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Description
The action is set in Sicily, where Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, has recently defeated his half-brother, the bastard Don John, in a military engagement. Apparently reconciled, they return to the capital, Messina, as guests of the Governor, Leonato. There Count Claudio, a young nobleman serving in Don Pedro’s army, falls in love with Hero, Leonato’s daughter, whom Don Pedro woos on his behalf. The play’s central plot shows how Don John maliciously deceives Claudio into believing that Hero has taken a lover on the eve of her marriage, causing Claudio to repudiate her publicly, at the altar.
89 pages with a reading time of ~1.50 hours (22418 words), and first published in 1599. This DRM-Free edition published by epubBooks, 2015.
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Excerpt
LEONATO
I learn in this letter that Don Peter of Arragon comes this night to Messina.
Messenger
He is very near by this: he was not three leagues off when I left him.
LEONATO
How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?
Messenger
But few of any sort, and none of name.
LEONATO
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.
Messenger
Much deserved 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.
LEONATO
He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.
Messenger
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.
LEONATO
Did he break out into tears?
Messenger
In great measure.
LEONATO
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!
BEATRICE
I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?
Messenger
I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort.
LEONATO
What is he that you ask for, niece?
HERO
My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua.
Messenger
O, he’s returned; and as pleasant as ever he was.
BEATRICE
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 in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.
LEONATO
Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he’ll be meet with you, I doubt it not.
Messenger
He hath done good service, lady, in these wars.
BEATRICE
You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencherman; he hath an excellent stomach.
Messenger
And a good soldier too, lady.
BEATRICE
And a good soldier to a lady: but what is he to a lord?
Messenger
A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.
BEATRICE
It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man: but for the stuffing,–well, we are all mortal.
LEONATO
You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her: they never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.
BEATRICE
Alas! he gets nothing by that. In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one: so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother.
Messenger
Is’t possible?
BEATRICE
Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block.
Messenger
I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.
BEATRICE
No; an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil?
Messenger
He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.
BEATRICE
O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! if he have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere a’ be cured.
Messenger
I will hold friends with you, lady.
BEATRICE
Do, good friend.
LEONATO
You will never run mad, niece.
BEATRICE
No, not till a hot January.
Messenger
Don Pedro is approached.
[Enter DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and BALTHASAR]
DON PEDRO
Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it.
LEONATO
Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave.
DON PEDRO
You embrace your charge too willingly. I think this is your daughter.
LEONATO
Her mother hath many times told me so.