Journeys Through Bookland Volume Vi Part 44

The hall was dress'd with holly green; Forth to the wood did merry-men go, To gather in the mistletoe.[357-9]

Then open'd wide the baron's hall To va.s.sal,[357-10] tenant,[357-11] serf,[357-12] and all; Power laid his rod of rule aside,[357-13]

And ceremony doff'd his pride.[357-14]

The heir, with roses in his shoes,[357-15]

That night might village partner choose;[357-16]

The lord, underogating,[357-17] share The vulgar game of "post and pair."[357-18]

All hail'd, with uncontroll'd delight And general voice, the happy night, That to the cottage, as the crown, Brought tidings of Salvation down.[357-19]

The fire, with well-dried logs supplied, Went roaring up the chimney wide; The huge hall-table's oaken face, Scrubb'd till it shone, the day to grace, Bore then upon its ma.s.sive board No mark to part the squire and lord.[358-20]

Then was brought in the l.u.s.ty brawn,[358-21]

By old blue-coated serving-man; Then the grim boar's head frown'd on high, Crested with bays and rosemary.[358-22]

Well can the green-garb'd ranger[358-23] tell, How, when, and where, the monster fell; What dogs before his death he tore, And all the baiting of the boar.[358-24]

The wa.s.sail[358-25] round, in good brown bowls, Garnish'd with ribbons, blithely trowls.[358-26]

There the huge sirloin reek'd; hard by Plum-porridge stood, and Christmas pie;[358-27]

Nor fail'd old Scotland to produce, At such high tide, her savory goose.

Then came the merry maskers in, And carols roar'd with blithesome din: If unmelodious was the song, It was a hearty note, and strong.

Who lists may in their mumming see Traces of ancient mystery;[359-28]

White shirts supplied the masquerade, And s.m.u.tted cheeks the visors made;--[359-29]

But, O! what maskers, richly dight, Can boast of bosoms, half so light![359-30]

England was merry England, when Old Christmas brought his sports again.

'Twas Christmas broach'd the mightiest ale; 'Twas Christmas told the merriest tale; A Christmas gambol oft could cheer The poor man's heart through half the year.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FOOTNOTES:

[356-1] Is there a stove or a fireplace in the room where the poet sees Christmas kept?

[356-2] What is cheer? What is festal cheer?

[356-3] What is a "train"? How could it be called a hospitable train?

Whose train was it?

[356-4] What is a rite?

[356-5] What bells were rung?

[356-6] What is a ma.s.s?

[356-7] What is a _stoled_ priest? What is a chalice? What did the priest do when he reared the chalice?

[356-8] The kirtle was a dress-skirt or outer petticoat. _Sheen_ means _gay_ or _bright_.

[357-9] What is mistletoe? Is there anything peculiar in its habits of growth? What did they want of it? What custom is still said to follow the use of mistletoe at Christmastime?

[357-10] A va.s.sal was one of the followers of the baron and paid for protection or for lands he held by fighting in the baron's troops or rendering some other service.

[357-11] A tenant held lands or houses, for which he paid some form of rent.

[357-12] A serf was a slave.

[357-13] At Christmastime even the powerful were willing to cease from ruling and join with the common people.

[357-14] Instead of grand ceremonies, everybody joined in simple amus.e.m.e.nts, without pride or prejudice.

[357-15] Who was the heir? What was he heir to? Why did he have roses in his shoes?

[357-16] Was he permitted to dance with village maidens at any other time?

[357-17] Without losing any of his dignity.

[357-18] An old-fashioned game of cards.

[357-19] Who brought the tidings of Salvation? To whom was it brought?

Who was "the crown"?

[358-20] A lord was one who had power and authority, while a squire was merely an attendant upon a lord.

[358-21] Brawn, in England, is a preparation of meat, generally sheep's head, pig's head, hock of beef, or boar's meat, boiled and seasoned, and run into jelly moulds.

[358-22] What are bays? What is rosemary? Why should the boar's head be called _crested_? Where was it? Why was it there? Why does the poet say it _frowned_ on high?

[358-23] Who was a ranger? What did he do? Do you see any reason for his being green-garbed?

[358-24] What is meant by _baiting_? Who tore the dogs? Why did he tear them? What made the monster fall?

[358-25] Wa.s.sail (_wossil_): the liquor in which they drank their toasts, and which signified the good cheer of Christmastime.

[358-26] Moves about; that is, the liquor in good brown bowls was merrily pa.s.sed along the table from hand to hand.

[358-27] What was near the sirloin? How many kinds of meat were there on the table? Is anything mentioned besides meat? Do you suppose they had other things to eat? Did they have bread and vegetables?

[359-28] In the _mumming_ or acting of these maskers could be seen traces of the ancient mystic plays in which religious lessons were given in plays that were acted with the approval of the church.

[359-29] Did the maskers have rich costumes? What did they wear over their faces? How did they conceal their clothing?

[359-30] Does the poet think that rich maskers would enjoy their pleasure as much as the old-fashioned Christmas merrymakers?

ELEGY

WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY CHURCHYARD

_By_ THOMAS GRAY