A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 24

Seignors il est crie en lost Qe cil qui despent bien e tost, E largement; E fet les granz honors sovent Deu li duble quanque il despent Por faire honor.

Deu doint, etc.

Seignors escriez les malveis, Car vus nel les troverez jameis De bone part; Botun, batun, ferun groinard, Car tot dis a le quer cunard Por faire honor.

Deu doint, etc.

NOEL beyt bein li vin Engleis E li Gascoin e li Franceys E l'Angeuin; NOEL fait beivre son veisin, Si quil se dort, le chief en clin, Sovent le ior.

Deu doint, etc.

Seignors io vus di par NOEL, E par li sires de cest hostel, Car benez ben: E io primes beurai le men, E pois apres chescon le soen, Par mon conseil.

Si io vus di trestoz Wesseyl Dehaiz eil qui ne dirra Drincheyl.

TRANSLATION.

Now, lordings, listen to our ditty, Strangers coming from afar; Let poor minstrels move your pity, Give us welcome, soothe our care: In this mansion, as they tell us, Christmas wa.s.sell keeps to-day; And, as the king of all good fellows, Reigns with uncontrouled sway.

Lordings, in these realms of pleasure, Father Christmas yearly dwells; Deals out joy with liberal measure, Gloomy sorrow soon dispels: Numerous guests, and viands dainty, Fill the hall and grace the board; Mirth and beauty, peace and plenty, Solid pleasures here afford.

Lordings, 'tis said the liberal mind, That on the needy much bestows, From Heav'n a sure reward shall find; From Heav'n, whence ev'ry blessing flows.

Who largely gives with willing hand, Or quickly gives with willing heart, His fame shall spread throughout the land, His mem'ry thence shall ne'er depart.

Lordings, grant not your protection To a base unworthy crew, But cherish, with a kind affection, Men that are loyal, good, and true.

Chase from your hospitable dwelling Swinish souls that ever crave; Virtue they can ne'er excel in, Gluttons never can be brave.

Lordings, Christmas loves good drinking.

Wines of Gascoigne, France, Anjou, English ale that drives out thinking, Prince of liquors, old or new.

Every neighbour shares the bowl, Drinks of the spicy liquor deep, Drinks his fill without controul, Till he drowns his care in sleep.

And now--by Christmas, jolly soul!

By this mansion's generous sieur!

By the wine, and by the bowl, And all the joys they both inspire!

Here I'll drink a health to all: The glorious task shall first be mine: And ever may foul luck befall Him that to pledge me shall decline.

THE CHORUS.

Hail, Father Christmas! hail to Thee!

Honour'd ever shalt thou be!

All the sweets that love bestows, Endless pleasures, wait on those Who, like va.s.sals brave and true, Give to Christmas homage due.

Wynkyn de Worde first printed Christmas carols in 1521, but there were many MS. carols in existence before then. Here is a very pretty one from Mr. Wright's fifteenth-century MS.:--

To blys G.o.d bryng us al and sum.

_Christe, redemptor omnium._

In Bedlem, that fayer cyte, Was born a chyld that was so fre, Lord and prince of hey degre, _Jam lucis orto sidere._

Jhesu, for the lowe of the, Chylder wer slayn grett plente In Bedlem, that fayer cyte, _A solis ortus cardine._

As the sune schynyth in the glas, So Jhesu of hys moder borne was; Hym to serve G.o.d gyffe us grace, _O Lux beata Trinitas._

Now is he oure Lord Jhesus; Thus hath he veryly vysyt us; Now to mak mery among us _Exultet coelum laudibus._

The next carol I give has always been a popular favourite, and can be traced back to the fourteenth century, when it was called "Joyes Fyve." In Mr. Wright's fifteenth-century MS. it is "Off the Five Joyes of Our Lady." It afterwards became the "Seven Joys of Mary," and has expanded to

THE TWELVE GOOD JOYS OF MARY.

The first good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of One, To see her own Son Jesus To suck at her breast-bone.

To suck at her breast-bone, good man, And blessed may he be, Both Father, Son and Holy Ghost, To all eternity.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Two, To see her own Son Jesus To make the lame to go.

To make the lame, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Three, To see her own Son Jesus To make the blind to see.

To make the blind to see, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Four, To see her own Son Jesus To read the Bible o'er.

To read, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Five, To see her own Son Jesus To raise the dead alive.

To raise, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Six, To see her own Son Jesus To wear the crucifix.

To wear, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Seven, To see her own Son Jesus To wear the Crown of Heaven.

To wear, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Eight, To see our blessed Saviour Turn darkness into light.

Turn darkness, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Nine, To see our blessed Saviour Turn water into wine.

Turn water, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Ten, To see our blessed Saviour Write without a pen.

Write without, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Eleven, To see our blessed Saviour Shew the gates of Heaven.

Shew the gates, etc.

The next good joy our Mary had, It was the joy of Twelve, To see our blessed Saviour Shut close the gates of h.e.l.l.

Shut close, etc.

"On Christmas Day in the Morning" and "G.o.d rest You, Merry Gentlemen,"

are both very old and popular, the latter extremely so; in fact, it is the carol most known. The next example was first printed by the Rev.

Arthur Bedford, who wrote many books and published sermons between 1705 and 1743, but his version began somewhat differently:--

A Virgin unspotted, the Prophets did tell, Should bring forth a Saviour, as now it befell.