The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-24

TliE CID SONG
by IIerrick may not be AIMS, here:
Come. br IN, with a noise,
BY mcrric. mcrre hoyos.
The Christmas log 90 the firing;
While my good dame, She
Bids yc ali ne free
And dInkio W hearts desiring.
"With the last yelr's brand
Light the new block, aud
For good succcs,c IN his spending,
On Your p,altTics play,
That sweet luck may
Come while the log is tconding lburningl.
Drink now the strong bccrc,
Cut the while lOafc here,
The while the mcate Is q shrcading;
For the rare mincc-pc
Aud the liums stand by
TO I'll The paste that's kncading.'
As will be seen in the second stanza.
great stress was laid on the saving OF last
wears brand with which TO light the pre-
sent years yulo-log. The custom was to
.Kindle the ChIistmas brandaud then
TIL sunue-sct let IL burne;
Which quemcht thcn lay II up agon
Till Christmas next rclurnc.
"Psrt must be kept whcrewith TO tccnd
The Christmas lCg next ycare;
And when Ills safely kept. the iend
Can do no mischief there
From this il will bc perceived that the
superstitiOns which were connected with
the yule-log were OF the most primitive
character, il being thought that unless the
brand was preserved for the lighting that
no ~ GOOD luck" would rest upon the in
mates OF that house during the year; and,
b,sides, it was thoroughly believed that
where the yuc brand was that dwelling
svas safe from fiIe. After the performance
Of drinking n cup OF f0aming ale 10 a
..Merric Christmas and Happy New
Year" prior to the great feast OF the day,
yulc-cakes were distributed around, upon
which were stamped or marked the figure
of the infant Jesus.
TIE CHRISTMAS TIDE
commenced upon. yule and lasted until
Twelfth-Day, and was kept with splendor
and n continued hilarious time by the
Court, and Christmas-day was ushered in
with hcralds and tTumpcters, and lord OF
misrulc TO preside over their sports, and the
oroyest offence which could be given was
IN he serious during this time Of general
ratification. Christmas feasts also were
oraced with the boar's hcad-the fayorite
dish OF olden time-which was brought In
IN orcat state upon salycr OF massive sill
ver' the head crowned With holly and mis-
tletoc. while lemon was forced into its
mouth. The attendants carried it IN with
Great polnp and cerehony, singing the an
cicnt carroll:
..The bore's head in hand bring i,
NTH gariands gay and rosemary;
pray you all synge meriiN,
Qui cstis IN convivio.'
II was at this feast that the song, Tue
tale. the Jest, and ready reparlee went
round. and the brown ale OF old England
was olafled in honor OF yule. And it was
at this feast that the "wassail bowl - was
prepared with steaming, high-lavored
bunch. or spiced ale, while floating on It's
Surface were roasted crab-apples, and as
the royal beverage went round the tongues
were unIoosed, andit was said that the dull
est OF men grew eloquent when they quh-
fed at this bowl. Games OF all descrip-
tions followed, and Of which the time,
bouored blind-man's blum was one Oh
the chief amusements. But Christmas
festivities were abolished by Puri'
tan Parliament, and holly and IVY became
almost synonymous terms with sedltlon'
until after the restoration. when the ics'i'
val and sacred obseryances OF Christmas
were Immediately resumed and court rcvei'