SCENE III. The forest. As You Like It  Shakespeare homepage  |  As You Like It  | Act 5, Scene 3 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  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 

 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 

 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 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. 

 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 

 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 

 your voices! Come, Audrey. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  As You Like It  | Act 5, Scene 3 

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