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DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon.
Leonato, Governor of Meffina.

Don John, Bastard Brother to Don Pedro.

Claudio, a young Lord of Florence, Favourite to Don Pedro.

Benedick, a young Lord of Padua, favour'd likewise by
Don Pedro.

Balthazar, Servant to Don Pedro.
Antonio, Brother to Leonato.
Borachio, Confident to Don John.
Conrade, Friend to Borachio.

Verges,

Dogberry, }

two foolish Officers.

Hero, Daughter to Leonato.

Beatrice, Niece to Leonato.

Margaret,

Urfula, } two Gentlewomen, attending on Hero.

A Friar, Meffenger, Watch, Town-Clerk, Sexton, and

Attendants.

SCENE, Meffina in Sicily.

The Story is from Ariofo, Orl. Fur. B. v.

POPE.

MUCH

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING'.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A Court before Leonato's Houfe...

Enter Leonato, Hero, and Beatrice, with a Meffenger.

I

LEONATO.

Learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Melina.

Mes. He is very near by this; he was not three leagues off when I left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you loft in this action?

Mell. But few of any Sort, and none of Name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the atchiever

Much Ado about Nothing.] Innogen, (the Mother of Hera) in the oldeft Quarto that I have feen of this Play, printed in 1600, is mention'd to enter in two several Scenes. The fucceeding Editions have all continued her Name in the Dramatis Perfone. But I have ventur'd to expunge it; there being no mention of ber through the Play,

no one Speech addrefs'd to her, nor one Syllable spoken by her. Neither is there any one Paffage, from which we have any Reason to determine that Hero's Mother was living. It feems, as if the Poet had in his firft Plan defign'd fuch a Character; which, on a Survey of it, he found would be fuperfluous; and therefore he left it out. THEOBALD.

brings home full numbers; I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, call'd Claudio.

Mell. Much deferved on his part, and equally remembred by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself beyond the promfe of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion: he hath, indeed, better better'd expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how.

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Melfina will be very much glad of it.

Meff. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even fo much, that' joy could not fhew itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.

Leon. Did he break out into tears?
Melf. In great measure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindnefs.

3

There are no

faces truer than those that are fo wafh'd. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping! Beat. I pray you, is Signior Montanto return'd from the wars or no?

4

Meff. I know none of that name, Lady'; there was none fuch in the army of any Sort.

Leon. What is he that you afk for, Need!

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Hero. My Coufin means Signior Benedick of Padua. Melf. O, he's return'd, and as pleasant as ever he

was.

Beat. He fet up his bills here in Messina, and challeng'd Cupid' at the flight; and my Uncle's fool, reading the challenge, fubfcrib'd for Cupid, and challeng'd him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he kill'd and eaten in these wars? but how many hath he kill'd? for, indeed, I promis'd to eat all of his killing.

Leon. Faith, Neice, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. Me. He hath done good fervice, Lady, in thefe

wars.

Beat. You had mufty victuals, and he hath holp to eat it; he's a very valiant trencher-man, he hath an excellent ftomach.

Melf. And a good foldier too, Lady.

Beat. And a good foldier to a lady? but what is he to a lord?

Mef. A lord to a lord, a man to a man, stufft with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo, indeed: he man: but for the ftuffing,

is a kind of merry war

is no less than a stufft well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, Sir, mistake my Niece; there betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet, but there's a fkirmish of Wit between them.

6

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by That. In our last

challeng'd Cupid at the fight; the difufe of the bow makes this paffage obfcure. Benedick is reprefented as challeng. ing Cupid at archery. To challenge at the flight is, I believe, to wager who fhail fhoot the arrow furtheft without any particular mark. To challenge at the

bird-bolt, seems to mean the same as to challenge at children's archery, with fmall arrows fuch as are difcharged at birds. In Twelfth Night, Lady Olivia oppoles a bird-bolt to a cannon bullet, the lightest to the heaviest of miffive weapons.

conflict,

8

conflict, four of his 'five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man govern'd with one: So that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horfe; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature.. Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new fworn brother. Me. Is it poffible?

9

Beat. Very eafily poffible; he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block.

Mell. I fee, Lady', the gentleman is not in your books.

Beat. No; an he were, I would burn my Study.

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8 wit enough to keep himself WARM,] But how would that make a difference between him and his horfe? We should read, Wit enough to keep himself FROM HARM. This fuits the fatirical turn of her speech, in the character fhe would give of Benedick; and this would make the difference spoken of. For 'tis the nature of horses, when wounded, to run upon the point of the WARBURTON. he wears his faith] Not religious Profeffion, but Prefeffion of friendship; for the speaker gives it as the reason of her asking, who was now · bis Companion? that he had every month a new fworn brother.

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WARBURTON.

the gentleman is not in your books.] This is a phrase used, I believe, by more than underftand it. To be in one's books is to be in one's codicils er will, t be among friends fet down for gacies.

But,

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