Audrey.
Clo.
To morrow is the joyful day, Audrey—to morrow
will we be married.
Aud.
I do desire it with all my heart; and, I hope,
it is no dishonest desire, to desire to be a woman of
the world. Here come two of the banish'd Duke's
pages.
Enter two pages.
1 Page.
Well met, honest gentleman.
Clo.
By my troth, well met: come, sit, sit, and a
Song.
2 Page.
We are for you, Sit i'th' middle.
-- 97 --
1 Page.
Shall we clap into't roundly, without hawking,
or spitting, or saying we are hoarse, which are the
only prologues to a bad voice?
2 Page.
I'faith, i'faith, and both in a tune, like two
Gypsies on a horse.
SONG.3 note
It was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
That o'er the green corn-field did pass,
In the spring time; the pretty spring time,
When birds did sing, hey ding a ding, ding,
Sweet lovers love the spring.
Between the acres of the rye,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country-folks would lie,
In the spring time, &c.
The Carrol they began that hour,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that a life was but a flower,
In the spring time, &c.
And therefore take the present time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino;
For love is crowned with the prime,
In the spring time, &c.
Clo.
Truly, young gentleman, though there was no
great matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untunable.4 note
-- 98 --
1 Page.
You are deceiv'd, Sir, we kept time, we
lost not our time.
Clo.
By my troth, yes: I count it but time lost to
hear such a foolish Song. God b'w'you, and God
mend your voices. Come, Audrey.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
