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J.Pearce's Mummers' Act or Morris Dancers 'Chapbook - 1837-1849 |
The Plough Boys (from Tollerton, Nottinghamshire) 1950 |
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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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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42. |
since it is made of iron and 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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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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1. what you the doctor
2. you seem a clever old chap doctor
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52. |
yes that you may plainly see |
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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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and now have returned to old england again |
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62. |
so far and no further
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what as far as that
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63. |
o yes a great deal further
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yes a great deal further than that
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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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also to my old grandmother s cupboard
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66. |
what diseases can you cure
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what great pains do you cure doctor
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67. |
all sorts |
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68. |
what all sorts |
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69. |
the itch the pitch the pox the palsy and the gout
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ipsy pipsy polsy gout
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70. |
the pans within and the pains without
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pains within and 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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72. |
i ve in my pockets crutches for lame ducks
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crutches for lame grasshoppers
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spectacles for blind humble bees
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spectacles for blind bumble bees
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packsaddles and panniers for grasshoppers |
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75. |
plaisters for broken backed mice |
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i cured the devil of a nang nail almost fifty five yards long |
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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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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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82. |
o my back |
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83. |
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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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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down yonder is the way |
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92. |
farewell saint george we can no longer stay |
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93. |
i am saint george that noble champion bold |
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and with my glittering sword i won ten thousand pounds in gold |
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twas i that fought the fiery dragon and brought him to the slaughter |
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and by that means i won the king of egypt s daughter |
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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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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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and all his joys entirely fled |
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115. |
take him and give him to the flies |
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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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thy n only son thy n onle 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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155. |
my hand and feet of muckle bone i challenge thee to 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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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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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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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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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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so by my living hopes i ll buy a pound of leather |
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to nail a dog s tail and thy nose together |
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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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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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we wish you all goodnight and another happy year
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