Context:
| Location: |
Heptonstall, Yorkshire, England (SD9827) |
| Year: |
Col. 1909 |
| Time of Occurrence: |
Easter |
| Collective Name: |
Paceakers |
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Source:
R.J.E.Tiddy
The Mummers' Play
Oxford, University Press, 1923, pp.234-236
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Cast:
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Text:
Ringer-in
Ring a ring,
I enter the or to see this merry act begin.
I'll act it right and act it safe
and act it on a public state:
and if you can't believe this words I say,
Step in St George and clear my way.
St George
I'm the St George of nobles bright
Who shed most blood for England's right,
England's right and England's wrong,
I'll make thee . . . thy gallant way.
Bold Striker
I'm a soldier stout and bold, Bold Striker is my name,
My sword and drawn buckle by my side, I hope to win this game.
St George [Note 1]
I hope to do the same great boy,
for to fight with me I see thou art not able,
for able is able and life is in my power
and if I draw my glittering sword
I'm almost sure to make the devour.
Bold Striker
How canst thou make me devour
with on my head a plate of brass and in my hand a piece of steel?
My legs and arms are knuckle and bone: I challenge thee to fight.
{They Fight.}
Bold Striker
Pardon.
St George
There is no pardon.
Fight and die. [Note 2]
Now Bold Striker's dead and gone
and what becomes of me?
His body is dead, his blood is shed,
and there his body lies.
He challenged me to fight and why should I deny't.
I struck his doublet into ten parts and sent 'em over the sea,
I sent 'em over the sea to Jamaica to make mince pies,
Mince pies hot and mince pies cold,
mince pies in addition nine days old.
Oh Doctor, Doctor,
if there yet be a travelling doctor in this town
I'll have one if it takes me over a thousand pound.
Doctor
In come I that never came yet
With my great head and little wit:
Although my wit is but small
Perhaps I've got enough to save you all.
St George
Are you the doctor?
Doctor
Yes, sir, I'm the doctor.
St George
How camest thou to be the doctor?
Doctor
By my travels, sir.
St George
How far is your travels, sir?
Doctor
From Italy, Sicily, Germany, France and Spain,
Three times to the world and back again.
St George
No further?
Doctor
Yes, sir, a great deal further.
St George
How much further?
Doctor
From the fireside upstairs and back again.
St. George
What can you cure?
Doctor
All sorts.
St George
What 's all sorts?
Doctor
Itchy pitchy polsh of a golsh.
If a man cast nineteen penny down his throat,
I'm sure I can cast twenty of them out.
By saying 'Here, Jack, take a little of this bottle,
Let it run down thy throttle;
If thou feel not quite slain,
Arise and fight it all over again.'
Bold Striker
Oh, my back.
St George
What 's the matter with thy back?
Bold Striker
My back is broken, my heart's been confounded,
Been struck into seven centres four score
And never like to see old England's ground once more.
St George
What 's thy fee, Jack?
Doctor
Ten pounds is my fee,
but I'll only take five off you:
I know you're only a rogue and a rascal and you'll never pay me.
St George
Oh thou silly ass.
I'll bind thy ope. thy living ope
by tieing thy cap behind you manger
For putting me to such a poor stranger.
If you won't believe these words I say,
Step in the Prince of Paradise and clear my way.
Prince of Paradise
I am the Prince of Paradise of high renown:
Soon I shall see St George's courage taken down.
{Here they have forgotten the part about Morocco.}
Old Tossip
Oh the next that steps in is old Tossip you see:
He's a gallant old man you will now agree.
He wears a pig-tail: can't you see how it cocks ?
And he spends all his time in drinking old ale.
{Here there should be something about an organ-grinder.}
Suffragette
In steps I, a suffragette
Over my shoulder I carry my clogs in my hand
And our Mary Ann shall . . . keep to . . . for any old man
Old Tossip
I've a stick in my hand and a pipe in my snout
And my old cally wife is better than bout
I've some eggs in my basket although I appear
Expecting some time to come in for my share.
Although I am ragged and not so well dressed
I can carry a pace egg as well as the best.
{Final Chorale.}
[All]
We string of fine lads as ever you see
We can all sing as bonny as Robin agree
You see how we're dressed and you see how we go,
As fine as a Lily from the top to the toe.
Go down in your cellar and see what you'll find:
If your barrels be empty, I hope you'll be kind,
For we'll come no more here until the next year,
And if you give us nothing, we'll take nothing,
so farewell and good day.
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Notes:
Tiddy Notes:
"This was taken down in 1909. It is acted in the morning and afternoon of Easter Monday. Tossip carries pace eggs in his hat."
Footnotes:
1. "In the MS. this speech is given to the Doctor"
2. "Should Fight and die be taken as stage direction? The performers did not 'fight and die' at this point: but perhaps they ought to have done so."
Peter Millington's Notes:
Scanned text downloaded from http://members.tripod.co.uk/Sandmartyn/mum27.htm
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File History:
1999-10-10 - Scanned by Martin Collins
1999-11-09 - Encoded by Peter Millington
2024-10-10 - 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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Other Information
There may be more about this text at:
https://folkplay.info/resources/texts-and-contexts/paceakers-play-heptonstall-1909.
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