A favourite old Norfolk harvest-home song was “The Pye upon the Pear Tree Top,” the following version of which is taken from Mr. Rye’s admirable History of Norfolk:—
The pye upon the pear-tree top,
(The singer holds up a glass of beer)
(Brings down the glass slowly)
(Offers the glass to his right-hand neighbour.) {258}
The drinker then tries to drink, and his neighbour tries to prevent him.
During the evening one of the reapers, who had been chosen as “lord,” would retire from the table, and, putting on a kind of mummer’s garb, return, calling “Lar-gess.” He then carried a hat or plate round and collected money to prolong the jollification at the village alehouse.
A laughable custom prevalent at Sussex harvest-homes, was the following: Each person at the table—perhaps twenty or thirty men—had to drink, without spilling, a glass of ale placed on the top of a tall hat; when he had finished, he must toss the glass up in the air and catch it in the hat as it fell. Sometimes a man would fail four or five times, and at length get too drunk even to try. Meantime the company kept up the refrain:—
I’ve been to London, I’ve been to Dover, I’ve been a rambling, boys, all the world over, Over, over, over and over, Drink up the liquor and turn the bowl over.
These lines were sung over and over again, getting louder at the critical moments. If the drinker’s effort was crowned with success the fourth line was changed to—