LEONATO, Governor of Meffina.

ANTONIO, his brother.

DON PEDRO, Prince of Arragon.

CLAUDIO, his friend.

DON JOHN, bastard brother to Don Pedro. CONRADE, his friend.

BENEDICK, a young lord, a marriage-hater,

A FRIAR.

A MESSENGER.

WOMEN.

HERO, daughter to Leonato.

BEATRICE, niece to Leonato.

Much Ado About Nothing.

A

ACT I. SCENE I.

Leonato and Meffenger.

Meffenger from the camp telling Leonato of his having given an account of the gallant behaviour of Claudio to his uncle, fays,

I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him-even fo much, that joy could not fhew itself modeft enough, without a badge of bitterness.

Upon this paffage Doctor Warburton has given a note fo full and ingenious, that it would be prefumption in me to offer my comment on it, in any other fenfe or words than his own.

"This is judiciously expreffed.-Of all the tranf"ports of joy, that which is attended with tears, is "the leaft offenfive; because, carrying with it this "mark of pain, it allays the envy that ufually at"tends another's happiness. This he finely calls a "modeft joy; fuch a one as did not infult the obferver, by an indication of happiness unmixed with pain."

ACT II. SCENE I, Phyfiognomifts fay, that the features of the mind ufually mark their impreffions on the countenance. A mirthful or melancholy afpect, a wanton or malicious one; in fine, every characteristic trait of vifage throughout, denote their correfpondent paffions or affections in the foul. Socrates acknowledged the certainty of this fcience, by confeffing a defcription of himfelf to be true, as to his nature, though falfe, regarding his character,

According to this piece of philofophy, a person of a fevere and faturnine complexion is humorously defcribed in this place,

L 3

Beatrice.

Beatrice. How tartly that gentleman looks! I never can fee him, but I am heart-burned an hour after.

From hence this lively girl proceeds to draw a contrast between him and another perfon, of a contrary difpofition, very juftly cenfuring both of the

extremes :

He were an excellent man that were made juft in the mid-way between him and Benedick; the one is too like an image, and says nothing; and the other, too much like my lady's eldest son, evermore tattling.

SCENE III.

The abfolute dominion which love is found to ufurp, not only over our paffions, but our very principles, is too justly defcribed in a paffage here; which may lead one to pronounce, that neither man or woman can truly boaft a friend, whom they have not had an occafion of first trying as a rival.

Claudio. Friendship is conftant in all other things,
Save in the office and affairs of love;

Therefore all hearts in love ufe their own tongues*,
Let every eye negotiate for itfelf,

And truft no agent. Beauty is a witch,

Against whofe charms faith melteth into blood-
This is an accident † of hourly proof.

The effect of ftrong paffion in the prevention of utterance, is well expreffed here:

Claudio. Silence is the perfecteft herald of joy-I were but little happy, if I could fay bow much.

SCENE VIII.

The total metamorphofis of character, manners, and difpofition, wrought in us by love, is well described in a fpeech in this Scene:

Benedick. I do much wonder, that one man seeing how much another man is a fool, when he dedicates his behaviour to love, will, after he hath laughed at fuch fhallow follies in others, become the argument of his own fcorn, by falling himself in love! And fuch & man is Claudio. I have known when there was no mufic with him, but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor

Ufe their own tongues, for let ufe.

Accident, for article,

and

and the pipe. I have known when he would have walked ten miles a-foot, to fee a good armour; and now will he lye ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to fpeak plain, and to the purpofe, like an honeft man, and a foidier; and now is he turned orthographer; his words are a very fantastical banquet, juft fo many ftrange difhes.

From these reflections, Benedick goes on holding a debate with himself upon this fubject; and, like most people, before their hearts have become a party in the matter, draws a vain portrait of the peerless paragon who only can be capable of triumphing over his affections; leaving nothing, in the choice of his mistress, to Heaven itself, except the colour of her bair.

May I be fo converted, and fee with these eyes? I cannot tell ; I think not. I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyfter; but I'll take my oath, that till he have made one of me, he fhall never make me fuch a fool, One woman is fair, yet I,am well; another is wife, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well. But till all graces meet in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich fhe fhall be, that's certain; wife, or I'l none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, an excellent musician; and her hair fhall be of what colour it pleafe God.

Modefty is as fure an attendant on Merit, as its companion, as Envy is, as its fhade*,

Pedro. It is the witness still of excellency,

To put a strange face on its own perfection,

In the fame Scene, Don Pedro, speaking of Benedick, fays,

The man doth fear God, howfoever it seems not in him, by fome large jefts he will make.

This is too common a character in life; of perfons who fcoff at religion with as much fear and trembling, as would be fufficient to work out their falvation. The whole of infidelity is owing to a fool-hardy dif

"Envy does merit as its hade purfue,

"And like its shadow proves the fabiance too." Porz

pofition of this fort. The ftrongest Deifts are but Sceptics; and the Atheist, no more than a Deist in reality; nay often, as Pope humorously expreffes it on another occafion,

The scheme for inducing Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love with each other, which is commenced with him in the preceding Scene, and concluded with her in the firft one of the Third Act, is most admirably laid. The fureft method that artifice can contrive to infpire a paffion in any one, is by giving them a notion of the other party's predilection for them; for, as Hero fays to Urfula, in the plot on Beatrice,

Let it be thy part

To praife him more than ever man did merit.
My talk to thee muft be, how Benedick

Is fick in love with Beatrice. Of fuch matter

Is little Cupid's crafty arrow made,
That often wounds by bearfay.

And again,

[A& III. Scene I.

If it prove fo, then loving goes by haps;
Some Cupids kill with arrows, fome with traps.

[Ditto.

When every other circumftance of years, of rank, and fortune happens to be on a par, fuch arts may, perhaps, be allowed to pafs under the title of pious frauds, at leaft; for gratitude is a good cement of affections, as it ferves to confirm paffion by principle.

*

The readiness with which we are apt to run into the fnare ourselves, with the kind of logic we use in order to make a fudden refolve appear a deliberate purpofe, may be feen difplayed in the foliloquy of Benedick, juft after Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato, had played off their part against him, as fuppofing him not to be within hearing.

Benedick