God's bread it makes me mad. Day, night, late, early, At home, abroad, alone, in company, Waking or sleeping, still my care hath been To have her match'd; and having now provided A gentleman of princely parentage, Of fair demesnes, youthful, and nobly train'd, Stuff'd, as they say, with honourable parts,
'Proportion'd as one's thought would wish a man- And then to have a wretched puling fool, A whining mammet, in her fortune's tender, To answer 'I'll not wed, I cannot love; I am too young, I pray you pardon me'!
SIR, I hope you will not think it is any manner of Disrespect to your Person or Merit, that the intended Nuptials between us are interrupted. My Father says he has a much better Offer for me than you can make, and has ordered me to break off the Treaty between us. If it had proceeded, I should have behaved my self with all suitable Regard to you, but as it is, I beg we may be Strangers for the future. Adieu. LYDIA.
Arranged marriages are still pretty common in these parts (and now I come to think of it, what other kinds are there? It's not as if the boy and the girl and all their relatives and a new dress and the priest of choice and a slap-up knife-and-fork tea for forty all turn up in one place by accident, is it?).
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match, Find me a find, catch me a catch Matchmaker, Matchmaker look through your book, And make me a perfect match Matchmaker, Matchmaker, I'll bring the veil, You bring the groom, Slender and pale. Bring me a ring for I'm longing to be, The envy of all I see. For Papa, Make him a scholar. For Mama, Make him rich as a king. For me, well, I wouldn't holler If he were as handsome as anything. Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match,Find me a find,Catch me a catch, Night after night in the dark I'm alone So find me match, Of my own. Fiddler on the Roof
