As You Like It

As You Like It

ACT V SCENE III	The forest.
	Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY
TOUCHSTONE	To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; 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	5
	world. Here comes two of the banished 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' the middle.
First Page	Shall we clap into't roundly, without hawking or	10
	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.
		15
	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,	20
	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,	25
	In 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 spring time, &c.	30
	And therefore take the present time,
	With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino;
	For love is crowned with the prime
	In spring time, &c.
TOUCHSTONE	Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great	35
	matter in the ditty, yet the note was very
	untuneable.
First Page	You are deceived, 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 be wi' you; and God mend	40
	your voices! Come, Audrey.
	Exeunt