Originally prepared for textual analysis during his PhD research on the 'Origins and Development of English Folk Plays' by Peter Millington (2002).
Original spelling and typography is retained, except that superscripts, long s and ligatured forms are not encoded.
Line identifiers are those used for line types in the Folk Play Scripts Explorer.
"The following dialogue is printed as written down for Miss Fowler, of Winterton, by W.A., from the dictation of his father, who lives in the parish of Hibaldstow. It contains one interesting idiom, 'War out!' which Miss Fowler herself takes down in another version as 'Where out!' The words appear to mean 'Be wary!' 'Pay attention!' 'Look out!' or, as Lincolnshire people frequently exclaim, 'Mind yersens!'" Otherwise the only noteworthy thing about the rime is that the combat which should occur is omitted, and consequently no doctor appears to bring the fallen champion to life."
Peter Millington's Notes:This text is the first of four published in this article. The general introduction implies that they all were performed on Plough Monday by "plough-jags", although in this case, Christmas is mentioned twice in the dialogue, and the text is headed "Ploughboys".
This text was reprinted by Alex Helm in "The English Mummers' Play, (1980), pp.96-97. Helm's introduction reads:
"The following version is an example of those which have neither combat nor cure, but which are restricted to the wooing only. The characters are typical of those in the more complete versions, but whether the revitalisation was deliberately omitted, forgotten, or never existed, is now problematical. The number of versions reported, largely without text, of this type, suggests that it did not actually exist. The mention of the Boer War in the Foreign Traveller's speech dates the version fairly closely, but Miss Peacock gives no indication as to its last date of performance. She does however say that the North Lincolnshire 'plough-jags' have gone about from 'house to house this season fantastically attired' but is not otherwise more specific about costume. The text is reproduced as printed."