CONTENTS

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM.

Love's LABOUR's lost.

MERCHANT OF VENICE.

AS YOU LIKE IT.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon.
Don John, his bastard brother.
Claudio, a young lord of Florence, favourite to

Don Pedro.
Benedick, a young lord of Padua, favourite like-

wise of Don Pedro.
Leonato, governor of Messina.
Antonio, his brother.
Balthazar, servant to Don Pedro. .
Borachio,
Conrade, 5 you

followers of Don John.
Dogberry, } two foolish officers.
Verges, s two foolish officers.
A Sexton.
A Friar.
A Boy.
Hero, daughter to Leonato.
Beatrice, niece to Leonato.
Margaret 2

gentlewomen attending on Hero. Ursula, 5%

Messengers, watch, and attendants.

Scene, Messina.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Before Leonato's house.

Enter Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, and others, with a

Messenger.

Leonato. I LEARN in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arra. gon, comes this night to Messina.

Mess. He is very near by this; he was not three leagues off when I left bim.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?

Mess. But few of any sort*, and none of name.

Leon. A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings bome full numbers. I find here, that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine, called Claudio.

Mess. Much deserved on his part, and equally remembered by Don Pedro: he hath borne himself be. yond the promise of his age; doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion : he hath, indeed, better

• Kind,