A Mock Play.

II HEAR along our streetPass the minstrel throngs:Hark! they play so sweet,On their hautboys, Christmas songs!Let us by the fireEver higherSing them till the night expire!In December ring,Every day the chimes;Loud the gleemen sing,In the streets, their merry rhymes.Let us, &c.Shepherds at the grange,Where the Babe was born,Sang with many a change,Christmas carols until morn.Let us, &c.These good people sang,Songs devout and sweet,While the rafters rang,There they stood with freezing feet.Let us, &c.Nuns in frigid cells,At this holy tide,For want of something else,Christmas songs at times have tried.Let us, &c.Washerwomen old,To the sound they beat,Sing by rivers cold,With uncovered heads and feet.Let us, &c.Who by the fireside stands,Stamps his feet and sings;But he who blows his hands,Not so gay a carol brings.Let us by the fireEver higherSing them till the night expire.A Mock Play.Act I.—Scene I.EnterAlexander.—Alexanderspeaks.SSILENCE, brave gentlemen; if you will give me an eye,Alexanderis my name, I’ll sing the Tragedy;A ramble here I took, the country for to see,Three actors here I’ve brought so far fromItaly;The first I do present, he is a noble king,He’s just come from the wars, good tidings he doth bring;The next that doth come in, he is a docter good,Had it not been for him, I’d surely lost my blood:OldDivesis the next, a miser you may see,Who, by lending of his gold, is come to poverty.So, gentlemen, you see four actors will go round;Stand off a little while, more pastime shall be found.[Exeunt.

II HEAR along our streetPass the minstrel throngs:Hark! they play so sweet,On their hautboys, Christmas songs!Let us by the fireEver higherSing them till the night expire!

I HEAR along our street

Pass the minstrel throngs:

Hark! they play so sweet,

On their hautboys, Christmas songs!

Let us by the fire

Ever higher

Sing them till the night expire!

In December ring,Every day the chimes;Loud the gleemen sing,In the streets, their merry rhymes.Let us, &c.

In December ring,

Every day the chimes;

Loud the gleemen sing,

In the streets, their merry rhymes.

Let us, &c.

Shepherds at the grange,Where the Babe was born,Sang with many a change,Christmas carols until morn.Let us, &c.

Shepherds at the grange,

Where the Babe was born,

Sang with many a change,

Christmas carols until morn.

Let us, &c.

These good people sang,Songs devout and sweet,While the rafters rang,There they stood with freezing feet.Let us, &c.

These good people sang,

Songs devout and sweet,

While the rafters rang,

There they stood with freezing feet.

Let us, &c.

Nuns in frigid cells,At this holy tide,For want of something else,Christmas songs at times have tried.Let us, &c.

Nuns in frigid cells,

At this holy tide,

For want of something else,

Christmas songs at times have tried.

Let us, &c.

Washerwomen old,To the sound they beat,Sing by rivers cold,With uncovered heads and feet.Let us, &c.

Washerwomen old,

To the sound they beat,

Sing by rivers cold,

With uncovered heads and feet.

Let us, &c.

Who by the fireside stands,Stamps his feet and sings;But he who blows his hands,Not so gay a carol brings.Let us by the fireEver higherSing them till the night expire.

Who by the fireside stands,

Stamps his feet and sings;

But he who blows his hands,

Not so gay a carol brings.

Let us by the fire

Ever higher

Sing them till the night expire.

EnterAlexander.—Alexanderspeaks.

SSILENCE, brave gentlemen; if you will give me an eye,Alexanderis my name, I’ll sing the Tragedy;A ramble here I took, the country for to see,Three actors here I’ve brought so far fromItaly;The first I do present, he is a noble king,He’s just come from the wars, good tidings he doth bring;The next that doth come in, he is a docter good,Had it not been for him, I’d surely lost my blood:OldDivesis the next, a miser you may see,Who, by lending of his gold, is come to poverty.So, gentlemen, you see four actors will go round;Stand off a little while, more pastime shall be found.[Exeunt.

SILENCE, brave gentlemen; if you will give me an eye,

Alexanderis my name, I’ll sing the Tragedy;

A ramble here I took, the country for to see,

Three actors here I’ve brought so far fromItaly;

The first I do present, he is a noble king,

He’s just come from the wars, good tidings he doth bring;

The next that doth come in, he is a docter good,

Had it not been for him, I’d surely lost my blood:

OldDivesis the next, a miser you may see,

Who, by lending of his gold, is come to poverty.

So, gentlemen, you see four actors will go round;

Stand off a little while, more pastime shall be found.

[Exeunt.

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