| ACT IVSCENE IV | Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house. | |
| | Enter TRANIO, and the Pedant dressed like VINCENTIO | |
| TRANIO | Sir, this is the house: please it you that I call? | |
| Pedant | Ay, what else? and but I be deceived | |
| | Signior Baptista may remember me, | |
| | Near twenty years ago, in Genoa, | 5 |
| | Where we were lodgers at the Pegasus. | |
| TRANIO | 'Tis well; and hold your own, in any case, | |
| | With such austerity as 'longeth to a father. | |
| Pedant | I warrant you. | |
| | Enter BIONDELLO | |
| | But, sir, here comes your boy; | 10 |
| | 'Twere good he were school'd. | |
| TRANIO | Fear you not him. Sirrah Biondello, | |
| | Now do your duty throughly, I advise you: | |
| | Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio. | |
| BIONDELLO | Tut, fear not me. | 15 |
| TRANIO | But hast thou done thy errand to Baptista? | |
| BIONDELLO | I told him that your father was at Venice, | |
| | And that you look'd for him this day in Padua. | |
| TRANIO | Thou'rt a tall fellow: hold thee that to drink. | |
| | Here comes Baptista: set your countenance, sir. | 20 |
| | 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. | |
| Pedant | Soft son! | 25 |
| | 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 | 30 |
| | 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, upon some agreement | 35 |
| | Me shall you find ready and 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. | |
| BAPTISTA | Sir, pardon me in what I have to say: | 40 |
| | 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, | 45 |
| | That like a father you will deal with him | |
| | And pass my daughter a sufficient dower, | |
| | The match is made, and all is done: | |
| | Your son shall have my daughter with consent. | |
| TRANIO | I thank you, sir. Where then do you know best | 50 |
| | We be affied and such assurance ta'en | |
| | As shall with either part's agreement stand? | |
| BAPTISTA | Not in my house, Lucentio; for, you know, | |
| | Pitchers have ears, and I have many servants: | |
| | Besides, old Gremio is hearkening still; | 55 |
| | And happily we might be interrupted. | |
| TRANIO | Then at my lodging, an it like 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: | 60 |
| | My boy shall fetch the scrivener presently. | |
| | The worst is this, that, at so slender warning, | |
| | You are like to have a thin and slender pittance. | |
| BAPTISTA | It likes me well. Biondello, hie you home, | |
| | And bid Bianca make her ready straight; | 65 |
| | 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. | |
| BIONDELLO | I pray the gods she may with all my heart! | |
| TRANIO | Dally not with the gods, but get thee gone. | 70 |
| | Exit BIONDELLO | |
| | Signior Baptista, shall I lead the way? | |
| | Welcome! one mess is like to be your cheer: | |
| | Come, sir; we will better it in Pisa. | |
| BAPTISTA | I follow you. | |
| | Exeunt TRANIO, Pedant, and BAPTISTA | |
| | Re-enter BIONDELLO | |
| BIONDELLO | Cambio! | 75 |
| LUCENTIO | What sayest thou, Biondello? | |
| BIONDELLO | You saw my master wink and laugh upon you? | |
| LUCENTIO | Biondello, what of that? | |
| BIONDELLO | Faith, nothing; but has left me here behind, to | |
| | expound the meaning or moral of his signs and tokens. | 80 |
| LUCENTIO | I pray thee, moralize them. | |
| BIONDELLO | Then thus. Baptista is safe, talking with the | |
| | deceiving father of a deceitful son. | |
| LUCENTIO | And what of him? | |
| BIONDELLO | His daughter is to be brought by you to the supper. | 85 |
| LUCENTIO | And then? | |
| BIONDELLO | The old priest of Saint Luke's church is at your | |
| | command at all hours. | |
| LUCENTIO | And what of all this? | |
| BIONDELLO | I cannot tell; expect they are busied about a | 90 |
| | 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 look for, | |
| | I have no more to say, But bid Bianca farewell for | 95 |
| | ever and a day. | |
| LUCENTIO | Hearest thou, Biondello? | |
| BIONDELLO | 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, | 100 |
| | 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. | |
| | Exit | |
| LUCENTIO | I may, and will, if she be so contented: | |
| | She will be pleased; then wherefore should I doubt? | 105 |
| | Hap what hap may, I'll roundly go about her: | |
| | It shall go hard if Cambio go without her. | |
| | Exit | |
