Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-23
Christmas Carols,

Christmas Carols.
Carol is said to be derived from cam
tore, to sing, and role, an interjection
of Joy. That quaint writer, Jeremy
Taylor, observed that Glory to God in
the highest; on earth, peace ana good
will to men, which the angels sang at
the birth of Christ, was the first Christ
mas carol. ~
In Shakspeare's tins, carols were
sung in the streets at night during
Christmas by the waits, who expected
to receive gratutities for their singing.
The wakeful ketches on Christmas
Eve" are mentioned by many writer of
old times and customs. After the
Reformation, the singing of Latin hymns
was abolished in the churches. and the
sweet Christmas carols substituted.
There were two kinds of Christmas
carols, those of areligious nature, which
were sung not only In the churches, but
also through the streets from house to
house, on Christmas Eve, and, after
that, morning and evening until Twelfth
day; the others are of ivelier charac-
ter, and adapted to the reve1 and the
feast. Some of these latter were also
called wassail songs, and originated
with the Anglo-N ornans, who were of
a most convivial nature. No Christmas
entertainment was considered complete
without the singing of carols, and thence
came the old motto, Ono song, no sup
per" for every one at the table was ex-
pected to join in the carol Says an
English squire at bis Christmas feast:
Not man here shall taste my March beer,
Till Christmas carol he does sing,
Then all clapped their hands and shouted and
sung
Till the hall and the parlor did ring.
From quaint old work we clip the
following: "The antientest master of
of the revel is, after dinner and supper,
to sing a carroll, or song, and to COM
mand the other gentlemen present to
sing with him and the companie."
Some of these Christmas carols had
queer titles enough, and they seem to
have referred to all sorts of subjects.
Here is the dedication prefxed to one
in the last century:
"Christmas carol on 'Peko Tea "a
sacred carol, which, like tea that is per-
fectly good and fine, will be most CRATE
full and useful all the year round. from
Christmas to Christmas forever. Hum
bly, addressed to Queen Caroline and
the Princess Caroline and the Royal
Family. By Frances Hoffman Lon
don, 1923. 3
A curious piece of antiquity is the old
carol entitled Christus 7aatus est. It
was something in this manner: The
cock croweth, Christus 7aatus est
Christ is born. The raven asked, GUAM
do ?-when? The crow replied, H9c
nocte-this night. The OK cryeth out,
Uba 2 Ub5s-where where? The
sheap bleated out, Bethlehem
lem. A voice from heaven sounded,
Gloria IN eccelsis-glory be on high.
Another carol represents the Virgin
contemplating the birth of the Divine
Infant:
"He neither shall be clothed
ssss In purple nor in pail, Ee laz
But all in fair linen,
As were babies all; -='
He neither shall be rookie
But in wooden cradle
That rocks on the mould
The poet Southery refers to the
Christmas, in his ''Joan of Arc"
where he speaks of a faithful servant
who fell upon the plain of Patay."
" In this lords castle dwelt, for many year.
A we'll beloved servant; he could sing
Carols for Shrove-t tide, or for Candlemas,
Songs for the wassel, and when the boar's
head
Crown'd with gay garland, and with rosemary,
Smoak'd on the Christmas board"
Coral-singing continued in all its
vigor until the close of the late century,
since when it has gradually declined,
except in the schools or churches, where
the sweet Christmas carols are chanted
by young voices. aae sal
But in the northern part of England
they still sing carols; and even in the
great metropolis, London, some solitary
veteran, who has not forgotten the
merry customs of the good old days,
may sometimes be heard upon Christ
mas Eve, singing, in plaintive voice,
"God rest you, merry gentlemen
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