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Title
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Mummers' play
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Writer
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Unknown
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The play
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Characters of the piece:
Saint George.
A Valiant Soldier
[Enter the Valiant Soldier with sword of wood]
Valiant Soldier
Here come I the valiant soldier,
Cut 'em and Slash 'em is my name,
With my sword and buckler by my side
I mean to win the game.
My head is not of fire,
My body's not of steel,
But here's courage to my knuckle bone -
I'll fight thee, St George, the valiant field.
St George
Thou fight he, St George, the valiant field,
And with thy courage make him yield!
I fought a mount of fiery dragons together.
And showed we not one feather.
Valiant Soldier
This bold British champion carries the sway.
This Valiant Soldier thou must slay;
Thou must slay or thou must be slew,
One or the other thou must do.
Draw thy sword, or I'll run thee through.
[They draw swords and fight. St George prevails. The Valiant Soldier falls on his knees.]
Valiant Soldier
Down on my bended knee I fall,
Thy pardon do I crave.
And if thou't spare my life, St George,
I'll be thy mortal slave.
St George
Arise, arise, go home and tell
What the bold British champion does in England so well.
[The Valiant Soldier rises.]
St George
Walk in, the Most High Proud.
[Enter the Most High Proud]
Most High Proud
Here come I, the Most High Proud,
And of the King of Spain,
With my glittering sword I'll conquer any knight,
For I mean to cut him and slay him.
St George
Thou Most High Proud and of the King of Spain,
And be thou come here to fight?
Most High Proud
Ah! Bold champion, I think it is my right,
For it is thee I am come for to fight.
St George
Thou Spanish tyrant, I do defy thee,
Although thou hast an army by thee.
Thy fez, thy Kingdom, thy country's right,
Thy life I'll have this very night.
One or the other thou must do,
So draw thy sword or thou shalt be slew.
[They fight. St George wounds the Most High Proud, who falls to the ground.]
St George
This man's dead and his blood is shed,
Pray, whatever will become of me?
Is there a Doctor to be found
To cure this bold champion bleeding on the ground?
[Enter a Doctor]
Doctor
Oh yes, there is a doctor to be found,
To cure this bold champion bleeding on the ground.
St George
What's thy fee, Doctor?
Doctor
Ten pound is my fee,
But fifteen I will take of thee,
Before I set this gallant man free.
St George
Work thy will, Doctor.
Doctor
I have a bottle by my side,
And that is mixed both red and white.
Chop off nettles I'll make them grow without rain,
I can make young children cut their teeth without pain
And raise the dead to life again.
Here, lad, take a drop of this,
Then jump up and fight, and cut and slash again.
[The Most High Proud drinks from the bottle, then rises and cries for Beelzebub.]
Most High Proud
Walk in Beelzebub.
[Enter Beelzebub]
Beelzebub
Here come I, old Beelzebub,
On my left shoulder I carry a big nub,
And in my hand a dripping pan,
Now don't you think I'm a jolly old man?
My father's been and killed a fat hog,
And that you can plainly see;
My mother gave me the bladder,
To make a hurly-ga-gee.
I saw a mouse by yonder wall,
And he ran in, and that was all.
[All]
To my tol the rol, tol the rol the rido.
[Enter Saucy Jack]
Saucy Jack
Here come I, old Saucy Jack,
With all my family on my back.
Christmas comes but once a year,
And when it comes it brings good cheer -
Roast beef, plum pudding and mince pie,
And who likes that any better than I?
[Here St. George and the Tinker quarrel and fight. Tinker sings]
Tinker
Good morning, Moll, and 'ow dost do?
And wher' beest thee agwine?
I got zummat to zay to thee,
If thee cast spare the time.
All - Chorus
Fol the rol the rido, and that's the time of day O.
Tinker
Then if a cuckold I should be,
Thou and I should never agree,
So let us kiss and part, Sweet Moll,
And never wedded be.
All
Fol the rol the rido, and that's the time of day O.
Tinker
Bold Robin Hood was a forester good
As ever drew bow in the merry greenwood,
And the wild deer did follow, did follow.
There's none so bonny, blithe and gay
As Mary, the pride of the morning.
Then in came Little John with his courage so strong,
He conquered them all with his Hey ding dong,
While the bugle horn did echo, did echo,
There's none so bonny, blithe and gay
As Mary, the pride of the morning.
All
St George
He that courts a pretty girl
Courts her for his pleasure:
He is a fool if he marries her
Without store or treasure.
Come, let is dance and sing,
And drive away all sorrow,
For perhaps we may not
Meet again tomorrow.
All
Fol the rol the rido, and that's the time of day O.
Saucy Jack
Away to the greenwood we,
And up to the old oak tree,
And join the gypsy dance.
Happy, happy shall we be,
Happy, happy, three and three,
Dancing now so merrily.
[Here all join hands and sing]
All
Fol the rol the rido, and that's the time of day O.
