ACT IV.]

HOR. Petruchio, go thy ways; the field is won. PET. Well, forward, forward: thus the bowl

should run,

And not unluckily against the bias. But soft! Company is coming here!

Enter VINCENTIO, in a travelling dress. Good morrow, gentle mistress: where away? [To VINCENTIO. Tell me, sweet Kate, and tell me truly too, Hast thou beheld a fresher gentlewoman? Such war of white and red within her cheeks? What stars do spangle heaven with such beauty, As those two eyes become that heavenly face? Fair lovely maid, once more good day to thee: Sweet Kate, embrace her for her beauty's sake. HOR. 'A will make the man mad, to make aa woman of him.

KATH. Young budding virgin, fair, and fresh,

and sweet,

PET. Do, good old grandsire; and, withal,
make known

Which thou travellest; if along with us,
way
We shall be joyful of thy company.

VIN. Fair sir, and you my merry mistress,
That with your strange encounter much amaz'd me,
My name is call'd Vincentio, my dwelling Pisa;
And bound I am to Padua; there to visit
A son of mine, which long I have not seen.
PET. What is his name?

Lucentio, gentle sir.
VIN.
PET. Happily met; the happier for thy son.
And now by law, as well as reverent age,
I entitle thee my loving father;
may
The sister to my wife, this gentlewoman,
Thy son by this hath married: wonder not,
Nor be not griev'd; she is of good esteem,
Her dowry wealthy, and of worthy birth;
Beside, so qualified as may beseem
The spouse of any noble gentleman.
Let me embrace with old Vincentio :
And wander we to see thy honest son,
Who will of thy arrival be full joyous.

VIN. But is this true? or is it else your pleasure, Like pleasant travellers, to break a jest Upon the company you overtake?

HOR. I do assure thee, father, so it is.

PET. Come, go along, and see the truth hereof;
For our first merriment hath made thee jealous.
[Exeunt PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, and VINCENTIO.

HOR. Well, Petruchio, this has put me in heart.
Have to my widow; and if she be froward,
Then hast thou taught Hortensio to be untoward.
[Exit.

Enter on one side BIONDELLO, LUCENTIO, and BIANCA; GREMIO walking on the other side."

BION. Softly and swiftly, sir; for the priest is ready.

Luc. I fly, Biondello; but they may chance to need thee at home, therefore leave us.

BION. Nay, faith, I'll see the church o' your back; and then come back to my master* as soon as I can.

[Exeunt LUCENTIO, BIANCA, and BIONDELLO. GRE. I marvel Cambio comes not all this while.

Enter PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, VINCENTIO, and Attendants.

PET. Sir, here's the door, this is Lucentio's house, My father's bears more toward the market-place; Thither must I, and here I leave you, sir.

(*) Old copies, Mistris.

a GREMIO walking on the other side.] The original stage

PET. Nay, I told you your son was well beloved in Padua.-Do you hear, sir?-to leave frivolous circumstances,-I pray you, tell signior Lucentio, that his father is come from Pisa, and is here at the door to speak with him.

while I play the good husband at home, my son and my servant spend all at the university. TRA. How now? what's the matter? BAP. What, is the man lunatic?

TRA. Sir, you seem a sober ancient gentleman

VIN. Art thou his father?

PED. Ay, sir; so his mother says, if I may believe her.

PET. Why, how now, gentleman! [To VINCEN.] why, this is flat knavery, to take upon you another man's name.

PED. Lay hands on the villain. I believe 'a means to cozen somebody in this city under my

countenance.

Re-enter BIONDELLO.

BION. I have seen them in the church together; God send 'em good shipping !—but who is here? mine old master, Vincentio? now we are undone, and brought to nothing.

VIN. Čome hither, crack-hemp.

[Seeing BIONDELLO. BION. I hope I may choose, sir. VIN. Come hither, you rogue; what, have you forgot me?

BION. Forgot you? no, sir: I could not forget you, for I never saw you before in all my life.

VIN. What, you notorious villain, didst thou never see thy master's father, a Vincentio ?

BION. What, my old, worshipful old master? yes, marry, sir; see where he looks out of the window.

VIN. Is 't so, indeed? [Beats BIONDELLO. BION. Help, help, help! here's a madman will murder me. [Exit.

PED. Help, son! help, signior Baptista! [Exit from the window. PET. Prithee, Kate, let's stand aside, and see the end of this controversy, [They retire.

Re-enter Pedant below; BAPTISTA, TRANIO, and Servants.

TRA. Sir, what are you that offer to beat my servant?

VIN. What am I, sir? nay, what are you, sir? -O immortal gods! O fine villain! A silken doublet! a velvet hose! a scarlet cloak! and a copatain hat!-O, I am undone, I am undone !

(*) Old copies, Padua.

a Thy master's father.-] The first folio reads mistris, which was corrected in the second folio.

b A copatain hat!-] This was a high-crowned hat shaped like a sugar-loaf. "Upon their heads they ware felt-hats copple-tanked, a quarter of an ell high or more."-Comines, trans. by Danet. e Concerns-] In the first folio, "cerns." We read after the second edition.

Why, sir, what concerns it you if I wear pearl and gold? I thank my good father, I am able to maintain it.

VIN. Thy father? O villain! he is a sail-maker in Bergamo.

BAP. You mistake, sir; you mistake, sir; pray, what do you think is his name?

VIN. His name? as if I knew not his name: I have brought him up ever since he was three years old, and his name is Tranio.

PED. Away, away, mad ass! his name is Lucentio; and he is mine only son, and heir to the lands of me, signior Vincentio.

VIN. Lucentio! O, he hath murdered his master! lay hold on him, I charge you, in the duke's name : O, my son, my son !-tell me, thou villain, where is my son, Lucentio.

TRA. Call forth an officer: (1) carry this mad knave to the gaol:-Father Baptista, I charge you see that he be forthcoming.

VIN. Carry me to the gaol!

[Enter one with an Officer. GRE. Stay, officer; he shall not go to prison. BAP. Talk not, signior Gremio; I say he shall go to prison.

GRE. Take heed, signior Baptista, lest you be coney-catched in this business; I dare swear this is the right Vincentio.

PED. Swear, if thou darest.
GRE. Nay, I dare not swear it.

TRA. Then thou wert best say that I am not Lucentio.

GRE. Yes, I know thee to be signior Lucentio. BAP. Away with the dotard; to the gaol with him.

VIN. Thus strangers may be haled and abus'd. O monstrous villain!

Re-enter BIONDELLO, with LUCENTIO and BIANCA. BION. O, we are spoiled, and-yonder he is; deny him, forswear him, or else we are all undone. Luc. Pardon, sweet father. [Kneeling. VIN. Lives my sweet son? [BIONDELLO, TRANIO, and Pedant run out. BIAN. Pardon, dear father. [Kneeling.

d Coney-catched-] That is, cheated, imposed upon. We gather from Decker's "English Villanies," that formerly the sharpers termed their gang a warren, and their simpleton-victims rabbitsuckers (young rabbits), or conies. At other times their confederates were called bird-catchers, and their prey gulls (raw, unfledged greenhorns): and hence it was common to say of any person who had been swindled, or hoaxed, he was coney-catched, or gulled. e Run out.] The old copy adds, "as fast as may be."

VIN. Where is that damned villain, Tranio,
That fac'd and brav'd me in this matter so?
BAP. Why, tell me, is not this my Cambio?
BIAN. Cambio is chang'd into Lucentio.
Luc. Love wrought these miracles. Bianca's
love

Made me exchange my state with Tranio,
While he did bear my countenance in the town;
And happily I have arrived at the last,
Unto the wished haven of my bliss:
What Tranio did, myself enforc'd him to;
Then pardon him, sweet father, for my sake.
VIN. I'll slit the villain's nose, that would have
sent me to the gaol.

BAP. But do you hear, sir? [To LUCENTIO.] Have you married my daughter without asking my good-will?

VIN. Fear not, Baptista; we will content you: go to: but I will in, to be revenged for this villainy. [Exit. BAP. And I, to sound the depth of this knavery. [Exit. Luc. Look not pale, Bianca; thy father will not frown. [Exeunt Luc. and BIAN. GRE. My cake is dough: c but I'll in among

the rest;

PET. Why, then, let's home again -come, sirrah, let's away.

KATH. Nay, I will give thee a kiss: now pray thee, love, stay.

PET. Is not this well?-come, my sweet Kate; Better once than never, for never too late.

[Exeunt.

d

SCENE II.-A Room in Lucentio's House.

A banquet set out. Enter BAPTISTA, VINCENTIO, GREMIO, the Pedant, LUCENTIO, BIANCA, PETRUCHIO, KATHARINA, HORTENSIO, and Widow. TRANIO, BIONDELLO, GRUMIO, and others, attending.

Luc. At last, though long, our jarring notes

agree;

And time it is, when raging war is done,*
To smile at 'scapes and perils overblown.
My fair Bianca, bid my father welcome,
While I with self-same kindness welcome thine:
Brother Petruchio,-sister Katharina,-
And thou, Hortensio, with thy loving widow,-
Feast with the best, and welcome to my house.
My banquet is to close our stomachs up,
After our great good cheer: pray you, sit down;
For now we sit to chat, as well as eat.

[They sit at table.

PET. Nothing but sit and sit, and eat and eat. BAP. Padua affords this kindness, son Petruchio. PET. Padua affords nothing but what is kind. HOR. For both our sakes, I would that word were true.

PET. Now, for my life, Hortensio fears his widow.

WID. Then never trust me if I be afeard.
PET. You are very sensible, and yet you miss

my sense;

I mean, Hortensio is afeard of you.

WID. He that is giddy thinks the world turns

round.

"When

e When raging war is done,-] The old copies have, raging war is come," which is obviously a misprint. Rowe substituted done.

f My banquet-] A banquet, with our old writers, sometimes meant what we call a dessert-a slight refection, consisting of fruit, sweetmeats, &c.; and was occasionally set out in a room separated from the dining apartment. Thus, in Massinger's "Unnatural Combat," Act III. Sc. 1,

"We'll dine in the great room, but let the music
And banquet be prepared here."

See also The City Madam, Act II. Sc. 2. GIFFORD'S Massinger. More often, in Shakespeare, however, a banquet signifies a feast, as at the present day.

g Hortensio fears his widow.] To understand the equivoque, it must be remembered that to fear anciently had an active as well as a passive sense, and meant not only to feel alarm, but to frighten. So in Act I. Sc. 2,