And, therefore, frolic; we will hence forthwith,
To feast and sport us at thy father's house.-
Go, call my men, and let us straight to him;
And bring our horses unto Long-lane end,
There will we mount, and thither walk on foot-
Let's see; I think, 'tis now some seven o'clock,
And well we may come there by dinner time.

Kath. I dare assure you, Sir, 'tis almost two;
And 'twill be supper time, ere you come there.
Pet. It shall be seven, ere I go to horse:
Look, what I speak, or do, or think to do,
You are still crossing it.-Sirs, let't alone:
I will not go to-day; and ere I do,
It shall be what o'clock I say it is.

Hor. Why so! This gallant will command the [Exeunt.

sun.

SCENE IV.-Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S House.

Enter TRANIO, and the PEDANT, dressed like VINCENTIю.

Tra. Sir, this is the house; Please it you, that I

call?

Ped. Ay, what else? And, but I be deceived,

Signior Baptista may remember me,
Near twenty years ago, in Genoa, where,
We were lodgers at the Pegasus.

Tra. 'Tis well:

And hold your own, in any case, with such

Austerity as 'longeth to a father.

Enter BIONDELLO.

Ped. I warrant you: but, Sir, here comes your

boy;

'Twere good, he were school'd.

Tra. Fear you not him. Sirrah, Biondello, Now do your duty thoroughly, I advise you; Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio.

Bion. Tut! Fear not me.

Tra. But hast thou done thy errand to Baptista? Bion. I told him that your father was at Venice; And that you look'd for him this day in Padua.

Tra. Thou'rt a tall fellow*; hold thee that to

drink.

Here comes Baptista: -Set your countenance, Sir.

Enter BAPTISTA and LUCENTIO.

Signior Baptista, you are happily met:-
Sir, [To the Pedant.]

This is the gentleman I told you of;
I pray you, stand good father to me now,
Give me Bianca for my patrimony.

Ped. Soft, son!

Sir, by your leave; having come to Padua
To gather in some debts, my son Lucentio
Made me acquainted with a weighty cause
Of love between your daughter and himself:
And, for the good report I hear of you:
And for the love he beareth to your daughter,
And she to him,--to stay him not too long,
I am content, in a good father's care,
To have him match'd; and-if you please to like
No worse than 1, Sir,-upon some agreement,
Me shall you find most ready and most willing
With one consent to have her so bestow'd:
For curious* I cannot be with you,
Signior Baptista, of whom I hear so well.

Bap. Sir, pardon me in what I have to say ;-
Your plainness, and your shortness, please me well.
Right true it is, your son Lucentio here
Doth love my daughter, and she loveth him,
Or both dissemble deeply their affections:
And, therefore, if you say no more than this,-
That like a father you will deal with him,
And pass + my daughter a sufficient dower,
The match is fully made, and all is done:
Your son shall have my daughter with consent.
Tra. I thank you, Sir. Where then do you know
We be affied, and such assurance ta'en,
[best,
As shall with either part's agreement stand?
Bap. Not in my house, Lucentio; for, you know,
Pitchers have ears, and I have many servants:
Besides, old Gremio is heark'ning still;
And, happily, we might be interrupted.

Tra. Then at my lodging, an it like you, Sir: There doth my father lie; and there, this night, We'll pass the business privately and well: Send for your daughter by your servant here, My boy shall fetch the scrivener presently. The worst is this, that at so slender warning, You're like to have a thin and slender pittance.

* Scrupulous. I Betrothed.

VOL. II.

Y y

+ Assure, or convey.
Accidentally.

366

TAMING OF

Act IV.

Bap. It likes me well:-Cambio, hie you home,

And bid Bianca make her ready straight:
And, if you will, tell what hath happened :-
Lucentio's father is arrived in Padua,

And how she's like to be Lucentio's wife.

Luc. I pray the gods she may, with all my heart!
Tra. Dally not with the gods, but get thee gone.

Signior Baptista, shall I lead the way?
Welcome! One mess is like to be your cheer:
Come, Sir: we'll better it in Pisa.

Bap. I follow you.

[Exeunt Tranio, Pedant, and Baptista.

Bion. Cambio.

Luc. What say'st thou, Biondello?

A

Bion. You saw my master wink and laugh upon

you?

Luc. Biondello, what of that?

Bion. 'Faith nothing; but he has left me here behind, to expound the meaning or moral* of his signs and tokens.

Luc. I pray thee, moralize them.

Bion. Then thus, Baptista is safe, talking with the

deceiving father of a deceitful son.

Luc. And what of him ?

Bion. His daughter is to be brought by you to the supper.

Luc. And then?

A

Bion. The old priest at Saint Luke's church is at

your command at all hours.

Luc. And what of all this?

Bion. I cannot tell; except they are busied about a counterfeit assurance: Take you assurance of her, cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum: To the church;-Take the priest, clerk, and some sufficient honest witnesses:

If this be not that you looked for, I have no more to

say,

But, bid Bianca farewell for ever and a day.

[Going.

Luc. Hear'st thou, Biondello?.. Bion. I cannot tarry: I knew a wench married in an afternoon as she went to the garden for parsley to stuff a rabbit; and so may you, Sir; and so adieu, Sir. My master hath appointed me to go to Saint Luke's, to bid the priest be ready to come against you come with your appendix.

[Erit.

Luc. I may, and will, if she be so contented :106 1

Secret purposes.

She will be pleased, then wherefore should I doubt?
Hap what hap may, I'll roundly go about her;
It shall go hard, if Cambio go without her. [Exit.

SCENE V.-A public Road.

Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, and HORTENSIO. Pet. Come on, o' God's name; once more toward

our father's.

Good Lord, how bright and goodly shines the moon Kath. The moon! The sun; it is not moonlight

now.

Pet, I say, it is the moon that shines so bright. Kath. I know, it is the sun that shines so bright. Pet. Now, by my mother's son, and that's myself, It shall be moon, or star, or what I list, Or ere I journey to your father's house : Go on, and fetch our horses back again.Evermore cross'd, and cross'd; nothing but cross'd! Hor. Say as he says, or we shall never go. Kath. Forward, I pray, since we have come so

far,

And be it moon, or sun, or what you please :
And if you please to call it a rush candle,
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.

Pet. I say, it is the moon.

Kuth. I know it is.

Pet. Nay then you lie; it is the blessed sun.

A

1

Kath. Then, God be bless'd, it is the blessed sun:

not;

But sun it is not, when you say it is
And the moon changes, even as your mind.
What you will have it named, even that it is;
And so it shall be so, for Katharine.

Hor. Petruchio, go thy ways; the field is won.
Pet. Well, forward, forward: thus the bowl should

run,

And not unluckily against the bias.-
But soft; what company is coming here?

11

Enter VINCENTIO, in a travelling Dress. Good-morrow, gentle mistress: where away ?[To Vincentio.

Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too,
Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman ?
Such war of white and red within her cheeks!
What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty,
As those two eyes become that heavenly face ?-
Fair lovely maid once more good day to thee :-
Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake.

Hor. 'A will make the man mad, to make a woman

of him.

Kath. Young budding virgin, fair, and fresh, and

sweet,
Whither away; or where is thy abode ?
Happy the parents of so fair a child:
Happier the man, whom favourable stars
Allot thee for his lovely bed-fellow!

[mad:

Pet Why, how now, Kate! I hope, thou art not

This is a man, old, wrinkled, faded, wither'de
And not a maiden, as thou say'st he is.

Kath. Pardon, old father, my mistaking eyes,
That have been so bedazzled with the sun,
That every thing I look on seemeth green :
Now I perceive, thou art a reverend father;
Pardon, I pray thee, for my mad mistaking.

Pet. Do, good old grandsire; and, withal make

known

Which way thou travellest; if along with us,
We shall be joyful of thy company.

Vin. Fair Sir, and you my merry mistress,-
That with your strange encounter much amazed me;
My name is call'd-Vincentio; my dwelling-Pisa;
And bound I am to Padua; there to visit
A son of mine, which long I have not seen.
Pet. What is his name ?

Vin. Lucentio, gentle Sir.

Pet. Happily met; the happier for thy son.
And now by law, as well as reverend age,
I may entitle thee-my loving father;
The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
Thy son by this hath married: wonder nót,
Nor be not grieved; she is of good esteem,
Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth;
Beside, so qualified as may beseem
The spouse of any noble gentleman.
Let me embrace with old Vincentio:
And wander we to see thy honest son,
Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.

Vin. But is this true; or is it else your pleasure,
Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest
Upon the company you overtake?
Hor. I do assure thee, father, so it is.
Pet. Come, go along, and see the truth hereof;
For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.

[Exeunt Petruchio, Katharina, and Vincentio. Hor. Well, Petruchio, this hath put me in heart. Have to my widow; and if she be forward, Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be tuntoward.

[Exit.