Manent the two Antipholis's, and two Dromies. S. Dro. Master, fhall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? E. Ant. Dromio what ftuff of mine haft thou embark'd? S. Dro. Your goods, that lay at hoft, fir, in the Cen taur. y S. Ant. He speaks to me; I am your mafter, Dromio: Come, go with us; we'll look to that anon: Embrace thy brother there, rejoice with him. [Exeunt Antipholis S. and E. S. Dro. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner; She now shall be my fifter, not my wife. E. Dro. Methinks, you are my glass, and not my brother: I fee by you, I am a fweet-fac'd youth. Will you walk in to see their goffiping? S. Dro. Not I, fir; you are my elder, E. Dro. That's a question: How fhall we try it? S. Dro. We will draw Cuts for the fenior: till then lead thou first. E. Dro. Nay, then thus: We came into the world, like brother and brother; And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another. Y lay at hoft,]-were lodged at the Centaur. z kitchen'd me]-gave me fome kitchen discipline. [Exeunt. MUCH PERSONS REPRESENTED. DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon. LEONATO, Governor of Meffina. DON JOHN, Bastard Brother to DON PEDRO. CLAUDIO, a young Lord of Florence, Favourite to DON PEDRO. BENEDICK, a young Lord of Padua, favoured likewise by Don PEDRO. BALTHAZAR, fervant to Don Pedro. ANTONIO, Brother to LEOnato. DOGGERRY, } VERGES, two foolish Officers. HERO, Daughter to LEONATO. MARGARET,} two Gentlewomen attending on HERO. A Friar, Meffenger, Watch, Sexton, and Attendants. SCENE-Meffina in Sicily. THIS PLAY was written in the year 1600, and once entitled "BENEDICT AND BEATRIX;" it is faid by Mr. POPE, to have been founded on the ftory of GENEUARA, in the fifth book of ARIOSTO'S ORLANDO FURIOSO, but others are of opinion that a novel of BELLE FOREST's furnished SHAKSPEARE with his Fable. MUCH MUCH A DO ABOUT NOTH IN G. ACT I. SCENE I. Before Leonato's House. Enter Leonato, Hero, and Beatrice, with a Meffenger. Leon. I learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Meffina. 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? Mell. But few of any fort, and none of name. Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the atchiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, call'd Claudio. Mess. Much deferv'd 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 of any fort, and none of name.]-of any kind, and none of rank. feats Ff3 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. Meff. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not shew itself modelt enough, without a badge of bitterness. Leon. Did he break out into tears? Meff. In great measure. Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: There are no faces b truer than those that are fo wafh'd. How much better is it to weep at joy, than to joy at weeping! Beat. I pray you, is fignior Montanto return'd from the wars, or no? Meff. I know none of that name, lady; there was none fuch in the army of any fort. e Leon. What is he that you ask for niece? Hero. My cousin means fignior Benedick of Padua. Meff. O, he's return'd; and as pleasant 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, fubfcrib'd for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.-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. b truer]-more honeft. C to joy at weeping !]-as fome profligate heirs are faid to do; whence the proverb "The merrieft faces in mourning coaches." Montanto]-a term in fencing, allufive to the sprightly turn of Beefort.]-diftinction. nedick. He fet up his bills]—as a prize-fighter; published a general defiance. 8 at the flight :]-to fhoot a fleet and sharp arrow with him; at his own weapons. the bird-bolt.]-a short thick arrow, without point, used to kill rooks. "thou haft thump'd him with thy bird-bolt under the left pap." LOVE'S LABOUR LOST, A&t IV, S. 3. 3. Biron. Leon. |