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American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
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Much Ado About Nothing (Quarto 1, 1600)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Grechen Minton
Not Peer Reviewed
about Nothing.
Beat. Speake cosin, or (if you cannot) stop his mouth with a
710kisse, and let not him speake neither.
Pedro Infaith lady you haue a merry heart.
Beatr. Yea my lord I thanke it, poore foole it keepes on the
windy side of Care, my coosin tells him in his eare that he is in
her heart
715Clau. And so she doth coosin.
Beat. Good Lord for aliance: thus goes euery one to the
world but I, and I am sun-burnt, I may sit in a corner and crie,
heigh ho for a husband.
Pedro Lady Beatrice, I will get you one.
720Beat. I would rather haue one of your fathers getting: hath
your grace ne're a brother like you? your father got excellent
husbands if a maide coulde come by them.
Prince Will you haue me? lady.
Beatr. No my lord, vnles I might haue another for work-
725ing-daies, your grace is too costly to weare euery day: but I
beseech your grace pardon me, I was born to speake all mirth,
and no matter.
Prince Your silence most offends me, and to be merry, best
becomes you, for out a question, you were borne in a merry
730hower.
Beatr. No sure my lord, my mother cried, but then there
was a starre daunst, and vnder that was I borne, cosins God
giue you ioy.
Leonato Neece, will you looke to those things I tolde you
735of?
Beat I crie you mercy vncle, by your graces pardon.
exit Beatrice.
Prince By my troth a pleasant spirited lady.
Leon. Theres little of the melancholy element in her my
740lord, she is neuer sad, but when she sleeps, & not euer sad then:
for I haue heard my daughter say, she hath often dreampt of
vnhappines, and wakt her selfe with laughing.
Pedro She cannot indure to heare tell of a husband.
745Leonato O by no meanes, she mockes al her wooers out of
sute.
C3
Prince