CAROL. (From "New Carols for this Merry Time of Christmas," 1661 ) ALL you that in this house be here, Remember Christ, that for us died; And spend away with modest cheer In loving sort this Christmas tide. And, whereas plenty God hath sent, Give frankly to your friends in love: The bounteous mind is freely bent, And never will a niggard prove. Our table spread within the hall, I know a banquet is at hand, And friendly sort to welcome all That will unto their tacklings stand. The maids are bonny girls, I see, Who have provided much good cheer, And I have here two knives in store, Commend my wits, good lads, therefore, For, if I should, no Christmas pie Would fall, I doubt, unto my share; To fight a battle if I dare. 1 For pastry-crust, like castle walls, And I made captain of the place. The prunes so lovely, look on me, The pie-meat spiced brave I see, The which I must not let alone. Then, butler, fill me forth some beer, My song hath made me somewhat dry; And so, again, to this good cheer, I'll quickly fall, courageously. And for my master I will pray, With all that of his household are, Both old and young, that long we may With mutton, veal, beef, pig, and pork Thy stock will then afford. No niggard of the liquor be, Let it go round thy table, People may freely drink, but not So long as they are able; THE OLD CAP, OR TIME'S ALTERATION. Good customs they may be abused, Which makes rich men so slack us, This feast is to relieve the poor, And not to drunken Bacchus. Thus if thou doest, 't will credit raise thee, God will thee bless, and neighbours praise thee. The burthen of the following excellent old ballad is that lament, common in all ages, for the days that have passed away. Looking back on bygone times, the imagination, charmed with the novelty which surrounds every minute circumstance, exalts even the worst features into matter for admiration. We very much question the amount of happiness enjoyed by the people generally, when every nobleman usurped the power of a petty sovereign, and had a crew of lusty men at his command to do his individual bidding. This state of things could certainly not have tended to promote the public peace in those highly prized "days of yore, when the old cap was new." THE OLD CAP, OR TIME'S ALTERATION. HEN this old cap was new, "Tis since two hundred year, No malice then we knew, But all things plenty were: All friendship now decays (Believe me, this is true), Which was not in those days, When this old cap was new. The nobles of our land Were much delighted then, To have at their command A crew of lusty men, |