_Sleepest, or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?
Thy sheep be in the corn;
And for one blast of thy minikin mouth,
Thy sheep shall take no harm.]
This seems to be a stanza of some pastoral song. A shepherd is desired
to pipe, and the request is enforced by a promise, that though his sheep
be in the corn, i.e. committing a trespass by his negligence, implied in
the question, _Sleepest thou or wakest?_ Yet a single tune upon his pipe
shall secure them from the pound. (1773)
III.vi.77 (419,8) Sessy, come] Here is _sessey_ again, which I take to
be the French word _cessez_ pronounced _cessey_, which was, I suppose,
like some others in common use among us. It is an interjection enforcing
cessation of any action, like, _be quiet, have done_. It seems to have
been gradually corrupted into, _so, so_.
III.vi.78 (419,9) thy horn is dry] Men that begged under pretence of
lunacy used formerly to carry a horn, and blow it through the streets.
III.vi.103-121 (420,2) [_Kent._ Opprest nature sleeps] The lines
inserted from the quarto are in crotchets. The omission of them in the
folio is certainly faulty: yet I believe the folio is printed from
Shakespeare'a last revision, carelessly and hastily performed, with more
thought of shortening the scenes, than of continuing the action.
III.vi.111 (421,4) free things] States clear from distress.