(this is the chorus)
Here's two or three jolly boys all in one mind
We've come a-pace-egging and we hope you'll prove kind
We hope you'll prove kind with your eggs and strong beer
We'll come no more nigh you until the next year
Enter Old Toss Pot
The first that comes in is Old Toss Pot you see He's a valiant old fellow in every degree He's a hump on his back and he wears a pig tail And all he delights in is drinking mulled ale ------ chorus -------
In comes I a nivver come yet Wi me girt 'ead and me li'll wit And if me wit be nivver sae sma' Me and me pompey'll conquer you all
The next that comes in is old Mally Brown Bags She's so careful of money she goes in old rags She's gold and she's silver and copper in store And she's come a-pace-egging and hopes to get more ------ chorus -------
Enter Mally Brown Bags Masket
In comes I old Mally Masket Under me arm I carries me basket In me basket I carries me eggs In pocket I drops me brass And I thinks mese'l a jolly old lass
Enter Devil with Horns
In comes I Beelzebub And on my shoulders I carry a club And in my hand a frying pan And I think myself a jolly old man
Enter Devilty Doubt with a Hump and a Broom
In comes I, old Devilty Doubt If you don't give me something I'll sweep you all out 'Tis money I want and money I crave Or I'll sweep all the lot of you into the grave
Enter Turkish Knight
The next that comes in is a bold Turkish Knight From a far distant country he's come for to fight He'll meet with St. George and will fight with him here To show him a hero knows nothing to fear ------ chorus -------
Room room brave gallants give us room to sport For to this room we're wishfull to resort Resort and to repeat our merry rhyme Good Sirs remember it's pace-egging-time The time to go out pace-egging doth once again appear So we come to act our play before you good folks here Now that you hear the trumpets sound and hear us beat the drum Make room make room brave gentlemen and let our actors come
We are the merry actors that travel through the street We are the merry actors that all fight for our meet We are the merry actors that show this pleasant play So stir up the fire and strike a light, then Step in St. George and clear the way
Enter St. George
I am St. George of England that noble champion bold Who with my hands and sword did win three crowns of gold 'Twas I that fought the fiery dragon and brought him to the slaughter And by those means I also won the King of Egypt's daughter I've travelled all the world around and around But a man to equal me never have found Show me the man that dare before me stand
I am Black Prince of Paradise from Africa's land I came Purpose to fight thee St. George upon this very plain Of Black Morocco I am King of fiery renown And with my sword I soon shall fetch thy lofty courage down
Stand back thou black Morocco dog or by sword thou'lt die I'll cut thy body in four parts and make thy buttons fly
Thou braggart and thou boasting man that is not in thy power For I'll cut thee into slashes in less than half an hour
Oh slashing man Oh slashing man don't tell so many lies For I'll cut thee into slashes as small as any flies And send thee back across the sea to make into mince pies Mince pies hot and mince pies cold I'll send thee to Black Sambo before thou'rt three days old Stand back thou black Morocco dog and let no more be said For if I draw my glittering sword I'll surely break thy head
How can'st thou break my head When my head is made of brass and my body made of steel My legs and arms are knuckle bone I'll challenge thee to feel
So So Bold Moor neither boast nor stand But quickly draw and take thy sword in hand Let either one or both of us be slain Before we end and sheathe our swords again
They start fighting
(Says whilst falling)
I am a bold and valiant knight and Slasher is my name Full many battles have I fought and always won the same But from St George I have received this bloody wound today Hark Hark The silver trumpets sound I must no longer stay
Enter King of Egypt
I am the King of Egypt as plainly doth appear I've come to seek the young Black Prince who is my son and heir Who is the man who did him slay, his precious blood did spill Who is it that upon this ground my dearest son did kill
I did him slay 'twas I that did him kill And on this ground his precious blood did spill He challenged me to fight and why should I him deny Before I would a coward be I'd fight until I die
Oh George Oh George what hast thou done Thou's gone and slain my only son Mine only son mine only heir How can'st thou see him bleeding there
A Doctor, A Doctor, Ho Ho, What ho for a doctor
Here I am, a Doctor, but I will not come to thee under ten pounds
I'll give ten, fifteen, twenty pounds for a Doctor
King of Egypt
I don't want an actor I want a doctor Art thou a doctorOld Toss Pot
I am a Jack of all tradesMally Brown Bags Masket
How can'st thou be a Jack of all tradesOld Toss Pot
By my travelsMally Brown Bags Masket
How far hast thou travelledOld Toss Pot
I have travelled all up and down the country in this sort of manner and that I have travelled from my grandmother's bedside to the fireside and from the fireside To the cupboardside where I have got many a lump of mouldy cheese and pie crust Which made me such a rollicking bullocking sort of a boy as I amMally Brown Bags Masket
Is that allOld Toss Pot
No! I have traveled round Italy Spittally France and Spain All round England and back againMally Brown Bags Masket
Can'st thou cure this poor manOld Toss Pot
Aye I can cure him as thou shalt quickly seeMally Brown Bags Masket
What can'st thou cureOld Toss Pot
I can cure the itch the stitch the palsy and the gout The plague within and the plague without And if there be nineteen devils in that man's skull I'll surely cast twenty of them outMally Brown Bags Masket
Is that allOld Toss Pot
No If you bring me an old woman of eight score eight Let her chin and her nose be both of a height I'll make her as pretty as that damsel over therePoints at some girl
Mally Brown Bags Masket
Is that allOld Toss Pot
No! As I was going through St. Paul's Churchyard Even the very dead came running after me saying Doctor Doctor Give me one of your never failing pills It's a pity that such a man as I should have diedMally Brown Bags Masket
Is that allOld Toss Pot
No! I've got in my pocket spectacles for blind bumble bees Crutches for lame ducks pack saddles for grasshoppers And many other useful thingsMally Brown Bags Masket
Is that allOld Toss Pot
No! I've got a bottle in my inside outside leftside waist-coat pocket Which my grandmother send me from Spain three days after she died That will surely bring any dead man back to life again Why ! I cured Sir Harry of a disease twenty yards longKneels down and hands the wounded man a bottle
Here Jack take a drop of this my nip nap Let it run down thy tip tap Now if thou art not entirely slain Rise up and fight againThe Turkish Knight drains the bottle, stands up and shouts
Turkish Knight
Oh my backOld Toss Pot
What now is amiss with thy backTurkish Knight
My back is bound my sword is sound I'll have St George another roundMerry Actors
Stop! Stop these words without delay And fight it out another dayMerry Actors form in a ring and sing
Merry Actors
Now ladies and gentlemen that sit around the fire Put your hands in your pockets that's all we desire Put your hands in your pockets and pull out your purse And give us a trifle you'll not feel much worseToss Pot then collects the money in his hat and Malley Masket goes round with her basket for eggs. The performers were usually given refreshments and 'Summat to sup'.