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A righte Merrie Christmasse!!!

The Story of Christ-tide


By John Ashton. Copperplate
Etching of "The
Wassail Song," by Arthur
C. Behrend.


London: published by the Leadenhall
Press, Ltd., 50 Leadenhall Street;
Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent
& Co., Ltd. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth Avenue.

The Leadenhall Press Ltd.
London
[1894]


[Transcriber's Notes:

This text contains passages using the Anglo-Saxon thorn (Þ or þ,
equivalent of "th"), which should display properly in most text
viewers. The Anglo-Saxon yogh (equivalent of "y," "i," "g," or "gh")
will display properly only if the user has the proper font, so to
maximize accessibility, the character "3" is used in this e-text to
represent the yogh.

Characters with a macron are preceded by an equal sign and enclosed in
square brackets, e.g., [=a].

Superscripted characters are preceded by a carat and enclosed in curly
brackets, e.g., y^{t}.]


[Illustration: The Wassail Song]




TO THE READER


     I do not craue
     mo thankes to haue,
     than geuen to me
     all ready be;
     but this is all,
     to such as shall
       peruse this booke.
     That, for my sake,
     they gently take
     what ere they finde
     against their minde,
     when he, or she,
     shal minded be
       therein to looke.

     _Tusser._




A righte Merrie Christmasse!!!




PREFACE


It is with a view of preserving the memory of Christmas that I have
written this book.

In it the reader will find its History, Legends, Folk-lore, Customs,
and Carols--in fact, an epitome of Old Christ-tide, forming a volume
which, it is hoped, will be found full of interest.

JOHN ASHTON.




A righte Merrie Christmasse!!!




CONTENTS


CHAPTER I

Date of Christ's Birth discussed--Opinions of the Fathers--The
Eastern Church and Christ-tide--Error in Chronology--Roman
Saturnalia--Scandinavian Yule--Duration of Christ-tide 1


CHAPTER II

Historic Christ-tides in 790, 878, and 1065--William I.,
1066-1085--William II.--Henry I., 1127--Stephen--Henry II.,
1158-1171--Richard I., 1190--John, 1200--Henry III., 1253--Edwards I.,
II., and III.--Richard II., 1377-1398--Henry IV.-V., 1418--Henry
VIII., his magnificent Christ-tides 9


CHAPTER III

Historic Christ-tides--Edward VI., 1551--Mary--Elizabeth--James
I.--The Puritans--The Pilgrim Fathers--Christmas's Lamentation--Christ-tide
in the Navy, 1625 19


CHAPTER IV

Attempts of Puritans to put down Christ-tide--Attitude of the
people--Preaching before Parliament--"The arraignment, etc., of
Christmas" 26


CHAPTER V

The popular love of Christmas--Riots at Ealing and
Canterbury--Evelyn's Christmas days, 1652, '3, '4, '5, '7, Cromwell
and Christ-tide--The Restoration--Pepys and Christmas day, 1662--"The
Examination and Tryal of old Father Christmas" 34


CHAPTER VI

Commencement of Christ-tide--"O Sapientia!"--St. Thomas's day--William
the Conqueror and the City of York--Providing for Christmas
fare--Charities of food--Bull-baiting--Christ-tide charities--Going
"a-Thomassing," etc.--Superstitions of the day 45


CHAPTER VII

Paddington Charity (Bread and Cheese Lands)--Barring-out at
Schools--Interesting narrative 53


CHAPTER VIII

The Bellman--Descriptions of him--His verses. The Waits--Their
origin--Ned Ward on them--Corporation Waits--York Waits (17th
century)--Essay on Waits--Westminster Waits--Modern Waits 63


CHAPTER IX

Christ-tide Carols--The days of Yule--A Carol for
Christ-tide--"Lullaby"--The Cherry-tree Carol--Dives and Lazarus 70


CHAPTER X