Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan Part 4

Some of the early _Noels_ are not unlike the English carols of the period, and are often half in Latin, half in French. Here are a few such "macaronic" verses:--

"Celebrons la naissance _Nostri Salvatoris_, 56 Qui fait la complaisance _Dei sui Patris_.

Cet enfant tout aimable, _In nocte media_, Est ne dans une etable, _De casta Maria_.

Mille esprits angeliques, _Juncti pastoribus_, Chantent dans leur musique, _Puer vobis natus_, Au Dieu par qui nous sommes, _Gloria in excelsis_, Et la paix soit aux hommes _Bonae voluntatis_.

Qu'on ne soit insensible!

_Adeamus omnes_ A Dieu rendu pa.s.sible, _Propter nos mortales_, Et tous, de compagnie, _Deprecemur eum_ Qu'a la fin de la vie, _Det regnum beatum_."{3}

The sixteenth century is the most interesting _Noel_ period; we find then a conflict of tendencies, a conflict between Gallic realism and broad humour and the love of refined language due to the study of the ancient cla.s.sics. There are many anonymous pieces of this time, but three important _Noelistes_ stand out by name: Lucas le Moigne, Cure of Saint Georges, Puy-la-Garde, near Poitiers; Jean Daniel, called "Maitre Mitou,"

a priest-organist at Nantes; and Nicholas Denisot of Le Mans, whose _Noels_ appeared posthumously under the pseudonym of "Comte d'Alsinoys."

Lucas le Moigne represents the _esprit gaulois_, the spirit that is often called "Rabelaisian," though it is only one side of the genius of Rabelais. The good Cure was a contemporary of 57 the author of "Pantagruel." His "Chansons de Noels nouvaulx" was published in 1520, and contains carols in very varied styles, some nave and pious, others hardly quotable at the present day. One of his best-known pieces is a dialogue between the Virgin and the singers of the carol: Mary is asked and answers questions about the wondrous happenings of her life. Here are four verses about the Nativity:--

"Or nous dites, Marie, Les neuf mois accomplis, Naquit le fruit de vie, Comme l'Ange avoit dit?

--Oui, sans nulle peine Et sans oppression, Naquit de tout le monde La vraie Redemption.

Or nous dites, Marie, Du lieu imperial, Fut-ce en chambre paree, Ou en Palais royal?

--En une pauvre etable Ouverte a l'environ Ou n'avait feu, ni flambe Ni latte, ni chevron.

Or nous dites, Marie, Qui vous vint visiter; Les bourgeois de la ville Vous ont-ils confortee?

--Oncque, homme ni femme N'en eut compa.s.sion, Non plus que d'un esclave D'etrange region.

Or nous dites, Marie, Des pauvres pastoureaux Qui gardaient es montagnes Leurs brebis & aigneaux. 58 --Ceux-la m'ont visitee Par grande affection; Moult me fut agreable Leur visitation."{4}

The influence of the "Pleiade," with its care for form, its respect for cla.s.sical models, its enrichment of the French tongue with new Latin words, is shown by Jean Daniel, who also owes something to the poets of the late fifteenth century. Two stanzas may be quoted from him:--

"C'est ung tres grant mystere Qu'ung roy de si hault pris Vient naistre en lieu austere, En si meschant pourpris: Le Roy de tous les bons espritz, C'est Jesus nostre frere, Le Roy de tous les bons espritz, Duquel sommes apris.

Saluons le doulx Jesuchrist, Notre Dieu, notre frere, Saluons le doulx Jesuchrist, Chantons Noel d'esprit!

En luy faisant priere, Soyons de son party, Qu'en sa haulte emperiere Ayons lieu de party; Comme il nous a droict apparty, Jesus nostre bon frere, Comme il nous a droict apparty Au celeste convy.

Saluons, etc.

Amen. Noel."{5}

As for Denisot, I may give two charming verses from one of his pastorals:--

"Suz, Bergiez, en campaigne, Laissez la vos troppeaux, 59 Avant qu'on s'accompaigne, Enflez vos chalumeaux.

Enflez vos cornemuses, Dansez ensemblement, Et vos doucettes muses, Accollez doucement."{6}

One result of the Italian influences which came over France in the sixteenth century was a fondness for diminutives. Introduced into carols, these have sometimes a very graceful effect:--

"Entre le boeuf & le bouvet, Noel nouvellet, Voul.u.s.t Jesus nostre maistre, En un pet.i.t hostelet, Noel nouvellet, En ce pauvre monde naistre, O Noel nouvellet!

Ne couche, ne bercelet, Noel nouvellet, Ne trouverent en cette estre, Fors ung pet.i.t drappelet, Noel nouvellet, Pour envelopper le maistre, O Noel nouvellet!"{7}

These diminutives are found again, though fewer, in a particularly delightful carol:--

"Laissez paitre vos bestes Pastoureaux, par monts et par vaux; Laissez paitre vos bestes, Et allons chanter Nau.

J'ai ou chanter le rossignol, Qui chantoit un chant si nouveau, Si haut, si beau, Si resonneau, 60

Il m'y rompoit la tete, Tant il chantoit et flageoloit: Adonc pris ma houlette Pour aller voir Naulet.

Laissez paitre, etc."{8}

The singer goes on to tell how he went with his fellow-shepherds and shepherdesses to Bethlehem:--

"Nous dimes tous une chanson Les autres en vinrent au son, Chacun prenant Son compagnon: Je prendrai Guillemette, Margot tu prendras gros Guillot; Qui prendra Peronelle?

Ce sera Talebot.

Laissez paitre, etc.

Ne chantons plus, nous tardons trop, Pensons d'aller courir le trot.

Viens-tu, Margot?-- J'attends Guillot.-- J'ai rompu ma courette, Il faut ramancher mon sabot.-- Or, tiens cette aiguillette, Elle y servira trop.

Laissez paitre, etc.

Nous courumes de grand' roideur Pour voir notre doux Redempteur Et Createur Et Formateur, Qui etait tendre d'aage Et sans linceux en grand besoin, Il gisait en la creche Sur un botteau de foin.

Laissez paitre, etc. 61

Sa mere avecque lui etait: Et Joseph si lui eclairait, Point ne semblait Au beau fillet, Il n'etait point son pere; Je l'apercus bien au cameau (_visage_) Il semblait a sa mere, Encore est-il plus beau.

Laissez paitre, etc."

This is but one of a large cla.s.s of French _Noels_ which make the Nativity more real, more present, by representing the singer as one of a company of worshippers going to adore the Child. Often these are shepherds, but sometimes they are simply the inhabitants of a parish, a town, a countryside, or a province, bearing presents of their own produce to the little Jesus and His parents. Barrels of wine, fish, fowls, sucking-pigs, pastry, milk, fruit, firewood, birds in a cage--such are their homely gifts. Often there is a strongly satiric note: the peculiarities and weaknesses of individuals are hit off; the reputation of a place is suggested, a village whose people are famous for their stinginess offers cider that is half rain-water; elsewhere the inhabitants are so given to law-suits that they can hardly find time to go to Bethlehem.

Such _Noels_ with their vivid local colour, are valuable pictures of the manners of their time. They are, unfortunately, too long for quotation here, but any reader who cares to follow up the subject will find some interesting specimens in a little collection of French carols that can be bought for ten _centimes_.{9} They are of various dates; some probably were written as late as the eighteenth century. In that century, and indeed in the seventeenth, the best Christmas verses are those of a provincial and rustic character, and especially those in _patois_; the more cultivated poets, with their formal cla.s.sicism, can ill enter into the spirit of the festival. Of the learned writers the best is a woman, Francoise Paschal, of Lyons (b. about 1610); in spite of her Latinity she shows a real feeling for her subjects. Some of her _Noels_ are dialogues between the sacred personages; one presents 62 Joseph and Mary as weary wayfarers seeking shelter at all the inns of Bethlehem and everywhere refused by host or hostess:--

"_Saint Joseph._

Voyons la _Rose-Rouge_.

Madame de ceans, Auriez-vous quelque bouge Pour de pet.i.tes gens?

_L'Hotesse._

Vous n'avez pas la mine D'avoir de grands tresors; Voyez chez ma voisine, Car, quant a moi, je dors.

_Saint Joseph._