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  • Title: Much Ado About Nothing (Quarto 1, 1600)
  • Editor: Gretchen Minton
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-516-2

    Copyright Gretchen Minton. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Gretchen Minton
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Much Ado About Nothing (Quarto 1, 1600)

    about Nothing.
    475Leonato Daughter, remember what I told you, if the prince
    do solicite you in that kind, you know your answer.
    Beatrice The fault will be in the musique cosin, if you be
    not wooed in good time: if the prince be too important, tell
    480him there is measure in euery thing, and so daunce out the an-
    swer, for here me Hero, wooing, wedding, and repenting, is
    as a Scotch ijgge, a measure, and a cinquepace: the first suite is
    hot and hasty like a Scotch ijgge (and ful as fantasticall) the
    wedding manerly modest (as a measure) full of state and aun-
    485chentry, and then comes Repentance, and with his bad legs
    falls into the cinquepace faster and faster, til he sincke into his
    graue.
    Leonato Cosin you apprehend passing shrewdly.
    Beatrice I haue a good eie vnckle, I can see a church by
    490day-light.
    Leonato The reuellers are entring brother, make good
    roome.
    Enter prince, Pedro, Claudio, and Benedicke, and Balthaser,
    or dumb Iohn.
    495Pedro Lady will you walke about with your friend?
    Hero So, you walke softly, and looke sweetly, and say no-
    thing, I am yours for the walke, and especially when I walk a-
    way.
    Pedro With me in your company.
    500Hero I may say so when I please.
    Pedro And when please you to say so?
    Hero When I like your fauour, for God defend the lute
    should be like the case.
    Pedro My visor is Philemons roofe, within the house is
    505Ioue.
    Hero Why then your visor should be thatcht.
    Pedro Speake low if you speake loue.
    Bene. Well, I would you did like me.
    Mar. So would not I for your owne sake, for I haue ma-
    510ny ill qualities.
    Bene. Which is one?
    Mar. I say my praiers alowd.
    B4 Bene.