Context:

Location: Buckland Marsh, Berkshire, England (SU3399)
Year: Perf. 1912 and 1913
Time of Occurrence: Christmas
Collective Name: Mumering

Source:

E. Tanner
Little Doctor Giles Mumering
Thomas Fairman Ordish Collection, https://www.vwml.org/record/TFO/2/2/3

Cast:

Text:

{1.) Part Title Little Doctor Giles Mumering}

[Father Christmas]

Here comes I Old Father Christmas
Welcome in or Welcome not
I hope Old Father Christmas Will never be forgot
There is a time for work there is a time for play
Time to be merry and a time to be gay,
Sure enought this Christmas time we all so jouble be
King George the Doctor and the Turk Will here together meet
The Doctor will have his physic and his Bright sharp sword set
For one will kill the other and the Doctor will rise them up
And how happy we shall be our regious Christmas cup
Bold Robin Hood and little John will pass the beer pot round
Never too littler Jouble Chaps I'm sure you ill never find

Answer.

Come in King George

[King George]

Here comes I King George the knight
with my peg I choose to fight
With sword an spear I voulinteer
I take oath its sorrows yiald
All though I am Supliant
yet in battle I am as stout as any Gyiant
I could eat a calf
not fill my belly o no not half
Who ever douts my word Just let him come
I'll slash him Till he his blind deaf and dum

Answer

Come in the Turkish Knight

[Turkish Knight]

Here comes I the Turkish Knight
I come from Turkish Land to fight
And if King George if he is here
I'll make his heart both quake with fear
Ill cut it out with my sharp Sword
eat it ha that I will upon my word
If his blood is hot I'll make it cold.
Spanish point to my heart if thou canst

{King George Answer}

[King George]

Same as I to thee

{Turkish Answer}

Turkish Knight

Will in thee for life I vally thee not though must give
up soon or late orelse no more room for attality

Answer

His there a Doctor in the land

[Doctor]

Yes their is a doctor in the land
Cable of both head and hand
and if this man as got a cought
I can cure him without cutting his head off
But if this man has lost head
Ill put a Donkeys on instead
But if this man wont pay me well Ill leave him as a sinner
and he shall eat a bunch of thicles for his dinner
being the case as it was before
Rise up thy head and fight once more

Answer

Come in Bold Robin Hood

[Bold Robin Hood]

Here comes I bold Robin Hood
with bended bow and nut tree wood
My arrow sharp and for thy quiver
I choose eldey man's fat liver
Down under the green wood tree
Merrily I met with thee
To hunt the deer with horn and hound
and bring our joy this way
And when we get to nutbrown hill
we all steer the hunting day
Brave little John and Firey Tuks
will roast and eat the Slaughtered Buck

Answer

Come In Brave little John

[Little John]

Here comes I brave Little John
my quarter staff I play the dawn
I am not the man that cheeks your cousen
But knocks mens brains out by the dozens
Come listen all ye jolly comarads my belief
and Join with us this Christmas Eve
Put up your sword both night and day
Doctor. doctor no more physic for to day
For I hope you prove a feast, and not Afraid ,
Old. Whome here and fiery Tucks
Ill a bed and I hopes she has good luck
For what we've said and done I hope twill please the corum
Drink all your honours into Jorum
Last Christmas Eve I turned te spit
I burnt my finger and finds ant it
The skimmer run after the ladiel
I i said the gridiron cant you two agree
O no said the gridiron I am the justic and just bring him to me

{end of the first part}

[Unknown]

Now for the music and now for the fun
Our speech is all ready and Christmas begun
So welcome him now and give him good cheer
For old Father Christmas comes once in a year

{2) part}

[Unknown]

Good master and good Mistress I hope you are all within
I am come this merry Christmas time to see you and your kin
But If you are Afended you must take it at a fence
But if you will but only Ill quickly go your rents
A room a room a rime
please give me and my brave gallant boys
Room to rime this merry Christmas time
Active youth Active life.
life which never seen or done before upon a common stage
stage or no stage stage of King George!
Come in the royal)

[Royal of Prussia King]

Here comes I, the Royal of Prussia King
bound to defend all christians
Done from harm cares for no man
Neither Osterern Spanish French Dutch Nor Turk
I am sure no man can do me any hurt
Let all their voices rise the ring
I am the Royal of Proosia King
Come In the Soldier. Bold

[Soldier Bold]

Here comes I the Soldier Bold Bold slasher Is my Name
Sword and sash hangs by my side, I swore I win the game
Where is the man that bid me stand
Who swore he would kill me sword and hand
Ill cut him and hew him as small as flies
Send him to the cook sbop make mince pies
hot Mince pies cold.
Send him to the Cookshop make him Before his 9 days old
I counts myself as good a man as thee

{King George Answer}

[King George]

Same as I to thee

{Turkish Answer}

Turkish Knight

Will in thee for life I vally the not
Thought must give up soon or late,
Or els no more room for attality.

Answer

Come in good Doctor

[Doctor]

Here comes I a Doctor good
and with my hand I stop his blood
My pills shall work him through and through
Shalt cure both body and stomach to

Answere

Where as though come from good Doctor

[Doctor]

Itly. Titly. Germany France and Spain
their is my home and I will return again

Answer

What sort diseases thy pills cure good Doctor

[Doctor]

All sorts of diseases.
The hitch the stich the paulsy and the gout
pains within and pains without
Hard corns soft corns
cured a magpie with the toothake

Answer

How this do that then

[Doctor]

cut his head off and throwed his body into the ditch
All so cures ginkins And his Wife
I cure but she died
Bring onto me old Woman 70 years layed In her grave
she abale to rise up her head and crack one of my Imple pimple pills
Ill bebound 50 pounds bond for her life be saved
from all human ill
There is another quack Doctor in the land can do more than I can
tell him To come and rise a dead man

Ans.

Come in Jack Finney!

[Jack Finney]

Here comes I as not been it
With my big Head and little wit
My head to big my wits so small
I am come to indeavour to please you all
Ladies and gentlemens my Name is not Jack Finney
Mr Finney
A man of great pain
do more than thee or any other man

Answer

What canst though do

[Jack Finney]

I can cure this man if he is not quite dead
So my poor fellow rise up thy head
and fight once more

Answer

Come in old Tom the Tinker.

[Tom the Tinker]

Here comes I old Tom the Tinker
I am no small beer drinker
I told the Landlord to his face
The Chimley corner was his place
there he sat and dryed his face
Old Tom Jiles and I
My face was black my beard was long
my hat was tied on with leathering thong
If you please all you ladies an gentlemens
give me a copper or two to have me beard cut off
To go to church on Sunday
As I was goin down a straight narrow wide croucked lane
I come to a pig with a long horses main
goes on a little bit further
come to a pigsty Built with pancakes
and Thatched with Apples Dumplings
I thought that Was all very good for trade
So I knocked at the mate and out fled the door
House began to shucked and the pig began to roar
they asked me to eat Half a pint of ale
and drink a crust of breadcheese
I said No thank you But just as you please
goes on a little bit further
comes to two old Womens snip Snoping
one cut a barley corn through a ten foot wall
cut the bottom out Of a castiron pot
killed a poor dead dog
turned him inside outwards
Sent him up top of Buckland Hill Barking Backwards

{Music}

[Unknown]

Now for the music and now for the fun
our speech is all ready And Christmas begun
So welcome him now and give him good cheer
For Old Father Christmas comes once in a year
Green sleaves and yellow leaves
get up my boys and work at a space
Your Father In a pretty place
and all he wants is money
My father killed a very fat Haulk and he was double Jointed
I thought about having a leg of pork but i was dispointed
My father he killed a very fat Haulk and that you may plainly see
My mother she died and left me the bladder
to make me This Old Irgurdee

{Finish of the Two speeches}

{E. Tanner}

{Buckland Marsh}

Notes:

Indexer's Notes

Ordish MS Pt.1 pages 119-121 derived from J.A.Giles' Bampton play.
Pt.2 pages end of 121, 124, 125, 122, 123 different (local?) text.
Collected by W R Anson and by Carpenter from E.Tanner at Buckland Marsh. Tanner raised in Bampton.

Ordish Notes

Performed at Anson's home Pusey House, 1912 &1913.

File History:

2022-01-23 - Index by Peter Millington
2024-01-29 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

Extras:

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