The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Chapter 60

SCENE III. The forestEnter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY

TOUCHSTONE. To-morrow is the joyful day, Audre'y; to-morrow will we

be married.

AUDREY. 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

FIRST PAGE. Well met, honest gentleman.

TOUCHSTONE. By my troth, well met. Come sit, sit, and a song.

SECOND PAGE. We are for you; sit i' th' middle.

FIRST 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?

SECOND PAGE. I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gipsies

on a horse.

SONG.

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 only pretty ring time,

When birds do 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.

This carol 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.

TOUCHSTONE. Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great

matter in the ditty, yet the note was very untuneable.

FIRST PAGE. YOU are deceiv'd, sir; we kept time, we lost not our

time.

TOUCHSTONE. By my troth, yes; I count it but time lost to hear such

a foolish song. God buy you; and God mend your voices. Come,

Audrey. Exeunt