I am your neighbour, and was suitor first.TRANIO And I am one that love Bianca more Than words can witness, or your thoughts can guess.GREMIO Youngling, thou canst not love so dear as I.TRANIO Graybeard, thy love doth freeze.GREMIO But thine doth fry.
Skipper, stand back: 'tis age that nourisheth.TRANIO But youth in ladies' eyes that flourisheth.BAPTISTA Content you, gentlemen: I will compound this strife:
'Tis deeds must win the prize; and he of both That can assure my daughter greatest dower Shall have my Bianca's love.
Say, Signior Gremio, What can you assure her? GREMIO First, as you know, my house within the city Is richly furnished with plate and gold;Basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands;My hangings all of Tyrian tapestry;
In ivory coffers I have stuff'd my crowns;In cypress chests my arras counterpoints, Costly apparel, tents, and canopies, Fine linen, Turkey cushions boss'd with pearl, Valance of Venice gold in needlework, Pewter and brass and all things that belong To house or housekeeping: then, at my farm I have a hundred milch-kine to the pail, Sixscore fat oxen standing in my stalls, And all things answerable to this portion.
Myself am struck in years, I must confess;And if I die to-morrow, this is hers, If whilst I live she will be only mine.TRANIO That 'only' came well in.Sir, list to me:
I am my father's heir and only son:
If I may have your daughter to my wife, I'll leave her houses three or four as good, Within rich Pisa walls, as any one Old Signior Gremio has in Padua;Besides two thousand ducats by the year Of fruitful land, all which shall be her jointure.
What, have I pinch'd you, Signior Gremio? GREMIO Two thousand ducats by the year of land!
My land amounts not to so much in all:
That she shall have; besides an argosy That now is lying in Marseilles' road.
What, have I choked you with an argosy? TRANIO Gremio, 'tis known my father hath no less Than three great argosies; besides two galliases, And twelve tight galleys: these I will assure her, And twice as much, whate'er thou offer'st next.GREMIO Nay, I have offer'd all, I have no more;And she can have no more than all I have:
If you like me, she shall have me and mine.TRANIO Why, then the maid is mine from all the world, By your firm promise: Gremio is out-vied.BAPTISTA I must confess your offer is the best;And, let your father make her the assurance, She is your own; else, you must pardon me, if you should die before him, where's her dower? TRANIO That's but a cavil: he is old, I young.GREMIO And may not young men die, as well as old? BAPTISTA Well, gentlemen, I am thus resolved: on Sunday next you know My daughter Katharina is to be married:
Now, on the Sunday following, shall Bianca Be bride to you, if you this assurance;If not, Signior Gremio:
And so, I take my leave, and thank you both.GREMIO Adieu, good neighbour.
Exit BAPTISTA
Now I fear thee not:
Sirrah young gamester, your father were a fool To give thee all, and in his waning age Set foot under thy table: tut, a toy!
An old Italian fox is not so kind, my boy.
Exit TRANIO A vengeance on your crafty wither'd hide!
Yet I have faced it with a card of ten.
'Tis in my head to do my master good:
I see no reason but supposed Lucentio Must get a father, call'd 'supposed Vincentio;'
And that's a wonder: fathers commonly Do get their children; but in this case of wooing, A child shall get a sire, if I fail not of my cunning.
