Some of these hints may be of use to you—if so I shall rejoice; for a kinder-hearted publication than yours I never perused.
For the present I am, Mr. Hone,
Yours, most respectfully,
An Admirer of your Every-Day Book.
The tract accompanying the preceding communication is entitled “Alexander and the King of Egypt; a mock Play, as it is acted by the Mummers every Christmas. Whitehaven. Printed by T. Wilson, King-street.” Eight pages, 8vo. An opportunity is thus obligingly afforded of making the following extracts:
Act I. Scene I.
Enter Alexander
Alexander speaks
Silence, brave gentlemen, if you will give an eye,
Alexander is my name, I’ll sing a tragedy;
A ramble here I took the country for to see,
Three actors I have brought, so far from Italy.
The first I do present, he is a noble king,
He’st just come from the wars, good tidings he doth bring;
The next that doth come in he is a doctor good,
Had it not been for him I’d surely lost my blood.
Old Dives is the next, a miser you may see,
Who, by lending of his gold, is come to poverty;
So, gentlemen, you see, our actors will go round,
Stand off a little while more pastime will be found.
Act I. Scene II.
Enter Actors
Room, room, brave gallants, give us room to sport,
For in this room we wish for to resort,
Resort and to repeat to you our merry rhyme,
For remember, good sirs, this is Christmas time.
The time to cut up goose-pies now doth appear,
So we are come to act our merry Christmas here,
At the sound of the trumpet and beat of the drum
Make room, brave gentlemen, and let our actors come.
We are the merry actors that traverse the street;
We are the merry actors that fight for our meat;
We are the merry actors that show pleasant play,
Step in thou King of Egypt, and clear the way.
K. of Egypt. I am the King of Egypt as plainly doth appear,
And Prince George he is my only son and heir,
Step in therefore, my son, and act thy part with me,
And show forth thy fame before the company.
P. George. I am Prince George, a champion brave and bold,
For with my spear I’ve won three crowns of gold,
’Twas I that brought the dragon to the slaughter,
And I that gain’d the Egyptian monarch’s daughter.
In Egypt’s fields I prisoner long was kept,
But by my valour I from them escap’d;
I sounded loud at the gate of a divine,
And out came a giant of no good design,
He gave me a blow which almost struck me dead,
But I up with my sword and cut off his head.
Alex. Hold, Slacker, hold, pray do not be so hot,
For in this spot thou know’st not who thou’st got,
’Tis I that’s to hash thee and smash thee as small as flies,
And send thee to Satan to make mince pies.
Mince pies hot, mince pies cold,
I’ll send thee to Satan ’ere thou’rt three days old;
But hold, Prince George, before you go away,
Either you or I must die this bloody day,
Some mortal wounds thou shalt receive by me,
So let us fight it out most manfully.
Act II. Scene I.
Alexander and Prince George fight, the latter is wounded and falls.
King of Egypt speaks.
Curs’d Christian, what is this thou hast done?
Thou hast ruin’d me by killing my best son.
Alex. He gave me a challenge, why should I him deny?
How high he was, but see, how low he lies.
K. of Egypt. O Sambo, Sambo, help me now,
For I was never more in need,
For thee to stand with sword in hand,
And to fight at my command.
Doctor. Yes, my liege, I will thee obey,
And by my sword I hope to win the day;
Yonder stands he who has kill’d my master’s son,
And has his ruin thoughtlessly begun,
I’ll try if he be sprung from royal blood,
And through his body make an ocean flood,
Gentlemen, you see my sword’s point is broke,
Or else I’d run it through that villain’s throat.
K. of Egypt. Is there never a doctor to be found,
That can cure my son of his deadly wound?
Doctor. Yes there is a doctor to be found,
That can cure your son of his deadly wound.
K. of Egypt. What diseases can he cure?