Context:
| Location: |
Stanford-in-the-Vale, Berkshire, England (SU3493) |
| Year: |
Perf. 1887 |
| Time of Occurrence: |
Christmas |
| Collective Name: |
Mummers |
|
Source:
William Titchner
Mummers Play - Stanford in the Vale
James Madison Carpenter Collection,
https://www.vwml.org/record/VWMLCustomsIndex/PL284
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Cast:
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Text:
FATHER CHRISTMAS
In comes I Old Father Christmas
Welcome or. welcome not
I hope old Father Christmas
Will never be forgot
A room, a room, I do presume,
Pray give me room to rhyme
I'm come to show itality [(activity)]
This merry Christmas time.
act in youth or act in age [MS addition]
never seen before or acted on the stage [MS addition]
If any man can do any more than me
Walk in, King George and clear the way!
KING GEORGE:
In comes I King George, the valiant man
With naked sword and speard in hand,
I fought the fiery dragon and brought him to slaughter,
And by these means, I won ne King of Egypt's daughter.
What man of mortal dare to stand
before me with my sword in hand
With naked sword and speard in hand,
I'll ash him & shale him as small as flie [MS note]
I'll slay him and cut him as small as flies,
And send to Jemaica to make mince pies;
Walk in bold slasher, and clear the way.
BOLD SLASHER:
In comes I, this Turkish Knight,
[Insert 2]
With thee, King George, I'm come to fight;
I'll fight thee, King George, a man of courage bold
with thy broad sword and speard [MS note]
which won 10000 crowns of gold
If thy blood is hot, I'll make it cold
{Fight between King George and Bold Slasher, King George falls}
FATHER CHRISTMAS:
Doctor, doctor, whur bist thee,
King George is wounded in the knee;
Doctor d do thy part
King George is wounded through the heart
Five pound, ten pound, I'll freely lay down,
If a noble ol [?] doctor can be found.
DOCTOR:
Yes, yes, sir, in walks this noble doctor!
Trvel much in this country, sir.
More at home nor it is abroad.
I don't go about like these full [?] , quack quack doctors, [MS addition]
Picking these poor peoples pockets [MS addition]
I goes about for the good of the country [MS addition]
more to kill nor to cure. [MS addition]
What is the matter with your man?
Father Christmas
Canst cure this man, doctor? [MS addition]
Doctor:
Indeed I can. What's the matter with your man? [MS addition]
FATHER CHRISTMAS:
I think he got the tuth-ache in curper (crupper bone)
DOCTOR:
Mary, bring me my spectacles and pliers
and a box of pills and and a little medicine.
{draws a tooth. Holds horse tooth up in hand}
{Mary finds[?] MS note]}
Is'nt this tooth enough to kill any man!
{Gives man some medicine; a pill;}
He's got 'im an' gone rol lin down
like a wheelbarrow like a grindstone!
In my box I carries my pills,
In my bottle I carries my smells
An in my hand there is no stain,
So rise King George and fight again. {King George rises}
KING GEORGE:
Here am I, King George, with shinin armour bright,
I am a famous champion, also a worthy knight.
Seven long years in close ceve [cave] I was kept,
Hout o that into prison I lept,
Out o that into a rock o stones,
There I laid down my grevious bones.
many a giant I did subdue [MS addition]
An run the fiery dragon through [MS addition]
I fought the man itality [MS addition]
Ere & gained the victory [MS addition]
First I fought in France,
Second I fought in Spain,
third I came to Tettery
To fight the Turk again. {A bit of a skirmish with Turkish Knight}
FATHER CHRISTMAS:
Come in Molly Tinker!
MOLLY TINKER:
My name is not Molly Tinker,
my name is Mary Tinker!
A small beer drinker!
I told the landl'rd to his face,
The chimley carner was my place,
My head's so big an' my wit's so smaall,
I brought my fiddle to please you all.
Green sleeves and yellow leaves, {Sung to some tune; shouldered arms and marched around}
Now my boys we'll dance to please.
Ladies and gentlemen, our story is ended,
Our money box is well recommended.
Five or six shlllins 'll do us no harm, silver or copper [MS addition]
And a little drop of beer, if you can.
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Notes:
Carpenter's typed heading
Mummers Play -- Mr. William Titchner, 69 years old Station Road, Stanford in the Vale Learned about 1887 from a book, only mummering
Carpenter's manuscript notes
about 23 when learned - children & everybody enjoyed Big coats, covered with strips of wall paper King George in short tunic high hats fancy reeds [?] & feathers Sometimes 8 miles away
Carpenter's typed end notes
Played last close on to ten years ago; taught a party down at Shrivenham; - Always well received by nobility and gentry big houses where children were--Come home for Christmas.
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File History:
2022-01-25 - Indexed by Peter Millington
2024-01-30 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington
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Extras:
Dramaturgical Chart
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The chart reveals the dramaturgical structure of the play by showing which speeches in the script are spoken by which character. Vertical lines indicate stage directions.
TEI-encoded File
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Text Relatives Map
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