As You Like It · William Shakespeare
SCENE V. Another part of the Forest
Enter Amiens, Jaques and others. AMIENS. [_Sings_.] Under the greenwood tree, Who loves to lie with me And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird’s throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither! Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. JAQUES. More, more, I prithee, more. AMIENS. It will make you melancholy, Monsieur Jaques. JAQUES. I thank it. More, I prithee, more. I can suck melancholy out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs. More, I prithee, more. AMIENS. My voice is ragged. I know I cannot please you. JAQUES. I do not desire you to please me; I do desire you to sing. Come, more, another _stanzo_. Call you ’em _stanzos?_ AMIENS. What you will, Monsieur Jaques. JAQUES. Nay, I care not for their names. They owe me nothing. Will you sing? AMIENS. More at your request than to please myself. JAQUES. Well then, if ever I thank any man, I’ll thank you; but that they call compliment is like th’ encounter of two dog-apes. And when a man thanks me heartily, methinks I have given him a penny and he renders me the beggarly thanks. Come, sing; and you that will not, hold your tongues. AMIENS. Well, I’ll end the song.—Sirs, cover the while. The Duke will drink under this tree; he hath been all this day to look you.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.