MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.] The ftory is taken from Ariofto, Orl. Fur. B. V. POPE. It is true, as Mr. Pope has obferved, that fomewhat refembling the ftory of this play is to be found in the fifth book of the Orlando Furiofo. In Spenfer's Faery Queen, B. II. c. iv. as remote an original may be traced. A novel, however, of Belleforest, copied from another of Bandello, feems to have furnished Shakfpeare 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 feen fo many verfions 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 drefs. Of that particular story which I have juft 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. Ariofto is continually quoted for the fable of Much ado about Nothing; but I fufpect our poet to have been satisfied with the Geneura of Turberville. "The tale (fays Harington) is a pretie comical matter, and hath bin written in English verse some few years paft, learnedly and with good grace, by M. George Turbervil." Arifto, fol. 1591, p. 39. FARMER. I fuppofe this comedy to have been written in 1600, in which year it was printed. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. I. MALONE. PERSONS represented. Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon. Don John, his baftard brother. Claudio, a young lord of Florence, favourite to Don Pedro. Benedick, a young lord of Padua, favoured likewife by Don Pedro. Leonato, governor of Meffina. Antonio, his brother. Balthazar, fervant to Don Pedro. Borachio, followers of Don John. Conrade, Dogberry,} two foolish officers. Verges, A Sexton. A Boy. Hero, daughter to Leonato. Margaret,} gentlewomen attending on Hero. Urfula, Meffengers, Watch, and Attendants. SCENE, Messina. ABOUT NOTHIN G. ACT I. SCENE I. Before LEONATO's Houfe. Enter LEONATO, HERO, BEATRICE, and Others, with a Meffenger. LEON. I learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Meffina. MESS. 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? 3 Innogen, (the mother of Hero,) in the old quarto that I have feen of this play, printed in 1600, is mentioned to enter in two feveral 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 reafon to determine that Hero's mother was living. It feems as if the poet had in his first plan defigned fuch a character: which, on a furvey of it, he found would be fuperfluous; and therefore he left it out. THEOBALD. The name of Hero's mother occurs alfo in the first folio. "Enter Leonato governor of Meflina, Innogen his wife," &c. STEEVENS. MESS. But few of any fort,' and none of name. LEON. A victory is twice itself, when the atchiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio. MESS. Much deferved on his part, and equally remember'd by Don Pedro: He hath borne himfelf 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 Messina will be very much glad of it. MESS. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even fo much, that joy could not fhow itself modest enough, without a badge of bitterness.+ 3of any fort,] Sort is rank, diftinction. So, in Chapman's verfion of the 16th Book of Homer's Odyffey: "A fhip, and in her many a man of fort." I incline, however, to Mr. M. Mafon's easier explanation. Of any fort, fays he, means of any kind whatfoever. There were but few killed of any kind, and none of rank. STEEVENS. -joy could not show itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.] This is judiciously expreffed. Of all the tranfports of joy, that which is attended with tears is leaft offenfive; because, carrying with it this mark of pain, it allays the envy that usually attends another's happiness. This he finely calls a modeft joy, fuch a one as did not infult the obferver by an indication of happiness unmixed with pain. WARBURTON. A fomewhat fimilar expreffion occurs in Chapman's verfion of the 10th Book of the Odyssey: "The fame wet badge of weak humanity." This is an idea which Shakspeare feems to have been delighted to introduce. It occurs again in Macbeth: my plenteous joys, "Wanton in fullness, feek to hide themselves "In drops of forrow." STEEVENS. A badge being the diftinguishing mark worn in our author's time by the fervants of noblemen, &c. on the fleeve of their liveries, with 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 fignior Montanto returned' from the wars, or no? MESS. I know none of that name, lady; there was none fuch in the army of any fort.8 LEON. What is he that you ask for, niece? HERO.My Coufin means fignior Benedick of Padua. MESS. O, he is returned; and as pleasant as ever he was. BEAT. He fet up his bills here in Messina,' and his ufual licence he employs the word to fignify a mark or token in general. So, in Macbeth: “Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood." MALONE. s In great measure.] i. e. in abundance. STEEVENS. 6 — no faces truer-] That is, none honefter, none more fincere. JOHNSON. 7is fignior Montanto returned-] Montante, in Spanish, is a huge two-handed fword, [a title] given, with much humour, to one [whom] the speaker would reprefent as a boafter or bravado. WARBURTON. Montanto was one of the ancient terms of the fencing-school. So, in Every Man in his Humour: " your punto, your reverfo, your ftoccata, your imbrocata, your paffada, your montanto," &c. Again, in The Merry Wives of Windfor: thy reverfe, thy distance, thy montánt." STEEVENS. 8 there was none fuch in the army of any fort.] Not meaning there was none fuch of any order or degree whatever, but that there was none fuch of any quality above the common. WARBURTON. 9 He fet up his bills, &c.] So, in B. Jonfon's Every Man out of his Humour, Shift fays: "This is rare, I have fet up my bills without difcovery." Again, in Swetnam Arraign'd, 1620: "I have bought foils already, fet up billi, 66 Hung up my two-hand fword," &c. |