Play from Bulby, Lincs. - 1913-1916 R.J.E.Tiddy (1923) pp.237-240 91tf02tr.xml mastermummers.org R.J.E.Tiddy The Mummers' Play Oxford, University Press, 1923, pp.237-240

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.

 Bulby Lincolnshire England TF0526 Col. 1913 to 1916 [Not given] [Not given] Quack Doctor: Plough: Recruiting Sergeant Tom Fool Tommy Soldier Recruiting Sergeant Farmer's Boy Lady Bright and Gay Old Jane Beelzebub Doctor Tiddy's Notes:

Note 1: = nature?

Peter Millington's Notes:

Scanned text downloaded from http://members.tripod.co.uk/Sandmartyn/mum28.htm

 11-Oct-1999 Martin Collins Scanned 09-Nov-1999 Peter Millington Encoded 11-Oct-2024 Peter Millington TEI-encoded Tom Fool In comes I as never bin before, There 's many more actors at the door; Some can laugh and some can sing: By your consent they shall walk in. Soldier In comes I the Recruiting Sergeant, I've arrived here just now With orders from the King, To test all you jolly fellows That follows horse or plough. Tinkers, Tailors, Pedlars, Nailers, Does any one advance? More I hear the fiddle play The better I could dance. Farmer's Boy In comes I the Farmer's Boy, Do n't you see my whip in hand? Straight I go from end to end, Scarcely make a baulk or bend, To my horses I attend As they go marching round the end, Gee woa! Lady Bright and Gay ? sings. Behold a lady bright and gay, Sad fortunes and sweet charms, So scornful I've been torn away Right out of my true love's arms; He swears if I won't wed with him, As you may understand, He'll list for a soldier And go to some foreign land. Soldier Come all young men that's a mind for listing, List and do not be afraid, Your hats shall be neatly decked with ribbons Likewise this pretty fair maid. Old Jane In comes I old Jane My neck as long as a crane As I go dib dub over the meadows Seeking all the old maids & widows. Long time I've sought thee Tom And now I've found thee, And pray, Tommie, take thy Charlie. She hands him a wooden doll. Tom Fool It's not mine and I won't have it! Old Jane Look at its eyes, nose, cheek and chin, It 's the picture of you as ever it can grin. Take a spoon and feed it. Tom Fool Get out of my sight: I'll talk to you tomorrow Beelzebub In comes I Beelzebub, Over my shoulder I carry my club, In my hand a whitleather dripping pan. Do n't you think I ain't a funny old man? What old woman can stand before me? Old Jane I can. My head 's made of brass, My body's made of steel, My fingers are made of knucklebone, No man can make me feel. Beelzebub If your head 's made of brass If your body's made of steel, If your fingers are made of knucklebone, I can make you feel. I'll slash you, slash you To small mince pies And send you to Jameacas To make mince pies. Beelzebub knocks Jane down on The floor. Tom Fool O Belze, O Belze, what hast thou done? Thou killed the finest young woman under the sun Five pounds for a doctor. Beelzebub Ten pounds to keep him away. Tom Fool Fifteen pounds. He must come in a case like this. Doctor outside Wo, boy, take hold of my 'orse; hold him by his tail. He's only a donkey: take care he doesn't kick. He comes in In comes I the doctor. Tom Fool You the doctor? Doctor Yes, I'm the doctor. Tom Fool What pains can you cure ? Doctor Ypsey, Pipsy, Palsy, Gout, Pains within and pains without, Heal the sick, cure the lame Almost rise a dead man to life again. Tom Fool Well, Doctor, is them all the cures you can do? Doctor No: when I was up down under in York I cured old Mrs. Cork. She tumbled upstairs: empty tea-pot half full of barley-meal grazed her shin again her elbow, made her stocking bleed and I set that. Tom Fool Well, Doctor, try your experience on this young woman. Doctor I'll feel of her pulse. He feels her pulse and then the back of her neck. Tom Fool Is that where you feel of a young woman's pulse? Doctor Yes: where would you have me feel? Tom Fool Why, back of the neck underneath her elbow of course. Doctor after feeling her again She's in a very low way, very low indeed! She won't get any lower than I'll look for her. Been trying a new experiment. Tom Fool What 's that, Doctor? Doctor Swallowed the donkey and cart last night, and the wheels are n't digested. But the young woman's not dead: she 's only in a trance. Rise up and let 's have a dance. If she can dance, we can sing, Rise her up and let's begin. Then they all sing. All Good master and good mistress As you sit round the fire Remember us poor plough boys Ploughs through mud and mire. The mire it is so wet and deep, We travel but far and near; So what you please into our box And a pitcher of your best beer! Tom Fool Be steady about your beer; we've nought in the hopper yet. Farmer's Boy What do you want in the hopper, Tommy ? Tom Fool A good old piece of pork-pie, mince-pie; I'm as hungry as you're dry. Go round with your hat & so collect money. Then they all sing. All Here's a health unto our master, Our mistress also, Likewise the little children Around the table go: Let 's hope that they may never want While nation Note 1 does provide Us happiness and plentiness And attend to the fireside. You hear our song is ended. Exit Tom Fool. All except Tom Fool And you see our fool is gone: We make it our business To follow him along: And we thank you for civility And for what you gave us here: We wish you all good night And another Happy New Year