The Taming of the Shrew. Уильям Шекспир

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          Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,

          And make her bear the penance of her tongue?

        BAPTISTA. Gentlemen, content ye; I am resolv'd.

          Go in, Bianca. Exit BIANCA

          And for I know she taketh most delight

          In music, instruments, and poetry,

          Schoolmasters will I keep within my house

          Fit to instruct her youth. If you, Hortensio,

          Or, Signior Gremio, you, know any such,

          Prefer them hither; for to cunning men

          I will be very kind, and liberal

          To mine own children in good bringing-up;

          And so, farewell. Katherina, you may stay;

          For I have more to commune with Bianca. Exit

        KATHERINA. Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not?

          What! shall I be appointed hours, as though, belike,

          I knew not what to take and what to leave? Ha! Exit

        GREMIO. You may go to the devil's dam; your gifts are so good

          here's none will hold you. There! Love is not so great,

          Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it

      fairly

          out; our cake's dough on both sides. Farewell; yet, for the

      love

          I bear my sweet Bianca, if I can by any means light on a fit

      man

          to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to

      her

          father.

        HORTENSIO. SO Will I, Signior Gremio; but a word, I pray.

      Though

          the nature of our quarrel yet never brook'd parle, know now,

      upon

          advice, it toucheth us both- that we may yet again have

      access to

          our fair mistress, and be happy rivals in Bianca's love- to

          labour and effect one thing specially.

        GREMIO. What's that, I pray?

        HORTENSIO. Marry, sir, to get a husband for her sister.

        GREMIO. A husband? a devil.

        HORTENSIO. I say a husband.

        GREMIO. I say a devil. Think'st thou, Hortensio, though her

      father

          be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to

      hell?

        HORTENSIO. Tush, Gremio! Though it pass your patience and mine

      to

          endure her loud alarums, why, man, there be good fellows in

      the

          world, an a man could light on them, would take her with all

          faults, and money enough.

        GREMIO. I cannot tell; but I had as lief take her dowry with

      this

          condition: to be whipp'd at the high cross every morning.

        HORTENSIO. Faith, as you say, there's small choice in rotten

          apples. But, come; since this bar in law makes us friends, it

          shall be so far forth friendly maintain'd till by helping

          Baptista's eldest daughter to a husband we set his youngest

      free

          for a husband, and then have to't afresh. Sweet Bianca! Happy

      man

          be his dole! He that runs fastest gets the ring. How say you,

          Signior Gremio?

        GREMIO. I am agreed; and would I had given him the best horse

      in

          Padua to begin his wooing that would thoroughly woo her, wed

      her,

          and bed her, and rid the house of her! Come on.

                                           Exeunt GREMIO and HORTENSIO

        TRANIO. I pray, sir, tell me, is it possible

          That love should of a sudden take such hold?

        LUCENTIO. O Tranio, till I found it to be true,

          I never thought it possible or likely.

          But see! while idly I stood looking on,

          I found the effect of love in idleness;

          And now in plainness do confess to thee,

          That art to me as secret and as dear

          As Anna to the Queen of Carthage was-

          Tranio, I burn, I pine, I perish, Tranio,

          If I achieve not this young modest girl.

          Counsel me, Tranio, for I know thou canst;

          Assist me, Tranio, for I know thou wilt.

        TRANIO. Master, it is no time to chide you now;

          Affection is not rated from the heart;

          If love have touch'd you, nought remains but so:

          'Redime te captum quam queas minimo.'

        LUCENTIO. Gramercies, lad. Go forward; this contents;

          The rest will comfort, for thy counsel's sound.

        TRANIO. Master, you look'd so longly on the maid.

          Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.

        LUCENTIO. O, yes, I saw sweet beauty in her face,

          Such as the daughter of Agenor had,

          That made great Jove to humble him to her hand,

          When with his knees he kiss'd the Cretan strand.

        TRANIO. Saw you no more? Mark'd you not how her sister

          Began to scold and raise up such a storm

          That mortal ears might hardly endure the din?

        LUCENTIO. Tranio, I saw her coral lips to move,

          And with her breath she did perfume the air;

          Sacred and sweet was all I saw in her.

        TRANIO. Nay, then 'tis time to stir him from his trance.

          I pray, awake, sir. If you love the maid,

          Bend thoughts and wits to achieve her. Thus it stands:

          Her elder sister is so curst and shrewd

          That, till the father rid his hands of her,

          Master, your love must live a maid at home;

          And therefore has he closely mew'd her up,

          Because she will not be annoy'd with suitors.

        LUCENTIO. СКАЧАТЬ