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J.Pearce's Mummers' Act or Morris Dancers 'Chapbook - 1837-1849 |
Mummers' Play from Skelton (Yorkshire) 1930 |
| 1. |
arrah dear joys save all your faces |
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| 2. |
i make much reverence to your graces |
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| 3. |
and come by chance of that design |
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| 4. |
myself alone with all the nine |
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| 5. |
to reading i make some pretensions |
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| 6. |
i learn d all by my own inventions |
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| 7. |
i know my letters all by sight |
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| 8. |
tho i ve by name forgot them quite |
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| 9. |
i know philosophy in part |
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| 10. |
can say my almanac by heart |
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| 11. |
and know within an hour or two |
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| 12. |
what clock is by it at first view |
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| 13. |
by saint george s beard if ever i rise man |
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| 14. |
i ll make my sister an exciseman |
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| 15. |
but most of us when we come hither |
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| 16. |
can get e en nothing nor that neither |
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| 17. |
and e er i d beg my bread for money |
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| 18. |
myself would dress the king s dear honey |
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| 19. |
oh such great learning live and starve on t |
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| 20. |
ay no indeed i ve done your sarvent |
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| 21. |
i am saint george who from old england sprung |
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| 22. |
many bloody deeds and wonders have i done |
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| 23. |
i ve practised many a victorious thing |
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| 24. |
my famous name throughout the world doth ring |
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| 25. |
i followed a fair lady up to the castle gate |
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| 26. |
wherein i put the doors to fate |
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| 27. |
in caliph s gates she lay fifteen years or more |
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| 28. |
then i resolved to unbar the door |
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| 29. |
where a great giant almost struck me dead |
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| 30. |
but by my valour i cut off his head |
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| 31. |
i ve searched the world all round and round |
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| 32. |
but one to equal me i never found |
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| 33. |
i am a valiant soldier and slasher is my name |
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| 34. |
with sword and buckler by my side i hope to win the game
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sword and pistol by my side i m bound to win the game
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| 35. |
it s to fight with me i see thou art not able |
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| 36. |
so with my trusty broad sword soon i will thee disable |
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| 37. |
disable disable it is not in thy power |
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| 38. |
so with my broad pointed sword soon will i thee devour |
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| 39. |
stand off slasher and let no more be said |
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| 40. |
for if i draw my sword i m sure to break thy head |
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| 41. |
how canst thou break my head
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how canst thou how canst thou
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| 42. |
since it is made of iron and my body s made of steel
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my head is made of iron my body s made of steel
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| 43. |
my hand and feet of muckle bone i challenge thee to field
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my hand and feet of knuckle bone i challenge thee on the field
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| 44. |
alas alas my chiefest son is slain |
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| 45. |
what must i do to raise him up again |
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| 46. |
here he lies in the presence of you all |
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| 47. |
i ll lovingly for a doctor call |
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| 48. |
a doctor a doctor ten pounds for a doctor |
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| 49. |
i ll go and fetch a doctor |
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| 50. |
here am i |
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| 51. |
are you the doctor
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no doctor
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| 52. |
yes that you may plainly see |
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| 53. |
by my art and activity |
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| 54. |
by the cap of your leg and knee |
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| 55. |
no you blockhead by my art and activity |
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| 56. |
what is your fee to cure this man |
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| 57. |
ten pounds is my fee but jack if thou be an honest man i ll only take five of thee |
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| 58. |
you ll be very cunning if you get any of me |
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| 59. |
well how far have you travelled in doctrineship |
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| 60. |
from italy titally high germany france and spain |
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| 61. |
and now have returned to old england again
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and now come back to old england again
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| 62. |
so far and no further |
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| 63. |
o yes a great deal further |
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| 64. |
how far |
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| 65. |
from the fire spot cupboard head up stairs and then into bed |
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| 66. |
what diseases can you cure
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what can you cure
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| 67. |
all sorts
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all sorts
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| 68. |
what all sorts
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what s all sorts
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| 69. |
the itch the pitch the pox the palsy and the gout |
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| 70. |
the pans within and the pains without |
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| 71. |
if a man gets nineteen devils in his skull i ll cast twenty of them out
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ixtpy picty nineteen divils in a man s head i can cast twenty one out
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| 72. |
i ve in my pockets crutches for lame ducks |
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| 73. |
spectacles for blind humble bees |
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| 74. |
packsaddles and panniers for grasshoppers |
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| 75. |
plaisters for broken backed mice |
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| 76. |
i cured the devil of a nang nail almost fifty five yards long |
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| 77. |
surely i can cure this poor man |
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| 78. |
here jack take a little out of my bottle |
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| 79. |
and let it run down thy throttle |
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| 80. |
if thou be not quite slain |
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| 81. |
rise jack and fight again
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and ride up and fight king charles again
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| 82. |
o my back
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oh my back
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| 83. |
what s amiss with thy back
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what s amiss with thy back
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| 84. |
my back is wounded |
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| 85. |
and my heart is confounded
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my back is wounded my heart s confounded
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| 86. |
such a terrible job was never seen before |
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| 87. |
to be struck out of seven senses into four score |
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| 88. |
the like was never seen in old england before |
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| 89. |
o hark saint george do you not hear the trumpet sound |
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| 90. |
that summons us from off this bloody ground |
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| 91. |
down yonder is the way |
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| 92. |
farewell saint george we can no longer stay
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and i cannot fight again
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| 93. |
i am saint george that noble champion bold |
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| 94. |
and with my glittering sword i won ten thousand pounds in gold |
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| 95. |
twas i that fought the fiery dragon and brought him to the slaughter |
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| 96. |
and by that means i won the king of egypt s daughter |
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| 97. |
i am black prince of paradine born of high renown |
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| 98. |
soon i will fetch saint george s courage down |
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| 99. |
before saint george shall be received by me |
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| 100. |
saint george shall die to all eternity |
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| 101. |
stand off thou black morocco dog or by my sword thou st die |
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| 102. |
i ll stiffen thy body full of pellets and make thy buttons fly |
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| 103. |
odd zonks and couks thou lie but i don t care if i should die |
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| 104. |
draw out thy sword and slay |
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| 105. |
pull out thy purse and pay |
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| 106. |
for i m resolved to have my recompence before i go away |
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| 107. |
now prince of paradine where have you been |
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| 108. |
and what fine sights pray have you seen |
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| 109. |
dost thou think no man of thy age |
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| 110. |
dares such a black as thee engage |
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| 111. |
lay down thy sword take up to me a spear |
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| 112. |
then i ll fight thee without dread or fear |
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| 113. |
now prince of paradine is slain |
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| 114. |
and all his joys entirely fled |
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| 115. |
take him and give him to the flies |
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| 116. |
and never more come near my eyes |
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| 117. |
i am the king of egypt as plainly it appears |
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| 118. |
i m come to seek my son my son and only heir |
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| 119. |
he is slain |
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| 120. |
who did him slay who did him kill |
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| 121. |
and on the ground his precious blood did spill |
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| 122. |
i did him slay i did him kill |
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| 123. |
and on the ground his precious blood did spill |
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| 124. |
please you my legion s honour to maintain |
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| 125. |
perhaps if you had been there you might have been the same |
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| 126. |
i ll seek the biggest champion in the world |
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| 127. |
saint george shall die this night to overwhelm |
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| 128. |
rise hector hector help me with speed |
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| 129. |
for in my life i never stood more need |
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| 130. |
o don t stand here with sword in hand |
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| 131. |
but come and fight at my command |
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| 132. |
o yes o yes my master s words i must obey |
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| 133. |
and from his words i ll stab and slay |
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| 134. |
if that be he that doth stand there |
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| 135. |
that slew my master s son and heir |
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| 136. |
if he should be of noble blood |
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| 137. |
i ll make it run like noah s flood |
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| 138. |
if he should be of gentle race |
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| 139. |
i ll make blood run trickling down his face |
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| 140. |
hold hector do not be so hot |
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| 141. |
for here thou know st not who thou st got |
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| 142. |
thou st got one will tame thee of thy pride |
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| 143. |
and lay thine anger to aside |
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| 144. |
inch thee mince thee cut thee small as flies |
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| 145. |
send thee over the seas to make mince pies |
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| 146. |
mince pies hot mince pies cold |
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| 147. |
i ll send thee hence before thou rt three days old |
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| 148. |
how canst thou tame me of my pride |
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| 149. |
and lay mine anger to aside |
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| 150. |
inch me mince me cut me as small as flies |
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| 151. |
send me over the seas to make mince pies |
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| 152. |
mince pies hot mince pies cold |
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| 153. |
how canst thou send me hence before i m nine days old |
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| 154. |
since my head is made of iron my body s made of steel
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my head is made of iron my body s made of steel
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| 155. |
my hand and feet of muckle bone i challenge thee to field
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my hand and feet of knuckle bone i challenge thee on the field
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| 156. |
i am a valiant knight and hector is my name |
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| 157. |
many bloody battles have i fought and always won the same |
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| 158. |
but from saint george i receive this bloody wound |
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| 159. |
hark hark i hear a silver trumpet sound |
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| 160. |
down yonder is the way |
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| 161. |
farewell saint george i can no longer stay
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and i cannot fight again
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| 162. |
here comes from post old bold ben |
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| 163. |
why master did i ever take you to be my best friend |
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| 164. |
why jack did ever i do thee any harm |
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| 165. |
thou proud saucy coxcomb begone |
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| 166. |
a coxcomb i defy that name |
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| 167. |
with a sword thou ought to die for the same |
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| 168. |
stabbing is the least i fear |
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| 169. |
here s a place now meet me there |
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| 170. |
hollo jack you blocked upyour master s eyes last night |
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| 171. |
and now you are fighting him upon this holy ground |
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| 172. |
no matter if i blocked up your eyes |
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| 173. |
so by my living hopes i ll buy a pound of leather |
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| 174. |
to nail a dog s tail and thy nose together |
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| 175. |
and i swear upon an oath |
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| 176. |
i ll not fight any master upon this holy ground |
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| 177. |
come all you jolly mummers |
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| 178. |
that mum at christmas time |
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| 179. |
come join with me in chorus |
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| 180. |
and join with me in rhyme |
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| 181. |
a mumming we will go will go etc |
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| 182. |
it is of saint george s valour |
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| 183. |
so let us sing |
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| 184. |
he s an honour to his country |
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| 185. |
and a credit to his king |
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| 186. |
of giants and of dragons |
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| 187. |
he was always sure to slay |
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| 188. |
likewise of boars and lions |
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| 189. |
he always won the day |
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| 190. |
then bold slasher he stood up |
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| 191. |
saint george for to attack |
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| 192. |
but he made him sing and yelp |
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| 193. |
and cry out o my back |
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| 194. |
he fought a fiery dragon and brought him to the slaughter |
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| 195. |
and by those means he won the king of egypt s daughter |
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| 196. |
saint george with prince of paradine |
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| 197. |
did fight a furious battle |
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| 198. |
and on the black and moorish dog |
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| 199. |
he made his sword to rattle |
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| 200. |
old king of egypt he came by |
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| 201. |
for to seek his only son |
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| 202. |
saint george did plainly tell him |
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| 203. |
he was slain upon the ground |
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| 204. |
then he called for hector |
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| 205. |
to come and use his sword |
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| 206. |
and to do the best he could |
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| 207. |
to stab and kill saint george |
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| 208. |
a furious battle then they fought |
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| 209. |
for full two hours and more |
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| 210. |
saint george he gave him such a stab |
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| 211. |
as made him yield and roar |
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| 212. |
now we have performed saint george |
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| 213. |
who was a fighting fish |
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| 214. |
we hope you will remember us |
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| 215. |
and then we all will wish |
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| 216. |
a merry christmas to all here and a glorious happy new year |
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