In “Much Ado About Nothing,” where Beatrice is touched with her first love longing for Benedict, occurs this passage:
“Beat. ’Tis almost five o’clock, cousin. ’Tis time you were ready. By my troth I am exceeding ill; heigh ho!
Margaret. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?
Beat. For the letter that begins them all, h.”
This is supposed to be a poor pun on ache, but be that as it may, it seems clear that Margaret must have been supposed to sound the aspirate clearly in each of the words she used. Had she said, “For an ’awk, an ’orse, or an ’usband,” Beatrice’s joke about the letter h, which in that case would not have been used at all, would have been absurd. On this single illustration one might build quite an argument to show that Shakespeare did not drop his h’s.
Alliterative Tribute to Swinburne
Lord of the lyre! of languaged lightning lord!
Master of matchless melting melody!
Philosopher of Freedom! foe of falsity!
Smiter of sin with song’s swift sleepless sword!—