Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-25

sons for enlivening the movements of the
Christmas celebrity; and not such religious
songs as were current subsequently-sub
tuted by those enemies of innocent and use
ful mirth, the Puritans. The boar's head
soused was anciently the first dish on Christ
mas day, and was carried up to the principal
table in the hall with great state and solemni-
ty. Wynkin de Worde has a carol for
"bryngyng in the bore's head" running as
follows:-
The Bores Heade in handle bringI,
With garlands gay, and rosemary;
pray you all synge merely,
QHt estiS IN cOnricio.
The Bores Heade, 1 understende,
Is the chefe servyce in this land
Take, wherever it he fande,
Seruite cum CdnticO.
The following is specimen of very curl
Gus carol in the Scottish preserved in cane
compendious BookeNo godly and spiritual
Sangs, Edinburg, 1921" printed from an old
copy
ANE SANG OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
Tune-BaU lula lou
/ come from hevin to tell
The best nowellis that ever befe;
To you this tythinges trew bring,
And will Of them say and sing,
This day to you is borne ane childe
OF Marie meike and ViTgine mylde,
That blissit barne, bning and kynde,
Sail VOW rejoice bath heart and mynde.
My saul and lyfe stand up and see
Quaha lyes in ane cribe of tree
Quwhat babe is that, guide and faire'
1t is Christ, Gods some and aire
o God that made all creature,
How art thow BEGUN pure.
That on the hay and stray will I've,
Amang the asses, oxin. and kye!
o, my DER bert, young Jesus SWEET,
Prepare thy creddill in my spreit,
And sail rookie thee in my hert
And never MAR from thee depart,
But sail praise thee ever moir,
With sangs SWEET unto thy gloir,
The knees of my hert sail bow,
And sing that right Baulalow.
In different strain is the following Jolly
carol preserved in ga Miscellany of Epi-
grams, Sonnets, and Eptaphs," in which the
lively customs of the season are properly re-
membered:-
Lo! now is come our Joy fulst feast!
Let every man be jolly;
Each roOme with yvie leaves is drest
And every post with holly:
Now all our neighbors chimnies smoke,
And Christmas blocks are burning;
Their ovens they with bakt meats choke,
And all their spits are turning
Without the doore let sorrow lie;
nd if. for cold, it hap to die,
Wee'le bury't in Christmas pye
And ever more be merry.
And every lad is wondrous trimm,
And no man minds his labour;
Our losses have provided them
bagpipe and tabor.
Ranke msers do sparing shun;
Their hall of musicke soundeth;
And dogs thence with whole shoulders run,
SO all things there aboundeth
The cCuntrye folke themselves advance;
For crowdy mutton's come out of France,
And Jack shall pipe and Jyl shall dance,
And all the town be merry.
Now poor men to the justices
With capons make their arrants,
And, if they hap to fail of these,
They plague them with their warrants.
Harke how the wages abrode do Gale
Each other fOorthe to rambling;
Anon you'll see them in the hall,
For nuts and apples scrambling.
The wenches, with their wasse bowls,
About the street singing;
The boyes are come to catch the owles
The wild mare in is bringing.
Our kitchen boy has broke his boxe,
And to the dealing of the oxe
Our honest neighbors come by 1ockS
And here they will be merry.
Now kings and Queens poor sheep eotes have,
And mate with every body;
The honest now may play the knave,
And wise men play at noddy.
Some others play at ROwland's hoe
And twenty other gameboyes moe;
Because they will be merry.
We close this little collection of early
Christmas poems, with which the ancient En-
glish rustics were accustomed ''to welcome
the blessed morn" with the following prophe-
cy, illustrating the popular beliefs regarding
Christmas day =
Yf Crystemas day on Thursday be,
wyndy wynter shalle wee,
OF wyndes and wedeTs all wicked,
And harde tempestes stronge and thycke
The somer shalbe good and drye,
COrnys and bestes shall mutyplye.
That yere US good londes TO tylthe,
And kynges and prynces shalle dye by skylle:
What clyde that day borne bee,
He shalle have happe rghte well to the,
OF dedes he shalbe good and stabye
OF speche and tonge wyse and reasonabylle:
Who so that day Ony thefte abowte,
lie shalbe shente wyth-owtyn dowte;
And yf sekcnes on the that day betyde,
Hyt shall some fro the Clyde,