Tra. Nay, then 'tis time to stirre him fro[m] his trance: I pray awake sir: if you loue the Maide, Bend thoughts and wits to atcheeue her. Thus it stands: Her elder sister is so curst and shrew'd, That til the Father rid his hands of her, Master, your Loue must liue a maide at home, And therefore has he closely meu'd her vp, Because she will not be annoy'd with suters
Luc. Ah Tranio, what a cruell Fathers he: But art thou not aduis'd, he tooke some care To get her cunning Schoolemasters to instruct her
Tra. I marry am I sir, and now 'tis plotted
Luc. I haue it Tranio
Tra. Master, for my hand, Both our inuentions meet and iumpe in one
Luc. Tell me thine first
Tra. You will be schoole-master, And vndertake the teaching of the maid: That's your deuice
Luc. It is: May it be done? Tra. Not possible: for who shall beare your part, And be in Padua heere Vincentio's sonne, Keepe house, and ply his booke, welcome his friends, Visit his Countrimen, and banquet them? Luc. Basta, content thee: for I haue it full. We haue not yet bin seene in any house, Nor can we be distinguish'd by our faces, For man or master: then it followes thus; Thou shalt be master, Tranio in my sted: Keepe house, and port, and seruants, as I should, I will some other be, some Florentine, Some Neapolitan, or meaner man of Pisa. 'Tis hatch'd, and shall be so: Tranio at once Vncase thee: take my Coulord hat and cloake, When Biondello comes, he waites on thee, But I will charme him first to keepe his tongue
Tra. So had you neede: In breefe Sir, sith it your pleasure is, And I am tyed to be obedient, For so your father charg'd me at our parting: Be seruiceable to my sonne (quoth he) Although I thinke 'twas in another sense, I am content to bee Lucentio, Because so well I loue Lucentio
Luc. Tranio be so, because Lucentio loues, And let me be a slaue, t' atchieue that maide, Whose sodaine sight hath thral'd my wounded eye. Enter Biondello.
Heere comes the rogue. Sirra, where haue you bin? Bion. Where haue I beene? Nay how now, where are you? Maister, ha's my fellow Tranio stolne your cloathes, or you stolne his, or both? Pray what's the newes? Luc. Sirra come hither, 'tis no time to iest, And therefore frame your manners to the time Your fellow Tranio heere to saue my life, Puts my apparrell, and my count'nance on, And I for my escape haue put on his: For in a quarrell since I came a-shore, I kil'd a man, and feare I was descried: Waite you on him, I charge you, as becomes: While I make way from hence to saue my life: You vnderstand me? Bion. I sir, ne're a whit
Luc. And not a iot of Tranio in your mouth, Tranio is chang'd into Lucentio
Bion. The better for him, would I were so too
Tra. So could I 'faith boy, to haue the next wish after, that Lucentio indeede had Baptistas yongest daughter. But sirra, not for my sake, but your masters, I aduise you vse your manners discreetly in all kind of companies: When I am alone, why then I am Tranio: but in all places else, your master Lucentio
Luc. Tranio let's go: One thing more rests, that thy selfe execute, To make one among these wooers: if thou ask me why, Sufficeth my reasons are both good and waighty.
Exeunt. The Presenters aboue speakes.
1.Man. My Lord you nod, you do not minde the play
Beg. Yes by Saint Anne do I, a good matter surely: Comes there any more of it? Lady. My Lord, 'tis but begun