Dramatis Perfonæ.

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

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 Don Pedro.

Balthazar, Servant to Don Pedro.

Antonio, Brother to Leonato,
Borachio, Cenfidant to Don John.

Conrade, Friend to Borachio.

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

SCENE, Meffina in Sicily.

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

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (1).

ACT I. SCENE I.

A Court before Leonato's House.

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

I

LEONATO.

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

Me. 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 Sort, and none of Name,

Leon. A victory is twice itfelf, when the atchiever brings home full numbers; I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine,

call'd Claudio.

Mel. Much deferved on his part, and equally remembred 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 bet

(1) Much Ado about Nothing.] Innogen, (the Mother of Hero) in the oldeft Quarto that I have feen of this Play, printed in 1600, is mention'd to enter in two feveral 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 her 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.

ter'd

ter'd 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.

Me. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even fo much, that (2) joy could not fhew itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitternefs.

Leon. Did he break out into tears?

Me. In great measure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindness.

There are no

faces truer (3) 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, (4) is Signior Montanto return'd from the wars or no?

Me. I know none of that name, Lady (5); there was none fuch in the army of any fort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, Niece!

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

was.

Beat. He fet up his bills here in Meffina, and challeng'd Cupid (6) at the flight; and my Uncle's fool, reading

(2) joy could not fhew itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.] This is judiciously exprefs'd. Of all the tranfports 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 happiness. This he finely calls a modeft joy, fuch a one as did not infult the observer by an indication of happinefs unmixed with pain. WARBURTON. no faces truer] That is, none bonefter, none more

(3) fincere. (4)

is Signior Montanto return'd] Montante, in Spanish is a buge troo banded fword, given, with much humour, to one, the speaker would reprefent as a Boaster or Bravado.

WARBURTON..

(5) there was none fuch in the army of any fort.] Not mean ing there was none fuch of any order or degree whatever, but that there was none fuch of any quality above the common.

WARBURTON.

(6) challenged Cupid at the flight;] The disuse of the bow makes this passage obfcure. Benedick is reprefented as challeng

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 thefe wars ? but how many hath he kill'd? for, indeed, I promis'd 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. Me. He hath done good service, Lady, in these

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.

Me. And a good foldier too, Lady.

Beat. And a good foldier to a Lady? but what is he to a Lord?

Me A Lord to a Lord, a man to a man, ftufft with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo, indeed: he is no lefs than a stufft man: but for the ftuffing-well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You muft not, Sir, mistake my Niece there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and

ing Cupid at archery. To challenge at the flight is, I believe, to wager who fhall fhoot the arrow furtheft without any particular mark. To challenge at the bird-bolt, feems to mean the fame as to challenge at children's archery, with small arrows fuch as are difcharged at birds. In Twelfth Night, Lady Olivia opposes a bird-bolt to a cannon bullet, the lightest to the heaviest of miffive

weapons.

*

challeng'd Cupid at the bird-bolt.] To challenge at the bird bolt, does not feem to mean the fame as to challenge at children's archery with small arrows, fuch as are discharged at birds, but means, as Benedick had dared Cupid to the ufe of his own arrows, which we fuppofe to be the most pointed and mischievous of any in the world, the fool, to laugh at him, accepts the challenge for Cupid, but propofes the ufe of bird bolts in their room, which are short thick arrows of about a foot long, and have no points, but fpread near the end, fo as to leave a flat furface of about the fize of a fhilling, and are to this day in ufe to kill rooks with, and are fhot from a crofs bow.

Tho' lady Olivia opposes a bird bolt to a cannon, fhe does not furely mean to compare the lightest with the heaviest of weapons, because a bird bolt is not light enough to allow of the comparifon. There are figns in London where the fhape of the bolt is preferved. Mr. STEVENS.

her;