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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    ble creature, who is his companion now? he hath euery month
    a new sworne brother.
    70Mess. Ist possible?
    Beat. Very easily possible, he weares his faith but as the fa-
    shion of his hat, it euer changes with the next blocke.
    Mess. I see lady the gentleman is not in your bookes.
    75Beat. No, and he were, I would burne my study, but I pray
    you who is his companion? is there no yong squarer now that
    will make a voyage with him to the diuell?
    Mess. He is most in the companie of the right noble Clau-
    80dio.
    Beat. O Lord, he will hang vpon him like a disease, hee is
    sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs present-
    ly madde, God help the noble Claudio, if he haue caught the
    Benedict, it will cost him a thousand pound ere a be cured.
    Mess. I will holde friends with you Ladie.
    Beat. Do good friend.
    Leon. You will neuer runne madde niece.
    Beat. No, not till a hote Ianuary.
    90Mess. Don Pedro is approacht.

    Enter don Pedro, Claudio, Benedicke, Balthasar
    and Iohn the bastard.
    Pedro Good signior Leonato, are you come to meet your
    trouble: the fashion of the world is, to auoyd cost, and you in-
    95counter it.
    Leon. Neuer came trouble to my house, in the likenesse of
    your grace, for trouble being gone, comfort should remaine:
    but when you depart from mee, sorrow abides, and happines
    takes his leaue.
    100Pedro You embrace your charge too willingly: I thincke
    this is your daughter.
    Leonato Her mother hath many times tolde me so.
    Bened. Were you in doubt sir that you askt her?
    Leonato Signior Benedicke, no, for then were you a child.
    Pedro You haue it full Benedicke, wee may ghesse by this,
    what you are, being a man, truely the Lady fathers her selfe:
    A3 be