ON THE FABLE AND COMPOSITION OF MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. IT is true, as Mr Pope has obferved, that fomewhat refembling the ftory of this play, is to be found in the fifth book of the Orlando Furiofo. In Spenfer's Faery Queen, b. ii. c. 4. as remote an original may be traced. A novel, however, of Belle-forest, copied from another of Bandello, feems to have furnished Shakespeare with his fable, as it approaches nearer, in all its particulars, to the play before us, than any other performance known to be extant. I have feen fo many verfions from this once popular collection, that I entertain no doubt but that the great majority of the tales it comprehends, have made their appearance in an English drefs. Of that particular story which I have juft mentioned, viz. the eighteenth hiftory in the third volume, no tranflation has hitherto been met with. This play may be juftly faid to contain two of the moft fprightly characters that Shakespeare ever drew. The wit, the humourist, the gentleman, and the foldier, are combined in Benedick. It is to be lamented, indeed, that the first and most splendid of these diftinc tions, is difgraced by unneceffary profanenefs; for the goodness of his heart is hardly fufficient to atone for the licence of his tongue. The too farcaftic levity, which flashes out in the converfation of Beatrice, may be excused on account of the fteadiness and friendship fo apparent in her behaviour, when the urges her lover to rifque his life by a challenge to Claudio. In the conduct of the fable, however, there is an imperfection fimilar to that which Dr Johnfon has pointed out in the Merry Wives of Windfor.-The fecond contrivance is lefs ingenious than the firft: or, to speak more plain ly ly, the fame incident is become ftale by repetition. I wifh fome other method had been found to entrap Beatrice, than that very one which before had been fuccefsfully practifed on Benedick. Much ado about Nothing (as I understand from one of Mr Vertue's MSS.) formerly paffed under the title of Benedick and Beatrix. Heming, the player, received on the 20th of May, 1613, the fum of forty pounds, and twenty pounds more, as his Majefty's gratuity for exhibiting fix plays at Hampton-Court, among which was this comedy. STEEVENS. MEN. Don PEDRO, Prince of Arragon. Don JOHN, Baftard Brother to Don Pedro. Don Pedro. BENEDICK, a young Lord of Padua, favoured likewife by Don Pedro. BALTHASAR, Servant to Don Pedro. ANTONIO, Brother to Leonato. BORACHIO, Confidant to Don John. DOGBERRY, VERGES, two foolish Officers. WOMEN. HERO, Daughter to Leonato. BEATRICE, Niece to Leonato. MARGARET, URSULA, "} two Gentlewomen attending on Hero A Piar, Mellenger, Watch, Town-Clerk, Sexton, and Attendants. SCENE, Mefina in Sicily. |