Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-12-22
which is still sung is called "Dives and

As it fell out upon day
Rich Dives sickened and died,
There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.
Rise up, rise up, Brother Dives,
And come along with me,
For you've place provided in hell
To sit upon serpent's knee.
A curious writer describes the effect
of this carol when the last words, ser
pents knee. "are sOlemnly drawn out to
their utmost length by Warwickshire
chanter, and as solemnly listened to by
the well disposed crowd. who seem,
without difficulty, to believe that Dives
sits upon serpents knee" This idea
may have been presented to the poets
mind by the old pictures which repre-
sented Lazurus as sitting on Abraham's
lap, while other pictures represented
Abraham as holding Lazarus out in his
arms so that Dives, writhing in torments
below, might see him.
Tie famous Christmas carol of Ok
ford, which is sung when the bOar's head.
gay with garlands and green herbs. is
brought to the table with the greatest
pOmp. runs thus:
Capul apri defero
Reddeus laudes Domino
The bOar's head in hands bring,
With garlaDds gay and rosemary,
pray for all sing merrily,
Qui estis in convivio.
The boar's head, understands,
Is the chefe service in this lande,
Look, wherever it be fande,
Servite cum Cantico.
On Christmas Eve the bellman went
through the streets merrily singing his
carol also, which often had a voice of
warning in it. as he gayly notified all
good house wives that the merry Christ
mas tide had come, and that all should
be ready for the festival. Thus sang the
bellman:
This night (you may my almanack be)
Is the return of famous Christmas eve;
Ye virgins, then, your cleanly rooms prepare,
And let the windows bays and laurel wear,
Tom Rosemary preserve TO dress your beef,
Nor forget me, which advise in chief.
The bellman undoubtedly received
this gratuity which he expected, espe-
cially when he spurred on the home-wi-
fiery thus further with his carols:
Now, Mrs. Betty, pray get up, and rise,
If you intend to make your Christmas pies;
Securing the pewter falls to Cicely's share,
And Margery must to clean the house take
care;
And let Dolls ingenuity be seen,
In decking all the windows up with green.
Young maidens went from house to
house upon Christmas Eve, carrying the
wassail bowl, and singing the wassail
songs, or Christmas carols, at every door.
Good dame, here at your door,
Our wassel we begin,
We all are maidens poor,
We pray, now, let us in
With our wassel.
Our wassel we do fill
With apples and with spice,
Then grant us your good will,
So taste here once or twice
Of our good wassel.
If any maiden be
Here dwelling in this house,
They kindly will agree
To take fnll carouse
Of our wassel.
But here they let US stand,
All freezing in the cold;
Good master. give command,
80 enter and pc DOIO
With our wassel.
Bands of music, as well as the singing
of the wassail songs. were also heard
from early dawn until midnight, and the
bellman, ceasing little while from ring
ing out the merry Christmas chimes,
went his rounds with copies of verses
which ne distributed at the different
houses, with the good wishes of the sea-
son-just as the newsboys and letter car
riers do now. But as each year glides
swiftly and silently into the past; some
quaint, familiar custom drops away into
oblivion and is lost forever.
Yet, nevertheless, let US never forget
to sing the sweet Christmas carols, and
may each Christmas, as it dawns, be still
merrier than the last