1 The piece was first published in quarto in 1600. A copy of the quarto edition, corrected for purposes of the theatre forms the text of the First Folio. A list of "dramatis persona" was first supplied by Rowe in 1709, together with the intimation of the "scene." In the stage directions in the early editions, at the opening of the play and at the beginning of Act II, sc. i, - Leonato's wife is mentioned as entering with him, and at the first reference she is given the name of Innogen. This character figures nowhere else in the play, and since Theobald's time has been rightly omitted from the list of "dramatis persona."

Enter LEONATO, HERO, and BEATRICE, with a Messenger

LEONATO

LEARN IN THIS LETTER that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Messina. MESS. He is very near by this: he was not three leagues off when I left him.

LEON. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action? MESS. But few of any sort, and none of name.

LEON. A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here

that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine called Claudio.

MESS. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself beyond

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the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath indeed better bettered expectation than you must expect of me to tell you how.

LEON. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.

MESS. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough without a badge of bitterness.

LEON. Did he break out into tears?

MESS. In great measure.

LEON. A kind overflow of kindness: there are no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping!

BEAT. I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?

MESS. I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort.

LEON. What is he that you ask for, niece?

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HERO. My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua. 30 MESS. O, he's returned; and as pleasant as ever he

was.

BEAT. He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading

25 Mountanto] a fencing term for an upward thrust; here derisively applied to a skilled fencer.

32 set up his bills] placarded or advertised his challenge, after the manner of a professional prize fighter, fencer, or wrestler.

33 at the flight] long-distance shooting, for which a long, sharp arrow was needed.

the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his killing.

LEON. Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not.

MESS. He hath done good service, lady, in these wars. 40 BEAT. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencher-man; he hath an excellent stomach.

MESS. And a good soldier too, lady.

BEAT. And a good soldier to a lady; but what is he to a lord?

MESS. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.

BEAT. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man: but for the stuffing, well, we are all mortal.

LEON. You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her: they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them.

BEAT. Alas! he gets nothing by that. In our last

35 bird-bolt] a short, blunt, stumpy arrow used for killing birds, and usually part of a professional fool's armoury. Cf. the proverb, "A fool's bolt is soon shot."

...

47-50 stuffed. stuffing] Beatrice has already described Benedick as a great eater (1. 43), and agrees that in that sense he is "a stuffed man." But she hesitates to admit that "the stuffing" consists, as the messenger suggests, of "all honourable virtues." Cf. Rom. and Jul., III, v, 182: "Stuffed, as they say, with honourable parts."

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conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable crea

ture. Who is his companion now? He hath every

month a new sworn brother.

MESS. Is 't possible?

BEAT. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block. MESS. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books. BEAT. No; an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil? MESS. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.

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BEAT. O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease: 7o he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he

55 five wits] distinguished from the five senses.

Cf. Sonnet cxli, 9–10:

"But my five wits nor my five senses can Dissuade one foolish heart." The five wits were reckoned to be common wit, imagination, fantasy, judgment, and memory.

57 to keep himself warm] Cf. T. of Shrew, II, i, 258: "Am I not wise? Yes; keep you warm;" a proverbial phrase, implying that, with a little common sense, no man goes cold.

64 not in your books] not in your good books. Cf. T. of Shrew, II, i, 221: "Put me in thy books."

66 squarer] braggart. Cotgrave explains "se quarrer" thus: "To strout or square it, looke big on 't, carrie his armes a kemboll braggadochio-like."