から騒ぎ — ウィリアム・シェイクスピア
You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org . If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title : Much Ado about Nothing Author : William Shakespeare Release date : November 1, 1998 [eBook #1519] Most recently updated: September 19, 2025 Language : English Other information and formats : www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1519 Credits : the PG Shakespeare Team, a team of about twenty Project Gutenberg volunteers *** START OF Before Leonato’s House Scene II. A room in Leonato’s house Scene III. Another room in Leonato’s house ACT II Scene I. A hall in Leonato’s house Scene II. Another room in Leonato’s house Scene III. Leonato’s Garden ACT III Scene I. Leonato’s Garden Scene II. A Room in Leonato’s House Scene III. A Street Scene IV. A Room in Leonato’s House Scene V. Another Room in Leonato’s House ACT IV Scene I. The Inside of a Church Scene II. A Prison ACT V Scene I. Before Leonato’s House Scene II. Leonato’s Garden Scene III. The Inside of a Church Scene IV. A Room in Leonato’s House Dramatis Personæ 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, 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, &c. SCENE. Messina. 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 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 Pedro 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 is 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 trencher-man; 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; and 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 he 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, Balthasar and Others. 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 be