peep with a contracted pupil, like a cat in the light. Johnson.

9

in Baptista's keep-] Keep is custody. The strongest part of an ancient castle was called the keep. Steevens.

Till Katharine the curst have got a husband.
Gru. Katharine the curst!

A title for a maid, of all titles the worst.

Hor. Now shall my friend Petruchio do me grace; And offer me, disguis'd in sober robes,

To old Baptista as a schoolmaster

Well seen in musick,3 to instruct Bianca:

That so I may by this device, at least,
Have leave and leisure to make love to her,

And, unsuspected, court her by herself.

Enter GREMIO; with him LUCENTIO disguised, with books under his arm.

Gru. Here's no knavery! See; to beguile the old folks, how the young folks lay their heads together! Master, master, look about you: Who goes there? ha! Hor. Peace, Grumio; 'tis the rival of my love:Petruchio, stand by a while.

Gru. A proper stripling, and an amorous! [They retire.
Gre. O, very well; I have perus'd the note.
Hark you, sir; I'll have them very fairly bound:
All books of love, see that at any hand;4

And see you read no other lectures to her:
You understand me:-Over and beside

Signior Baptista's liberality,

I'll mend it with a largess:-Take your papers too,
And let me have them very well perfum'd;

For she is sweeter than perfume itself,

To whom they go. What will you read to her?

3 Well seen in musick,] Seen is versed, practised. So, in a very ancient comedy called The longer thou livest the more Fool thou art:

"Sum would have you seen in stories,

"Sum to feates of arms will you allure, &c.
"Sum will move you to reade Scripture.

"Marry, I would have you seene in cardes and dise."

Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. IV, c. ii:

Again, in Chapman's version of the 19th Iliad:

"Well scene in every science that mote bee."

"Seven ladies excellently seen in all Minerva's skill.”

Luc. Whate'er I read to her, I'll plead for you
As for my patron, (stand you so assur'd)
As firmly as yourself were still in place:
Yea, and (perhaps) with more successful words
Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.
Gre. O this learning! what a thing it is!
Gru. O this woodcock! what an ass it is!

Pet. Peace, sirrah.

Hor. Grumio, mum!-God save you, signior Gremio! Gre. And you're well met, signior Hortensio. Trow

you,

Whither I am going?-To Baptista Minola.

I promis'd to inquire carefully

About a schoolmaster for fair Bianca:6

And, by good fortune, I have lighted well
On this young man; for learning, and behaviour,
Fit for her turn; well read in poetry,

And other books,-good ones, I warrant you.
Hor. 'Tis well: and I have met a gentleman,
Hath promis'd me to help me to another,

A fine musician to instruct our mistress;

So shall I no whit be behind in duty

To fair Bianca, so belov'd of me.

Gre. Belov'd of me,-and that my deeds shall prove. Gru. And that his bags shall prove.

[Aside. Hor. Gremio, 'tis now no time to vent our love:

Listen to me, and if you speak me fair,
I'll tell you news indifferent good for either.
Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met,
Upon agreement from us to his liking,
Will undertake to woo curst Katharine;
Yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please.
Gre. So said, so done, is well:-
Hortensio, have you told him all her faults?

Pet. I know she is an irksome brawling scold;
If that be all, masters, I hear no harm.

5 To whom they go.] The old copy reads-To whom they go to.

6

Steevens.

-for fair Bianca:] The old copy redundantly reads-" for

Gre. No, say'st me so, friend? What countryman?
Pet. Born in Verona, old, Antonio's son;

My father dead, my fortune lives for me;
And I do hope good days, and long, to see.

Gre. O, sir, such a life, with such a wife, were strange: But, if you have a stomach, to 't o' God's name; You shall have me assisting you in all.

But will you woo this wild cat?

Pet.

Will I live?.

Gru. Will he woo her?, ay, or I'll hang her. [Aside. Pet. Why came I hither, but to that intent? Think you, a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea, puff'd up with winds, Rage like an angry boar, chafed with sweat? Have I not heard great ordnance in the field, And heaven's artillery thunder in the skies? Have I not in a pitched battle heard

Loud 'larums, neighing steeds, and trumpets' clang?"

8 old Antonio's son:] The old copy reads-Butonio's son.

Corrected by Mr. Rowe. Malone.

9

Steevens.

and trumpet's clang?] Probably the word clang is here used adjectively, as in the Paradise Lost, B. XI, v. 834, and not as a verb.

❝ an island salt and bare,

"The haunt of seals, and orcs, and sea-mews clang."
T. Warton.

I believe Mr. Warton is mistaken. Clang, as a substantive, is used in The Noble Gentleman of Beaumont and Fletcher: "I hear the clang of trumpets in this house."

Again, in Tamburlaine, &c. 1590:

66

hear you the clang

"Of Scythian trumpets?".

Again, in The Cobler's Prophecy, 1594:

"The trumpets clang, and roaring noise of drums."

Again, in Claudius Tiberius Nero, 1607:

"Hath not the clang of harsh Armenian troops," &c. Again, in Drant's translation of Horace's Art of Poetry, 1567: "Fit for a chorus, and as yet the boystus sounde and shryll Of trumpetes clang the stalles was not accustomed to fill." Lastly, in Turberville's translation of Ovid's epistle from Medea to Fason:

66

"Doleful to me than is the trumpet's clang." The Trumpets' clang is certainly the clang of trumpets, and not an epithet bestowed on those instruments. Steevens.

And do you tell me of a woman's tongue;
That gives not half so great a blow to the ear,1
As will a chesnut in a farmer's fire?

Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs.2

Gru.

Gre. Hortensio, hark!

This gentleman is happily arriv'd,

For he fears none.

[Aside.

My mind presumes, for his own good, and yours.
Hor. I promis'd, we would be contributors,
And bear his charge of wooing, whatsoe❜er.
Gre. And so we will; provided, that he win her.
Gru. I would, I were as sure of a good dinner.

[Aside.
Enter TRANIO, bravely apparell'd; and BIONDELLO.
Tra. Gentlemen, God save you! If I may be bold,
Tell me, I beseech you, which is the readiest way
To the house of signior Baptista Minola?

Gre. He that has the two fair daughters:—is 't [aside to TRA.] he you mean? 3

1 so great a blow to the ear,] The old copy reads-to hear.

Steevens.

This aukward phrase could never come from Shakspeare. He wrote, without question:

so great a blow to th' ear.

Warburton.

The emendation is Sir T. Hanmer's. Malone.

So, in King John:

2

"Our ears are cudgell'd; not a word of his

"But buffets better than a fist of France." Steevens.

with bugs.] i. e. with bug-bears.