Context:

Location: Haughton-le-Skerne, Durham, England (NZ3015)
Year: Publ. 1913 to 1915
Time of Occurrence: [Not given]
Collective Name: Sword Dancers

Source:

[Stanley Smith]
Folk Play : Performed by the "Sword Dancers" at Haughton-le-Skerne, Darlington, co. Durham.
Aberystwyth, W.Jones, Y Ddraig Goch Press, [1913-1915]

Cast:

Text:

ALEXANDER.

Good people all, come round and listen to my song,
My name is Alexander, and I won't detain you long;
There are but five of us, sir, and merry men are we,
For we have come a hunting, some houses for to seek,
Some pleasures for to find, and what you freely give us,
Sir, we think you kind.
The first young man that I call in is hero-find
His cap is to the Admiral, and all his men are mine.

THE ADMIRAL.

In comes I, the Admiral, the Admiral stout and bold,
Who fought on deck and won the crowns of gold.

ALEXANDER.

The next young man that I call in, Gallosha is his name -
The finest knight in all the land of glory and of fame.

GALLOSHA.

In comes I, Gallosha - Gallosha is my name,
With sword and pistol by my side, I hope to win the crown.

THE ADMIRAL.

The crown, sir, is not within thy power,
I slay thee and slash thee in less than half-an-hour.

GALLOSHA.

My head is made of iron, sir, my body well steeled,
And with this faithful weapon I'll slay thee on the field.

ALEXANDER.

There are two champions going to fight,
Who never fought before.
I'm not going to stop the fight.
What can I do or more!
{GALLOSHA and THE ADMIRAL begin to fight.}
Fight on, fight on, my merry men,
Fight on, fight on with glee;
I'll give any one a thousand pounds who
Slay Gallosha on the field.

{GALLOSHA falls.}

ALEXANDER.

Oh King, Oh King, what hast thou done?
Thou hast slain my father's best beloved son.

THE ADMIRAL.

He gave me the challenge, how could I him deny?
If Gallosha did I slay, I'll make him rise and
Sing again in less than half-an-hour.
Is there not a doctor to be found?

THE DOCTOR.

Yes, Doctor Black.
In comes I, old Doctor Black -
Although I'm very old, still I can quack.

THE ADMIRAL.

How came you to be a doctor?

THE DOCTOR.

By my travels.

THE ADMIRAL.

How far have you travelled?

THE DOCTOR.

From Italy, Spitaly, France, and Spain,
Over the hills and back again.

THE ADMIRAL.

Is that all?

THE DOCTOR.

No! from the top of my grandmother's stairs to the bottom.

THE ADMIRAL.

What can you cure?

THE DOCTOR.

Any thing.
It there is nine pins in a man's eye
I'll pull eleven out.

THE ADMIRAL.

What will you cure this dead man for?

THE DOCTOR.

A thousand pounds and a bottle of wine.

THE ADMIRAL.

I will not give it thee.

THE DOCTOR.

Then I must be going.

THE ADMIRAL.

Ill give you a thousand pounds and a bottle of wine
If you give me the first drink of it.

THE DOCTOR.

In my inside pocket I have a little bottle
Which contains Oakham Scoakham allegon paint.
Here, young man, take a drink and rise again.

GALLOSHA.

I was once a dead man, sir, and now I am alive,
Blessed be the doctor that made me to revive.

ALEXANDER.

The next young man that I call in, Beelzebub is his name.

BEELZEBUB.

In comes I, Beelzebub,
Over my shoulder I carry my club;
And I think myself a jolly old man,
for I ought to be. .
I have six sons as big as he,
Some tall, some small, and I think myself above them all.
I have a little box under my arm,
And a few spare coppers will do you no harm.

Notes:

Peter Millington's Notes:

This text was discussed by Paul Smith in his paper entitled "The Stanley Smith Collection of Traditional Plays", presented at the International Conference on Traditional Drama, Sheffield, 7th March 1998. Stanley Smith had this text printed as a "broadside" sometime around 1913 to 1915, which he then sent with enquiries when he was collecting plays in the Gower peninsular, Wales.

File History:

2002-02-18 - Scanned & encoded by Peter Millington
2021-01-15 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

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