EVERGREENS AT CHRISTMAS.

When Rosemary and Bays, the poet's crown,
Are bawl'd in frequent cries through all the town;
Then judge the festival of Christmass near,
Christmass, the joyous period of the year!
Now with bright Holly all the temples strow,
With Lawrel green, and sacred Misletoe,

From ev'ry hedge is pluck'd by eager hands
The Holly branch with prickly leaves replete,
And fraught with berries of a crimson hue;
Which, torn asunder from its parent trunk,
Is straightway taken to the neighb'ring towns,
Where windows, mantels, candlesticks, and shelves,
Quarts, pints, decanters, pipkins, basons, jugs,
And other articles of household ware,
The verdant garb confess.

The old and pleasant custom of decking our houses and churches at Christmas with evergreens is derived from ancient heathen practices. Councils of the church forbad christians to deck their houses with bay leaves and green boughs at the same time with the pagans; but this was after the church had permitted such doings in order to accommodate its ceremonies to those of the old mythology. Where druidism had existed, "the houses were decked with evergreens in December, that the sylvan spirits might repair to them, and remain unnipped with frost and cold winds, until a milder season had renewed the foliage of their darling abodes."*

Gay.

R. J. Thorn.

Polydore Vergil says that, "Trimmyng of the Temples, with hangynges, floures, boughes, and garlondes, was taken of the heathen people, whiche decked their ideas and houses with suche array." In old church calendars Christmas-eve i marked " Templa exornantur." Churches are decked.

The holly and the ivy still maintain some mastery at this season. At the tw universities, the windows of the colleg chapels are decked with laurel. The cl Christmas carol in MS. at the Brits Museum, quoted at p. 1598, continues s the following words :

1637

by mistake, or ignorance of the sextons; for it was the heathenish and profane plant, as having been of such distinction in the pagan rites of druidism, and it therefore had its place assigned it in kitchens, where it was hung up in great state with its white berries, and whatever female chanced to stand under it, the young man present either had a right or claimed one of saluting her, and of pluck ing off a berry at each kiss." He adds "I have made many diligent inquiries after the truth of this. I learnt at Bath that it never came into churches there. An old sexton at Teddington, in Middlesex, informed me that some misletoe was once put up in the church there, but was by the clergyman immediately ordered He quotes from the to be taken away." "Medallic History of Carausius," by Stukeley, who speaking of the winter solstice, our Christmas, says: "This was the most respectable festival of our druids called yule-tide; when misletoe, which they called all-heal, was carried in their hands and laid on their altars, as an emblem of the salutiferous advent of Messiah. The misletoe they cut off the trees with their upright hatchets of brass, called celts, put upon the ends of their staffs, which they carried in their hands. Innumerable are these instruments found all over the British Isles. The custom is still preserved in the north, and was lately On the eve of Christmas-day at York. they carry misletoe to the high altar of the cathedral and proclaim a public and universal liberty, pardon, and freedom to all sorts of inferior and even wicked people at the gates of the city towards the four quarters of heaven." This is only

a century ago.

In an "Inquiry into the ancient Greek Game, supposed to have been invented by Palamedes," Mr. Christie speaks of the respect the northern nations entertained for the mistletoe, and of the Celts and Goths being distinct in the instance of their equally venerating the misletoe about the time of the year when the sun approached the winter solstice. He adds, "we find by the allusion of Virgil, who compared the golden bough in infernis, to the misletoe, that the use of this plant was not unknown in the religious ceremonies of the ancients, particularly the Greeks, of whose poets he was the acknowledged imitator."

The cutting of the misletoe was a ceremony of great solemnity with our an

cient ancestors.

The people went in
procession. The bards walked first sing-
ing canticles and hymns, a herald preced-
ed three druids with implements for the
purpose. Then followed the prince of
the druids accompanied by all the people.
He mounted the oak, and cutting the
misletoe with a golden sickle, presented
it to the other druids, who received it
with great respect, and on the first day of
the year distributed it among the people
Mr. Arch-
as a sacred and holy plant, crying, "The
misletoe for the new year."
deacon Nares mentions, "the custom
longest preserved was the hanging up of
a bush of misletoe in the kitchen or ser
vant's hall, with the charm attached to it,
that the maid, who was not kissed under
it at Christmas, would not be married in
that year." This natural superstition still
prevails.

Christmas Doughs, Pies, and Porridge.
The season offers its

customary treat,

A mixture strange of suet, currants, meat,
Where various tastes combine.

Oxford Sausage.

Yule dough, or dow, a kind of baby, or little image of paste, was formerly baked at Christmas, and presented by bakers to their customers, "in the same manner as the chandlers gave Christmas candles." They are called yule cakes in the county of Durham. Anciently," at Rome, on the vigil of the nativity, sweetmeats were presented to the fathers in the Vatican, and all kinds of little images (no doubt of paste) were to be found at the confections these usages, thinks, "there is the tioners' shops." Mr. Brand, who mengreatest probability that we have had from hence both our yule-doughs, plumporridge, and mince-pies, the latter of which are still in common use at this season. The yule-dough has perhaps been intended for an image of the child Jesus, with the Virgin Mary :" he adds, " it is now, if I mistake not, pretty generally laid aside, or at most retained only by children."

It is inquired by a writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine," 1783, "may not the minced pye, a compound of the choicest productions of the east, have in view the came from afar to worship, bringing spiofferings made by the wise men, who ces," &c. These were also called shridpies.

Christmasse Day.

No matter for plomb-porridge, or shrid-pie
Or a whole oxe offered in sacrifice
To Comus, not to Christ, &c.

Sheppard's Epigrams, 1651.

Mr. Brand, from a tract in his library printed about the time of queen Elizabeth or James I. observes, that they were likewise called "minched pies."

According to Selden's "Table Talk," the coffin shape of our Christmas pies, is in imitation of the cratch, or manger wherein the infant Jesus was laid. The ingredients and shape of the Christmas pie is mentioned in a satire of 1656, against the puritans :

Christ-mass? give me my beads: the word
implies

A plot, by its ingredients, beef and pyes.
The cloyster'd steaks with salt and pepper lye
Like Nunnes with patches in a monastrie.
Prophaneness in a conclave? Nay, much

more,

Idolatrie in crust!

and bak'd by hanches, then
Serv'd up in coffins to unholy men ;
Defil'd, with superstition, like the Gentiles
Of old, that worship'd onions, roots, and

lentiles !

R. Fletcher.

house, she never failed to tempt them at Yule (Christmas,) with

"A bra' Goose Pye."

Further, from "Round about our Coalfire," we likewise find that "An English gentleman at the opening of the great day, i. e. on Christmass day in the morning, had all his tenants and neighbours enter his hall by day-break. The strong beer was broached, and the black jacks went plentifully about with toast, sugar, nutmegg, and good Cheshire cheese. The hackin (the great sausage) must be boiled by day-break, or else two young men must take the maiden (i. e.) the cook, by the arms and run her round the market-place till she is ashamed of ber laziness.

"In Christmas holidays, the tables were all spread from the first to the last; plumb porridge, the capons, turkeys, geese, the sirloins of beef, the minced pies, the and plum-puddings, were all brought upon the board: every one eat heartily, and was welcome, which gave rise to the proverb, merry in the hall when beards wag all.""

Misson adds of our predecessors in ba time, that besides the "famous pye" at Christmas," they also make a sort of soup with plums which is not at all inferior to the pye, which is in their language called plum-porridge.” pye.

There is a further account in Misson's "Travels in England." He says, "Every family against Christmass makes a famous pye, which they call Christmas It is a great nostrum ; the composition of this pasty is a most learned mixture of neat's tongues, chicken, eggs, sugar, raisins, lemon and orange peel, various kinds of spicery," &c. The most notably familiar poet of our seasonable customs interests himself for its safety :

Come guard this night the Christmas-pie
That the thiefe, though ne'r so slie,
With his flesh hooks don't come nie

To catch it;

From him, who all alone sits there,
Having his eyes still in his eare,
And a deale of nightly feare

To watch it.
Herrick.

Mr. Brand observes, of his own knowledge, that "in the north of England, a goose is always the chief ingredient in the composition of a Christmas pye;" and to illustrate the usage, "further north," he quotes, that the Scottish poet Allan Ramsay, in his "Elegy on lucky Wood," tells us, that among other baits by which the good ale-wife drew customers to her

Lastly, Mr. Brand makes this important note from personal regard." Memoran dum. I dined at the chaplain's table at St. James's on Christmas-day, 1801, and partook of the first thing served and eaten on that festival at that table, i. e, a tureen

full of rich luscious plum-porridge. I do not know that the custom is any where else retained."

Thus has been brought together so much as, for the present, seems sufficient to describe the ancient and present esti mation and mode of keeping Christmas.

FLORAL DIRECTORY.

Holly. Ilex bacciflora. Dedicated to the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

It ought not, however, to be forgotten, that a scene of awful grandeur, hitherto misrepresented on the stage by the meanest of "his majesty's servants," opens the tragedy of Hamlet, wherein our everlastlasting bard refers to ancient and stil existing tradition, that at the time of

cock-crowing, the midnight spirits forsake these lower regions, and go to their proper places; and that the cocks crow throughout the live-long nights of Christmasa circumstance observable at no other time of the year. Horatio, the friend of Hamlet, discourses at midnight with Francisco, a sentry on the platform before the Danish palace, and Bernardo and Marcellus, two officers of the guard, respecting the ghost of the deceased monarch of Denmark, which had appeared to the military on watch.

Mar. Horatio says, 'tis but our fan-
tasy,

And will not let belief take hold of him,
Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen

of us;

Therefore I have entreated him, along
With us, to watch the minutes of this night;
That, if again this apparition come,
He may approve our eyes, and speak to it.

Hor. Tush! tush! 'twill not appear.

Ber. Sit down awhile;
And let us once again assail your ears,
That are so fortified against our story,
What we two nights have seen.

When yon same star, that's westward from the pole,

Had made his course to illume that part of
heaven

Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself,
The bell then beating one,-

Mar. Peace, break thee off; look, where
it comes again!

The ghost enters. Horatio is harrowed with fear and wonder. His companions urge him to address it; and somewhat recovered from astonishment, he urges "the majesty of bury'd Denmark" to speak. It is offended, and stalks away.

Horatio discourses with his companions
on the disturbed state of the kingdom, and
the appearance they have just witnessed;
whereof he says, "a mote it is, to trouble
the mind's eye." He is interrupted by its
re-entry, and invokes it, but the apparition
remains speechless; the "cock crows,"
Horatio says,
and the ghost is about to disappear, when

-Stay, and speak.-Stop it, Marcellus.
Mar. Shall I strike at it with my par-
tizan?

We do it wrong, being so majestical,
To offer it the show of violence;
For it is, as the air, invulnerable,
And our vain blows malicious mockery.
Ber. It was about to speak, when the
cock crew.

Hor. And then it started, like a guilty
thing

Upon a fearful summons. I have heard,
The cock, that is the trumpet of the morn
Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding

throat

Awake the god of day; and, at this warning,
Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air,
The extravagant and erring spirit hies
To his confine and of the truth herein
This present object makes probation.

Marcellus answers, "It faded on the crowing of the cock," and concludes on the vigilance of this bird, previous to the solemn festival, in a strain of superlative beauty:

Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
This bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit stirs abroad;

The nights are wholesome; then no planet strikes ;
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.

December 26.

St. Stephen, the first Martyr. St. Diony-
sius, Pope, A. D. 269. St. Jarlath, 1st
Bp. of Tuam, 6th Cent.

St. Stephen.

The church of England observes this festival, and the name of the apostle is in the almanacs accordingly. The circumstances that led to his death, and the

1

1

particulars of it by stoning, are related in the seventh chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. He is deemed the first martyr for the christian faith.

The notice of this festival by Naogeorgus is thus translated by Barnaby Googe :

Then followeth Saint Stephens day,
whereon doth every man

. His horses jaunt and course abrode,
as swiftly as he can,
Until they doe extreemely sweate,

and than they let them blood, For this being done upon this day,

they say doth do them good, And keepes them from all maladies

and sicknesse through the yeare, As if that Steven any time

took charge of horses heare.

Horses.

Whether Stephen was the patron of horses does not appear; but our ancestors used his festival for calling in the horse-leech. Tusser, in his " Five Hundred Points of Husbandry," says,

Yer Christmas be passed,

let Horsse be lett blood, For many a purpose

it doth him much good :

The day of St. Steven,

old fathers did use,

If that do mislike thee,

some other day chuse.

An annotator on Tusser subjoins, "About Christmas is a very proper time to bleed horses in, for then they are commonly at house, then spring comes on,

the sun being now coming back from the winter solstice, and there are three o four days of rest, and if it be upon St. Ste phen's day it is not the worse, seeing there are with it three days of rest, or at least two." In the "Receipts and Disburse ments of the Canons of St. Mary in Hunt ingdon," is the following entry: “ Item, for letting our horses blede in Chryst masse weke iiijd." According to one of Mr.Douce's manuscript notes, he thinks the practice of bleeding horses on this day is extremely ancient, and that it was brought into this country by the Danes. It is noticed in "Wits Fits and Fancies," an old and rare book, that on " S. Stevensday it is the custome for all horses to be let bloud and drench'd. A gentleman being (that morning) demaunded whether it pleased him to have his horse let bloud and drencht, according to the fashion? He answered, no, sirra, my horse is not diseas'd of the fashions." Mr. Ellis in a note on Mr. Brand quotes, that Aubrey says, " On St. Stephen's-day the farrier came constantly and blouded all our cart-horses."+

The Finns upon St. Stephen's-day, threw a piece of money, or a bit of silver, into the trough out of which the horses drink, under the notion that it prospers those who do it.‡

Heit! Heck! Whoohe! and Geho!

The well-known interjection used by country people to their horses, when yoked to a cart, &c. Heit! or Heck! is noticed by Mr. Brand to have been used in the days of Chaucer :

"They saw a cart, that charged was with hay,
The which a carter drove forth on his way:
Depe was the way, for which the carte stode;
The carter smote and cryde as he were wode,
Heit Scot! Heit Brok! what spare ye for the stones?
The Fend quoth he, you fetch, body and bones."§
Brok is still in frequent use amongst
farmer's draught oxen.*

Whoohe! a well-known exclamation to stop a team of horses, is derived by a writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine," 1799, from the Latin. "The exclamation used by our waggoners when they wish for any purpose to stop their team (an exclamation which it is less difficult to speak than to write, although neither is a task of great facility,) is probably a legacy bequeathed us by our Roman ancestors: precisely a translation of the ancient

* Brand.

Ohe! an interjection strictly' confined to lexicographers, Enough ! Ok, Enough! bespeaking a pause-rendered by our

"Ohe, janı satis est-Ohe, Libelle."

A learned friend of Mr. Brand's says, "The exclamation Geho, Geho,' which carmen use to their horses is probably of great antiquity. It is not peculiar to this country, as I have heard it used in France. In the story of the milkmaid who kicked

* Mr. Nichols's Illustration of Anc. Times.
† In Lansdowne MS. 226. British Museum.
Tooke's Russia.

Frere's T. ed. Tyrwh. Chaucer.