The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-12-25
ANCIENT CHRISTMAS CAROLS.

n. Hepworth In New York Herald
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ANCIENT CHRISTMAS CAROLS.
In former article az Christmas We
alluded to the pld carols which for sd
many centuries have stirred the hear,r
" generations OF our counlrymcn with
love and gocdwill towards each other
We have them in Latin. Norman French
and old English, and sometimes In two OF
these languageS combined Numbers
have doubaess been lost. but. owing 10
uhe roSaar>hes OF few scholars many
ancient manuscripts that misht have
otherwise sharcd a,e same fate have
been puhlished gor the goneral reader
We are chiefly indebted to the learning
and iahoTs Of Thomas Wright Es,. and
TO the public sPirit of the Percy so,l,tv
Tor the opportunity Of making the Few
extracts which follow. and which may
interest our readers sufficiently tc I'm.
duoe many OF them TO become rurtbcr
acquainted with our national carols.
SucA study Is by no means 10 be
despiFed. 1t gives an insight in,o tho
Fel'Sio'is feelings and piety Of the Eng.
hSh In past times. Their slnnlicitv ~
faith ana supctsti;ian- credulitv ,n,,r
openness Of speech and helr,iness ~
sentiment are laid bare to us and in5..
cate a Senerous and frank people. We SOC
That. then as now. they loyallv en5a,v
ored 60 be orthodox although ,b. 5,.
'rines OF the Trinity and the Immaculate
conception occasionally staggered them
somewhat. But there Is scarrely INV
sign OF these erotlc feelings. which an5
such frequent and violent expressions T.,
-''dfrn hymnoloyy. And. notwtthstand.
isg the blunt coarsenass OF the times
there Is little. except here and there
that should shock fastidious propriety
Many OF them ara poeticallv rendered
and set 10 tunes Of Older productions
The earliest carol known 10 have bee,
written in our island Is an Anglo. Nor.
man one and commences:
seignors. ore emerdez a nus
and ends with an unlntentional reminder
OF vortigern and Rowcna:
ii u vus di trsstcz 'Wesseyl-'
behaiz cit Out ne dirra Drfncheyl"
one written about the tine Of Henry VI
draws the bow at a venture by stating
that Jesus was born ip the morning. ana
begins:
Wolcum De- thu. hevene Kyns.
Wolcum, born in on Morwenlnc.
Wolcum for hom We xal syng
WOlcum, gol
Considerable sympathy ~ often shown
for the natural surprise OF Joseph az the
state Of Mary. as the FIRST Fanza OF
another carol illustrates:
Mervele nogt, Josep on Mary mylde;
Forsake hyr not, they she be with chylde |
I, Josep. wonder how this may be
That Mary wex gret when y and she
Ever have lived in chastite:
II she be with chylde. Vt ys not by me
Mervelle not Joseph.
The precoclty Of the child. who con-
verses with his mother az soon as ne is
Dorn, f. shown in numerous carols. One
goes:
This lovely lady rat ang song, and to hyr
chyld sayd.
Ny some. my broder, my fader der, why
lyest thou thus in hayd?
My swete byrd,
Thus It ~ betyde.
Thow thou be King veray;
But nevertheless
/ wylI not ses
To syng. by by, lullay. I
The chyld than spak in his talkyng, and
to hys moder sayd
bekydde am Kyng in cribbe thar be !
layd, etc.
he answers: :
Tow, swet SON. syn thou art Kyng why
art thou layd in stall?
Why ne thou ordende thi beddyng in
sum gret Kynges hall?
Me thynkyth It Is rygt,
That Kyng or Knyght
Should ~ in good array;
And than among
Tt were no wrong
TO syng, by by, lullay.
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