DON PEDRO, prince of Arragon. DON JOHN, his bastard brother. CLAUDIO, a young lord of Florence. BENEDICK, a young lord of Padua. LEONATO, governor of Messina. ANTONIO, his brother. BALTHASAR, attendant on Don Pedro. CONRADE, follower of Don John. BORACHIO, ” ” ” FRIAR FRANCIS. DOGBERRY, a constable. VERGES, a headborough. A Sexton. A Boy. HERO, daughter to Leonato[2]. BEATRICE, niece to Leonato. MARGARET, gentlewoman attending on Hero. URSULA, ” ” ” Messengers, Watch, Attendants, &c. SCENE—_Messina._ ~~~~~ Footnotes: 1: DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.] First given by Rowe. 2: See note (I). ~~~~~ MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. ACT I. SCENE I. _Before_ LEONATO’S _house_. _Enter_ LEONATO, HERO, _and_ BEATRICE, _with a_ Messenger. _Leon._ I learn in this letter that Don Peter of Arragon comes this night to Messina. _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? 5 _Mess._ But few of any sort, and none of name. _Leon._ A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here that Don Peter hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine called Claudio. _Mess._ Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered 10 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 Messina will be very 15 much glad of it. _Mess._ I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him; even so much, that joy could not show itself modest enough without a badge of bitterness. _Leon._ Did he break out into tears? 20 _Mess._ In great measure. _Leon._ A kind overflow of kindness: there are no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping! _Beat._ I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from 25 the wars or no? _Mess._ I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort. _Leon._ What is he that you ask for, niece? _Hero._ My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua. 30 _Mess._ O, he’s returned; and as pleasant as ever he was. _Beat._ He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle’s fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten 35 in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eat all of his killing. _Leon._ Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he’ll be meet with you, I doubt it not. _Mess._ He hath done good service, lady, in these wars. 40