There lived in the palace at Messina two ladies, whose names were
Hero and Beatrice. Hero was the daughter, and Beatrice the niece, of
Leonato, the governor of Messina.

Beatrice was of a lively temper, and loved to divert her cousin Hero,
who was of a more serious disposition, with her sprightly sallies.
Whatever was going forward was sure to make matter of mirth for the
light-hearted Beatrice.

At the time the history of these ladies commences some young men of
high rank in the army, as they were passing through Messina on their
return from a war that was just ended, in which they had distinguished
themselves by their great bravery, came to visit Leonato. Among these
were Don Pedro, the prince of Arragon; and his friend Claudio, who
was a lord of Florence; and with them came the wild and witty
Benedick, and he was a lord of Padua.

These strangers had been at Messina before, and the hospitable
governor introduced them to his daughter and his niece as their old
friends and acquaintance.

Benedick, the moment he entered the room, began a lively
conversation with Leonato and the prince. Beatrice, who liked not to
be left out of any discourse, interrupted Benedick with saying: 'I
wonder that you will still be talking, signior Benedick: nobody marks
you.' Benedick was just such another rattle-brain as Beatrice, yet he
was not pleased at this free salutation; he thought it did not become a
well-bred lady to be so flippant with her tongue; and he remembered,
when he was last at Messina, that Beatrice used to select him to make
her merry jests upon. And as there is no one who so little likes to be