124 THE COMPLETE ANGLES. [PART I. 



Cor- I will sing a song, if anybody will sing another: else 

 to be plain with you, I will sing none : I am none of those 

 that sing for meat but for company : I say, " 'Tis merry in 

 hall, when men sing all." l 



Pise. I'll promise you I'll sing a song that was lately 

 made, at my request, by Mr. William Basse ; one that hath 

 made the choice songs of the " Hunter in his career," and 

 of " Tom of Bedlam," 2 and many others of note ; and this 

 that I will sing is in praise of angling. 



Cor. And then mine shall be the praise of a countryman's 

 life : what will the rest sing of ? 



Peter. I will promise you, I will sing another song in 

 praise of angling to-morrow night ; for we will not part till 

 then but fish to-morrow, and sup together : and the next 

 day every man leave fishing, and fall to his business. 



Ven. 'Tis a match ; and I will provide you a song or a 

 catch against then too, which shall give some addition of 

 mirth to the company ; for we will be civil and as merry as 

 beggars. 



Pise. 'Tis a match, my masters. Let's e'en say grace, 

 and turn to the fire, drink the other cup to whet our 

 whistles, and so sing away all sad thoughts. 



Come on, my masters ! who begins ? I think it is best 

 to draw cuts, and avoid contention. 



Pet. It is a match. Look! the shortest cut falls to 

 Coridon. 



Cor. Well, then ! I will begin, for I hate contention. 



1 Parody on the adage, 



"It's merry in the hall. 

 When beards wag all." 

 i. e. when all are eating. 



2 This song, beginning, " Forth from my dark and dismal cell" with 

 the music to it, set by Henry Lawes is printed in a book, entitled "Choice 

 Ayres, Songs, and Dialogues, to sing to the Theorbo, Lute, and Bass Viol," 

 folio 1675 ; and in Playford's "Antidote against Melancholy," 8vo., 1669 ; 

 and also in Dr. Percy's "lleliques of Ancient English Poetry." H. 



