Act V, Scene 3

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 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]