Hugh the Drover, Act II: Pt. 2. Gaily I Go to Die

Hugh: Gaily I go to die,

If death’s my doom;

My heart has flown too high

For grief and gloom.

For I have known the best

That life may carry;

Farewell to all the rest –

I have known and loved my Mary.

Gay were the moor and sky,

The free life under heav’n.

Gay lived I, gaily die,

For fate and I fight even.

And whereso’er I pass,

I look for life and loving;

New hoof-prints on the grass,

New sky, new wind, new roving.

But she must linger here to fade and pine,

Cooped in this prison, draw a doleful breath,

Shudder in hated arms, and long for mine.

O life that is no life, but living death!

The inn door opens violently. John, the Innkeeper and other men stumble out.

Men From The lnn: So long as my belly be full of good beer,

All the rest is a joke. Let me soak, let me soak.

And I’ll work and I’ll sweat all the days of the year;

No trouble can touch me, no women are dear.

For drink is my life,

And be damned to my wife

If she’d stop me from filling my belly with beer.

One of the men stumbles against the stocks.

The spy! Here’s the spy!

Let’s have a word with the spy.

John: Aha! The gallant spy!

So you would steal my wench, would you?

And fight me, would you?

Aha! See how you like it now –

Like this! – or this!

He strikes Hugh with each fist. Hugh is muffled up in his cloak and takes no notice.

Men: Aha! The gallant spy.

John: Fast in the stocks

Here lies the gallant drover.

Pray, how do bars and locks

Suit the free man, the rover?

Men: Aha! The gallant spy!

John: Look at him, friends!

He thought to steal my wife;

And this is how it ends

His freedom – and his life!

Men: His life?

John: Aye, his life!

The soldiers are coming now to take you.

Men: D’ye hear?

John: To bind you.

Men: D’ye hear?

John: To shoot you.

Men: A dead dog – there you’ll be, dog!

John: Underground – dog!

The Ballad-Seller emerges from the inn.

Ballad-seller:

Day’s coming on. Time we were gone.

John: While I! –

While I shall be married to Mary,

While I shall be married to Mary,

While I shall be married to Mary,

And you’ll be underground.

The Ballad-Seller blows his horn.

Men: Come, young John, we must be gone.

John: Farewell, spy!

I’m going a-maying for Mary,

I’m going a-maying for Mary,

I’m going a-maying for Mary.

Men: reeling down the street For drink is my life,

And be damned to my wife

If she’d stop me from filling my belly with beer.

John: (going off)

If she’d stop me from filling my belly with beer.

Their voices die away in the distance, then all is quiet again. Hugh remains quite still, wrapped up in his cloak. The door of the Constable’s house opens and Mary comes out and calls very softly …