Dramatis Perfonæ.

Don PEDRO, Prince of Arragon.

Leonato, Governor of Messina.

Don John, baftard brother to Don Pedro.

Claudio, a young Lord of Florence, favourite to Don Pedro. Benedick, a young Lord of Padua, favoured likewife by Don

A Friar, Mesenger, Watch, Town-Clerk, Sexton, and Attendants,

SCENE, Meffina in Sicily.

SCENE, a Court before Leonato's House.

Enter LEONATO, HERO, and BEATRICE, with a

Meffenger.

LEONATO.

LEARN in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Meffina.

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 fort, and none of name.

(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 mentioned to enter in two several scenes. The fucceeding editions have all continued her name in the Dramatis perfona: but I have ventured to expunge it, there being no mention of her through the play, no one speech addreffed 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 defigned fuch a character; which, on a furvey of it, he found would be fuperfluous; and therefore he left it out.

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

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 bettered 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.

Meff. 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 bitter nefs.

Leon. Did he break out in tears?
Meff. In

great meafure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindness; there are no faces truer than thofe that are fo wafhed; how much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping!

Beat. I pray you is Signior Montanto returned from the wars or no?

Me. I know none of that name, Lady; 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 returned, and as pleafant as ever

he was.

Beat. He fet up, his bills here in Meffina, and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, fubfcribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you,how many hath he killed and eaten in thefe wars?.

But how many hath he killed? for indeed I promised 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.

Meff. He hath done good fervice, Lady, in thefe

wars.

Beat. You had musty 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?

Meff. A lord to a lord, a man to a man, stuffed with all honourable virtues.

Beat. It is fo indeed: (2) he is no less than a ftuffed man; but for the ftuffing-Well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, Sir, mistake my niece; there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet but there's a fkirmish of wit between them.

Beat. Alas! he gets nothing by that. In our laft conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: fo that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horfe; for it is all the wealth that he hath left,

(2) -he is no less than a stuffed man: but for the fluffing well we are all mortal.] Thus has this paffage been all along stopped, from the very firft edition downwards. If any of the editors could extract fenfe from this pointing, their fagacity is a pitch above mine. I believe, by my regulation of the ftops, I have retrieved the Poet's true meaning. Our Poet feems to use the word stuffing here, much as Plautus does in his Meftellaria: A&t i. Sc. 3.

Non veftem amatores mulicris amant, fed veftis fartum,

to be known a reafonable creature. Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new fworn brother.

Me. Is it possible?

Beat. Very easily poffible; he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat, it ever changes with the next block.

Mel. I fee, Lady, the gentleman is not in your books.

Beat. No; an he were, I would burn my study. But I pray you, who is his companion? is there no young fquarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil?

Me. He is molt in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O Lord, he will hang upon him like a difeafe; he is fooner caught thin the peftilence, and the taker runs prefently mad. God help the noble Claudio, if he have caught the Benedick! it will toft him a thousand pound ere he be cured.

Me. I will hold friends with you, Lady.
Beat. Do, good friend.

Leon. You'll ne'er run mad, niece.

Beat. No, not 'till a hot January.

Me. Don Pedro is approached.

Enter Don PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHAZAR and Don JOHN.

Pedro. Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fafhion of the world is to avoid coft, and you encounter it.

Leon. Never came trouble to my houfe in the likeness of your Grace: for trouble being gone, com→ fort fhould remain; but when you depart from me, forrow abides, and happinefs takes his leave.

Pedro. You embrace your charge too willingly. I think this is your daughter.