A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 32

And hurt you wonderly-a."

So forth they went another way, Through the might of G.o.d, His lay,[92]

As the Angel to them did say, Full right-a, It was a fair good sight-a.

When they were come to their countree, Merry and glad they were all three, Of the sight that they had see By night-a; By the Star's shining light-a.

Kneel we now all here adown To that Lord of great renown, And pray we in good devotion For grace-a, In Heaven to have a place-a.

[Footnote 89: Last.]

[Footnote 90: Slay.]

[Footnote 91: Stay, hinder.]

[Footnote 92: Law.]

This festival was held in high honour in England; and up to the reign of George III. our Kings and Queens, attended by the Knights of the three great Orders--the Garter, the Thistle, and the Bath--were wont to go in state to the Chapel Royal, St. James's, and there offer gold, frankincense, and myrrh, in commemoration of the _Magi_; but when George III. was incapacitated, mentally, from performing the functions of royalty, it was done by proxy, and successive sovereigns have found it convenient to perform this act of piety vicariously.

It must have been a magnificent function in the time of Henry VII., as we learn by Le Neve's _Royalle Book_. "As for Twelfth Day, the King must go crowned, in his royal robes, kirtle, surtout, his furred hood about his neck, his mantle with a long train, and his cutlas before him; his armills upon his arms, of gold set full of rich stones; and no temporal man to touch it but the King himself; and the squire for the body must bring it to the King in a fair kerchief, and the King must put them on himself; and he must have his sceptre in his right hand, and the ball with the cross in his left hand, and the crown upon his head. And he must offer that day gold, myrrh, and sense; then must the Dean of the Chapel send unto the Archbishop of Canterbury, by clerk, or priest, the King's offering that day; and then must the Archbishop give the next benefice that falleth in his gift to the same messenger. And then the King must change his mantle when he goeth to meat, and take off his hood, and lay it about his neck; and clasp it before with a great rich ouche; and this must be of the same colour that he offered in. And the Queen in the same form as when she is crowned."

Now the ceremonial is as simple as it can be made. In the Chapel Royal, St. James's, after the reading of the sentence at the offertory, "Let your light so shine before men," etc., while the organ plays, two members of Her Majesty's household, wearing the royal livery, descend from the royal pew, and, preceded by the usher, advance to the altar rails, where they present to one of the two officiating clergymen a red bag, edged with gold lace or braid, which is received in an alms dish, and then reverently placed upon the altar. This bag, or purse, is understood to contain the Queen's offering of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

CHAPTER x.x.xI

"The King of the Bean"--Customs on Twelfth Day--Twelfth Cakes--Twelfth Night Characters--Modern Twelfth Night--The Pastry Cook's Shops--Dethier's Lottery--The Song of the Wren--"Holly Night" at Brough--"Cutting off the Fiddler's Head."

But another sovereign had a great deal to do with Twelfth day, "The King of the Bean," who takes his t.i.tle from a bean, or a silver penny, baked in a cake, which is cut up and distributed, and he is king in whose slice the bean is found. Naogeorgus gives us the following account of Twelfth day:--

The wise men's day here foloweth, who out from _Persia_ farre, Brought giftes and presents unto Christ, conducted by a starre.

The Papistes do beleeve that these were kings, and so them call, And do affirme that of the same there were but three in all.

Here sundrie friendes togither come, and meete in companie, And make a king amongst themselves by voyce, or destinie: Who, after princely guise, appoyntes his officers alway.

Then, unto feasting doe they go, and long time after play: Upon their hordes, in order thicke, the daintie dishes stande, Till that their purses emptie be, and creditors at hande.

Their children herein follow them, and choosing princes here, With pompe and great solemnitie, they meete and make good chere: With money eyther got by stealth, or of their parents eft, That so they may be traynde to knowe, both ryot here and theft.

Then also every housholder, to his abilitie, Doth make a mightie Cake, that may suffice his companie: Herein a pennie doth he put, before it comes to fire, This he devides according as his housholde doth require.

And every peece distributeth, as round about they stand, Which, in their names, unto the poore, is given out of hand: But, who so chaunceth on the peece wherin the money lies, Is counted king amongst them all, and is, with showtes and cries, Exalted to the heavens up, who, taking chalke in hande, Doth make a crosse on every beame, and rafters as they stande: Great force and powre have these agaynst all injuryes and harmes Of cursed devils, sprites, and bugges,[93] of coniurings and charmes.

So much this king can do, so much the Crosses brings to pa.s.se, Made by some servant, maide, or childe, or by some foolish a.s.se.

Twise sixe nightes then from Christma.s.se, they do count with diligence Wherein eche maister, in his house, doth burne up Franckensence: And on the Table settes a loafe, when night approcheth nere, Before the Coles, and Franckensence, to be perfumed there: First bowing downe his heade he standes, and nose, and eares, and eyes He smokes, and with his mouth receyve the fume that doth arise: Whom followeth streight his wife, and doth the same full solemly, And of their children every one, and all their family: Which doth preserve, they say, their teeth, and nose, and eyes, and eare, From every kind of maladie, and sicknesse all the yeare.

When every one receyved hath this odour, great and small, Then one takes up the pan with Coales, and Franckensence, and all, Another takes the loafe, whom all the rest do follow here, And round about the house they go, with torch or taper clere, That neither bread nor meat do want, nor witch with dreadful charme Have powre to hurt their children, or to do their cattell harme.

There are, that three nightes onely do perfourme this foolish geare, To this intent, and thinke themselves in safetie all the yeare.

To Christ dare none commit himselfe. And in these dayes beside, They iudge what weather all the yeare shall happen and betide: Ascribing to ech day a month. And, at this present time, The youth in every place doe flocke, and all appareld fine, With Pypars through the streetes they runne, and sing at every dore, In commendation of the man, rewarded well therefore: Which on themselves they do bestowe, or on the Church, as though The people were not plagude with Roges and begging Fryers enough.

There Cities are, where boyes and gyrles togither still do runne, About the streete with like, as soone as night beginnes to come, And bring abrode their wa.s.sell bowles, who well rewarded bee, With Cakes and Cheese, and great good cheare, and money plentiouslie.

[Footnote 93: Bugbears, goblins.]

The above gives us Twelfth day customs in the sixteenth century.

Herrick tells us how it was celebrated a hundred years later, when they had added a queen to the festivities, as they had, previously, given a consort to the Lord of Misrule.

_Twelfe night, or_ King _and_ Queene.

Now, now the mirth comes With the cake full of plums, Where Beane's the _King_ of the sport here; Besides, we must know The Pea also Must revell, as _Queene_, in the Court here.

Begin, then, to chuse (This night, as ye use), Who shall for the present delight here, Be a _King_ by the lot, And who shall not Be Twelfe-day _Queene_ for the night here.

Which knowne, let us make Joy-sops with the cake; And let not a man then be seen here Who un-urg'd will not drinke To the base, from the brink, A health to the _King_ and the _Queene_ here.

Next, crowne the bowle full With gentle lamb's-wooll; Adde sugar, nutmeg, and ginger, With store of ale too; And thus ye must doe To make the wa.s.saile a swinger.

Give then to the _King_ And _Queene_ wa.s.sailing; And though, with ale, ye be whet here, Yet part ye from hence As free from offence As when ye innocent met here.

This custom of having a Twelfth cake and electing a king and queen has now died out, and is only known by tradition; so utterly died out indeed, that in the British Museum Library there is not a single sheet of "Twelfth-night Characters" to show the younger race of students what they were like. The nearest approach to them preserved in that national collection of literature are some Lottery squibs, which imitated them; and Hone, writing in 1838, says: "It must be admitted, however, that the characters sold by the pastry cooks are either commonplace or gross; when genteel, they are inane; when humorous, they are vulgar."

A correspondent in the _Universal Magazine_ for 1774 thus describes the drawing for King and Queen at that date. He says: "I went to a friend's house in the country to partake of some of those innocent pleasures that const.i.tute a merry Christmas. I did not return till I had been present at drawing King and Queen, and eaten a slice of the Twelfth Cake, made by the fair hands of my good friend's consort.

After tea, yesterday, a n.o.ble cake was produced, and two bowls, containing the fortunate chances for the different s.e.xes. Our host filled up the tickets; the whole company, except the King and Queen, were to be ministers of state, maids of honour, or ladies of the bed-chamber. Our kind host and hostess, whether by design or accident, became king and queen. According to Twelfth-day law, each party is to support their character till midnight."

Here we see they had no sheets of "Twelfth-night Characters" (the loss of which I deplore), but they were of home manufacture. Hone, in his _Every-Day Book_, vol. i. p. 51, describes the drawing some fifty years later. "First, buy your cake. Then, before your visitors arrive, buy your characters, each of which should have a pleasant verse beneath. Next, look at your invitation list, and count the number of ladies you expect; and, afterwards, the number of gentlemen. Then take as many female characters as you have invited ladies; fold them up, exactly of the same size, and number each on the back, taking care to make the king No. 1 and the queen No. 2. Then prepare and number the gentlemen's characters. Cause tea and coffee to be handed to your visitors as they drop in. When all are a.s.sembled, and tea over, put as many ladies' characters in a reticule as there are ladies present; next, put the gentlemen's characters in a hat. Then call a gentleman to carry the reticule to the ladies, as they sit, from which each lady is to draw one ticket, and to preserve it unopened. Select a lady to bear the hat to the gentlemen for the same purpose. There will be one ticket left in the reticule, and another in the hat, which the lady and gentleman who carried each is to interchange, as having fallen to each. Next, arrange your visitors according to their numbers; the king No. 1, the queen No. 2, and so on. The king is then to recite the verse on his ticket; then the queen the verse on hers, and so the characters are to proceed in numerical order. This done, let the cake and refreshments go round, and hey! for merriment!"

The Twelfth cakes themselves were, in the higher cla.s.s, almost as beautiful as wedding cakes, but they might be had of all prices, from sixpence to anything one's purse might compa.s.s; and the confectioner's (they called them pastry cooks in those days) windows were well worth a visit, and crowds did visit them, sometimes a little practical joking taking place, such as pinning two persons together, etc.

Quoting Hone again: "In London, with every pastry cook in the city, and at the west end of the town, it is 'high change' on Twelfth day.

From the taking down the shutters in the morning, he and his men, with additional a.s.sistants, male and female, are fully occupied by attending to the dressing out of the window, executing orders of the day before, receiving fresh ones, or supplying the wants of chance customers. Before dusk the important arrangement of the window is completed. Then the gas is turned on, with supernumerary argand lamps and manifold waxlights, to illuminate countless cakes, of all prices and dimensions, that stand in rows and piles on the counters and sideboards, and in the windows. The richest in flavour and heaviest in weight and price are placed on large and ma.s.sy salvers; one, enormously superior in size, is the chief object of curiosity; and all are decorated with all imaginable images of things animate and inanimate. Stars, castles, kings, cottages, dragons, trees, fish, palaces, cats, dogs, churches, lions, milkmaids, knights, serpents, and innumerable other forms in snow-white confectionery, painted with variegated colours, glitter by 'excess of light' from mirrors against the walls, festooned with artificial wonders of Flora."

As the fashion of Twelfth cakes declined, the pastry cooks had to push their sale in every way possible, not being very particular as to overstepping the law, by getting rid of them by means of drawings, raffles, and lotteries, which for a long time were winked at by the authorities, until they a.s.sumed dimensions which could not be ignored, and M. Louis Dethier was summoned at Bow Street on 26th December 1860, under the Act 42 Geo. III. cap. 119, sec. 2, for keeping an office at the Hanover Square Rooms for the purpose of carrying on a lottery "under the name, device, and pretence of a distribution of Twelfth cakes." He had brought a similar distribution to a successful conclusion in 1851, but that was the exceptional year of the Great Exhibition, and he was not interfered with; but this was for 10,000 worth of cakes to be drawn for on ten successive days, beginning 26th December--tickets one shilling each. This was an undoubted lottery on a grand scale. The case was completely proved against Dethier, but he was not punished, as he abandoned his scheme, putting up with the loss.

There were some curious customs in different parts of the kingdom on Twelfth day, but I doubt whether many are in existence now. The following, taken from _Notes and Queries_ (3 ser. v. 109), was in vogue in 1864. "It is still the custom in parts of Pembrokeshire on Twelfth night to carry about a wren.

"The wren is secured in a small house made of wood, with door and windows--the latter glazed. Pieces of ribbon of various colours are fixed to the ridge of the roof outside. Sometimes several wrens are brought in the same cage; and oftentimes a stable lantern, decorated as above mentioned, serves for the wren's house. The proprietors of this establishment go round to the princ.i.p.al houses in the neighbourhood, where, accompanying themselves with some musical instrument, they announce their arrival by singing the 'Song of the Wren.' The wren's visit is a source of much amus.e.m.e.nt to children and servants; and the wren's men, or lads, are usually invited to have a draught from the cellar, and receive a present in money. The 'Song of the Wren' is generally encored, and the proprietors very commonly commence high life below stairs, dancing with the maid-servants, and saluting them under the kissing bush, where there is one. I have lately procured a copy of the song sung on this occasion. I am told that there is a version of this song in the Welsh language, which is in substance very near to the following:--

"THE SONG OF THE WREN.

"Joy health, love, and peace Be to you in this place, By your leave we will sing Concerning our King: Our King is well drest, In silks of the best; With his ribbons so rare, No King can compare.

In his coach he does ride, With a great deal of pride; And with four footmen To wait upon him.

We four were at watch, And all nigh of a match; With powder and ball, We fired at his hall.

We have travelled many miles Over hedges and stiles, To find you this King, Which we now to you bring.

Now Christmas is past, Twelfth day is the last, Th' Old Year bids adieu; Great joy to the New."

Hone, in his _Table Book_, p. 26, gives a description of "Holly Night"

at Brough, Westmoreland, in 1838. "Formerly the 'Holly Tree' at Brough was really holly, but ash being abundant, the latter is now subst.i.tuted. There are two head inns in the town, which provide for the ceremony alternately, although the good townspeople mostly lend their a.s.sistance in preparing the tree, to every branch of which they fasten a torch. About eight o'clock in the evening it is taken to a convenient part of the town, where the torches are lighted, the town band accompanying, and playing till all is completed, when it is removed to the lower end of the town; and after divers salutes and huzzas from the spectators, is carried up and down the town in stately procession. The band march behind it, playing their instruments, and stopping every time they reach the town bridge and the cross, where the 'holly' is again greeted with shouts of applause. Many of the inhabitants carry lighted branches and flambeaus; and rockets, squibs, etc., are discharged on the joyful occasion. After the tree is thus carried, and the torches are sufficiently burnt, it is placed in the middle of the town, when it is again cheered by the surrounding populace, and is afterwards thrown among them. They eagerly watch for this opportunity; and, clinging to each end of the tree, endeavour to carry it away to the inn they are contending for, where they are allowed their usual quantum of ale and spirits, and pa.s.s a merry night, which seldom breaks up before two in the morning."

According to Waldron, in his _Description of the Isle of Man_, 1859, p. 156, the following singular custom is in force on Twelfth day. In this island there is not a barn unoccupied on the whole twelve days after Christmas, every parish hiring fiddlers at the public charge. On Twelfth day the fiddler lays his head in the lap of some one of the wenches, and the _mainstyr fiddler_ asks who such a maid, or such a maid, naming all the girls one after another, shall marry, to which he answers according to his own whim, or agreeable to the intimacies he has taken notice of during the time of merriment, and whatever he says is absolutely depended upon as an oracle; and if he couple two people who have an aversion to each other, tears and vexation succeed the mirth; this they call "cutting off the fiddler's head," for after this he is dead for a whole year.

CHAPTER x.x.xII