Much Ado About Nothing (Folio 1, 1623)

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Much adoe about Nothing.

 1Actus primus, Scena prima.
 
 2Enter Leonato Gouernour of Messina, Innogen his wife, He-
 3ro  his daughter, and Beatrice his Neece, with a messenger.
 
 4 Leonato.
 5I Learne in this Letter, that Don Peter of  Arra-
 6gon, comes this night to  Messina.
 7Mess. He is very neere by this: he was not
 8three Leagues off when I left him.
 9Leon. How many Gentlemen haue you lost in this
 10action?
 11Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name.
 12Leon. A victorie is twice it selfe, when the atchieuer
 13brings home full numbers: I finde heere, that Don Pe-
 14ter hath bestowed much honor on a yong  Florentine, cal-
 15led Claudio.
 16Mess. Much deseru'd on his part, and equally remem-
 17bred by Don Pedro, he hath borne himselfe beyond the
 18promise of his age, doing in the figure of a Lambe, the
 19feats of a Lion, he hath indeede better bettred expecta-
 20tion, then you must expect of me to tell you how.
 21Leo. He hath an Vnckle heere in  Messina, wil be very
 22much glad of it.
 23Mess. I haue alreadie deliuered him letters, and there
 24appeares much ioy in him, euen so much, that ioy could
 25not shew it selfe modest enough, without a badg of bit-
 26ternesse. 
 27Leo. Did he breake out into teares?
 28Mess. In great measure.
 29Leo. A kinde ouerflow of kindnesse, there are no fa-
 30ces truer, then those that are so wash'd, how much bet-
 31ter is it to weepe at ioy, then to ioy at weeping?
 32Bea. I pray you, is Signior  Mountanto return'd from
 33the warres, or no?
 34Mess. I know none of that name, Lady, there was
 35none such in the armie of any sort.
 36Leon. What is he that you aske for Neece?
 37Hero. My cousin meanes Signior Benedick of  Padua
 38Mess. O he's return'd, and as pleasant as euer he was.
 39Beat. He set vp his bils here in  Messina, & challeng'd
 40Cupid at the Flight: and my Vnckles foole reading the
 41Challenge, subscrib'd for Cupid, and challeng'd him at
 42the Burbolt. I pray you, how many hath hee kil'd and
 43eaten in these warres? But how many hath he kil'd? for
 44indeed, I promis'd to eate all of his killing.
 45Leon. 'Faith Neece, you taxe Signior Benedicke too
 46much, but hee'l be meet with you, I doubt it not.
 47Mess. He hath done good seruice Lady in these wars.
 48Beat. You had musty victuall, and he hath holpe to
 49ease it: he's a very valiant Trencher-man, hee hath an
 50excellent stomacke.

 51Mess. And a good souldier too Lady.
 52Beat. And a good souldier to a Lady. But what is he
 53to a Lord?
 54Mess. A Lord to a Lord, a man to a man, stuft with
 55all honourable vertues.
 56Beat. It is so indeed, he is no lesse then a stuft man:
 57but for the stuffing well, we are all mortall.
 58Leon. You must not (sir) mistake my Neece, there is
 59a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick, & her:
 60they neuer meet, but there's a skirmish of wit between
 61them.
 62Bea. Alas, he gets nothing by that. In our last con-
 63flict, foure of his fiue wits went halting off, and now is
 64the whole man gouern'd with one: so that if hee haue
 65wit enough to keepe himselfe warme, let him beare it
 66for a difference betweene himselfe and his horse: For it
 67is all the wealth that he hath left, to be knowne a reaso-
 68nable creature. Who is his companion now? He hath
 69euery month a new sworne brother.
 70Mess. I'st possible?
 71Beat. Very easily possible: he weares his faith but as
 72the fashion of his hat, it euer changes with ye next block.
 73Mess. I see (Lady) the Gentleman is not in your
 74bookes.
 75Bea. No, and he were, I would burne my study. But
 76I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young
 77squarer now, that will make a voyage with him to the
 78diuell?
 79Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble
 80Claudio.
 81Beat. O Lord, he will hang vpon him like a disease:
 82he is sooner caught then the pestilence, and the taker
 83runs presently mad. God helpe the noble Claudio, if hee
 84haue caught the Benedict, it will cost him a thousand
 85pound ere he be cur'd.
 86Mess. I will hold friends with you Lady.
 87Bea. Do good friend.
 88Leo. You'l ne're run mad Neece.
 89Bea. No, not till a hot Ianuary.
 90Mess.  Don Pedro is approach'd.
 
 91 Enter don Pedro, Claudio, Benedicke, Balthasar,
 92and Iohn the bastard.
 93Pedro. Good Signior  Leonato, you are come to meet
 94your trouble: the fashion of the world is to auoid cost,
 95and you encounter it.
 96Leon. Neuer came trouble to my house in the likenes
 97of your Grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should
 98remaine: but when you depart from me, sorrow abides,
 99and happinesse takes his leaue.

Pedro.

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Much Ado About Nothing (Folio 1, 1623)