The Catholic World Volume Ii Part 52

Carols, as the name implies, are joyous songs for festive occasions, at one period accompanied with dancing. In an old vocabulary of A.D.

1440, _Caral_ is defined as _A Songe;_ in John Palsgrave's work of A.D. 1530, as _Chanson de Noel;_whilst in Anglo-Saxon times the word appears to have been rendered _Kyrriole,_ a chanting at the Nativity.

The earliest carol in English, known under that name, is the production of Dame Berners, prioress of St Alban's in the fourteenth century, ent.i.tled _A Carolle of Huntynge_. This is printed on the last leaf of Wynkyn de Worde's collection of Christmas carols, A.D. 1521, and the first verse modernized runs thus:

"As I came by a green forest side, I met with a forester that bade me abide, Whey go bet, hey go bet, hey go how.

We shall have sport and game enow."

Milton uses the word carol to express a devotional hymn:

"A quire Of squadron'd angels hear his carol sang."

And that distinguished light of the English Church, Bishop Jeremy Taylor, speaks of the angels' song on the morning of the Nativity as the first Christmas carol: "As soon as these blessed choristers had sung their Christmas carol, and taught the Church a hymn to put into her offices for ever," etc.

According to Durandus, it was customary in early days for bishops to sing with their clergy in the episcopal houses on the feast of the Nativity. _"In Natali praelati c.u.m suis clericis ludant, vel in domibus episcopalibus."_ These merry ecclesiastics sung undoubtedly Christmas carols.

But carols, like everything else, must be divided into two sorts, religious and secular--the carols "in prayse of Christe" and the merry songs for the festive board or fireside. These may be broken up into further varieties, thus:

RELIGIOUS Scriptural, Legendary, Lullaby.

SECULAR Convivial or festive.

Wa.s.sail, Boar's head, In praise of holly and ivy.

Of the variety called _Legendary_, I propose now to speak. These are, as a rule, the most popular of all carols, deriving mainly, as I said before, their origin, and many of their expressions, from the ancient mysteries. In the old plays songs are frequently introduced which resemble, in a very striking manner, what are commonly called carols.

The following song of the shepherds occurs in one of the Coventry pageants:

"As I rode out this endenes [Footnote 50] night, Of three Jolly shepherds I saw a sight,'

And all about their fold a star shone bright; They sang terli, terlow, So merrily the shepherds their pipes can blow."

[Footnote 50: Last]

The last lines actually form the chorus of one of the carols in the fifteenth-century ma.n.u.script formerly in the possession of Mr. Wright:

"About the field they piped full right, Even about the midst of the night; Adown from heaven they saw come a light, Tyrle, tyrle, So merrily the shepherds began to blow."

Again, in _Ludus Coventriae_:

"Joy to G.o.d that sitteth in heaven, And peace to man on earth ground; A child is born beneath the levyn, Through him many folk should be unbound."

A sixteenth-century carol commences:

"Salvation overflows the land.

Wherefore all faithful thus may sing, Glory to G.o.d most high And peace on the earth continually, And onto men rejoicing."

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In the Coventry Plays again we find:

"Of a maid a child should be born, On a tree he should be torn, Deliver folks that are forlorn."

A genuine carol of the sixteenth century supplies us with the following:

"Jesu, of a maid thou wouldst be born.

To save mankind that was forlorn, And all for our sins."

And one of the reign of Henry VI.:

"Thy sweet Son that thou hast borne, To save mankind that was forlorn.

His head is wreathed in a thorn.

His blissful body is all to-torn."

The "Cherry-Tree Carol," formerly a great favorite throughout England, recollections of which yet linger amongst the country-folk, is in many instances a literal copy from the Coventry Mysteries. I give the popular version of the "Cherry-Tree Carol:"

"Joseph was an old man.

And an old man was he.

When he wedded Mary In the laud of Galilee.

"Joseph and Mary Walked through an orchard good.

Where were cherries and berries As red as any blood.

"O then bespake Mary With words both meek and mild, 'Gather me some cherries, Joseph, They ran so in my mind.'"

St. Joseph refuses "with words most unkind" to grant her request, apparently unaware that his spouse is about to become the mother of the Son of G.o.d. The unborn Saviour, however, directs the Blessed Virgin to

"'Go to the tree, Mary, And it shall bow to thee, And the highest branch of all Shall bow down to Mary's knee.'

"Then bowed down the highest tree Unto his mother's hand: Then she cried. 'See, Joseph.

I have cherries at command.'

"O eat your cherries, Mary, O eat your cherries now, O eat your cherries, Mary, That grow upon the bough.'"

Another version gives the following reply of S. Joseph:

"O then bespake Joseph.

'I have done Mary wrong.

But cheer up, my dearest.

And be not cast down.'"

I give a portion of the rest of the carol, some of the verses being remarkably touching and beautiful:

"As Joseph was a-walking, He heard an angel sing, 'This night shall be born Our Heavenly King.

"He neither shall be born In honsen nor in hall, Nor in the place of paradise.

But in an ox's stall.

"He neither shall be clothed In purple nor in pall, But all in fair linen As were babies all.