DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon. Don John, Baftard Brother to Don Pedro. Claudio, a young Lord of Florence, Favourite to Don Pedro. Benedick, a young lord of Padua, favour'd likewise by Balthazar, fervant to Don Pedro. Verges, Dogberry, } two foolish Officers. Hero, Daughter to Leonato. Beatrice, Niece to Leonato. Margaret ? two Gentlewomen attending on Hero. Urfula. A Friar, Messenger, Watch, Town-Clerk, Sexton, and Attendants. SCENE Melina in Sicily. POPE. The ftory is from Ariofto Orl. Fur. b. v. It is true, as Mr. Pope has obferved, that fomething resembling the ftory of this play is to be found in the fifth book of the Orlando Furiofo. In Spenfer's Fairy Queen, as remote an original may be traced. A novel however, of Belleforeft, copied from another of Bandello, feems to have furnished Shakespeare with his fable, as it approaches nearer in all its circumftances to the play before us, than any other performance known to be extant. I have seen fo many tranflations from this once popular collection, that I entertain no doubt but that the great majority of them have made their appearance in an English drefs. Of that particular story which I have just mentioned, viz. the 18th history in the third volume, I have hitherto met with none. STEEVENS. MUCH ACT I. SCENE I. Before Leonato's house. Enter Leonato, Hero, and Beatrice, with a Meffenger. I LEONATO. Learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon Meff. 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 ? Me. But few of any fort, and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itfelf, when the atchiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath beftowed much honour on a young Florentine, call'd Claudio. Much Ado about Nothing.] Innogen, (the mother of Hero) in the oldeft quarto that I have feen of this play, printed in 1600, is mentioned to enter in two several scenes. The fucceeding editions have all continued her name in the Dramatis Perfonæ. But I have ventured to expunge it; there being no mention of her through the play, no one fpeech addrefs'd to her, nor one fyllable spoken by her. Neither is there any one paffage, from which we have any reason to determine that Hero's mother was living. It seems, as if the poet had in his first plan defign'd fuch a character: which, on a furvey of it, he found would be fuperfluous; and therefore he left it out. THEOBALD. VOL. II. Mell Me. Much deferved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: He hath borne himself beyond the promise 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 Meffina will be very much glad of it. Me. 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? Meff. In great measure. Leon. A kind overflow of kindnefs. There are no faces truer than thofe that are fo wafh'd. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping! Beat. I pray you, is fignior Montanto return'd from the wars, or no? joy could not fhew itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.] This is judicioufly exprefs'd. Of all the tranf ports of joy, that which is attended with tears is leaft offenfive;' becaufe carrying with it this mark of pain, it allays the envy that ufually attends another's happinefs. This he finely calls a mo deft joy, fuch a one as did not infult the obferver by an indication. of happiness unmixed with pain. WARBURTON. This is an idea which Shakespeare seems to have been delighted to exprefs. It occurs again in Macbeth. 3no faces truer] That is, none honefter, none more fincere. JOHNSON. 4—is Signior Montanto return'd-] Montante, in Spanish, is a buge two-handed fword, given, with much humour, to one, the Speaker would reprefent as a boafter or bravado. WARBURTON. Mell. |