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pubOne.info present you this new edition. MARGARET, Waiting-gentlewoman attending on Hero.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819932857
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0100€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
by William Shakespeare
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
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.
BALTHAZAR, Servant to Don Pedro.
BORACHIO, follower of Don John.
CONRADE, follower of Don John.
DOGBERRY, a Constable.
VERGES, a Headborough.
FRIAR FRANCIS.
A Sexton.
A Boy.
HERO, Daughter to Leonato.
BEATRICE, Niece to Leonato.
MARGARET, Waiting-gentlewoman attending on Hero.
URSULA, Waiting-gentlewoman attending on Hero.
Messengers, Watch, Attendants, and c.
SCENE. Messina.
Act 1.
Scene I. Before LEONATO'S House.
[Enter LEONATO, HERO, BEATRICE and others,with a Messenger. ]
LEONATO. I learn in this letter that Don Pedro ofArragon comes this night to Messina.
MESSENGER. He is very near by this: he was not threeleagues 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 bringshome full numbers.
I find here that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honouron a young
Florentine called Claudio.
MESSENGER. Much deserved on his part, and equallyremembered by Don Pedro. He hath borne himself beyond the promiseof his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion: hehath indeed better bettered expectation than you must expect of meto tell you how.
LEONATO.
He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very muchglad of it.
MESSENGER. I have already delivered him letters, andthere appears much joy in him; even so much that joy could not showitself 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 nofaces truer than those that are so washed; how much better is it toweep at joy than to joy at weeping!
BEATRICE.
I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from thewars or no?
MESSENGER. I know none of that name, lady: there wasnone 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 is returned, and as pleasant as ever hewas.
BEATRICE. He set up his bills here in Messina andchallenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading thechallenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at thebird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in thesewars? But how many hath he killed? for, indeed, I promised to eatall of his killing.
LEONATO. Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick toomuch; 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 toeat it; he is a very valiant trencher-man; he hath an excellentstomach.
MESSENGER.
And a good soldier too, lady.
BEATRICE.
And a good soldier to a lady; but what is he to alord?
MESSENGER. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffedwith all honourable virtues.
BEATRICE. It is so indeed; he is no less than astuffed man; but for the stuffing, — well, we are all mortal.
LEONATO. You must not, sir, mistake my niece. Thereis a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they nevermeet but there's a skirmish of wit between them.
BEATRICE. Alas! he gets nothing by that. In our lastconflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is thewhole man governed with one! so that if he have wit enough to keephimself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself andhis horse; for it is all the wealth that he hath left to be known areasonable creature. Who is his companion now? He hath every montha new sworn brother.
MESSENGER.
Is't possible?
BEATRICE. Very easily possible: he wears his faithbut as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the nextblock.
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 squarernow that will make a voyage with him to the devil?
MESSENGER.
He is most in the company of the right nobleClaudio.
BEATRICE. O Lord, he will hang upon him like adisease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the takerruns presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! If he have caughtthe Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere a' becured.
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,BALTHAZAR, and
Others. ]
DON PEDRO. Good Signior Leonato, you are come tomeet your trouble: the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, andyou encounter it.
LEONATO. Never came trouble to my house in thelikeness of your Grace, for trouble being gone, comfort shouldremain; but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happinesstakes his leave.
DON PEDRO.
You embrace your charge too willingly. I think thisis your daughter.
LEONATO.
Her mother hath many times told me so.
BENEDICK.
Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her?
LEONATO.
Signior Benedick, no; for then were you a child.
DON PEDRO. You have it full, Benedick: we may guessby this what you are, being a man. Truly the lady fathers herself.Be happy, lady, for you are like an honourable father.
BENEDICK. If Signior Leonato be her father, shewould not have his head on her shoulders for all Messina, as likehim as she is.
BEATRICE. I wonder that you will still be talking,Signior Benedick: nobody marks you.
BENEDICK.
What! my dear Lady Disdain, are you yet living?
BEATRICE. Is it possible Disdain should die whileshe hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesyitself must convert to disdain if you come in her presence.
BENEDICK. Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it iscertain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would Icould find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, Ilove none.
BEATRICE. A dear happiness to women: they would elsehave been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and mycold blood, I am of your humour for that. I had rather hear my dogbark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.
BENEDICK. God keep your ladyship still in that mind;so some gentleman or other shallscape a predestinate scratchedface.
BEATRICE. Scratching could not make it worse, an'twere such a face as yours were.
BENEDICK.
Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
BEATRICE.
A bird of my tongue is better than a beast ofyours.
BENEDICK. I would my horse had the speed of yourtongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, i' God's name;I have done.
BEATRICE.
You always end with a jade's trick: I know you ofold.
DON PEDRO. That is the sum of all, Leonato: SigniorClaudio, and Signior Benedick, my dear friend Leonato hath invitedyou all. I tell him we shall stay here at the least a month, and heheartly prays some occasion may detain us longer: I dare swear heis no hypocrite, but prays from his heart.
LEONATO.
If you swear, my lord, you shall not beforsworn.
[To DON JOHN]
Let me bid you welcome, my lord: being reconciled tothe prince your
brother, I owe you all duty.
DON JOHN.
I thank you: I am not of many words, but I thankyou.
LEONATO.
Please it your Grace lead on?
DON PEDRO.
Your hand, Leonato; we will go together.
[Exeunt all but BENEDICK and CLAUDIO.]
CLAUDIO.
Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of SigniorLeonato?
BENEDICK.
I noted her not; but I looked on her.
CLAUDIO.
Is she not a modest young lady?
BENEDICK. Do you question me, as an honest manshould do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speakafter my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?
CLAUDIO.
No; I pray thee speak in sober judgment.
BENEDICK. Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low fora high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for agreat praise; only this commendation I can afford her, that wereshe other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other butas she is, I do not like her.
CLAUDIO. Thou thinkest I am in sport: I pray theetell me truly how thou likest her.
BENEDICK.
Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?
CLAUDIO.
Can the world buy such a jewel?
BENEDICK. Yea, and a case to put it into. But speakyou this with a sad brow, or do you play the flouting Jack, to tellus Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come,in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song?
CLAUDIO.
In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever Ilooked on.
BENEDICK. I can see yet without spectacles and I seeno such matter: there's her cousin an she were not possessed with afury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth thelast of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband,have you?
CLAUDIO. I would scarce trust myself, though I hadsworn to the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.
BENEDICK. Is't come to this, i' faith? Hath not theworld one man but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall Inever see a bachelor of threescore again? Go to, i' faith; an thouwilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it andsigh away Sundays. Look! Don Pedro is returned to seek you.
[Re-enter DON PEDRO. ]
DON PEDRO.
What secret hath held you here, that you followednot to Leonato's?
BENEDICK.
I would your Grace would constrain me to tell.
DON PEDRO.
I charge thee on thy allegiance.
BENEDICK. You hear, Count Claudio: I can be secretas a dumb man; I would have you think so; but on my allegiance markyou this, on my allegiance: he is in love. With who? now that isyour Grace's part. Mark how short his answer is: with Hero,Leonato's short daughter.
CLAUDIO.
If this were so, so were it uttered.
BENEDICK.
Like the old t