ACT IV
Sc. III

Just as my master had direction:

Grumio gave order how it should be done.
GRU. I gave him no order; I gave him the stuff.
TAI. But how did you desire it should be made?
GRU. Marry, Sir, with needle and thread.
TAI. But did you not request to have it cut?
GRU. Thou hast fac'd' many things.

TAI. I have.

120

I say

GRU. Face not me: thou hast brav'd' many men; brave
not me; I will neither be fac'd nor brav'd.
unto thee, I bid thy master cut out the gown; but I
did not bid him cut it to pieces: ergo, thou liest.
TAI. Why, here is the note of the fashion to testify.
PET. Read it.

130

GRU. The note lies in 's throat, if he say I said so.
TAI. [reads.] Imprimis, A loose-bodied gown:
GRU. Master, if ever I said loose-bodied gown, sew me
in the skirts of it, and beat me to death with a bottom3
of brown thread: I said a gown.

PET. Proceed.

TAI. [reads.] With a small-compass'd cape:

GRU. I confess the cape.

TAI. [reads.] With a trunk sleeve:

GRU. I confess two sleeves.

TAI. [reads.] The sleeves curiously cut.

PET. Ay; there's the villainy.

140

GRU. Error i' the bill, Sir; error i' the bill. I commanded the sleeves should be cut out, and sew'd up again; and that I'll prove upon thee, though thy little finger be arm'd in a thimble.

TAI. This is true that I say; an I had thee in place where, thou should'st know it.

GRU. I am for thee straight: take thou the bill,* give me
thy mete-yard, and spare not me.

HOR. God-a-mercy, Grumio! then he shall have no odds.
PET. Well, Sir, in brief, the gown is not for me.
GRU. You are i' the right, Sir: 'tis for my mistress.

PET. Go take it up unto thy master's use.

GRU. Villain, not for thy life: take up my mistress' gown for thy master's use!

1 trimmed. 2 adorned, made splendid.

3 ball.

4 (1) account, and (2) partizan.

PET. Why, Sir, what's your conceit1 in that?
GRU. O, Sir, the conceit is deeper than you think for:
take up my mistress' gown to his master's use! O,
fie, fie, fie!

PET. [aside.] Hortensio, say thou wilt see the tailor
paid.

Go take it hence; be gone, and say no more.
HOR. Tailor, I'll pay thee for thy gown to-morrow :
Take no unkindness of his hasty words:

Away, I say! commend me to thy master.

160

[Exit Tailor.

PET. Well, come, my Kate; we will unto your father's

Even in these honest mean habiliments:

Our purses shall be proud, our garments poor;
For 'tis the mind that makes the body rich,

And as the Sun breaks through the darkest clouds,

So honour peereth in the meanest habit.

What, is the jay more precious than the lark,
Because his feathers are more beautiful?

Or is the adder better than the eel,

Because his painted skin contents the eye?
O, no, good Kate; neither art thou the worse
For this poor furniture and mean array.
If thou account'st it shame, lay it on me,
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.

170

180

190

HOR. [aside.] Why, so! this gallant will command the

ACT IV

Sc. III

Sun!

[exeunt.

ACT IV
Sc. IV

SCENE IV. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S House.
Enter TRANIO, with the Pedant like VINCENTIO.
TRA. Sir, this is the house: please it you that I call?
PED. Ay, so; what else? and, but I be deceiv'd,
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.

PED. I warrant you. But, Sir, here comes your boy;
"Twere good he were school'd.

Enter BIONDELLO.

TRA. Fear you not him; and sirrah Biondello,
Now do your duty throughly, 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.

[to the Pedant.] Sir,

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

ΤΟ

20

30

I am content, in a good father's care,

To have him match'd; and, if you please to like
No worse than I, Sir, upon some agreement
Me shall you find both ready, Sir, and willing
With one consent to have her so bestow'd;
For curious1 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 fairly made, and all is done :

Your son shall have my daughter with consent.

TRA. I thank you, Sir. Where, then, do you know best

We be affied, and such assurance ta'en

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 hearkening still,
And happily we might be interrupted.
TRA. Then at my lodging, an it liketh you:
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
Y'are like to have a thin and slender pittance.
BAP. It likes me well. Biondello, hie you home,
And bid Bianca make her ready straight;
And, if you will, tell what hath happened:
Lucentio's father is arriv'd in Padua,
And how she's like to be Lucentio's wife.
BION. I pray the Gods she may, with all my heart!
TRA. Dally not with the Gods, but get thee gone.

40

50

60

[Exit BIONDELLO.

ACT IV

Sc. IV

ACT IV

Sc. IV

Signior Baptista, shall I lead the way?

Welcome! one mess is like to be your cheer:
But come, Sir; we will better it in Pisa.

70

BAP. I follow you. [Exeunt TRA., Pedant, and Bap.

BION. Cambio!

Re-enter BIONDELLO.

Luc. What say'st thou, Biondello?

BION. You saw my master wink and laugh upon you?

Luc. Biondello, what of that?

BION. Faith, nothing; but 'a has left me here behind, to expound the meaning or moral of his signs and tokens. Luc. I pray thee moralize them.

80

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?

BION. The old priest at Saint Luke's Church is at your

command at all hours.

Luc. And what of all this?

89

BION. I cannot tell: expect they are busied about a counterfeit assurance; take you assurance of her, cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum; to the Church, with the priest, clerk, and some sufficient honest wit

nesses:

If this be not that you look for, I have no more to say,
But bid Bianca farewell for ever and a day.

Luc. Hear'st thou, Biondello?

97

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 against you come with your
appendix.
[exit.

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

She will be pleas'd; 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.