THE story is taken from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. B. V. POPE.

It is true, as Mr. Pope has observed, that somewhat resembling the story of this play is to be found in the fifth Book of the Orlando Furioso. In Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. II. c. iv. is remote an original may be traced. A novel, however, of Belleforest, copied from another of Bandello, seems to have furnished Shakspeare with his fable, as it approaches nearer in all its particulars to the play before us, than any other performance known to be extant. I have seen so many versions from this once popular collection, that I entertain no doubt but that a great majority of the tales it comprehends have made their appearance in an English dress. Of that

particular story which I have just mentioned, viz the 18th history in the third volume, no translation has hitherto been met with.

This play was entered at Stationers' Hall, Aug. 23, 1600. STEEVENS.

Ariosto is continually quoted for the fable of Much Ado About Nothing; but I suspect our poet to have been satisfied with the Geneura of Turberville. "The tale (says Harrington) is a pretie comical matter, and hath bin written in English verse some few years past, learnedly and with good grace, by M. George Turbervil." Ariosto, fol. 1591, p. 39. FARMER.

I suppose this comedy to have been written in 1600, in which year it was printed. MALONE.

Enter LEONATO, HERO, BEATRICE, and others, with a Messenger.

Leon. I 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 tagues off, when I left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this ction?

Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever rings home full numbers. I find here, that Don edro hath bestowed much honour on a young Floentine, called Claudio.

Mess. Much deserved on his part, and equally emembered by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself eyond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure fa lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath, indeed, etter bettered expectation, than you must expect fme to tell you how.

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be ery much glad of it.

Mess I have already delivered him letters, and were appears much joy in him; even so much, that y could not show itself modest enough without a adze of bitterness.

Lean. Did he break out into tears?
Mess. In great measure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: there are laces truer than those that are so washed. How mich better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping?

Beat. I pray you, is signior Montanto returned rom the wars, or no?

Mess. I know none of that name, lady; there was ne such in the army of any sort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece? Hero. My cousin means signior Benedick of Padaa. [he was.

Mess. O, he is returned; and as pleasant as ever Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina, and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.-I pray you, how ay bath he killed and eaten in these wars? But bow many bath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his killing.

Gentlewomen attending on Hero.

Messengers, Watch, and Attendants.

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.

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 is a skirmish of wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the old 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 creature.-Who is his compapanion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother.

Mess. Is it possible?

Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block. [books.

Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your 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.

Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him like a disease he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, 16 will cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady. Beat. Do, good friend.

Leon. You will never run mad, niece.
Beat. No, not till a hot January.

Mess. Don Pedro is approached.

Enter Don PEDRO, attended by BALTHAZAR and others, Don JOHN, CLAUDIO, and BENEDICK. D. Pedro. Good signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it.

Leon. Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but, when you depart from me, sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave. D. Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly. I think, this is your daughter.

Leon. Her mother hath many times told me so. Bene. Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her? Leon. Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a

child.

D. Pedro. You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly, the lady fathers herself:-Be happy, lady! for you

are like an honourable father.

Bene. If signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders, for all Messina,

as like him as she is.

Beat. I wonder that you will still be talking, signior Benedick; nobody marks you.

Bene. What, my dear lady Disdain! are you yet living?

Beat. Is it possible, disdain should die, while she hath such meet food to feed it, as signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.

Bene. Then is courtesy a turn-coat:-But it is certain, I am loved of all fadies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart, that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.

Beat. A dear happiness to women; they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God, and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that; I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.

Bene. God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predesti

nate scratched face.

Beat. Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were.

Bene. Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher. Beat. A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.

Bene. I would, my horse had the speed of your tongue; and so good a continuer: but keep your way o' God's name; I have done.

Beat. You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.

D. Pedro. This is the sum of all: Leonato, signior Claudio, and signior Benedick, my dear friend Leonato hath invited you all. I tell him, we shall stay here at the least a month; and he heartily prays some occasion may detain us longer: I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart. forsworn.-Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being Leon. If you swear, my lord, you shall not be reconciled to the prince your brother, I owe you all duty.

D. John. I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thank you.

Leon. Please it your grace lead on?

D. Pedro. Your hand, Leonato; we will go to gether. [Exeunt all but Benedick and Claudio. Claud. Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of signior Leonato?

Bene. I noted her not; but I looked on her. Claud. Is she not a modest young lady? Bene. Do you question me as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?

Claud. No, I pray thee, speak in sober judgment. Bene. Why, faith, methinks she is too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise: only this commendation I

can afford her; that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome; and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.

tell me truly how thou likest her. Claud. Thou thinkest I am in sport; I pray thee,

her? Bene. Would you buy her, that you inquire after Claud. Can the world buy such a jewel? Bene. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? or do you play the float ing Jack; to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song?

Claud. In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that

ever I looked on.

Bene. I can see yet without spectacles, and I see not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in no such matter: there's her cousin, an she were beauty, as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn hasband; have you?

sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. Claud. I would scarce trust myself, though I had

world one man, but he will wear his cap with sasBene. Is it come to this, i'faith? Hath not the again? Go to, i'faith: an thou wilt needs thrust th picion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and sigh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro is returned to seek you.

Re-enter Don PEDRO.

D. Pedro. What secret hath held you here, that [to tell you followed not to Leonato's? Bene. I would, your grace would constrain me D. Pedro. I charge thee on thy allegiance. Bene. You hear, Count Claudio: I can be secret as a dumb man, I would have you think so; but on he is in love. With who?-now that is your my allegiance,-mark you this, on my allegiance grace's part.-Mark, how short his answer is:with Hero, Leonato's short daughter.

Claud. If this were so, so were it uttered. Bene. Like the old tale, my lord: "it is not s nor 'twas not so; but, indeed, God forbid it should be so."

Claud. If my passion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.

D. Pedro. Amen, if you love her; for the lady is very well worthy.

Claud. You speak this to fetch me in, my lord. D. Pedro. By my troth, I speak my thought. Claud. And, in faith, my lord, I spoke mine. Bene. And, by my two faiths and troths, my lord, I spoke mine.

Claud. That I love her, I feel.

D. Pedro. That she is worthy, I know.

Bene. That I neither feel how she should be loved, nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me; I will die

in it at the stake.

D. Pedro. Thou wast ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty.

Claud. And never could maintain his part, bet in the force of his will.

Bene. That a woman conceived me, I thank her, that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a rechest winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is (for the which I may go the finer), I will live a bachelor. [with love

D. Pedro. I shall see thee, ere I die, look pale Bene. With anger, with sickness, or with hunger. my lord; not with love: prove, that ever I lose more blood with love, than I will get again with drinking pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker's pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel-house, for the sign of blind Cupid.