Camborne, Cornwall : The Christmas Play - 1913-1916 R.J.E.Tiddy (1923) pp.144-147 91sw64tj.xml mastermummers.org R.J.E.Tiddy (Auth.) [J.Thomas (Inf.)] The Mummers' Play Oxford, University Press, 1923, pp.144-147

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

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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.

 Camborne Cornwall England SW6440 Col. 1913 to 1916 Christmas [Not given] Quack Doctor: Hero/Combat: Southern English The Page Father Christmas Turkish Knight St. George Turk Doctor The Devil Bealzibub Old Man Jack The Mason Tom Tarter, Tiddy's Notes:

"J.Thomas, of Camborne, who wrote out the above for Mr. Cecil Sharp, adds this note of explanation: 'There was a little difference in the play in almost every district: but when I played it, Father Christmas was accompanied by two Merrymen or Clowns who were making funny faces whilst Father was talking and singing old songs at intervals. And it would be they who would help the devil to carry the Turk out. And the Doctor would be a small boy of about twelve years old; he would have on a box hat, a frock coat, a pair of gloves too large for him, and a pair of spectacles on his nose with a hump on his back.'"

 01-Jul-1995 Peter Millington Scanned & OCRed 09-May-1998 Peter Millington Encoded 15-Sep-1999 PTM Year of collection adjusted 11-Oct-2024 Peter Millington TEI-encoded The Page Here comes I the Page; I am come to ask you to favour us with a few gallons of room in your house For Father Christmas with his Pop and Touse, For, friends, this is the time of year For Father Christmas to appear. Father Christmas Here comes I old Father Christmas welcome or welcome not; I hope old Father Christmas will never be forgot. We are not come here to laugh and geer But came to taste your Christmas beer. If your Christmas beer is all done We are come to have a bit of fun; But if for fun you are not inclined, Before we leave we will taste your wine; But if our fun you think it 's right, I call in the Turkish Knight. Turkish Knight Here comes I the bold Turkish Knight. I came from the Turkish land to fight: First I fought in England, And then I fought in Spain, And now I am come back to England, To fight St. George again. If I could meet St. George here, I would put my spear in through his ear, I would beat him and bale him And cut him in slices And take a small pot and make a pair of garters. Father Christmas Bold talk, my child, bold talk, I am sure - And St. George is coming through the door. St. George Here comes I St. George A man of courage bold: If thy blood is hot I will soon make it cold, As cold as any clay; I will take thy blood and life away. Draw thy sword and fight or draw thy purse and pay, For satisfaction I must have before I go away Turkish Knight My sword is already drawn, no money will I pay But satisfaction you can have before you go away. They begin the fight by crossing swords. After three leg-cuts and then three head-cuts, St. George strikes a blow at the Turkish Knight and he falls to the ground. Father Christmas goes to him concealing some red ochre in his hand which he puts on the Turk's neck. Father Christmas. Oh, oh, is there a doctor to be found To cure this deep and deadly wound? Doctor Yes, there is a doctor to be found To cure that deep and deadly wound. Father Christmas What can you cure ? Doctor I can cure the itch, the specks, the spots and the gout If there's nine devils in, I can kick ten out. Father Christmas Wonderful cure, wonderful cure. The Doctor then gives the Turk a kick in the backside with the side of his foot. Father Christmas Is that all you can cure? Doctor No, I can cure the hipigo limpigo and no go at all, The diseases of men big or small. Father Christmas Wonderful cure, wonderful cure. The Doctor, taking from his pocket a very large bottle and a wooden ladle, pretends to pour some medicine into the ladle and to put it into the Turk's mouth. Doctor Now take a few drops of my helly com pain And rise to fight St. George again. The Turk jumps up and has another fight with St. George, but he soon receives his fatal blow and falls to the floor. Father Christmas goes to him and, shaking his head, says, Father Christmas My child is dead. Then the Doctor goes to him and takes hold of his foot to feel is pulse: he shakes his head and says Doctor The Turk is dead. The Devil Here comes I old Bealzibub, On my shoulder I carry my club, In my hand a frying pan: Don't you think me a jolly old man? Father Christmas How arn't you a jolly old man With a head like a pig And a body like a sow And a great long nose like the beam of a plough. The Devil I have a fire that is long lighted To put the Turk who was long knighted. With the help of the others he gets the Turk on to his back and goes out with him, saying, The Devil Here I goes old man Jack With the Turk upon my back. The Mason comes in with a trowel in his hand and a hod on his shoulder. The Mason Here comes I little Tom Tarter, I am the boy for mixing marter. He takes St. George by the hand and walks him out, saying, With my trowel and my hod I will build a house for you and God. Alternative ending to the above. The Doctor feels the Turk's nose and his big toe, shakes his head and says there is no pulse there. Father Christmas We must bury the child. Let two take his feet and two take his arm And we will carry him out like a ship in a storm. He takes a book out of his pocket. We will sing a tune to him. You will find the Hymn 120 pound beef - If you can't find it there, turn over a leaf. Then they carry him out, singing, All This poor old man is dead and gone, We shall never see him more, He used to wear an old gray coat All buttoned down before. The End