Star.
London, England, 1826-12-26 00:00:00

• CHRISTMAS.

THE CURIOUS AND ANCIENT CEREMONY OP THE
BOAR'S HEAD AT CHRISTMAS.
At a time when fresh meats were seldom eaten,
brawn was considered as a great delicacy. It is well
known that the boar's head soused was anciently the
first dish on Christmas Day, and was carried up to the
principal table in the Hall, with great state and solem-
nity. HoMashed says, that "in the year 1170, upon
the day of the young Prince's Coronation,King Henry I.
served his sonne at table as sewer, bringing up the
boar's head, with trumpets before it, according to the
manner." For this indispensable ceremony, as also for
others of that season, there was a carol, which Wynkin
de Worde has given us as it was sung in his time, with
the title " A carol bringing the boar's head :"

Caput apri defero
Reddens lauds Domino.
The boar's head in band bring I,
With garlandes gay and rosemary.
I pray you all sing merrily.
Qui estio in convivio.
The boar's head I understande
Is the cbefe servyce in this lande;
Looke wherever it be fande.
Senate cum cantico.
Be gladde, lordes both more and lease,
For this bath ordaysed our stewarde,
To chore you all at this Christmasse,
The boar's head with mustarde.
This carol, says Mr. Wa:ton, is retained at Q
College,Oxford, though with many innovations: There is,
indeed,in theCollege,an old legend that a wild hoar,which
nfe•ted the neighbourhood t f Oxford, was killed by a
Taberder of this College on Christm..s Day, as he was
going to serve at Church, and that he killed it by thrust-
ing his Aristotle down the throat of the animal, pro.
testing his arm in the eencon r with some part of his
gown. This story, it is pn.bahie, may have contributed
to the continuance of the ceremony of the boar's head
at Queen's College longer than any where else, but the
song has no allusion to it. That simply states that the
boar's head is the "rarest dish in all the lande, and that
it has been provided in honour of the king of bliss."—
There is, however, a song on this supposed feat of the
Taherder, written by Dr. Hatington, of Bath, and
printed in the Oxford Sgusage, full of wit and humour,
of which the following is a correct copy, as printed :
A SONG,
IN HONOUR OF THZ CELEBRATION or THE BOAR'S-HUD, AT mimes
COLLEGE, OXFORD.
Tam Mani quans Mercurio.
I sing not of Roman or Grecian mad games,
The Pythian, Olympic, and such like bard names;
Your patience awhile with submission I beg,
I strive but to honour the feast of Cole Reg.
Derry down, down decry down.
No Tracian brawls at our rites e'er prevail,
We temper our mirth with plain, sober, mild ale ;
The tricks of old Circe deter us from wine,
Though we honour a boar we won't make ourselves swine.
Derry, &c.
Great Milo was famous for slaying his ox,
Yet he proved but an ass in cleaving of blocks;
But we had an hero, for all things was fit.
Our motto displays both his valour and wit.
Derry, &c.
Stout Hercules laboured, and looked mighty big,
When he slew the half-starved Rryntanthian pig;
But we can relate such a stratagem Taken,
That the stoutest of boars could not save his own bacon.
Derry, Stc.
So dreadful this bristle.back'd foe did appear,
You'd have sworn he had got the wrong pig by the ear;
But instead of avoiding the mouth of the beast,
He ramm'd in a volume and cried Gracum est.
Derry, &c.
In this gallant action, such fortitude ,hewn is.
As proves him no coward or tender Adonis ;
No armour but logic, by which you may find.
That logic's the bulwark of Way and mind.

Derry, &c.
Ye squires that fear neither hills nor rough rocks,
And think you're full wise when you outwit a fox ;
Enrich your poor brains and expose them no more,
Learn Greek and seek glory by hunting the boar.
Derry, &c.
Archdeacon Nates has pointed out a curious narration
of Christmas revels in England,to be found in Miscellanea
Antigua Anglicona, published from an original manu-
script in St. John's College, Oxford ; and yet another is
given in Gerard Leigh's Accidence of Armory, p. 119.
The dishes most in vogue were, formerly, for breakfast
and supper, on Christmas Eve, a boar's head, stuck with
rosemary, With an apple or an orange in the mouth,
plum porridge, and minced pies.
Eating the latter was a test of orthodoxy, as the Pu-
ritans conceived it to be an abomination; they were
originally made long, in imitation of the cratch, or
manger, in which our LORD was laid.
The houses and churches were dressed with ever-
'
greens, and the former especially with misletoe, a
custom probably as old as the Druidical worship.—
Fosbrooke, in his Encydoperdia 4 Antiquities, p. 587,
speaking of various local customs, mentioned that the
servants of Hamburgh had a carp for supper cn
Christmas Eve; and Waldron, in his Description of Me
Isle of Man, p. 99, among miny other curious particu-
lars, relates, that at this season parties sat up all nigh',
went to Church at twelve, and, after service, hunted and
killed a wren, which they carried on a bier to Church,
and there bur led with dirges and whimsical solemnity.
" Of Chrismas Husbandry Fare" honest 'fusser fur-
nishes us with a genuine picture, which is interesting, as
descriptive of the mode of living of our ancestors three
centuries ago. The different viands enumerated are
still known by the names which they bear in the text, it
we except shred pies," which appear to be mince pies,
as they are now called. Butcher's meat, poultry, native
fruits, and home-brewed, were then thought amply
sufficient.
Good husband and housewife, now chyfiy be glad,
Things handsome to have, as they ought to be bad,
They both do provide, against Christmas do come,
To welcome good neighbour, good cheer to have some.
Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall,
Brawn, pudding, and rouse, and good mustard withalL
Beef, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best,
Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well dress,
Cheese, apples, and nuts, jolly carols to hear,
As then in the country is counted good cheer.—Time s Tdes.

Saturday morning a fire broke out in the stove be-
longing, to Mi. Buckley, dyer, Union•bridge, Colly-
burst, Manchester, which was entirely destroyed, to-
gether with upwards t f 300 pieces of goods which it
contained.