Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing.

ACT FIRST.

Scene I.

Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato, Hero, and Beatrice, 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?

Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name.
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. Much deserved on his part, and equally re-
membered by Don Pedro: he hath borne him-
self 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 Messina will be very much glad of it.

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Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there 20 appears much joy in him; even so much, that

joy could not show itself modest enough without

a badge of bitterness.

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 Signior Mountanto returned 30 from the wars or no?

Mess. I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece?

Hero. My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua.
Mess. O, he's returned; and as pleasant as ever he

was.

Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, 40 how many hath he killed and eaten in these 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.

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?

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

Beat. It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man: but for the stuffing,-well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Bene- 60 dick and her: they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them.

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 governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? He hath every 70 month a new sworn brother.

Mess. Is 't possible?

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

Mess. I see, 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 squarer now that will make a
voyage with him to the devil?

Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble
Claudio.

Beat. O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease:
he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the

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