Context:
| Location: |
Ballybrennan, Wexford, Ireland (IT0613) |
| Year: |
Perf. 1817 or 1818 |
| Time of Occurrence: |
Christmas |
| Collective Name: |
Mummers, Mumming |
|
Source:
[Patrick Kennedy]
Hibernian Country Pastimes and Festivals Fifty Years Since
Dublin University Magazine,
Nov.1863, Vol.LXII, No.CCCLXXI, pp.581-588
|
Cast:
|
Text:
{Of the old pastime of mumming,
some traces existed about the period
here treated of, and some years later,
but they scarcely were found as far
north or west as the May dances.
The last company we can recall to
mind were raised in the neighbourhood
of Ballybrennan, in the way
leading from Clonroche to Brie Hill.}
{They entertained the chief folk in
their neighbourhood by decking themselves
as fantastically as they could,
and as best tended to present, in a
striking manner, St. George, St. Patrick,
Oliver Cromwell, a Doctor, Beelezebub,
and a devil of inferior pretensions.
The time of representation being
arrived, and the scene the hall of
the manor-house, the big kitchen of
the gentleman-farmer, or, perhaps his
barn, and the company being collected,
a boy, dressed as nearly in style
of a Punch, or a clown, as they could
manage, came out from the corner, or
the portion screened off, or the next
room, according to circumstances and
locality, and thus delivered his prologue,
waving his bauble as gracefully
as he could afford :-}
[Devil D'Out]
"Room room, brave gallants,
Come give us room to rhyme,
For I'm come to show my mirth
And activity in Christmas time.
"Active young and active age,
The like was never acted on a stage.
And if you believe not what I say
Enter in, St. George, and boldly clear the way."
{St. George, equippied with red sash,
knee-breeches tied with ribbons; large
buckles in his shoes, a feathered hat,
with rim looped up in front, and a
wooden falchion provided with a basket
hilt, came on, as the attendant
sprite retired; and, making the six
broadsword cuts, saluted, and began
his speech ;-}
[St. George]
"Here am I, St. George;
From England have I sprung,
One of these noble deeds of valour to begin.
Seven long years in a close Cave have I been kept,
And out of that upon a prison leapt;
And out of that upon a rock of stone,
Where I made my sad and grievious moan.
Many a joiant I did subdue ;
I run the fiery dhragon through and through ;
I freed fair Sabra from the stake;
What more could mortal man then undertake?
I fought them all courageously,
And still have gained the victory.
For England's right and Ireland's nation
Here I draw my bloody weapon.
Show me the man that daares me stand;
I'll cut him down with my courageous hand."
{Here entered St. Patrick, in attire
similar to that of St. George, green
prevailing in feathers, and sash and
ribbons. He threw himself into fighting
attitude, and some broadsword
cuts and guards were exhibited by the
two saints - but all, as yet, in pure
courtesy :-}
"St. Patrick {loquitur}
"Here, I'm the man that daare you challenge,
Whose courage is great;
And with my sword I make dukes and earls quake."
"St. George
"What are you, St. Patrick, but St. George's bay?
He fed his horse seven long years on oats and hay,
And afterwards he run away."
"St. Patrick {enraged}
"I say, be George, you lie sir.
Pull out your soord and thry, sir.
Pull out your purse and pay, sir.
I'll run me rapier through your body,
and make you run away, sir."
{They fight. St. George falls.}
"St. Patrick {in a fright}
"A docthor, a docthor!
Ten pounds for a docthor!
Is there never a docthor to be found,
To heal the prince of his deep and deadly wound?"
{Enter Doctor, in black clothes and
three-cornered hat; he is provided
with a red nose - cane and pill-box in
hands.}
"Doctor
Here I am, a doctor pure and good,
And with me soord I'll staunch his blood.
If you wish this prince's life to save
Full fifty Guineas I must have."
"St. Patrick
"Doctor, doctor, what can you cure?"
"Doctor
What can't I cure?
I can cure the plague within, the plague without;
The palsy, small-pox and the gout;
And if the Divel was within, I'd surely rout him out.
Moreover, if you bring me an old woman of threescore and ten,
And the knuckle-bone of her hip be broke,
I'll set it to rights again.
{Here St. George rises and retires.}
And if you believe me not in what I say,
Enter in Oliver Cromwell, and boldly clear the way."
{Retires as Oliver entered.}
{Enter Oliver Cromwell, armed with
a Yeoman-Cavalry [Note 1] sword, and ornamented
with a Yeoman-Cavalry helmet,
jack-boots, buckskin-breeches,
and black stock. His look is truculent,
and his nose very red.}
"Oliver Cromwell
"Here am I, Oliver Cromwell, as you may suppose,
I conquered many nations wid me copper nose.
I made the French to tremble, an' my Spaniards for to quake,
An' I beat the jolly Dutchman till I made their hearts to ache.
And if you don't believe what I say,
Enter in Belzeebub and clear the way,"
{He flourishes his sword and withdraws.}
{Enter Beelzebub, in a black wig
and red vizard, somewhat of a Punch
character. Her carries a hump, and
one hand grasps a club - the other, a
frying-pan. He clatters these as he
enters :-}
"Beelzebub
"Here I am Belzeebub,
And over my shoulder I carry my club,
And in my hand a dripping-pan;
I think myself a jolly old man.
And if you don't believe what I say,
Enter in Devil D'Out, and clear the way."
{Knocks the pan with the club, and exit.}
{Enter Devil D'Out, the youth who
presented the prologue. He wields a
broom as he comes forward, and more
or less annoys those who come nearest
him :-}
"Devil D'Out.
"Here I am, little Devil D'Out, [Note 2]
If yous don't give me money, I'll sweep yous all out.
{Broom wielded.}
Money I want, and money I crave,
If you don't give me money, I'll sweep yous to he grave."
{Whatever might elsewhere be the
case, the mummers known to us would
not condescend to soil their consequence
with a collection. Now all
the characters came forward, and
taking hands, danced a kind of reel,
with much gesticulation. Partners
were afterwards selected from among
the girls, and Christmas licence prevailed
to a tolerably late hour. When
mummers visited a manor-house or
large farm-house, they were treated
to punch. When they merely occupied
a barn, to entertain the neighbours,
general dancing concluded the
entertainment - the fiddler, in all
cases, being paid by the mummers,
who never received any recompense
beyond meat and drink.}
{The latest exposition of these Ballybrennan
artists that rises before us,
commenced at the first fair that was
held in Clonroche, some forty years since...}
|
Notes:
Kennedy's Footnotes:
Note 1: "The Yeoman-Cavalry equipments were easily procurable for years after the rebellion."
Note 2: "'Do out," or put out. 'D'out the light' was a common substitute in Wexford county for 'put out the light.' Our readers can have no idea of the entertainment which this Artless pageant afforded to mere country folk, who never in their Lives had seen a regular piece performed. The costumes, the Speeches, and the combat, interested and delighted them (the Young especially) beyond measure."
Indexer's note:
Kennedy later republished this text -
J.Patrick Kennedy,
(1867),
The Banks of the Boro,
London, 1867 - stating that it had been performed in 1817-1818.
|
File History:
2000-11-14 - Entered by Peter Millington
2002-01-03 - Updated by Peter Millington
2021-01-15 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington
|
Extras:
Dramaturgical Chart
Click on the image to view the chart full size.
The chart reveals the dramaturgical structure of the play by showing which speeches in the script are spoken which character. Vertical lines indicate stage directions.
TEI-encoded File
A TEI-encoded XML version of this text can be downloaded here.
Text Relatives Map
See how many of the lines in this text also appear in other plays:
- As a histogram sorted by the number of shared lines
- On a map with markers sized according to the number of shared lines
Other Information
There may be more about this text at:
https://folkplay.info/resources/texts-and-contexts/ballybrennan-wexford-play-about-1823.
|
|
