SCENE IV. Padua. Before BAPTISTA'S house. The Taming of the Shrew  Shakespeare homepage  |  Taming of the Shrew  | Act 4, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE 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, 

 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; 

 '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. 

 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. 



 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! 

 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, upon some agreement 

 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: 

 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 made, and all is done: 

 Your son shall have my daughter with consent. 

 TRANIO  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? 

 BAPTISTA  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. 

 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: 

 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; 

 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. 



 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! 

 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. 

 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. 

 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 

 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 

 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, 

 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? 

 Hap what hap may, I'll roundly go about her: 

 It shall go hard if Cambio go without her. 



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