MUCH ADO

ABOUT NOTHIN

VOL. II,

B

Enter Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, and others,

Messenger.

ers.

Leonato
I LEARN in this letter, that Don Pedro of
gon, comes this night to Messina,
Mess. He is very near by this ; )

he was not
leagues off when I left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost
action?
Mess. But few of any sort, and none of t.

Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the
brings home full numbers. I find here,
Pedro liath bestowed much honour on a you
rentine, called Claudio.

Mess. Much deserved on his part, and egy membered by Don Pedro: he hath borne hin yond the promise of his age ; doing, in the i lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath, indeed

tending on Hero.

and attendants.

sina.

a

Kind.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, and others, with a

Messenger.

Leonato. 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 leagues off when I left him.

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

Mess. But few of any sort*, and none of pame.

Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio.

Mess. Mich deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Doo Pedro: he hath borne himself be. yond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion : he hath, iudeed, better

# Kind.

ist expect of me to

in Messina will be

d him letters, and even so much, that enough, without a

ars?

.ness : There are no : so washed. How than to jog at weep

Montanto returned

ne, lady; there was rt. k for, niece? ior Benedick of Pa.

Scene 1. ABOUT NOTHING.

Beat. And a good soldier to a lady; – But w he to a lord?

Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; with all honourable virtues.

Beat. Itis so, indeed; he is no less than a su man*: hut for the stuffing,-Well, we are all in

Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece:
is a kind of merry war betwixt siguior Benedic
her: they never meet, but there is a skirmish
between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In ou
conflict, four of his five wits went haluis
and now is the whole man governed with on
that if he have wit enough to keep himself
let him bear it for a difference between himsel
his horse: for it is all the wealth that he ha
to be known a reasonable creature.-Whoisi
panion now! He hath

every

month a ne brother.

Mess. Is it possible?

Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his i as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes next blockt.

Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not books.

Beat. No: ap he were, I would burn m But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is young squarert now, that will make a voy him to the devil?

Mess. He is most in the company of
noble Claudio

Beat. O Lord! he will hang upon him
ease: he is sooner caught than the pestile
the taker runs presently mad. God help
Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, is
him a thousand pound ere he be cured.
Mess. I will hold friends with

lady
Beat. Do, good friend.

I as pleasant as ever

re in Messina, and and my uncle's fool, bed for Cupid, and Lt. I pray you, how

in these wars? But ndeed, I promised to

signior Benedick too you,

I doubt it not. rvice, lady, in these 1, and he hath holp to acher-man, he hath an

10, lady.

lengths.

you,

* A cuckold. + Mould for a

Quarrelsoine fellow