* MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.] The story is taken from Ariofto, Orl. Fur. B. V. POPE. It is true, as Mr. Pope has obferved, that fomewhat refembling the ftory of this play is to be found in the fifth Book of the Orlando Furiofo. In Spenfer's Fairy Queen, B. II. c. iv. as remote an original may be traced. A novel, however, of Belleforeft, copied from another of Bandello, feems to have furnished Shakspeare with his fable, as it approaches nearer in all its particulars to the play before us, than any other performance known to be extant. I have seen so many verfions from this once popular collection, that I entertain no doubt but that a great majority of the tales it comprehends have made their appearance in an English drefs. Of that particular story which I have just mentioned, viz. the 18th history in the third volume, no translation has hitherto been met with. This play was entered at Stationers' Hall, Aug. 23, 1600. STEEVENS. Ariofto is continually quoted for the fable of Much Ado about Nothing; but I fufpect our poet to have been satisfied with the Geneura of Turberville. "The tale (fays Harington) is a pretie comical matter, and hath bin written in English verfe fome few years paft, learnedly and with good grace, by M. George Turbervil." Arifto, fol. 1591, p. 39. FARMER. I suppose this comedy to have been written in 1600, in which year it was printed. See An Attempt to afcertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, Vol. II. MALONE. PERSONS REPRESENTED. Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon. Claudio, a young lord of Florence, favourite to Benedick, a young lord of Padua, favourite likewife of Don Pedro. Leonato, governor of Meffina. Balthazar, fervant to Don Pedro. Borachio, Conrade, } followers of Don John. Margaret, Urfula. } gentlewomen attending on Hero. Meffengers, Watch, and Attendants. SCENE, Meffina. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. ACT I. SCENE I. Before Leonato's Houfe. Enter LEONATO, HERO,' BEATRICE, and others, with a Meffenger. LEON. I learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Meffina. MESS. He is very near by this; he was not three leagues off when I left him. LEON. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action? I 1 Innogen, (the mother of Hero,) in the old quarto that I have seen of this play, printed in 1600, is mentioned to enter in two several scenes. The fucceeding editions have all continued her name in the Dramatis Perfonæ. But I have ventured to expunge it; there being no mention of her through the play, no one fpeech addreffed to her, nor one fyllable spoken by her. Neither is there any one paffage, from which we have any reason to determine that Hero's mother was living. It seems as if the poet had in his firft plan defigned fuch a character which, on a furvey of it, he found would be fuperfluous; and therefore he left it out. THEOBALD. : The name of Hero's mother occurs alfo in the first folio: * Enter Leonato governor of Meffina, Innogen his wife," &c. STEEVENS. MESS. But few of any fort, and none of name. LEON. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio. MESS. Much deferved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: he hath, indeed, better bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how. LEON. He hath an uncle here in Meffina will be very much glad of it. MESS. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even fo much, that joy could not fhow itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.3 2 of fort,] any Sort is rank, diftinction. So, in Chapman's verfion of the 16th Book of Homer's Odyssey: "A fhip, and in her many a man of fort." I incline, however, to Mr. M. Mafon's eafier explanation. Of any fort, fays he, means of any kind whatfoever. There were but few killed of any kind, and none of rank. STEEVENS. 3 -joy could not show itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.] This is judiciously expreffed. Of all the tranfports of joy, that which is attended with tears is leaft offenfive; becaufe, carrying with it this mark of pain, it allays the envy that ufually attends another's happiness. This he finely calls a modeft joy, fuch a one as did not infult the observer by an indication of happiness unmixed with pain. WARBURTON. A fomewhat fimilar expreffion occurs in Chapman's verfion of the 10th Book of the Odyssey : our eyes wore "The fame wet badge of weak humanity." This is an idea which Shakspeare seems to have been delighted to introduce. It occurs again in Macbeth: 66 my plenteous joys, "Wanton in fullness, feek to hide themselves |