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 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.

1. Before its appearance in the Folio, 1623, a Quarto copy of "MUCH ADO About Nothing" was printed in 1600. Of the serious portion of the plot, there are traces to be found in Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," Book V., and in Spenser's "Faery Queen," Book II., Canto 4: while still more palpable ones exist in an Italian novel by Bandello. But, for the playful device to draw the pair of wits, Benedick and Beatrice, together; for the existence of those delightful characters themselves; for the invention of that immortal night-constable, and his choice companions in the night-watch; for the entire, and most rich comic portion of this play, we are wholly indebted to Shakespeare's brain. It must have been in an especially happy mood, to have so felicitously blended the two plots, producing a result the most njoyable. Hardly a better remedy for a fit of the spleen than to read through this drama,-racy, pleasant, gloriously humorous, and thoroughly good-humoured.

2. Enter Leonato, &c. In the Folio, after "Enter Leonato, Governor of Messina," is inserted "Imogen, his wife;" but as no such character takes part in the play, she is omitted in modern editions. Shakespeare, probably feeling that the mother of Hero could be no silent witnesser of her daughter's injuries, and yet that the dramatic effect was fully wrought by means of

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 Montanto returned 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. Oh, he is 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

the father's grief and indignation, in all likelihood left her out himself; although by some inadvertence her appearance among the entrances in the first stage-direction may have remained in the copy from which the Folio was printed.

"

3. Any sort. Though Shakespeare and other writers of his time employ "sort" to express 'rank,' 'distinction,' 'select order or station,' yet here, on account of the sequent "none of name, ""of any sort seems to mean 'of any kind or description.' So, a little farther on, the messenger uses the same expression:-"There was none such in the army of any sort ;" meaning of any condition.'

4. Signior Montanto. Beatrice nicknames Benedick thus, to infer that he rather figures in the fencing-school than in the field of battle; "Montanto" being a term borrowed from the Italian masters in the art of defence. See Note 56, Act ii., “Merry Wives."

5. Set up his bills. In allusion to the custom of putting up printed notices in public places as an advertisement. Wrestlers, archers, fencers, &c., thus gave notice of their proposed matches, wherein they challenged contest and invited antagonists.

6. Challenged Cupid at the flight. A "flight" was a sharp, slender arrow used for flying long distances; and Beatrice pre

fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt.?—I pray you, how many hath he killed and caten 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's 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?

Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.10

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 Benedick 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 12 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 month a new sworn brother.13

Mess. Is't possible?

tends that Benedick is so vain of his power in transfixing ladies' hearts, as to believe it surpasses that of Cupid himself.

7. Bird-bolt. A short, thick, blunt arrow; the use of which was permitted to fools and jesters, and is here employed in con. tradistinction to the long, sharp “flight"-arrow previously mentioned.

8. He'll be meet with you. 'He'll meet you on equal terms;' in familiar parlance, 'he'll be even with you.'

9 Holp. Old form of 'helped.'

10. Stuffed with all honourable virtues. The word "stuffed" is here used by Shakespeare, and by other writers formerly, in a commendatory sense, to express 'supplied,' 'provided, 'endowed: but Beatrice's quick wit catches at it, and converts it into a ridiculous epithet. By "a stuffed man," she means a mere semblance of a man, a wadded-out figure; just as Prince Hal calls Falstaff, “My sweet creature of bombast," which was a species of stuffing used for lining and padding clothes. To this very "bombast" Beatrice probably alludes in her punning way, when she exclaims, " But for the stuffing," and breaks off with this insinuation that Benedick's valour is all boast and sham.

11. Free wits. In old writers we find that the "wits" are reckoned "five," as corresponding in number with the 'five senses; and that these latter were even sometimes called "the five wits." By "wit" was frequently meant the intellectual faculty generally; and here Beatrice uses it to express 'sense'

or 'wisdom.'

12. Bear it for a difference. An heraldic term; a difference" signifying 'a distinction.'

Beat. Very easily possible: he wears his faith 14 but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block.15

Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.16

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. Oh, lord! he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. Heaven help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured. Mess. I will hold friends with you, lady.

13. Sworn brother. In times of chivalry it was customary for knightly friends to ally themselves as companions in arms,' or "sworn brothers;" but afterwards the term came to be used more widely, and meant associates in amity or fellowship; favourite friends.

14 His faith. Here used for trust in his friend, and for fidelity to his friend.

15. The next block. The "block" was the mould on which the soft felt hats formerly worn were shaped; and as the style frequently varied, and the form of the hat was capable of being changed by re-blocking, there is to be found in other writers besides Shakespeare, allusion to this practice of altering the fashion of hat-shapes as a type of mutability.

16. In your books. To be in any one's books is a familiar phrase for being in her or his favour. It originated in the custom of entering the names of retainers in the household books of those to whose service they were attached; and perhaps also in the fashion of keeping tablets or books, for lists of special acquaintances, selected visitors, &c.-all persons more or less favoured by the keeper of the book.

17. Squarer. As Shakespeare elsewhere uses "square" for 'quarrel,' 'contest,' 'differ,' he probably means by "squarer" a 'quarreller,' a 'brawler.' To square' is still a among boxers for putting themselves in a position to begin fighting.

term

18. You will never run mad, niece. Leonato's ironical way of calling Beatrice a mad-cap.

19. Charge. Here used to express 'care' and the "cost" before alluded to.