All. Fire burn and dixie bubble,
      Double toil or there’ll be trouble.

  Second Cook. ’Taters in the cauldron sink,
      Peeled by hands as black as ink;
      Portions of a slaughtered cat,
      Piece of breakfast-bacon fat,
      Bits of boot and bits of stick—­
      Make the gruel slab and thick.

  All. Fire burn and dixie bubble,
      Double toil or there’ll be trouble.

  Third Cook. German sausage won in fight
      On some dark and stormy night,
      Dim and murky watercress
      Stolen from a Sergeants’ Mess,
      Slabs of cheese and chunks of ham,
      Lumps of plum and apple jam,
      Bits of paper, ends of string,
      Mixed with any damned thing,
      In the cauldron mingle quick
      So the stew be dense and thick.

  All. Fire burn and dixie bubble,
      Double toil or there’ll he trouble. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.—­Outside kitchen.  Alarums.

Enter Orderly Corporal.

Orderly Corporal. Here’s a pretty pass.  Eyewash,
eyewash, eyewash.  And such a running to and fro and a go
this way and a go that way, and a burnishing up of old
brass and a shouting of horrid words, as though the Devil
himself were inspecting his own furnace.  Faith, an I
were eyewashing Beelzebub I could catch it no hotter.

[Shouting within.

Anon, anon.  I will eyewash it no further. [Exit.

Flourish.  Enter Colonel, Adjutant, Quartermaster
and Sergeant-Cook.

Colonel. Is all prepared?

Sergeant-Cook. The dinners would content
RHONDDA himself.

  Quartermaster. The General comes.

    Flourish.  Enter General and Attendants.

  General. Good Colonel,
      Our greetings are the warmer for the thought
      Of visits past.

  Colonel. The service that we owe
      In doing pays itself.  Will you inspect
      The dinners?

  General. First we’ll greet the Adjutant,
      Whom well we recollect.

  Adjutant. This is an honour
      Which makes our labours light.  Will you be pleased
      To inspect the dinners?

  General. Yes, but let us first
      Discuss the general welfare of the troops
      Whose good’s our care.

  Sergeant-Cook (aside to Colonel). The time is getting long;
      The stew’s congealing fast.

  Colonel. Good General,
      Your grace toward our people doth confound
      Th’ expression of our gratitude.  The hour
      For dinner is at hand.  An you would grace
      The issue with your presence it would make
      The meal the sweeter.