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Come, Balthasar, we’ll hear that song again

Prince
Come, Balthasar, we'll hear that song again.
Balthasar
O, good my lord, tax not so bad a voice
To slander music any more than once.
Prince
It is the witness still of excellency
To put a strange face on his own perfection.
I pray thee, sing, and let me woo no more.

Now, divine air! Now is his soul ravished.
Is it not strange that sheeps' guts should 
hale souls out of men's bodies?

Balthasar
Because you talk of wooing, I will sing,
Since many a wooer doth commence his suit
To her he thinks not worthy, yet he woos,
Yet will he swear he loves.
Prince
Nay, pray thee, come,
Or if thou wilt hold longer argument,
Do it in notes.
Balthasar
Note this before my notes:
There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting.
Prince
Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks!
Note notes, forsooth, and nothing.Antanaclesis

   Music plays.
Benedick, aside
Now, divine air! Now is his soul ravished.  Is it not strange
that sheeps' guts should hale souls out of men's bodies?
Well, a horn for my money, when all's done.

  Sings

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,
Men were deceivers ever,
One foot in sea and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey, nonny nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo,
Of dumps so dull and heavy.
The fraud of men was ever so,
Since summer first was leavy.
Then sigh not so, but let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey, nonny nonny.

Prince
By my troth, a good song.
Balthasar
And an ill singer, my lord.
Prince
Ha, no, no, faith, thou sing'st well enough for a shift.
Benedick, aside
An he had been a dog that should have howled thus,
they would have hanged him. And I pray God his bad
voice bode no mischief. I had as lief have heard the night
raven, come what plague could have come after it.
Prince
Yea, marry, dost thou hear, Balthasar? I pray thee get us
some excellent music, for tomorrow night we would have
it at the Lady Hero’s chamber window.
Balthasar
The best I can, my lord.
Prince
Do so. Farewell.
  Balthasar exits.

Source:
Act 2
Scene 3
Line 43

Source Type:
,

Spoken by:

Themes:
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Figures of Speech: