A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 27

And that a task thus idle to pursue Would be an idle _waste of money_, too!

How hard that we the _dark_ designs should rue Of those who'd fain make _light_ of all we do!

But such the fate which oft doth merit greet, And which now drives us fairly off our beat!

Thus it appears from this, our dismal plight, That _some_ love _darkness_ rather than the _light_.

Henceforth, let riot and disorder reign, With all the ills that follow in their train; Let TOMS and JERRYS unmolested brawl (No _Charlies_ have they now to _floor_ withal).

And "rogues and vagabonds" infest the Town, Far cheaper 'tis to _save_ than _crack a crown_.

To brighter scenes we now direct our view-- And, first, fair Ladies, let us turn to you.

May each NEW YEAR new joys, new pleasures bring, And Life for you be one delightful spring!

No summer's sun annoy with fev'rish rays, No winter chill the evening of your days!

To you, kind Sirs, we next our tribute pay: May smiles and sunshine greet you on your way!

If married, calm and peaceful be your lives; If single, may you, forthwith, get you wives!

Thus, whether Male or Female, Old or Young Or Wed, or Single, be this burden sung: Long may you live to hear, and we to call, "_A Happy Christmas and New Year to all._"

The present generation has never seen, and probably never heard of, "Christmas pieces," or specimens of handwriting, which went out of vogue fifty years ago. It was very useful, as the boy took great pride in its writing, and parents could judge of their children's proficiency in penmanship. Sometimes these sheets were surrounded with elaborate flourishings of birds, pens, scrolls, etc., such as the writing-master of the last century delighted in; others were headed with copper-plate engravings, sometimes coloured. Here are a few of the subjects: Ruth and Boaz, Measuring the Temple (Ezekiel), Philip Baptising the Eunuch, The Good Samaritan, Joshua's Command, John the Baptist Preaching in the Wilderness, The Seven Wonders of the World, King William III., St. Paul's Shipwreck, etc., etc.

A publisher, writing to _Notes and Queries_ in 1871 (4 series, vi.

462) about these "Christmas Pieces," says: "As a youngster, some thirty years ago, in my father's establishment, the sale of 'school pieces,' or 'Christmas pieces,' as they were called, was very large.

My father published some thirty different subjects (a new one every year, one of the old ones being let go out of print). There were also three other publishers of them. The order to print used to average about 500 of each kind, but double of the Life of our Saviour. Most of the subjects were those of the Old Testament. I only recollect four subjects not sacred. Printing at home, we generally commenced the printing in August from the copper-plates, as they had to be coloured by hand. They sold, retail, at sixpence each, and we used to supply them to the trade at thirty shillings per gross, and to schools at three shillings and sixpence per dozen, or two dozen for six shillings and sixpence. Charity boys were large purchasers of these pieces, and at Christmas time used to take them round their parish to show, and, at the same time, solicit a trifle. The sale never began before October in the country, and December in London; and early in January the stock left used to be put by until the following season. It is over fifteen years since any were printed by my firm, and the last new one I find was done in lithography."

CHAPTER XXVI

Carol for St. Stephen's Day--Boxing Day--Origin of Custom--Early Examples--The Box--Bleeding Horses--Festivity on this Day--Charity at Bampton--Hunting the Wren in Ireland--Song of the Wren Boys.

On the day succeeding Christmas day the Church commemorates the death of the proto-martyr Stephen, and in honour of this festival the following carol is sung:--

In friendly Love and Unity, For good _St. Stephen's_ Sake, Let us all, this blessed Day, To Heaven our Prayers make: That we with him the Cross of Christ May freely undertake.

_And_ Jesus _will send you his Blessing._

Those accursed Infidels That stoned him to Death, Could not by their cruelties Withhold him from his Faith, In such a G.o.dly Martyrdom Seek we all the Path.

_And_ Jesus, etc.

And whilst we sit here banqueting, Of dainties having Store, Let us not forgetful be To cherish up the Poor; And give what is convenient To those that ask at Door.

_And_ Jesus, etc.

For G.o.d hath made you Stewards here, Upon the Earth to dwell; He that gathereth for himself, And will not use it well, Lives far worse than _Dives_ did, That burneth now in h.e.l.l.

_And_ Jesus, etc.

And, now, in Love and Charity, See you your Table spread, That I may taste of your good Cheer, Your _Christmas_ Ale and Bread: Then I may say that I full well For this, my Carol, sped.

_And_ Jesus, etc.

For Bounty is a blessed Gift, The Lord above it sends, And he that gives it from His Hands, Deserveth many Friends: I see it on my Master's Board, And so my Carol ends.

_Lord_ Jesus, etc.

But St. Stephen's day is much better known in England as "Boxing Day,"

from the kindly custom of recognising little services rendered during the year by giving a Christmas box--a custom which, of course, is liable to abuse, and especially when, as in many instances, it is regarded as a right, in which case it loses its pleasant significance.

No one knows how old this custom is, nor its origin. Hutchinson, in his _History of Northumberland_ (vol. ii. p. 20), says: "The Paga.n.a.lia of the Romans, inst.i.tuted by Servius Tullius, were celebrated in the beginning of the year; an altar was erected in each village, where all persons gave money." There is a somewhat whimsical account of its origin in the first attempt at _Notes and Queries_, _The_ Athenian _Oracle_, by John Dunton (1703, vol. i. 360).

"Q. _From whence comes the custom of gathering of_ Christmas Box Money? _And how long since?_

"A. It is as Ancient as the word _Ma.s.s_, which the Romish Priests invented from the _Latin_ word _Mitto_, to send, by putting People in Mind to send Gifts, Offerings, Oblations, to have Ma.s.ses said for everything almost, that a Ship goes not out to the _Indies_, but the Priest have a Box in that Ship, under the Protection of some Saint.

And for Ma.s.ses, as they Cant, to be said for them to that Saint, etc., the Poor People must put something into the Priest's Box, which is not to be Opened till the Ship Return. Thus the Ma.s.s at that time was called _Christ's Ma.s.s_, and the Box, _Christ's Ma.s.s Box_, or Money gathered against that time, that Ma.s.ses might be made by the Priests to the Saints, to forgive the People the Debaucheries of that time; and from this, Servants had the Liberty to get Box-money, because they might be able to pay the Priest for his Ma.s.ses, because _No Penny, No Paternoster_."

At all events, the Christmas box was a well-known inst.i.tution in the early seventeenth century. We have already seen Pepys "dropping money"

here and there at Christ-tide, and on 28th December 1668 he notes: "Called up by drums and trumpets; these things and boxes having cost me much money this Christmas already, and will do more." Yet the custom must have been much older, for in the accounts of Dame Agnes Merett, Cellaress of Syon Monastery, at Isleworth, in 29 Henry VIII., 1537-38 (_Record Office Roll_, T.G. 18,232), the following are entered among the _Foreigne Paymentes_: "Reward to the servauntes at Crystemas, with their ap.r.o.ns xxs. Reward to the Clerk of the Kechyn, xiijs. iiijd. Reward to the Baily of the Husbandry, vis. viijd. Reward to the Keeper of the Covent Garden, vis. viijd."

As time went on we find increasing notices of Christmas boxes. In Beaumont and Fletcher's _Wit without Money_ (Act ii. sc. 2) "A Widow is a Christmas box that sweeps all."

Swift, in his _Journal to Stella_, mentions them several times. 26th December 1710: "By the Lord Harry, I shall be undone here with Christmas boxes. The rogues at the Coffee-house have raised their tax, every one giving a crown, and I gave mine for shame, besides a great many half-crowns to great men's porters," etc.

24th December 1711: "I gave Patrick half a crown for his Christmas box, on condition he would be good; and he came home drunk at midnight."

2nd January 1712: "I see nothing here like Christmas, excepting brawn and mince pies in places where I dine, and giving away my half crowns like farthings to great men's porters and butlers."

Gay, in his _Trivia_, thus mentions it:--

Some boys are rich by birth beyond all wants, Belov'd by uncles, and kind, good, old aunts; When Time comes round, a _Christmas Box_ they bear, And one day makes them rich for all the year.

But the Christmas _box_ was an ent.i.ty, and tangible; it was a saving's box made of earthenware, which must be broken before the cash could be extracted, as can be proved by several quotations, and the gift took its name from the receptacle for it.

In Mason's _Handful of Essaies_ 1621: "Like a swine, he never doth good till his death; as an apprentice's box of earth, apt he is to take all, but to restore none till hee be broken."

In the frontispiece to Blaxton's _English Usurer_, 1634, the same simile is used:--

Both with the Christmas Boxe may well comply, It nothing yields till broke; they till they die.

And again, in Browne's _Map of the Microcosme_, 1642, speaking of a covetous man, he says, he "doth exceed in receiving, but is very deficient in giving; like the Christmas earthen Boxes of apprentices, apt to take in money, but he restores none till hee be broken, like a potter's vessell, into many shares."

Aubrey, in his _Wiltshire Collections_, _circ._ 1670 (p. 45), thus describes a _trouvaille_ of Roman coins. "Among the rest was an earthen pott of the colour of a Crucible, and of the shape of a prentice's Christmas Box, with a slit in it, containing about a quart, which was near full of money. This pot I gave to the Repository of the Royal Society at Gresham College."

And, to wind up these Christmas box notices, I may quote a verse from Henry Carey's "Sally in our Alley" (1715?).

When Christmas comes about again, Oh! then I shall have money; I'll h.o.a.rd it up, and box and all, I'll give it to my honey.

There used to be a very curious custom on St. Stephen's day, which Douce says was introduced into this country by Danes--that of bleeding horses. That it was usual is, I think, proved by very different authorities. Tusser says:--

Yer Christmas be pa.s.sed, let horsse be let blood, For manie a purpose it dooth him much good; The day of S. Steeven old fathers did use; If that do mislike thee, some other day chuse.

And Barnebe Googe, in his translation of Naogeorgus, remarks:--

Then followeth Saint Stephen's day, whereon doth every man His horses iaunt and course abrode, as swiftly as he can; Untill they doe extreemely sweate, and than they let them blood, For this being done upon this day, they say doth do them good, And keepes them from all maladies and secknesse through the yeare, As if that Steuen any time tooke charge of horses heare.

Aubrey, also, in his _Remains of Gentilisme_, says: "On St. Stephen's day the farrier came constantly, and blouded all our cart horses."

It was occasionally the day of great festivity, even though it came so very closely after Christmas day; and Mr. J.G. Nichols, in _Notes and Queries_ (2 ser. viii. 484), quotes a letter, dated 2nd January 1614, in confirmation. It is from an alderman of Leicester to his brother in Wood Street, Cheapside. "Yow wryte how yow reacayved my lettar on St. Steven's day, and that, I thanke yow, yow esteemed yt as welcoom as the 18 trumpytors; w^{t} in so doing, I must and will esteme yowres, G.o.d willing, more wellcoom then trumpets and all the musicke we have had since Christmas, and yet we have had prety store bothe of owre owne and othar, evar since Christmas. And the same day we were busy w^{t} hollding up hands and spoones to yow, out of porredge and pyes, in the remembraunce of yowre greate lyberality of frute and spice, which G.o.d send yow long lyffe to contynew, for of that day we have not myssed anny St. Steven this 47 yeare to have as many gas (_guests_) as my howse will holld, I thank G.o.d for yt."

In Southey's _Common Place Book_ it is noted that the three Vicars of Bampton, Oxon., give beef and beer on the morning of St. Stephen's day to those who choose to partake of it. This is called St. Stephen's breakfast. The same book also mentions a singular custom in Wales, that on this day everybody is privileged to whip another person's legs with holly, which is often reciprocated till the blood streams down; and this is corroborated in Mason's _Tales and Traditions of Tenby_, where it is mentioned as being practised in that town.