(Nov. 17) that "all playing at dice, cards, or otherwise, in the hall, buttry, or but ler's chamber should be thenceforth barred and forbidden at all times of the year. the twenty days in Christmas onely excepted." An entertaining account of this annual buffoonery at the Inns of Court is given in "Noctes Templariæ," 1599. I must beg leave to refer the reader to this work, as the narrative is too long for transcription, and would scarcely bear curtailment. Manning's Mem. of Sir B. Ruddyerd, 1841. A Christmas Prince or King, however, acquired as early as Henry the Eighth's time a contemptuous signification, for in a letter of 1537 the Curate of St. Margaret's, Lothbury, writing to a correspondent at Plymouth, says, that the people made no more of God than if he had been "a Christmas King." And indeed, at Lincoln's Inn, according to what we have heard from Dugdale, he does not appear ever to have possessed so great a prestige or so exalted a jurisdiction as elsewhere. Churchyard, in the "Lamentacion of Freyndshypp," a ballad printed about 1565, says:

"Men are so used these dayes wyth wordes,

They take them but for jestes and boordes,

That Christmas Lordes were wonte to speke."

Guilpin, in his "Skialetheia," 1598, figures a man, who has been in the service of one of these characters, assuming on that account, lofty airs, and maintaining a disdainful silence

"Thinks scorne to speake, especially
now since

H' hath beene a player to a Christmas
Prince."

Langley's Translation of Polydore Vergil, fol. 102 verso, mentions "The Christemass Lordes, that be commonly made at the nativitee of our Lorde, to whom all the householde and familie, with the Master himselfe, must be obedient, began of the equabilitie that the servauntes had with their masters in Saturnus Feastes that they were called Saturnalia: wherein the servauntes have like autoritie with their masters duryng the tyme of the sayd feastes."

Christmas Song.-"Poor Robin" for 1695, has the following:

"Now thrice welcome, Christmas,
Which brings us good cheer,
Minc'd pies and plumb-porridge,
Good ale and strong beer;
With pig, goose, and capon,
The best that may be,
So well doth the weather

And our stomachs agree.

"The

Christmas Tree.--A very intelligent writer in Willis's "Current Notes" for February, 1854, observes : Christmas-tree has become a prevailing fashion in England at this season, and is by most persons supposed to be derived from Germany: such, however, is not the fact: the Christmas-tree is from Egypt, and its origin dates from a period long antecedent to the Christian era. The palmtree is known to put forth a shoot every twelve shoots on it, was used in Egypt, at month, and a spray of this tree, with the time of the winter solstice, as a symbol of the year completed. Egyptian associations of a very early date still mingle with the tradition and custom of the Christmastree; there are as many pyramids, as trees used in Germany, in the celebration of Christmas by those whose means do not admit of their purchasing trees and the concomitant tapers. These pyramids consist of slight erections of slips of wood, arranged like a pyramidal epergne, covered with green paper, and decorated with festoons of paper-chain work, which flutters in the wind, and constitutes, a makebelieve foliage. This latter, however, is an innovation of modern days." But the Christmas-tree, notwithstanding what has gone before, no doubt came to us from Germany directly, and is still a flourishing institution among us. It is usually an evergreen decorated with lights and also with presents for the guests, the latter depending, of course, on the means or generosity of the entertainer.

Christopher, St.-His history is in his name, Χριστοφορος being said to have carried our Saviour, when a child, over an arm of the sea. This legend is in Voragine, and in most of the works on the subject. By her will made in 1495, Cecily, Duchess of York, bequeathed to her daughter-in

66

law, the Queen of Edward IV., among other things, a pix with the fleshe of Saint Christofer." Wills from Doctors' Commons, Camd. Soc. 1863, p. 2. A popular account of the saint occurs in "A helpe to Discourse." The noted incident described above is a very favourite and common subject in the early paintings on glass. See Ottley's "Hist. of Printing," ch ix. and Notes and Queries, Fourth Series, ii. 313, et seqq. This saint occurs on the coins of Würtemberg and other continental states and towns, doubtless from his association with the child Jesus.

Chudleigh Glen, Devonshire. This is one of the places where the early practice of propitiation by leaving something in the nature of a clout or rag, or a handkerchief, is still said to prevail, especially among holiday-makers at Whitsuntide.

Church Ales.-Payments and receipts or accounts of these various churchales are very frequent items in all the early Churchwardens' books. Attention may be particularly directed to Mr. Ouvry's Extracts from those of Wing, Co. Bucks, in the thirty-sixth volume of Archæologia." The entries go back as far as 1527. We here meet with several credits given in the books under each year for the May ale, the Hock-tide ale, the Whitsun ale, and the Sepulchre ale. In 1537, the first-named, after all expenses paid, realised 34s. In 1550, the May ale produced £2 Os. 2d., but the amount of this and of the other ales was liable to much fluctuation both here and elsewhere. It depended on circumstances. In 1564, the May ale was worth £3 9s. 7d., and in later years the increase seems to have been steady; but in some cases it is a little uncertain, whether the totals given are to be understood as gross or net. In 1562, at West Tarring, or Tarring Peverel, Sussex, the bill of fare included, inter alia, five calves, eight lambs, four sheep, five bushels of malt, two calves' heads, a leg of mutton, with pepper, saffron, and other spices. Lower's Compendious History of Sussex, 1870, ii. 198. In

Occur

the Churchwardens' accounts of Minchinhampton under 1580, among the receipts, gathered the hoglyn monev, which ys xs. iiijd.; we made of oure Whiteson ale, iij. li. vs." "Archæol." vol. xxxv. p. 432. In 1588, the "clere gaine of the church ale" was £4 10s. and in 1589, £4 15s. Ibid. p. 435. It appears from Kethe's Sermon at Blandford, 1570. that it was the custom at that time for the church ales to be kept upon the sabbath day which holy day, says our author, "the multitude call their revelyng day, which day is spent in bulbeatings, bearebeatings, bowlings, dicyng, cardyng, daunsynges, drunkennes and whoredome," "in so much as men could not keepe their servaunts

from lyinge out of theyr owne houses the same sabbath-day at night." Worsley, speaking of the parish of Whitwell, tells us, that there is a lease in the parish chest, dated 1574, "of a house called the church house, held by the inhabitants of Whitwell, parishioners of Gatcombe, of the lord of the manor, and demised by them to John Brode, in which is the following proviso: " Provided always, that, if the quarter shall need at any time to make a quarter-ale, or church-ale, for the maintenance of the chapel, that it shall be lawful for them to have the use of the said house, with all the rooms, both above and beneath, during their ale." Stubbes, in his "Anatomie of Abuses," 1585, p. 95, gives the following account of "The Maner of Church-Ales in England." In certaine towns where dronken Bacchus beares swaie against Christmas and Easter, Whitsondaie, or some other tyme, the churchewardens of every parishe, with the consent of the whole parish, provide half a score or twenty quarters of mault, wherof some

they buy of the churche stocke, and some is given them of the parishioners themselves, every one conferring somewhat, according to his abilitie; which mault being made into very strong ale or beere, is sette to sale together in the church or some other this is set abroche, well is he that can gette place assigned to that purpose. Then when the soonest to it, and spend the most at it. In this kinde of practice they continue sixe weekes, a quarter of a yeare, yea, halfe a year together. That money, they say, is to repaire their churches and chappels with, to buy bookes for service, cuppes plesses for sir John, and such other necesfor the celebration of the Sacrament, sursaries. And they maintaine other extraordinarie charges in their parish besides.' In his Introduction to the Survey of North Wiltshire, 1670, Aubrey remarks: "There were no rates for the poor in my grandfather's days; but for Kington St. Michael (no small parish) the church ale at Whitis (or was) a church-house, to which besuntide did the business. In every parish longed spits, crocks, &c., utensils for dressing provision. Here the housekeepers met, and were gave their charity." The following document was contributed, many years ago, to Notes and Queries: "An agreement of the inhabitants of the towns and parishes of Elvaston, Thurlaston, and Ambaston, of the one part, and the inhabitants of the town of Okebrook, within the said parish of Elvaston, in co. Derby, on the other part, by John Abbot of the Dale, Ralph Saucheverell, Esq., John Bradshaw, and Henry Tithel, gent. Witnesseth, that the inhabitants, as well of the said parish of Elvaston as of the said town of Okebrook, shall brew four ales, and every ale of one

merry,

and

that the ancient custom of dressing churches and houses at Christmas with laurel, box, holly, or ivy. was in allusion to many figurative expressions in the prophets relative to Christ, the Branch of Righteousness, &c., or that it was in remembrance of the Oratory of wrythen Wands or Boughs, which was the first Christian Church erected in Britain. Before we can admit either of these hypotheses, the question must be determined whether or not this custom did not prevail at this season prior to the introduction of the Christian faith amongst us. The custom of decking churches at Christmas is still continued in Devonshire, as it was in Brand's day." Chandler tells us, in his "Travels in Greece," that it is related where Druidism prevailed 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. Churching of Women. In a proclamation, dated 16th November, 30 Henry VIII., among many "laudable ceremonies and rytes" enjoined to be retained is the following: "Ceremonies used at purification of women delivered of chylde, and offerynge of theyr crysomes." In "A Part of a Register" (1593), in a list of " grosse poyntes of Poperie, evident to all men, 22 is enumerated the following: "The churching of women with this psalme, that the sunne and moone shall not burn them": as is also, "The offeringe of the woman at hir churching." In the Chichester Articles of Inquiry, 1639, occurs the passage: "Doth the woman who is to be churched use the antient accustomed habit in such cases, with a white vail or kerchiefe upon her head ?" It was anciently a custom for women in England to bear lights when they were churched, as appears from the following royal bon mot (for the historical truth of which there is no sufficient authority). William the Conqueror, by reason of sickness, kept his chamber a long time, whereat the French King, scoffing, said, "The King of England lyeth long in child-bed"; which, when it was reported unto King William, he answered, "When I am churched, there shall be a thousand lights in France" "(alluding to the lights that women used to bear when they were churched): and after, wasting the French territories with that he performed within a few daies fire and sword." Compare Carol and Yule. In "The Burnynge of St. Paules Church in London, 1561," sign. I. 4 b. we read:" In Flaunders everye Saturdaye betwixt Christmas and Candlemas they eate flesh for joy, and have pardon for it, because our Ladye laye so long in childe-bedde, say they. We here may not

eat so; the Pope is not so good to us; yet surely it were as good reason that we should eat fleshe with them all that while that our Lady lay in child-bed, as that we shuld bear our candel at her churchinge at Candlemas with theym as they doe. It is seldome sene that men offer candels at womens churchinges, saving at our Ladies; but reason it is that she have some preferment if the Pope would be so good maister to us as to let us eat flesh with theym." Lupton says in his first book of "Notable Things": "If a man be the first that a woman meets after she comes out of the church, when she is newly churched, it signifies that her next child will be a boy; if she meet a woman, then a wench is likely to be her next child. This is credibly reported to me to be true." In the "Statistical Account of Scotland," it is said: "It was most unhappy for a woman, after bringing forth a child, to offer a visit, or for her neighbours to receive it, till she had been duly churched. How strongly did this enforce gratitude to the Supreme when such a woman was churched, every Being for a safe delivery! On the day family, favoured with a call, were bourd

to set meat and drink before her: and

when they omitted to do so, they and theirs were to be loaded with her hunger. What was this, but an obligation on all who had it in their power to do the needful to prevent a feeble woman from fainting for want?" On a passage in his "History of Craven,' where Master John Norton 'gate leave of my old Lord to have half a stagg for his wife's churching." Whitaker observes in a note: "Hence it appears that thanksgivings after child-birth were anciently celebrated with feasting. He adds: "For this custom I have a still older authority: In iibur hosheveds vini Dominæ, tam post partum Mag'ri mei albi empt' apud Ebor. erga purificationem nuper de Clifford, quam post partum viijd."" Compotus Tho. Dom Clifford, 15. Mag'ri mei nunc de Clifford...lxvis. Henry VI. Harrison, in his "Description of Britain," complains of the excessive feasting, as well at other festive meetings,

ing.

It ap

Sutton's

as at Purifications of women." give a large entertainment at the churchpears anciently to have been customary to In Deloney's "Thomas of Reading," 1632, signa. H iii. we read: Wife of Salisbury, which had lately bin delivered of a sonne, against her going to church prepared great cheare: at what time Simons wife of Southampton came thither, and so did divers others of the clothiers wives, onely to make merry at this churching-feast." In "The Batchellor's Banquet," 1603, attributed to Dekker, the lady (A 3) is introduced telling her husband: "You willed me (I was sent for) to go to Mistress M. Churching, and