Come, go with us, we'll look to that anon; E. Dro. Methinks, you are my glafs, and not my brother: I fee by you, I am a fweet-fac'd youth: How shall I try it? S. Dro. We'll draw cuts for the fenior: 'Till then, lead thou first. E. Dro. Nay, then thus [Embracing. We came into the world, like brother and brother: And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another. [Exeunt. DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon. Don John, Baftard Brother to Don Pedro. Benedick, a young Lord of Padua, favour'd likewife by Don Pedro. Balthazar, Servant to Don Pedro. Borachio, Confident to Don John. Conrade, Friend to Borachio, Dogberry, Verges, } two foolish Officers. Hero, Daughter to Leonato. Margaret, Urfula, } two Gentlewomen, attending on Hero. A Friar, Meflenger, Watch, Town-Clerk, Sexton, and Attendants. S C The Story is from Arioflo, Orl. Fur. B. v. POPE. MUCH MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING'. ACT I. SCENE A Court before Leonato's Houfe. Enter Leonato, Hero, and Beatrice, with a Messenger. LEON AT O. I Learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Messina. Meff. 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? I. Mell. But few of any Sort, and none of Name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the atchiever Much Ado about Nothing.] Innogen, (the Mother of Hero) in the oldeft Quarto that I have feen of this Play, printed in 1600, is mention'd to enter in two feveral Scenes. The fucceeding Editions have all continued her Name in the Dramatis Perfona. But I have ventur'd to expunge it; there being no mention of ber through the Play, no one Speech addrefs'd to her, nor one Syllable spoken by her. Neither is there any one Passage, from which we have any Reason to determine that Hero's Mother was living. It feems, as if the Poet had in his first Plan defign'd fuch a Character; which, on a Survey of it, he found would be fuperfluous; and therefore he left it out. THEOBALD. brings home full numbers; I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, call'd Claudio. Mell. Much deferved on his part, and equally remembred by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself beyond the promfe 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 Meffina will be very much glad of it. Mell. 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 bitterness. Leon Did he break out into tears? Mess. In great measure. Leon. A kind overflow of kindnefs. There are no faces truer than thofe that are fo wafh'd. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping! 3 4 Beat. I pray you, is Signior Montanto return'd from the wars or no? Meff. I know none of that name, Lady; there was none iuch in the army of any Sort. Leon. What is he that you ask for, Need! cere. 4 jey could not fhew it is, none honefter, none more finfelf modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.] This is judiciously exprefs'd. 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. no faces truer] That 3 2 5 is Signior Montanto return'd.] Montante, in Spanish, is a huge two-handed fword, given, with much humour, to one, the fpeaker would reprefent as a Boafter or Bravado. WARBURT. there was none Juch in the army of any fert.] 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. Hero. & |