THEN THE BETROTHAL. HEN is there mirth in heaven, Good duke, receive thy daughter, That thou mightst join her hand with his, WEDLOCK. EDDING is great Juno's crown; WED O blessed bond of board and bed! MEASURE FOR MEASURE. TAKE, OH! TAKE THOSE LIPS AWAY. TAK AKE, oh! take those lips away, Bring again. Seals of love, but sealed in vain, Sealed in vain.* * The music of this song was composed by 'Jack Wilson,' the singer, who belonged to the same company of players with Shakespeare, and whose name is given in a stage direction in Much Ado about Nothing, 4to, 1600. [See communication from Mr. Collier, Shakespeare Society Papers, ii. 33.] Shakespeare's claim to the words is doubtful. The same song, with an additional stanza, appears in Beaumont and Fletcher's play of Rollo, Duke of Normandy, under which head they will be found in the present volume. Mr. Collier ob A WINTER'S TALE. THE SWEET OF THE YEAR. WHEN daffodils begin to peer, With heigh! the doxy over the dale, Why, then comes in the sweet o' the year; The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, With heigh the sweet birds, O, how they sing! Doth set thy pugging* tooth on edge; For a quart of ale is a dish for a king. The lark, that tirra-lirra chants, With heigh! with hey! the thrush and the jay: But shall I go mourn for that, my dear? If tinkers may have leave to live, serves, on the other hand, that both stanzas are ascribed to Shakespeare in the edition of his poems printed in 8vo, 1640. But it should be observed also that the song is not given in the earlier edition by Juggard, and that the edition of 1640 is not conclusive authority. The best evidence in favour of Shakespeare's authorship is the general fact that, unlike most of the old dramatists, he never introduced into his plays (with the exception of scraps and foots of popular ballads) any songs by other writers. This is the only instance upon which a doubt can be raised. * Supposed to mean thieving, from the old word puggard, a thief. The close resemblance suggests the derivation from this word of the flash term prigging or proguing, which, however, is rejected by Dr. Nares. A MERRY HEART FOR THE ROAD. JOG on, jog on, the footpath way, A And merrily hent* the stile-a: merry heart goes all the day, Your sad tires in a mile-a. THE PEDLAR AT THE DOOR. LAWN, as white as driven snow; Cypress, black as e'er was crow; Gloves, as sweet as damask roses; Come, buy of me, come; come buy, come buy; Come, buy, &c. THE BALLAD OF TWO MAIDS WOOING A MAN. 4. GET you hence, for I must go; Where it fits not you to know. D. Whither? M. O, whither? D. Whither? M. It becomes thy oath full well, Thou to me thy secrets tell: D. Me too, let me go thither. M. Or thou goest to the grange, or mill: * To seize, to hold. A small stick used for setting the plaits of ruffs. They were originally made of wood or bone, afterwards of steel that they might be used hot. The steel poking-stick was introduced in the reign of Elizabeth. A. Neither. D. What, neither? A. Neither. D. Thou hast sworn my love to be: M. Thou hast sworn it more to me: Then, whither goest? Say, whither? THE PEDLAR'S PACK. WILL you buy any tape, Or lace for your cape, My dainty duck, my dear-a? Any toys for your head, Of the new'st, and fin'st, fin'st wear-a? Money's a medler, That doth utter all men's ware-a. THE TEMPEST. MUSIC IN THE AIR. COME unto these yellow sands, And then take hands: Foot it featly here and there; And, sweet sprites, the burden bear. Bowgh, wowgh. The watch-dogs bark: Bowgh, wowgh. Hark, hark! I hear The strain of strutting chanticleer THE DROWNED FATHER. FULL fathom five thy father lies: Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: But doth suffer a sea-change Hark! now I hear them,—ding-dong, bell.* THE WARNING. WHILE you here do snoring lie, His time doth take; If of life you keep a care, A SAILOR'S AVERSION. THE master, the swabber, the boatswain, and I, For she had a tongue with a tang, Would cry to a sailor, 'Go hang;' She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch, THE BLESSING OF JUNO AND CERES. HONOUR, riches, marriage-blessing, Long continuance, and encreasing, Hourly joys be still upon you! Earth's increase, and foisont plenty, * Set to music by Robert Johnson, 1612. † Abundance. |