Edward Pudsey's commonplace book with extracts from Shakespeare's plays (fragment at Shakespeare Birthplace Trust)

Editorial note: In this transcription, marginal headings appear on their own line, preceeding the line of associated body text. As a result, sometimes the first line of body text following a heading includes some content associated with the previous heading.

        Much adoe about nothing shakespeare
“hee hath indeed better bettered expectacion then yow must expect of me to tell yow how.
tears 
There are no faces truer then thos that are washt with ioyfull teares, for better
“ys it to weep at ioy then to ioy at weeping.  Stuft with all honorable virtues.
Intertainment   
A talker     
Are yow come to meet your trouble the fashion of this world ys to avoid cost & you
incounter yt.  I wold my horse had the speed of your toung & so good a continuer:
“Shee’s too lowe for a hye praise, too browne for a fair prayse, & too little for a great p &c.
“I can see without spectacles & I see no such matter. yow cannot an maintayne that argument
will   
but in the force of your will. Take the present tyme by the toppe: yf I can crosse
him any way I blesse my self euery waye.  She puttes the world into her person, & soe,
giues mee out well &c. misuse me past the indurance of a blocke, my very visor &c
“I were but little hapy if I cold say how much. I giue away my self for yow, & doat vpon the exch^eange
“my hart keepes on the windy syde of care. I will get yow a husband Response I wold rather one of your ffa
“thers getting for hee got excellent husbandes. Tyme goes on crutches till
strangres
loue &c. Yt is the witnesse still of excellencie to put a strang face on his own perfecion.
“I pray god his bad voice bode no mischeef, I had as liue haue hard the night rauen &c.
“daft all other respects. &c. writ a letter of a sheet of paper & found E[?] & H[?] between
“the sheete  Yt is no addicion to her witt nor no great argument of her follie
“how worthy soeuer shee wold spell him backward &c. A hart as sound as a
plainnnes  
Bell & his toung ys the Clapper for what his hart thinkes his toung speakes.
“I am at your elbow: Response my elbow itcht I though there wold a scrabbe followe
“my hart ys heauie. Response yt wilbe heavie soone by the weight of a man
“how long haue yow profest apprehension . do it wisely. Response. we will spare for no wit I ^{warrant you}
Discours  
harty loue
maintain'd the change of wordes. I loue yow with to much of my hart that none
ys left to protest with.  will yow not eat your word. Response with no sause that can be dev=
“ised to it   Cease thy counsell which falls into my eares as proffitles
“as water into a syve. I know them yea & what they weigthe
“euen to the vtmost scruple, scambling out facing fashion monging boys.
“wee are high ^prooffe malencholie & wold fain haue it beaten away wilt thou vse thy witt.
“I said thou hadd’st a fyne witt true said shee a fyne little one, no said I a
“great witt right sayes she a great grose one nay said I a good witt
“iust said she yt hurtes nobodie, Response nay said I the gent ys wise, certain said she
“a wise gent Response nay said I hee hath the tounges Response that I beleev so she for hee
“swoore a thing to me on monday night, which he forswoore on tuesday
“morning, theers a double toung thers 2 tounges
“what a pretty thing man ys when he goes in his dublet & hose & leaues ^{of his wit}
“deserue well at my hanes I pray thee ) by helping me to &c.
Suffer loue a good Epithitet, for I loue against my will   
mariage
“To binde me or undoe me one of them I must intreat your paines to &c.
“Regarded with an eye of fauor. A Colledg of witt crackers
“cannot slant me out of my humour, Yf a man wilbe beaten with
“braines hee shall weare nothing hansome about him.
“Thou will bee a double dealer, yf thy wiffe do not look exceding narowly to ^thee
“Get thee a wyffe. theere no staffe more reuerent then one tipt with horne.