Return
to
Romeo and Juliet,
Act 4, Scene 5, line 102.

Note to Romeo and Juliet, 4.5.102: "Heart's ease"


As you may see from the lyrics below, "Heart's Ease" is a sassy song which is entirely unsuitable to be played or sung on the occasion of the discovery of the sudden death of a beautiful young maiden.
Sing care away with sport and play;
     Pastime is all our pleasure;
If well we fare, for nought we care,
     In mirth consists our treasure.
Let lungis lurke: i.e., Let slackers hide from the boss.
Let lungis lurke, and drudges work,
     We do defy their slavery;
He is but a fool, that goes to school;
     
All we delight in braverye: All our delight is in bragging and swaggering.
All we delight in braverye.

What does it avail far hence to sail,
     And lead our life in toiling;
Or to what end should we here spend
moylinge: drudgery.
     Our days in irksome moylinge.
It is the best to live at rest
tak't: i.e., take life.
     And tak't as God doth send it;
haunt ech wake: i.e., take part in every village festival.
To haunt ech wake and mirth to make;
     And with good fellows spend it.
Source:   William Chappell, Old English Popular Music. A NEW EDITION WITH A PREFACE AND NOTES, AND THE EARLIER EXAMPLES ENTIRELY REVISED BY H. ELLIS WOOLDRIDGE, London, 1893, pp. 97-98.