ACT I.
Enter Actors.
Fool.—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, St George, thou champion, and clear the way.
Enter St George.
I am St George, who from old England sprung;
My famous name throughout the world hath rung;
Many bloody deeds and wonders have I made known
And made the tyrants tremble on their throne.
I followed a fair lady to a giant's gate,
Confined in dungeon deep, to meet her fate;
Then I resolved, with true knight-errantry,
To burst the door, and set the prisoner free,
When a giant almost struck me dead,
But by my valour I cut off his head.
I've searched the world all round and round,
But a man to equal me I never found.
Enter Slasher to St George.
Slasher.—I am a valiant soldier, and Slasher is my name;
