The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-12-24
XMAS FEASTING
in OLD ENGLAND
By ]. p. DOM.

copyright. 1901, by Hamilton Muskl
When, in 1647, Puritan sentiment
capsed the parliament Of England to
abolish Christmas formally. on the
ground of pagan origin and what 1t deem
ed pagan observance. most of the people
grieved sorcly and yearncd with such
good effect for the return of the old Gus
tom that today the season is kept as their
chief festival by English speaking people.
About that period there was published
at Oxford a document entitled An Hue
and Cry For Christmas" which reveals
quantity the popular yearning.
ANY man or woman that
can give any knowledge or tell any It'd
ings of an old. old. very old, gray bearded
gentleman called Christmas. who was
wont to be a verie familiar CHEST and
visite all sorts of people. both pore and
rich, and used to appear in glittering
gold. silk and silver in the court. and in
all shapes in the theater in Whitehall and
had ringing. feasts and jollity in all
places, both in the cite and countrie for
his commiIg whosoever can tel
what is become of him, or where he may
be found, let them bring him back again
into England"
So back again he came, but not to the
same honors as of old. Never again was
there to be such feasting as in the old
days, oil the public ceremonial which
used to greet him was gone forever. To-
day the Christmas celebration is an event
of tile home and the children among re-
united families instead of the gay street
pomp of old.
The English lore of high Christmas
feasting goes back beyond history into
the banquet hall of King Arthur. and
having read it the reader wonders no
more at the mighty deeds performed by
the lance of Launcelot OR the broad Ex-
calibur. Whistlecraft thus sets the leg
end in rhyme:
They served up salmon. venison and Wild boars
By hundreds. by dozens and by scores.
Hogsheads Of honey. kilderkins Of mustard,
Muttons and fatted beeves and bacon swine.
Herons and bitterns, peacocks, swan and bustard,
Teal, mallard. pigeons, widgeons and. in fine.
Plum puddin:s. pancakes, apple pies and custard,
And therewithsl they drank good Cascon wine.
With mead and ale and cider Of own.
For porter, punch and nezus were not known.
In the middle ages. beginning with the
king. every one feasted during the two
weeks of Christmastide to the very best
Of his physical and financial ability. and
none was too poor to have his fill of the
Christmas cheer. Open house was the
absolute rule. The wayfarer was well
come anywhere. the wassail bowl passed
from the hand of the king to his mobiles al
court, from the hand of the baron to his
reta.ners hilarously celebrating with him
around the blazing Yule log in the center
Of his hail. the abbot's capons and good
ale warmed the heart of the penniless
wanderer II he did not choose farming
horse or hail to spend the Yuletide in
Anywhere he would be royalty enter
tanned, for every one had his own Yule
log and wassail bowl. and the average bill
Of fare may be judged from this gen
from Evans collection of old ballads:
All you that to fessting or mirth are inclined
Come. Eere Is good news for to pleasure you
mind.
Old Christmas Is come for to keep open house:
He scoras to be guilty of Starving mouse.
Then come. boys. and welcome. for diet the CHIEF
Plum pudding. goose. cap0n. minced pies an
roast beef.
!, The public pageants were masquerades
each under the direction Of a lord o
misru.e. or abbot of misrule. as he wa
sometimes called. who directed the sport
and mummeries of the maskers and al
. the festivities of the others. The lor'
VI m:srule who misruled in the cour
. had a liberal appropriation from parlia
ment for himself and his attendants
The lords and barons had each their owl
appointed munimers and there were othe
bands of them, self appointed. wh
= roamed about the country on o gran
spree during the holidays. The excesse
. Of these in time caused the custom to b
abolished by law.
In houses and halls. under the holly IN
Ivy and mistletoe, the merrymaking Pre-
I ceetied for the men in the old days. wit
kiss for Joan every time she was foun
under the omnipresent mistleroe. br
there was no special part Of the festivit
Il for tie little ones. with the exception {
singing the carols in expectation of gift
!, until the prince consort of Queen Victori
introduced from Germany the Christms
4 tree and Santa Claus.