But when I came to man's estate,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
'Gainst knave and thief men shut their gate,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came, alas! to wive,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
By swaggering could I never thrive,
For the rain it raineth every day.

But when I came unto my bed,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
With toss-pots still had drunken head,
For the rain it raineth every day.

A great while ago the world begun,
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
But that's all one, our play is done,
And we'll strive to please you every day.*

AS YOU LIKE IT.

UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE.

[NDER the greenwood tree,
Who loves to lie with me,

And tune his merry note

Unto the sweet bird's throat,
Come hither, come hither, come hither;
Here shall we see

* The Fool in King Lear sings a snatch of a ballad with the same burthen :

'He that has and a little tiny wit,

With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,
Must make content with his fortunes fit,
Though the rain it raineth every day.'
† In some editions turn.

Who doth ambition shun,
And loves to live in the sun,
Seeking the food he eats,

And pleased with what he gets,
Come hither, come hither, come hither;
Here shall he see

No enemy,

But winter and rough weather.

If it do come to pass,
That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease,
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdàme, ducdàme, ducdàme;
Here shall he see,

Gross fools as he,

An if he will come to me.

INGRATITUDE.

BLOW, blow, thou winter wind,

Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude;

Thy tooth is not so keen,

Because thou art not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! sing, heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,
Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,*
Thy sting is not so sharp

As friend remembered not.

Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! &c.

* There was an old Saxon proverb, Winter shall warp water.

ROSALIND.

FROM the east to western Ind,
No jewel is like Rosalind.

Her worth, being mounted on the wind,
Through all the world bears Rosalind.

All the pictures, fairest lined,

Are but black to Rosalind.
Let no face be kept in mind,
But the fair* of Rosalind.
If a hart do lack a hind,
Let him seek out Rosalind.
If the cat will after kind,
So, be sure, will Rosalind.
Winter garments must be lined,
So must slender Rosalind.

They that reap must sheaf and bind;
Then to cart with Rosalind.

Sweetest nut hath sourest rind,
Such a nut is Rosalind.

He that sweetest rose will find,
Must find love's prick and Rosalind.

THE HOMILY OF LOVE.

WHY should this desert silent be?

For it is unpeopled? No;

Tongues I'll hang on every tree,
That shall civil sayings shew.
Some, how brief the life of man
Runs his erring pilgrimage;
That the stretching of a span
Buckles in his sum of age.
Some, of violated vows

"Twixt the souls of friend and friend: But

upon the fairest boughs,

Or at every sentence' end,

* Used for fairness, or beauty.

Will I Rosalinda write:

Teaching all that read to know
The quintessence of every sprite
Heaven would in little show.
Therefore heaven nature charged
That one body should be filled
With all graces wide enlarged:
Nature presently distilled
Helen's cheek, but not her heart;
Cleopatra's majesty;
Atalanta's better part;

Sad Lucretia's modesty.

Thus Rosalind of many parts

By heavenly synod was devised;
Of many faces, eyes, and hearts,

To have the touches dearest prized.
Heaven would that she these gifts should have,
And I to live and die her slave.

THE DEATH OF THE DEER.

WHAT shall he have that killed the deer?

His leather skin, and horns to wear.

Take thou no scorn, to wear the horn;
It was a crest ere thou wast born.
Thy father's father wore it;
And thy father bore it:

The horn, the horn, the lusty horn,
Is not a thing to laugh to scorn.

THE MESSAGE OF HOPELESS LOVE.

ART thou god to shepherd turned,

That a maiden's heart hath burned?
Why, thy godhead laid apart,
Warrest thou with a woman's heart?
Whiles the eye of man did woo me,
That could do no vengeance to me.

THE DRAMATISTS.

7

If the scorn of your bright eyne
Have power to raise such love in mine,
Alack, in me what strange effect
Would they work in mild aspèct?
Whiles you chid me, I did love;
How then might your prayers move?
He that brings this love to thee,
Little knows this love in me:
And by him seal up thy mind;
Whether that by youth and kind
Will the faithful offer take

Of me, and all that I can make;
Or else by him my love deny,
And then I'll study how to die.

LOVERS LOVE THE SPRING.

T was a lover and his lass,

IT

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.