SCENE IV.

Before Baptifta's house.

Enter Tranio and the Pedant dreffed like Vincentio.

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

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

Near twenty years ago, in Genoa,

Where we were lodgers at the Pegafus 3.

Tra. 'Tis well; and hold your own, in any cafe, With fuch aufterity as 'longeth to a father.

Enter Biondello

Ped. I warrant you: But, fir, here comes your boy;

"Twere good, he were school'd.

Tra. Fear you not him. Sirrah, Biondello,

2 I cannot but think that the direction about the Tinker, who is always introduced at the end of the acts, together with the change of the fcene, and the proportion of each act to the reft, nake it probable that the fifth act begins here. JOHNSON.

3 Tra. Where we were lodgers at the Pegafus.] This line has in all the editions hitherto been given to Tranio. But Tranio 'could with no propriety fpeak this, either in his affumed or real character. Lucentio was too young to know any thing of lodging with his father, twenty years before at Genoa: and Tranio must be as much too young, or very unfit to reprefent and perfonate Lucentio. I have ventured to place the line to the Pedant, to whom it muft certainly belong, and is a fequel of what he was before faying. THEOBALD.

Shakspeare has taken a sign out of London, and hung it up in Padua:

"Meet me an hour hence at the fign of the Pegafus in Cheapfide." Return from Parnassus, 1606:

Again, in the Jealous Lovers by Randolph, 1632:

"A pottle of elixir at the Pegafus,

"Bravely carous'd, is more restorative." STEEVENS.

Now

Now do your duty thoroughly, I advise you
Imagine 'twere the right Vincentio.

Bion. Tut! fear not me.

Tra. But haft thou done thy errand to Baptifta $ Bion. I told him that your father was in 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, fir.
Enter Baptifta, and Lucentio.

Signior Baptifta, you are happily met:
Sir, this is the gentleman I told you of;
I pray you, ftand good father to me now,
Give me Bianca, for my patrimony.
Ped. Soft, fon !-

Sir, by your leave having come to Padua
To gather in fome debts, my fon Lucentio
Made me acquainted with a weighty caufe
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 fhe to him,-to ftay 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, fir,-upon fome agreement, Me fhall you find-ready and willing

With one confent to have her fo beftow'd:

For curious I cannot be with you,

Signior Baptifta, of whom I hear fo well.

Bap. Sir, pardon me in what I have to fay ;Your plainnefs, and your fhortnefs, pleafe me well. Right true it is your fon Lucentio here

5 For curious I cannot be with you,] Curious is fcrupulous. So, in Holinfhed, p. 888: "The emperor obeying more compaffion than the reafon of things, was not curious to condefcend to performe fo good an office, &c." Again, p. 890. "and was not curious to call him to eat with him at his table." STERVENS.

Doth

.

Doth love my daughter, and the loveth him,
Or both diffemble deeply their affections:
And therefore, if you fay no more than this,-
That like a father you will deal with him,
And pafs my daughter a fufficient dower,
The match is made, and all is done :

Your fon fhall have my daughter with confent.
Tra. I thank you, fir. Where then do you know

beft,

6

We be affy'd; and fuch affurance ta'en,
As fhall with either part's agreement stand?

Bap. Not in my houfe, Lucentio; for, you know,
Pitchers have ears, and I have many fervants :
Befides, old Gremio is heark'ning ftill;
And, happily, we might be interrupted 7.

Tra. Then at my lodging, an it like you, fir: There doth my father lie; and there, this night, We'll pafs the bufinefs privately and well: Send for your daughter by your servant here, My boy fhall fetch the fcrivener presently. The worst is this,-that, at fo flender warning, You're like to have a thin and flender 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;

7 And happily we might be interrupted.] Thus the old copy; Mr. Pope reads:

And haply then we might be interrupted. STEEVENS. Happily, in Shakspeare's time, fignified accidentally, as well as fortunately. It is rather furprising, that an editor fhould be guilty of fo grofs a corruption of his author's language, for the fake of modernizing his orthography. TYRWHITT.

VOL. III.

M m

Lucen

Lucentio's father is arriv'd in Padua,

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

Luc. I pray the gods fhe may, with all my heart !

[Exit. Tra. Dally not with the gods but get thee gone. Signior Baptifta, fhall I lead the way? Welcome! one mefs is like to be your cheer: Come, fir; we will better it in Pifa.

Bap. I follow you.

Bion. Cambio.

[Exeunt.

[Lucentio returns.

Luc. What fay'ft thou, Biondello?

Bien. You faw my mafter 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 figns and tokens.

Luc. I pray thee, moralize them.

Bion. Then thus. Baptifta is fafe, talking with the deceiving father of a deceitful fon.

Luc. And what of him?

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

Luc. And then?

Bion. The old prieft at faint Luke's church is at your command at all hours.

Luc. And what of all this?

Bion. I cannot tell; except they are bufied about a counterfeit affurance; take you affurance of her, 1 cum privilegio ad imprimendum folum : to the church;

Exit.] It feems odd management to make Lucentio out go here for nothing that appears, but that he may return again five lines lower. It would be better, I think, to fuppofe that he lingers upon the stage, till the rest are gone, in order to talk with Biondello in private. TYRWHITT.

9 I cannot tell; except,] The first folio reads expect. MALONE. to the church;] i. e. go to the church, &c. TYRWHITT.

cum privilegio ad imprimendum folum:] It is fcarce neceffary to obferve that thefe are the words which commonly were put on books where an exclufive right had been granted for printing them. EDITOR.

take

take the priest, clerk, and fome fufficient honeft witneffes:

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

fay,

But, bid Bianca farewel for ever and a day.

Luc. Hear'ft thou, Biondello ?

Bion. I cannot tarry: I knew a wench married in an afternoon as fhe went to the garden for parfly to stuff a rabbit; and fo may you, fir; and fo adieu fir. My mafter hath appointed me to go to faint Luke's, to bid the priest be ready to come against you come with your appendix. [Exit.

Luc. I may, and will, if fhe be fo contented: She will be pleas'd, then wherefore should I doubt ? Hap what hap may, I'll roundly go about her; It fhall go hard, if Cambio go without her. [Exit'. SCENE

Exit.] Here, in the original play, the Tinker fpeaks again,

and the fcene continues thus:

"Slie. Sim, muft they be married now?

"Lord. I, my lord.

"Enter Ferando, and Kate, and Sander. "Slie. Looke, Sim, the fool is come againe now.

"Feran. Sirha, go fetch our horfes forth, and bring them to the backe-gate prefently.

"San. I wil, fir, I warrant you.

[Exit Sander. "Feran. Come, Kate: the moone fhines cleere to-night, methinkes.

"Kate. The moone; why husband you are deceiv'd; it is the fun.

"Feran. Yet againe ? come backe againe; it shal be the moone ere we come at your fathers.

"Kate. Why Ile fay as you fay; it is the moone.

fave the glorious moone!

fave the glorious moone!

"Feran. I am glad, Kate, your ftomach is come downe;

"I know it well thou knowft it is the fun;

"But I did trie to fee if thou wouldst fpeake,

"And croffe me now as thou hast done before:

"And trust me, Kate, hadft thou now not namde the moone,

"We had gone backe againe as fure as death.

"But foft, who's this that's comming here?

M m 2

"Enter

1