PERSONS REPRESENTED DON PEDRO: PRINCE OF ARRAGON. DON JOHN: HIS BASTARD BROTHER. CLAUDIO: A YOUNG LORD OF FLORENCE, FAVOURITE TO DON PEDRO. BENEDICK: A YOUNG LORD OF PADUA, FAVOURITE LIKEWISE TO DON PEDRO. LEONATO: GOVERNOR OF MESSINA. ANTONIO: HIS BROTHER. BALTHAZAR: SERVANT TO DON PEDRO. FRANCIS SEACOLE: A SEXTON AND TOWN-CLERK. FRIAR FRANCIS. A Boy. INNOGEN: WIFE TO LEONATO. HERO: DAUGHTER TO LEONATO. BEATRICE: NIECE TO LEONATO. MARGARET:) GENTLEWOMEN ATTENDING ON URSULA: HERO. MESSENGERS, WATCH, ATTENDANTS. SCENE-Messina. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING ACT I SCENE I. LEONATO's Orchard. Enter LEONATO, Governor of Messina, INNOGEN his Wife, HERO his Daughter, BEATRICE his Niece, 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 leagues off when I left him. LEON. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action? home full numbers. I find here that Don Pedro hath bestow'd much honour on a young Florentine call'd Claudio. ΙΟ MESS. Much deserv'd on his part, and equally remember'd 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 Messina, will be very much glad of it. 18 MESS. I have already deliver'd him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much that joy could not shew itself modest enough without a badge of bitterness. LEON. Did he break out into tears? MESS. In great measure. 1 quality. ACT I LEON. A kind overflow of kindness: there are no faces MESS. I know none of that name, Lady; there was none LEON. What is he that you ask for, Niece? 3 2 31 HERO. My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua. MESS. O, he's return'd; and as pleasant as ever he was. BEAT. He set up his bills here in Messina, and challeng'd Cupid at the flight: and my uncle's Fool, reading the challenge, subscrib'd for Cupid, and challeng'd him at the burbolt. I pray you, how many hath he kill'd and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he kill'd? for, indeed, I promis'd to eat all of his killing. 40 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; stuff'd with all honourable virtues. BEAT. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuff'd man. 57 BEAT. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man govern'd with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his 2 bills of challenge. 1 'a straight upright thrust' (Italian fencers'). 3 shafts (archers'). 4 a blunt, short arrow used in birding. 5 'common wit, fantasy, imagination, estimation, memory.' 6 the distinguishing mark in the coat borne by several branches of one family. |