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

Pet. Why, sir, what's your conceit in that?

Gru. O, sir, the conceit is deeper than you think for:

Take up my

mistress' gown to his master's use!

O, fye, fye, fye!

Pet. Hortensio, say thou wilt see the tailor

paid :

[Aside. Go take it hence; be gone, and say no more. Hor. Tailor, I'll pay thee for thy gown to-mor

row.

Take no unkindness of his hasty words.

Away, I say; commend me to thy master.

[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, frolick; 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

sun.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Padua. Before Baptista's House.

Enter TRANIO, and the Pedant dressed like
VINCENTIO.

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

. Ped. Ay, what else? and, but I be deceived,2 Signior Baptista may remember me,

Near twenty years ago, in Genoa, where
We were lodgers at the Pegasus.

Tra.

And hold

"Tis well;

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 throughly, I advise you; Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio.

Bion. Tut! fear not me.

but I be deceived,] But, i. c. unless.

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 I, 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,

For curious I cannot be with you,] Curious is scrupulous.

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
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 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 niglit, 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.

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 arriv'd in Padua,

[blocks in formation]

thee

gone.

cheer:

And how she's like to be Lucentio's wife.
Luc. I pray the gods she may, with all
Tra. Dally not with the gods, but get
Signior Baptista, shall I lead the way?
Welcome! one mess is like to be
Come, sir; we'll better it in Pisa.
Bap.

your

I follow you.

[Exeunt TRANIO, Pedant, and BAPTISTA.

And pass my daughter a sufficient dower,] To pass is, in this place, synonymous to assure or convey; as it sometimes occurs in the covenant of a purchase deed, that the granter has power to bargain, sell, &c. " and thereby to pass and convey" the premises to the grantee.

We be affied;] i. e. betrothed.

"And, happily,] Happily, in Shakspeare's time, signified accidentally, as well as fortunately.

Bion. Cambio.

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 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?

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 solùm: to the church;'-take the priest, clerk, and some sufficient honest witnesses;

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?

[Going,

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

or morali. e. the secret purpose.

cum privilegio ad imprimendum solùm:] It is scarce necessary to observe, that these are the words which commonly were put on books where an exclusive right had been granted to particular persons for printing them. REED.

to the church;] i. e. go to the church, &c.

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