As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 3
The forest
(stage directions) : Enter TOUCHSTONE and AUDREY
Touchstone : To-morrow is the joyful day, Audrey; to-morrow will we
[p]be married.
Audrey : I do desire it with all my heart; and I hope it is no
[p]dishonest
desire to desire to be a woman of the world. Here come
[p]two of the
banish'd Duke's pages.
(stage directions) : 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
[p]spitting, or
saying we are hoarse, which are the only prologues
[p]to a bad voice?
Second Page : I'faith, i'faith; and both in a tune, like two gipsies
[p]on a
horse.
[p] SONG.
[p] It was a lover and his lass,
[p] With a hey, and
a ho, and a hey nonino,
[p] That o'er the green corn-field did
pass
[p] In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
[p] When birds
do sing, hey ding a ding, ding.
[p] Sweet lovers love the spring.
[p]
Between the acres of the rye,
[p] With a hey, and a ho, and a hey
nonino,
[p] These pretty country folks would lie,
[p] In the spring
time, &c.
[p] This carol they began that hour,
[p] With a hey, and a
ho, and a hey nonino,
[p] How that a life was but a flower,
[p] In the
spring time, &c.
[p] And therefore take the present time,
[p] With a
hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
[p] For love is crowned with the
prime,
[p] In the spring time, &c.
Touchstone : Truly, young gentlemen, though there was no great
[p]matter in the
ditty, yet the note was very untuneable.
First Page : You are deceiv'd, sir; we kept time, we lost not our
[p]time.
Touchstone : By my troth, yes; I count it but time lost to hear such
[p]a foolish
song. God buy you; and God mend your voices. Come,
[p]Audrey. Exeunt
Previous: Act 5 - Scene 2
Next: Act 5 - Scene 4
