Chapter XIV: Act I: Scene II

_Enter_ Actors.

Room, room, brave gallants, give us room to sport,
For in this room we have a mind 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 mirth here:
At the sounding of the trumpet, and beating of the drum,
Make room, brave gentlemen, and let our actors come.
We are the merry actors that traverses the street;
We are the merry actors that fight for our meat;
We are the merry actors that show the pleasant play:
Step in, thou king of _Egypt_, and clear the way.

_King 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 shew forth thy praise before the company.

_Prince 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 soon ’scap’d:
I sounded at the gates 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 did cut off his head.

_Alexander._ Hold, Stacker, hold, pray do not be so hot,
For on this spot thou knowest not who thou’s got;
’Tis I that’s to hash thee and smash thee as small as flies,
And lend thee to _Satan_ to make minch pies:
Minch pies hot, minch pies cold—
I’ll send thee to Satan ere thou be three days’ old.
But, hold, Prince _George_, before thou go away,
Either thou or I must die this bloody day;
Some mortal wounds thou shalt receive by me,
So let us fight it out most manfully.
[_Exeunt._