To seek their fortunes farther than at home,

Where small experience grows. But in a few,

Signor Hortensio, thus it stands with me :

Antonio, my father, is deceased,

And I have thrust myself into this maze

Happily to wive and thrive as best I may.

Crowns in my purse I have, and goods at home,

And so am come abroad to see the world.

HORTENSIO

Petruccio, shall I then come roundly to thee

And wish thee to a shrewd, ill-favoured wife?

Thou‘dst thank me but a little for my counsel,

And yet I’ll promise thee she shall be rich,

And very rich. But thou’rt too much my friend,

And I’ll not wish thee to her.

PETRUCCIO

Signor Hortensio, ’twixt such friends as we

Few words suffice; and therefore, if thou know

One rich enough to be Petruccio’s wife—

As wealth is burden of my wooing dance—

Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love,

As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd

As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse,

She moves me not—or not removes at least

Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough

As are the swelling Adriatic seas.

I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;

If wealthily, then happily in Padua.

GRUMIO (to Hortensio) Nay, look you, sir, he tells you flatly what his mind is. Why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet or an aglet-baby, or an old trot with ne’er a tooth in her head, though she have as many diseases as two-and-fifty horses. Why, nothing comes amiss so money comes withal.

HORTENSIO

Petruccio, since we are stepped thus far in,

I will continue that I broached in jest.

I can, Petruccio, help thee to a wife

With wealth enough, and young and beauteous,

Brought up as best becomes a gentlewoman.

Her only fault—and that is faults enough—

Is that she is intolerable curst,

And shrewd and froward so beyond all measure

That, were my state far worser than it is,

I would not wed her for a mine of gold.

PETRUCCIO

Hortensio, peace. Thou know‘st not gold’s effect.

Tell me her father’s name and ’tis enough,

For I will board her though she chide as loud

As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.

HORTENSIO

Her father is Baptista Minola,

An affable and courteous gentleman.

Her name is Katherina Minola,

Renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue.

PETRUCCIO

I know her father, though I know not her,

And he knew my deceased father well.

I will not sleep, Hortensio, till I see her,

And therefore let me be thus bold with you

To give you over at this first encounter,

Unless you will accompany me thither.

GRUMIO I pray you, sir, let him go while the humour lasts. O’ my word, an she knew him as well as I do she would think scolding would do little good upon him. She may perhaps call him half a score knaves or so. Why, that’s nothing; an he begin once he’ll rail in his rope-tricks. I’ll tell you what, sir, an she stand him 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.

HORTENSIO

Tarry, Petruccio, 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,

Supposing it a thing impossible,

For those defects I have before rehearsed,

That ever Katherina will be wooed.

Therefore this order hath Baptista ta’en:

That none shall have access unto Bianca

Till Katherine the curst have got a husband.

GRUMIO Katherine the curst—

A title for a maid of all titles the worst.

HORTENSIO

Now shall my friend Petruccio do me grace,

And offer me disguised in sober robes

To old Baptista as a schoolmaster

Well seen in music, 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 a paper, and Lucentio disguised as a schoolmaster

GRUMIO 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?

HORTENSIO

Peace, Grumio, it is the rival of my love.

Petruccio, stand by a while.

GRUMIO

A proper stripling, and an amorous!

Petruccio, Hortensio, and Grumio stand aside

GREMIO (to Lucentio)

O, very well—I have perused the note.

Hark you, sir, I’ll have them very fairly bound—

All books of love, see that at any hand—

And see you read no other lectures to her.

You understand me. Over and beside

Signor Baptista’s liberality,

I’ll mend it with a largess. Take your paper, too,

And let me have them very well perfumed,

For she is sweeter than perfume itself

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

LUCENTIO

Whate’er I read to her, I’ll plead for you

As for my patron, stand you so assured,

As firmly as yourself were still in place—

Yea, and perhaps with more successful words

Than you, unless you were a scholar, sir.