;
3. Spring is here, says the cuckoo.'

Now, the way for three persons, A, B, and C, to sing this Catch or
Round, is as follows:--

A begins [see above, line 69, '_Begin_, fool'] line 1, and immediately
proceeds to line 2; at this very instant, B in his turn begins line 1,
and acts similarly. When A has reached the first syllable in line 3,
and B is at 'Good' in line 2, it is time for C also to begin at line
1. As soon as A has finished line 3, he begins again; and so on with
the others--'round' and 'round' till they are tired of 'catching' each
other up.

Thus when they are all three fairly set going, their _one_ melody
produces _three part_ harmony, and the catchers have drawn 'three
souls out of one weaver.'

The principle in all other Catches or Rounds is exactly the same,
however great the number of parts.

In the following we have another case of catch-singing. The original
music of 'Flout 'em' has not come down to us.

_Tempest_ III, ii, 122.

_Stephano._ Come on, Trinculo, _let us sing_.

[They sing a _catch_, 'Flout 'em and scout 'em.']

_Caliban._ That's not the tune. [Very likely, as they
were tipsy.]

[ARIEL _plays the tune on a tabor and pipe_.]

_Ste._ What is this same?

_Trin._ This is the _tune of our catch_, played by the
picture of Nobody.

* * * * *

L. 136.

_Cal._ Be not afeard; the isle is _full of noises_,
_Sounds_, and _sweet airs_, that give delight, and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand _twangling instruments_
Will hum about mine ears; and sometime _voices_, &c.

_Ste._ This will prove a brave kingdom to me, where I
_shall have my music for nothing_.

L. 152.

I would, I could _see_ this taborer: [Ariel] he _lays it
on_.

Also _Id._ III, ii, 119.

Stephano, like most of the scamps in Shakespeare, is a good musician.
He leads the catch, appreciates Ariel's tabor playing (l. 152), and is
overjoyed to think that he will have all his music 'for nothing' (l.
145) in the magical isle.

Finally, in the _Taming of the Shrew_, we have the title of another
old catch, of which the music has survived--viz., 'Jack, boy.'

_Shrew_ IV, i, 42.

_Curtis._ Therefore, good Grumio, the _news_.

_Grumio._ Why, "_Jack, boy! ho, boy!_" and as much _news_ as
thou wilt.

The words of this catch, which takes four voices, are--