SCENE VI.
Manent Musicians, and Nurse.
Mus.
'Faith, we may put up our pipes and be gone.
Nurse.
Honest good fellows, ah, put up, put up;
For, well you know, this is a pitiful case.
[Exit Nurse.
Mus.
Ay, by my troth, the case may be amended.
Enter Peter.
Pet.
Musicians, oh musicians, heart's ease, heart's ease:
Oh, an you will have me live, why, play heart's ease.
Mus.
Why, heart's ease?
Pet.
O musicians, because my heart itself plays,
my heart itself is full of woe. 4 noteO, play me some merry
dump, to comfort me!
Mus.
Not a dump we, 'tis no time to play now.
Pet.
You will not then?
Mus.
No.
Pet.
I will then give it you soundly.
Mus.
What will you give us?
Pet.
No mony, on my faith, but the gleek. I will
give you the Minstrel.
Mus.
Then will I give you the Serving Creature.
Pet.
Then will I lay the Serving Creature's Dagger
on your Pate. I will carry no Crotchets. I'll re you,
I'll fa you, do you note me?
Mus.
An you re us, and fa us, you note us.
2 Mus.
Pray you, put up your dagger, and put
out your wit.
-- 107 --
Pet.
Then have at you with my wit: I will dry-beat
you with an iron Wit, and put up my iron dagger:
—answer me like men:
When griping grief the heart doth wound,
Then musick with her silver sound—
Why, silver sound! why, musick with her silver sound?
What say you, Simon Catling?
1 Mus.
Marry, Sir, because silver hath a sweet
sound.
Pet.
Pratest! What say you, Hugh Rebeck?
2 Mus.
I say, silver sound, because musicians sound
for silver.
Pet.
Pratest too! What say you, Samuel Sound-Board?
3 Mus.
'Faith, I know not what to say.
Pet.
O, I cry you mercy, you are the singer, I will
say for you. It is musick with her silver sound, because
musicians have no gold for sounding.
Then musick with her silver sound
With speedy help doth lend redress.
[Exit singing.
Mus.
What a pestilent knave is this same?
2 Mus.
Hang him.—Jack, come, we'll in here, tarry
for the mourners, and stay dinner.
[Exeunt.
-- 108 --
5 noteACT V.
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].
