Padstow May-day Song ⎫
Taken down from the singing of the man who dances annually before the Hobby horse.
As taken down by R.H.Worth in 1860.
Refr. Awake S. George, our English Knight O
For summer is a come, & winter is a go.
1. Where is S. George? and where is he O?
He is down in his long boat upon the salt sea, O.
Refr. For to fetch summer home, the summer & May O.
For summer is a come, & winter is a go.
2. Where are the French dogs, that make such boast O!
They shall eat the goose feathers & we’ll eat the roast O!
Refr. For to fetch &c.
3. Thou mights’t ha shown thy knavish face, or tarried at home, O!
But thou shalt be a cuckold & shalt wear the horns O!
Ref. For to fetch &c.
4. Up flies the kite, down falls the lark O!
Aunt Ursula Birdwood she had an old ewe
Ref. For to fetch &c.
5. Aunt Ursula Birdwood she had an old ewe
And she died in her own park, long ago.
Ref. For to fetch, &c.
Taken down from the man who dances before the hobby horse, except 1st refrain which is printed thus:
Awake S. George, our English Knight O.
For summer is a come O, & winter is ago.
And every day God give us His grace
By day & by night O.
The printed copy gives also as a chorus, but the dancer did not know it
With hal-an-tow, & jolly rumble O.
For summer is a come O, & winter is ago.
And in every land O, the land that ere we go.
For an interesting scene in which figure “Hobby Horse” & “Master of the May” & “Morris dancers” see Beaumont & Fletcher, “Woman Pleased” Act IV. sc. 2.
also Fletcher’s “Two Noble Kinsmen” May games & morris dance, Act II. sc. 3. III. sc. 5.
also Do. Act V. sc. 2.
Jailor’s da. Did you ne’er see the horse he gave me?
Jailor. He’s a very fair one
Da. You never saw him dance.
Je. No
Da. I have often;
He dances very finely, very comely;
And for a jig, come cut & long tail to him.
He turns you like a top.
He’ll dance the morris twenty mile an hour
And that will founder, the best hobby horse
(If I have any skill) in all the parish
And gallops to the tune of Light o’ love
The tune “Light o’ love” in Chappel, 224.
Baring-Gould Ms. Ref. PC 2. 195 (216)
