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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    Much adoe
    And that shall Claudio know, so shall the prince,
    And all of them that thus dishonour her.
    Enter Prince and Claudio.
    2125Brother Here comes the Prince and Claudio hastily.
    Prince Good den, good den.
    Claudio Good day to both of you.
    Leonato Heare you my Lords?
    Prince We haue some haste Leonato.
    2130Leonato Some haste my lord! well, fare you well my lord,
    Are you so hasty now? wel, all is one.
    Prince Nay do not quarrel with vs, good old man.
    Brother If he could right himselfe with quarrelling,
    Some of vs would lie low.
    2135Claudio Who wrongs him?
    Leona. Mary thou dost wrong me, thou dissembler, thou:
    Nay, neuer lay thy hand vpon thy sword,
    I feare thee not.
    Claudio Mary beshrew my hand,
    2140If it should giue your age such cause of feare,
    Infaith my hand meant nothing to my sword.
    Leonato Tush, tush man, neuer fleere and iest at me,
    I speake not like a dotard, nor a foole,
    As vnder priuiledge of age to bragge,
    2145What I haue done being yong, or what would doe,
    Were I not old, know Claudio to thy head,
    Thou hast so wrongd mine innocent child and me,
    That I am forst to lay my reuerence by,
    And with grey haires and bruise of many daies,
    2150Do challenge thee to triall of a man,
    I say thou hast belied mine innocent child.
    Thy slander hath gone through and through her heart,
    And she lies buried with her ancestors:
    O in a toomb where neuer scandal slept,
    2155Saue this of hers, framde by thy villanie.
    Claudio My villany?
    Leonato Thine Claudio, thine I say.
    Prince You say not right old man.
    Leonato