A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 25

A VIRGIN MOST PURE.

A Virgin most pure, as the Prophets did tell, Hath brought forth a Baby, as it hath befell, To be our Redeemer from death, h.e.l.l and Sin, Which Adam's transgression hath wrapped us in.

Rejoice and be merry, set sorrow aside, Christ Jesus, our Saviour, was born on this tide.

In Bethlehem, a city in Jewry it was-- Where Joseph and Mary together did pa.s.s, And there to be taxed, with many ane mo, For Caesar commanded the same should be so.

Rejoice, etc.

But when they had entered the city so fair, A number of people so mighty was there, That Joseph and Mary, whose substance was small, Could get in the city no lodging at all.

Rejoice, etc.

Then they were constrained in a stable to lie, Where oxen and a.s.ses they used to tie; Their lodging so simple, they held it no scorn, But against the next morning our Saviour was born.

Rejoice, etc.

Then G.o.d sent an Angel from heaven so high, To certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie, And bid them no longer in sorrow to stay, Because that our Saviour was born on this day.

Rejoice, etc.

Then presently after, the shepherds did spy A number of Angels appear in the sky, Who joyfully talked, and sweetly did sing, "To G.o.d be all Glory, our Heavenly King."

Rejoice, etc.

Three certain Wise Princes they thought it most meet To lay their rich offerings at our Saviour's feet; So then they consented, and to Bethlehem did go, And when they came thither they found it was so.

Rejoice, etc.

But all Christmas carols were not religious--many of them were of the most festive description; but here is one, temp. Henry VIII., which is a mixture of both:--

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Who is there, that singeth so, Noel, Noel, Noel?

I am here, Sir Christhisma.s.s, Welcome, my lord Christhisma.s.s, Welcome to all, both more and less.

Come near, Noel.

_Dieu vous garde, beau Sire_, tidings I you bring, A maid hath born a Child full young, The which causeth for to sing, Noel.

Christ is now born of a pure maid, In an ox stall He is laid, Wherefore sing we all at a braid,[80]

Noel.

_Buvez bien par toute la compagnie_, Make good cheer, and be right merry, And sing with us, now, joyfully, Noel.

[Footnote 80: Suddenly.]

Of the purely festive carols here is an example of the fifteenth century, from Mr. Wright's MS.:--

At the begynnyng of the mete Of a borejs hed 3e schal hete; And in the mustard 3e xal wete; And 3e xal syngyn, or 3e gon.

Wolcom be 3e that ben here, And 3e xal have ryth gud chere, And also a ryth gud face; And 3e xal syngyn, or 3e gon.

Welc.u.m be 3e everychon, For 3e xal syngyn ryth anon; Hey 3ow fast that 3e had don, And 3e xal syngyn, or 3e gon.

The last I give is of the sixteenth century, and is in the British Museum (MS. Cott. Vesp. A. xxv.):--

A CHRISTENMESSE CARROLL

A bonne, G.o.d wote!

Stickes in my throate, Without I have a draught, Of cornie aile, Nappy and staile, My lyffe lyes in great wanste.

Some ayle or beare, Gentell butlere, Some lycoure thou hus showe, Such as you mashe, Our throtes to washe The best were that you brew.

Saint, master and knight, That Saint Mault hight, Were prest between two stones; That swet humour Of his lycoure Would make us sing at once.

Mr. Wortley, I dar well say, I tell you as I thinke, Would not, I say, Byd hus this day, But that we shuld have drink.

His men so tall Walkes up his hall, With many a comly dishe; Of his good meat I cannot eate, Without a drink i-wysse.

Now gyve hus drink, And let cat wynke, I tell you all at once, Yt stickes so sore, I may sing no more, Tyll I have dronken once.

CHAPTER XXIV

Christmas Gifts forbidden in the City of London--Charles II.

and Christmas Gifts--Christmas Tree--Asiatic Descent--Scandinavian Descent--Candles on the Tree--Early Notices of in England--Santa Claus--Krishkinkle--Curious Tenures of Land at Christmas.

The presentation of gifts on Christmas day was an English custom of very great antiquity; so great that, in 1419, the practice had become much corrupted, and the abuse had to be sternly repressed. Hence we find the following[81] "_Regulation made that the Serjeants and other officers of the Mayor, Sheriffs, or City, shall not beg for Christmas gifts._

[Footnote 81: _Corporation Letter-book_, i. fol. 238.]

"Forasmuch as it is not becoming or agreeable to propriety that those who are in the service of reverend men, and from them, or through them, have the advantage of befitting food and raiment, as also of reward, or remuneration, in a competent degree, should, after a perverse custom, be begging aught of people, like paupers; and seeing that in times past, every year at the feast of our Lord's Nativity (25th December), according to a certain custom, which has grown to be an abuse, the vadlets of the Mayor, the Sheriffs and the Chamber of the said city--persons who have food, raiment, and appropriate advantages, resulting from their office,--under colour of asking for an oblation, have begged many sums of money of brewers, bakers, cooks, and other victuallers; and, in some instances, have, more than once, threatened wrongfully to do them an injury if they should refuse to give them something; and have frequently made promises to others that, in return for a present, they would pa.s.s over their unlawful doings in mute silence; to the great dishonour of their masters, and to the common loss of all the city: therefore, on Wednesday, the last day of April, in the 7th year of King Henry the Fifth, by William Sevenok, the Mayor, and the Aldermen of London, it was ordered and established that no vadlet, or other sergeant of the Mayor, Sheriffs, or City, should in future beg or require of any person, of any rank, degree, or condition whatsoever, any moneys, under colour of an oblation, or in any other way, on pain of losing his office."

Royalty was not above receiving presents on this day, and as, of course, such presents could not be of small value, it must have been no small tax on the n.o.bility. Pepys (23rd February 1663) remarks: "This day I was told that my Lady Castlemaine hath all the King's Christmas presents, made him by the Peers, given to her, which is a most abominable thing." He records his own Christmas gifts (25th December 1667): "Being a fine, light, moonshine morning, home round the city, and stopped and dropped money at five or six places, which I was the willinger to do, it being Christmas day."

But the prettiest method of distributing Christmas gifts was reserved for comparatively modern times, in the Christmas tree. Anent this wonderful tree there are many speculations, one or two so curious that they deserve mention. It is said of a certain living Professor that he deduces everything from an Indian or Aryan descent; and there is a long and very learned article by Sir George Birdwood, C.S.I., in the _Asiatic Quarterly Review_ (vol. i. pp. 19, 20), who endeavours to trace it to an eastern origin. He says: "Only during the past thirty or forty years has the custom become prevalent in England of employing the Christmas tree as an appropriate decoration, and a most delightful vehicle for showering down gifts upon the young, in connection with domestic and public popular celebrations of the joyous ecclesiastical Festival of the Nativity. It is said to have been introduced among us from Germany, where it is regarded as indigenous, and it is, probably, a survival of some observance connected with the pagan Saturnalia of the winter solstice, to supersede which, the Church, about the fifth century of our era, inst.i.tuted Christmas day.

"It has, indeed, been explained as being derived from the ancient Egyptian practice of decking houses at the time of the winter solstice with branches of the date palm, the symbol of life triumphant over death, and therefore of perennial life in the renewal of each bounteous year; and the supporters of this suggestion point to the fact that pyramids of green paper, covered all over with wreaths and festoons of flowers, and strings of sweetmeats, and other presents for children, are often subst.i.tuted in Germany for the Christmas Tree.

"But similar pyramids, together with similar trees, the latter, usually, altogether artificial, and often constructed of the costliest materials, even of gems and gold, are carried about at marriage ceremonies in India, and at many festivals, such as the Hoolee, or annual festival of the vernal equinox. These pyramids represent Mount Meru and the earth; and the trees, the Kalpadruma, or 'Tree of Ages,'

and the fragrant Parajita, the tree of every perfect gift, which grew on the slopes of Mount Meru; and, in their enlarged sense, they symbolise the splendour of the outstretched heavens, as of a tree, laden with golden fruit, deep-rooted in the earth. Both pyramids and trees are also phallic emblems of life, individual, terrestrial, and celestial. Therefore, if a relationship exists between the Egyptian practice of decking houses at the winter solstice with branches of the date palm, and the German and English custom of using gift-bearing and brilliantly illuminated evergreen trees, which are, nearly always, firs, as a Christmas decoration, it is most probably due to collateral rather than to direct descent; and this is indicated by the Egyptians having regarded the date palm, not only as an emblem of immortality, but, also, of the starlit firmament."

Others attempt to trace the Christmas tree to the Scandinavian legend of the mystic tree Yggdrasil, which sprang from the centre of Mid-gard, and the summit of As-gard, with branches spreading out over the whole earth, and reaching above the highest heavens, whilst its three great roots go down into the lowest h.e.l.l.

A writer in the _Cornhill Magazine_, December 1886, thus accounts for the candles on the tree--

"But how came the lights on the Christmas tree?

"In the ninth month of the Jewish year, corresponding nearly to our December, and on the twenty-fifth day, the Jews celebrated the Feast of the Dedication of their Temple. It had been desecrated on that day by Antiochus; it was rededicated by Judas Maccabeus; and then, according to the Jewish legend, sufficient oil was found in the Temple to last for the seven-branched candlestick for seven days, and it would have taken seven days to prepare new oil. Accordingly, the Jews were wont, on the twenty-fifth of Kislen, in every house, to light a candle, on the next day, two, and so on, till on the seventh and last day of the feast, seven candles twinkled in every house. It is not easy to fix the exact date of the Nativity, but it fell, most probably, on the last day of Kislen, when every Jewish house in Bethlehem and Jerusalem was twinkling with lights. It is worthy of notice that the German name for Christmas is _Weihnacht_, the Night of Dedication, as though it were a.s.sociated with this feast. The Greeks also call Christmas the Feast of Lights; and, indeed, this also was a name given to the Dedication Festival, _Chanuka_, by the Jews."

That this pretty Christ-tide custom came to us from Germany there can be no doubt, and all the early notices of it show that it was so. Thus the first mention of it that I can find is in _Court and Private Life in the Time of Queen Charlotte, being the Journals of Mrs. Papendiek_, vol. ii. 158. Speaking of Christ-tide 1789, she says: "This Christmas Mr. Papendiek proposed an illuminated tree, according to the German fashion, but the Blagroves being at home for their fortnight, and the party at Mrs. Roach's for the holidays, I objected to it. Our eldest girl, Charlotte, being only six the 30th of this November, I thought our children too young to be amused at so much expense and trouble."

A.J. Kempe, Esq., in a footnote to p. 75 of the Losely MSS., edited by him in 1836, says: "We remember a German of the household of the late Queen Caroline making what he termed a _Christmas tree_ for a juvenile party at that festive season. The tree was a branch of some evergreen fastened to a board. Its boughs bent under the weight of gilt oranges, almonds, &c., and under it was a neat model of a farm house, surrounded by figures of animals, &c., and all due accompaniments."

Charles Greville, in his _Memoirs_, writes thus of Christ-tide 1829 as celebrated at Panshanger. "The Princess Lieven got up a little _fete_ such as is customary all over Germany. Three trees in great pots were put upon a long table covered with pink linen; each tree was illuminated with three circular tiers of coloured wax candles--blue, green, red, and white. Before each tree was displayed a quant.i.ty of toys, gloves, pocket handkerchiefs, work boxes, books, and various articles--presents made to the owner of the tree. It was very pretty.

Here it was only for the children; in Germany the custom extends to persons of all ages."