The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-16
Ancient Christmas Carols.


In former article on Christmas we al
luded to the old carols which for so many
centuries have stirred the hearts of gen
erations of our countrymen with love and
them in Latin, Norman French and Old
English, and sometimes in two of these
languages combined. Numbers have
doubtless been lost, but, owing to the re-
searches of few scholars, many ancient
manuscripts that might have otherwise
shared the same fate have been published
for the general reader. We are chiefly
indebted to the learning and labours of
Thomas Wright, Esq, and to the public
spirit Of the Percy Society for the oppor
tunity of making the few extracts which
follow, and which may interest our read
ers sufficiently to induce many of them to
become further acquainted with our ma
tional carols.
| Such study is by no means to be des-
pissed. 1t gives an insight into the religi-
Gus feelings and piety of the English in
past times. Their simplicity of faith and
superstitious credulity, their openness of
speech and heartiness of sentiment, are
laid bare to US, and indicate generous
and frank people. We see that, then as
now, they Loyalty endeavored to be ortho-
dox, although the doctrines of the Trim
| ity and the Immaculate Conception occa-
sionally staggered them somewhat But
there is scarcely any sign of these erotc
feelings, which find such frequent and
violent expression in modern hymnology
And notwithstanding the blunt coarseness
of the times, there is little, except here
and there, that should shock a fastidious
propliety. Many of them are POLITICALLY
rendered and set to tunes of older produc-
tons.
The earliest carol known to have been
written in our island is an Anglo \ orman
one, and commences:
Seignors, ore entendez nus,
and ends with an unintentional reminder
of Vortigern and Rowena:
81 il vus di trestoz, 'Wessevli'
l)tnalZ ell qul he dlrra 'DrlncheYl.'
| One written about the time Of Henry vi.
draws the bow at a venture by stating
| that Jesus was born in the morning, and
begins
Wolcum be thu, hevene Kyng,
Wolcum, borne in on Morwening,
Wolcum, for HON we Xal syng
Wolcum, gol.
e 1aro h1a ~.
the natural surprise of Joseph at the state
of Mary, as the first stanza of another
carol illustrates:
Marvele nogt, Josep, on Mary myde;
Forsake hyr not, they she be with chylde
L, JoSep, wonder how this may be,
That Mary WEEK greet when and she
Ever have lived in chastte
If sh be with clyde, vt vs. not by me-
Mervelle not, Joseph.
The precocity of the child who con-
verses with his mother as soon as he is
born, is shown in numerous carols. One
goes:
This e 'Gyfy s laSy sat and song and to hyr
My some, my broder, my fader der, why
iyest thou thus in hayd?
My swete byrd,
Thus it vs. betyde,
Thow thou be Kyng veray:
But nevertheless
/ wyl not ses
To syng, by by, lullay.
The chyld then spak in his talkyng, and to
hys moder sayd,
l bekydde am Kyng in cribbe thar l be
layd, etc.
She answers:
Now, SWEET son, syn thou art Kyng, why art
thou layd in stall?
Why ne thou ordende thi beddying in sum
greet Kynges hall?
Me Thynkyth it is rygt,
That Kyng or Knight
Should ly in good array;
Andthen among
1t We're no wrong
To syng, by by, lullay.
He replies:
Mary moder, l am thi chyld, thow be layd
in stall,
Lordes and dukes shall Worship me and 40
shall Kynges all.
1e shall well Sc
That Kynges thre
Shal come the xii day,
For this behest
Gefe me thi brest
Ang syng, by by. lullay.
Another carol begins:
Lullay, my chyld, and wepe no more,
Slope and be now styl
The kyng of blys thy fader vs.,
AS it was hys wyll,
A former interview-the annunciation
between Mary and Gabriel, gave much
scope to the composers, and is variously
rendered, although in all cases the
archangel behaves like knightly cour
tier in chivalrous age. One begins,
Gabrielle, that angeli brygt
Brygter than the some is lygt
Fro hevyn to erth he took hys tlyght.
Lecture. BE joyful)
In Nazareth that greet cete,
Befor maydyn he kneiyd on kne,
And seyd, Mary God is with the
Letare. |
Heyll, Mary, full of grace,
God is with thee and ever was;
He hath in the chosen place.
Letare. |
The next begins:
Gabryell OF hyge degree,
Cam down from the Trenyte,
To Nazareth in Galilee,
With nora. |
Another ends
Na1yo aentre concept, the holy COST was ay
hyr with
OF hyr in Bedlem now born he is c,5iSorS |