are most engaged, have, on the contrary, scarce one event to aid their personal interest: every occurrence, which befalls them, depends solely on the pitiful act of private listening. If Benedick or Beatrice had possessed perfect good manners, or just notions of honour and delicacy, so as to have refused to have become eves-droppers, the action of the play must have stood still, or some better method have been contrived--a worse hardly could-to have imposed on their mutual credulity.

But this willingness to overhear conversations, the reader will find to be the reigning fashion with the dramatis personæ of this play; for there are nearly as many unwarrantable listeners, as there are characters in it.

But, in whatever failings the ill-bred custom of Messina may have involved the said Benedick and Beatrice, they are both highly entertaining, and most respectable personages. They are so witty, so jucund, so free from care, and yet so sensible of care in others, that the best possible reward is conferred on their merit-marriage with each other.

What Dr. Johnson has said in respect to authors writing characters for provincial, or foreign pronunciation, may be applied to those, who produce such parts as Dogberry, that please merely by misapplication of words "This mode of forming ridiculous characters, can confer praise only on him who originally discovered it, for it requires not much either of wit, or judgment. Its success must be derived almost wholly from the player; but its power in a skilful mouth, even he who despises it, is unable to resist."

Shakspeare has given such an odious character of the bastard, John, in this play, and of the bastard, Edmund, in King Lear, that, had those dramas been written in the time of Charles the Second, the author must have been suspected of disaffection to half the

court.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE 1.

The Court before LEONATO's House.

LEONATO, reading a Letter, HERO, BEATRICE, and BALTHASAR discovered.

Leon. I learn in this letter, that Don Pedro, of Arragon, comes this night to Messina.

Balth. 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?

Balth. 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 Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio.

Balth. 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.

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina, will be very much glad of it.

Balth. 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?

Balth. In great measure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindness: There are no faces truer than those that are so washed.

Beatr. I pray you, is Signior Montanto returned from the wars?

Balth. 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.

Balth. Oh, he's returned, and as pleasant as ever he

was.

Beatr. 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.

Leon. 'Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not. Balth. He hath done good service, lady, in these

wars.

Beatr. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he's a very valiant trencher man; he hath an excellent stomach.

Balth. And a good soldier too, lady.

Beatr. And a good soldier to a lady;-But what is he to a lord?

Leon. 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.

Beatr. Alas, he gets nothing by that !-Who is his companion now? he hath every month a new sworn

brother.

Balth. Is it possible?