Johnny Jacks Play from Overton, Hants. - 1913 R.J.E.Tiddy (1923) pp.195-199 91su54cc.xml mastermummers.org R.J.E.Tiddy The Mummers' Play Oxford, University Press, 1923, pp.195-199

Originally prepared for textual analysis during his PhD research on the 'Origins and Development of English Folk Plays' by Peter Millington (2002).

 None

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.

 Overton Hampshire England SU5149 Col. 1913 Christmas Johnny Jacks Quack Doctor: Hero/Combat: Southern English Rumour Father Christmas Twing Twang Little Johnny Jack Abraham Brown King George [Antagonist] Bold Slasher Doctor Turkish Knight

Collected in 1913 from Charles Cooper, of Bridge St., Overton.

1 The name of the character who speaks first is not given.

2 [Rumour's speech] The word fall seems to be a corruption of forth.

3 If gallons is derived from gallants, then the line Send it along to rain is probably an attempt to make a meaningless corruption intelligible.

King George's antagonist is not named.

The character, given here as King George, who converses with Twing Twang at the end is not named.

 01-Jul-1995 Peter Millington Scanned & OCRed 15-Oct-1998 Peter Millington Encoded 15-Jan-2021 Peter Millington TEI-encoded 26-Sep-2024 Peter Millington Encoding corrections Walk in Rumour. Rumour In comes I in comes yet with my great head and little wit. I'm just come in to please you all. Father Christmas Well, young man you've said that well; I should like to hear you say something else. Walk in as Rumour. Rumour In comes I as Rumour, Rumour is my name. I have come to show you many sports to pass away the winter time. There s old activity and new activity that you have never seen before and never will no more. Old Father Christmas fall from the door. Father Christmas In comes I old Father Christmas. Am I welcome or am I not ? I hope old Father Christmas will never be forgot As Christmas comes but once a year And when it comes it brings good cheer, A pocketful of money and a cellar full of beer, Roast beef, plum pudding and mince pies: Who likes that any better than I ? Twing Twang I do. Father Christmas I don't know so much as thee doest, little fellow. There 's room and room and gallons of room, Send it along to rain, After me in comes King George And all his noble train. Song by all the performers. All He comes, he comes, the hero comes: Sound, sound the trumpet a piece a piece a drum Along the cannon roar Walk in King George along the British shore. King George In comes I King George so bold so grand, I does appear with my whole tribes and Britons by my sides, I'm come to close the year. Here's England's right, here's England's wrong. When I pull out my old rusty rapier. Oh is there a man before me can stand That I shall not cut down with my created hand? Antagonist Oh yes, oh yes, there is a man before thee can stand. Thou shalt not cut him down with thy created hand. I'll fight thee, King George like a man of courage bold. Let thy blood be ever so hot, I'll quickly fetch it cold. King George Ah, ah, my little fellow, thee talks very bold Like a good many more as I've been told. Pull out thy rusty rapier, pull out thy sword and fight, Pull out thy purse and pay By satisfaction I'll have thy life before thee goest away Antagonist No satisfaction at all King George, for less than two minutes I'll take thy life away. Battle to Battle thee and I'll call To see which on the ground shall fall, Battle to Battle thee and I'll play To see which on the ground shall lay. One shall die and the other shall live: That's the challenge that I shall give Room my play. Father Christmas Oh dear, oh dear, out of eleven sons I've only got one left. Walk in Bold Slasher and see what thou canst do with the villain. Bold Slasher In comes I Bold Slasher, Bold Slasher is my name, With my sword and buckle by my side I hope to win the game. My head is made of iron, My body's lined with steel: I'm come to fight thee, King George, All in this open field. Father Christmas I hope thee woot, my little feller. Bold Slasher I'll fight thee King George like a man of courage bold... Here follows an exact repetition of the dialogue between King George and his previous antagonist. Father Christmas Oh dear, oh dear, out of eleven sons I haven't got one left. Oh, is there a doctor to be found which can cure my two sons that lay bleeding on the ground ? Doctor Oh yes, oh yes, there is a doctor to be found as can cure thy two sons that lay bleeding on the ground. Father Christmas What is thy skill, Doctor ? Doctor Itch, the stitch, the palsy and the gout, the ridge and pain goes through and out. I got a little bottle by my side that you commonly call Elegant Paint. Two drops of that will fetch thy two sons alive again. Father Christmas Pray, what is thy fee ? Doctor Ten guineas is my fee, but ten pound I take of thee. Father Christmas Try thy skill, Doctor. Doctor One drop on the titch bone of his heart and one drop on the small of his arm. Arise you two men, and likewise serve the King. Father Christmas Well done, my little fellow, thee bis n't like these quack doctors that goes about half doing their work; thee doest it. Have your money now, or wait till you gets it ? Turkish Knight Here comes I the Turkish Knight, Just come from the Turkish Land to fight. Only me and seven more Fought and killed eleven score. Many a hard battle have I been in For the sake of George our King. I'll fight thee, King George, like a man of courage bold . . . Here follows another repetition of the dialogue between King George and his first antagonist down to the words ' Challenge that I shall give '. King George ? Go home, go home, you cowardly snipe, and tell what champions there is in England dwell. I suppose I got another rare great feller to face now then, Walk in, Little Twing Twang. Twing Twang In comes I little Twing Twang Headman in this press gang, Spaniards also. Now I'm little Johnny Jack With my wife and family on my back. Although I am so short and small I think myself the best man of you all. King George ? Stop, stop, my little feller: I knowed thy father years and years before: bought pigs off him, fatted them up with turnip pecker handles, and then they all died eating peasean for want of litter. Who doest think thee bist going to kill ? Dead mouse ? Twing Twang No, thee. Thee and I had better have a rap or two. King George ? Oh dear, oh dear see what I've been and done Killed my poor old Father, Abraham Brown All hear I sits on that is his Ladies and gentlemen give me what you please, Money in the box and God save the King. Carols All God bless the mistress of this house with a gold chain round her neck And when her body sleeps at rest Lord Jesus be her guide ... master ... and merry gentlemen Our carols is done: we must be going, we stay no longer here, sir. We wish you all, both great and small, we wish you a happy New Year, sir.