Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-12-23
GrneraI iHiseeIIauu.
ST. N1CHoLAs's DAY.

st. Nicholas was born at Potara, in Lycia,
and having great renown for sanctity, was
chosen bishop Of Myra while yet layman.
His death is said to have taken place on the
eighth Of the ides of December.
Schoolboys and young maidens had him for
their patron saint This is supposed to have
been in consideration Of his precocious piety,
he having commenced the holding Of fasts
while a nurseling. The Golden Legend an
nounces that "IIe wolde not take the breast
but ones on the Wednesdy and ones on Ac
Fridaye."
We are assured by Hospnian that il was a
custom Of parents on St. Nicholas's eve, to
convey presents Of various kinds to their lit
tie sons and daughters, who were taught TO
believe that they owed them 20 the kindness
Of St. Nicholas and his train, who would 60
up and down among the towns and villages,
enter at the windows. although they might be
shut, and make distribution. Hence Neo-
georgius says
"S Nicholas money used to give 20 maydens secre,e,
Who that he still NAV use his wontnd libcrae,
Tho mothers all their children the Eve do fast
Aud when ;hcy every one 90 night in seuscess sleep are
cast,
Both apples, nuues and pears they bring, and other
As cap. and shoocs and rctcotc. which secretlie they
hide
And p DE morning found, they say tina, this St. Ncho
Thus tender minds to worship saint, aud wicked things
are taught"
1t was usual in certain courts Of Italy for
persons TO hide presents in the shoes of those
whom they would honor, and so to surprise
them in the morning as they attempted to
dress. This was in commemoration Of the
practice Of the State, who was said to have
been accustomed in the night time to throw
purses, for marriage portions, in at the win
dows of maidens who were not wealthy. In
the Claws Cacndaria we find him nstanccd
as the protector of young women and hence,
in various parts OF France and Italy, it was
customary for the boarders at the converts,
on St. Nicholas's eve, to place each a silk
stocking at the door Of the apartment of the
Abbess, with piece Of paper enclosed, recon-
mending themselves to "great st. Nicholas Of
her chamber To the credit of the Saint, we
are informed that "he never failed to fill the
stockings with sweotmeats and other trihes Of
that kind, with which these creduous virgins
made a general feast"
Armstrong, in his History of the Island of
Minorca,' says that the saint is the patron
also of those who lead scattering life. When
mariners had escaped great perils, they would
repair to St. Nicholas S Chapel and there
hang up votive pictures in gratitude, which
contained representations Of the danger which
they had escaped. Horace alludes to a SINH
/ lar observance in honor of Neptune and the
ancient Greeks had the same custom.
As scholars were favorites of this saint,
parish clerks adopted him as their protector.
But in the second act Of the first part of Henry
w., we find that "St, Nicholas clerks" were
men Of another pattern, being no less than
gentlemen of the road" How it was that
highwsymen came to be placed under his pat
ronage we do not know.
! In "Pane Percevall. the Peacemaker OF
England" an old volume, we find that their
clerical character was generally acknowledged.
We read there that ''he was tender-hearted
I fellow, though his luck were but hard, which
hasting to take up QUARREL by the highway
side, between a brace of st. Nicholas clargie-
men, was so courteously imbraced on both
parties, that he rendered his purse for their
truce" A shift of that sort was not unusual
in olden times, and we can readily imagine
that such "bcneft of clergy" was not desira-
ble Scott ought to have made Friar Tuck
vicar general to the order.
The boy bishop funotionary Of the Mid
die Ages, was elected and consecrated on St.
Nichoas's Day. Aubanus says that in Fran
coma the scholars used to choose then pre-
late and two deacons, and that the bishop was
mitred and escorted to church in solemn pro-
cession. and presided over divine worship.
This over, the three worthless would go from
house to house, chanting and demanding mo-
ney, as the bishops subsidy. Boys used to
fast on the previous evening to propitiate the
saint, and induce him to place the tithe pres
ents in their shoes The Constantinopoltan
Council, in S67, attempted to abolish the GUS
tom of boy-bishops, but it continued popular.
In England it was kept up till a late date. A
bishop was generally elected in every parish.
In the cathedrals he was chosen from among
the children of the choir. When Edward l..
was on his way to Scotland, in 1899, one of
these prelates said vespers before him, and
was suitably rewarded. Another oficiated
before Edward III, at Oxford. At the cathe-
dra church of Salisbury is amonument of one
who died in office The bishop was required
to be handsome, and, when chosen, bore the
title and state of the episcopal office. There
was also a sorvieo for his use set to music
One of the saints, Hugh, whose day is No
vembor ! I, was boy-bishop.
But the practice gradually fell into dsro-
pute, and came under notice Of the civil au-
thorities 1t was prohibited by the Council
of Salzburg in 1874. Henry VIII. Of Eng
land also issued p,oclamatons against it in
/ 1910 and 1912. The pageant was restored in
1855 by Queen Mary, but was finally put
down by the influence of the Puritans. In
Switzerland it was kept up till near the close
of the eighteenth century. At the present
time, however, we presume that the boy-bish-
ops are generally unfrockod, and their Lilli-
putian dioceses abolished. By train of cir
cumstances, many of the observances of the
anniversary, in relation to making presents,
&c, have been transferred to Christmas, and
upon the eve of that day children are now
taught to look for the periodical visit of "san-
Ia Claus"