carrying the box, and ringing it._
WASSEL, _like a neat sempster and songster; her page bearing a brown
bowl, drest with ribands, and rosemary before her._
OFFERING, _in a short gown, with a porter's staff in his hand, a
wyth born before him, and a bason, by his torch-bearer._
BABY-CAKE, _drest like a boy, in a fine long coat, biggin-bib,
muckender, and a little dagger; his usher bearing a great cake, with
a bean and a pease._
_They enter singing._
Now God preserve, as you do well deserve,
Your majesties all, two there;
Your highness small, with my good lords all,
And ladies, how do you do there?
Give me leave to ask, for I bring you a masque
From little, little, little London;
Which say the king likes, I have passed the pikes,
If not, old Christmas is undone.
[_Noise without._
_Chris._ Ho, peace! what's the matter there?
_Gam._ Here's one o' Friday-street would come in.
_Chris._ By no means, nor out of neither of the Fish-streets, admit
not a man; they are not Christmas creatures: fish and fasting days,
foh! Sons, said I well? look to it.
_Gam._ No body out o' Friday-street, nor the two Fish-streets there,
do you hear?
_Car._ Shall John Butter o' Milk-street come in? Ask him.
_Gam._ Yes, he may slip in for a torch-bearer, so he melt not too
fast, that he will last till the masque be done.
_Chris._ Right, son.
Our dance's freight is a matter of eight;
And two, the which are wenches:
In all they be ten, four cocks to a hen,
And will swim to the tune like tenches.
Each hath his knight for to carry his light,
Which some would say are torches
To bring them here, and to lead them there,
And home again to their own porches.
Now their intent,--
_Enter_ VENUS, _a deaf tire-woman._
_Ven._ Now, all the lords bless me! where am I, trow? where is Cupid?
"Serve the king!" they may serve the cobbler well enough, some of 'em,
for any courtesy they have, I wisse; they have need o' mending: unrude
people they are, your courtiers; here was thrust upon thrust indeed:
was it ever so hard to get in before, trow?
_Chris._ How now? what's the matter?
_Ven._ A place, forsooth, I do want a place: I would have a good
place, to see my child act in before the king and queen's majesties,
God bless 'em! to-night.
_Chris._ Why, here is no place for you.
_Ven._ Right, forsooth, I am Cupid's mother, Cupid's own mother,
forsooth; yes, forsooth: I dwell in Pudding-lane: ay, forsooth, he is
prentice in Love-lane, with a bugle maker, that makes of your bobs,
and bird-bolts for ladies.
_Chris._ Good lady Venus of Pudding-lane, you must go out for all
this.
_Ven._ Yes, forsooth, I can sit anywhere, so I may see Cupid act: he
is a pretty child, though I say it, that perhaps should not, you will
say. I had him by my first husband; he was a smith, forsooth, we
dwelt in Do-little-lane then: he came a month before his time, and
that may make him somewhat imperfect; but I was a fishmonger's
daughter.
_Chris._ No matter for your pedigree, your house: good Venus, will you
depart?
_Ven._ Ay, forsooth, he'll say his part, I warrant him, as well as
e'er a play-boy of 'em all: I could have had money enough for him, an
I would have been tempted, and have let him out by the week to the
king's players. Master Burbage has been about and about with me, and
so has old master Hemings, too, they have need of him; where is he,
trow, ha! I would fain see him--pray God they have given him some
drink since he came.
_Chris._ Are you ready, boys? Strike up! nothing will drown this noise
but a drum: a'peace, yet! I have not done. Sing,--
Now their intent is above to present--
_Car._ Why, here be half of the properties forgotten, father.
_Offer._ Post and Pair wants his pur-chops and his pur-dogs.
_Car._ Have you ne'er a son at the groom porter's, to beg or borrow a
pair of cards quickly?
_Gam._ It shall not need; here's your son Cheater without, has cards
in his pocket.
_Offer._ Ods so! speak to the guards to let him in, under the name of
a property.
_Gam._ And here's New-Year's-Gift has an orange and rosemary, but not
a clove to stick in't.
_New-Year._ Why, let one go to the spicery.
_Chris._ Fy, fy, fy! it's naught, it's naught, boys.
_Ven._ Why, I have cloves, if it be cloves you want. I have cloves in
my purse: I never go without one in my mouth.
_Car._ And Mumming has not his vizard, neither.
_Chris._ No matter! his own face shall serve, for a punishment, and
'tis bad enough; has Wassel her bowl, and Minced-pie her spoons?
_Offer._ Ay, ay: but Misrule doth not like his suit: he says the
players have sent him one too little, on purpose to disgrace him.
_Chris._ Let him hold his peace, and his disgrace will be the less:
what! shall we proclaim where we were furnish'd? Mum! mum! a'peace! be
ready, good boys.
Now their intent is above to present,
With all the appurtenances,
A right Christmas, as of old it was,
To be gathered out of the dances.
Which they do bring, and afore the king,
The queen, and prince, as it were now
Drawn here by love; who over and above,
Doth draw himself in the geer too.
_Here the drum and fife sound, and they march about once. In the
second coming up_, CHRISTMAS _proceeds in his song:_
Hum drum, sauce for a coney;
No more of your martial music;
Even for the sake o' the next new stake,
For there I do mean to use it.
And now to ye, who in place are to see
With roll and farthingale hoopéd:
I pray you know, though he want his bow,
By the wings, that this is Cupid.
He might go back for to cry, _What you lack?_
But that were not so witty:
His cap and coat are enough to note
That he is the love o' the city.
And he leads on, though he now be gone,
For that was only his-rule:
But now comes in, Tom of Bosoms-inn,
And he presenteth Mis-rule.
Which you may know, by the very show,
Albeit you never ask it:
For there you may see what his ensigns be,
The rope, the cheese, and the basket.
This Carol plays, and has been in his days
A chirping boy, and a kill-pot:
Kit Cobler it is, I'm a father of his,
And he dwells in a lane called Fill-pot.
But who is this? O, my daughter Cis,
Minced-pie; with her do not dally
On pain o' your life: she's an honest cook's wife,
And comes out of Scalding-alley.
Next in the trace, comes Gambol in place;
And, to make my tale the shorter,
My son Hercules, tane out of Distaff-lane,
But an active man, and a porter.
Now Post and Pair, old Christmas's heir,
Doth make and a gingling sally;
And wot you who, 'tis one of my two
Sons, card-makers in Pur-alley.
Next in a trice, with his box and his dice,
Mac-pipin my son, but younger,
Brings Mumming in; and the knave will win,
For he is a costermonger.
But New-Year's-Gift, of himself makes shift,
To tell you what his name is:
With orange on head, and his ginger-bread,
Clem Waspe of Honey-lane 'tis.
This, I tell you, is our jolly Wassel,
And for Twelfth-night more meet too:
She works by the ell, and her name is Nell,
And she dwells in Threadneedle-street too.
Then Offering, he, with his dish and his tree,
That in every great house keepeth,
Is by my son, young Little-worth, done,
And in Penny-rich street he sleepeth.
Last, Baby-cake that an end doth make
Of Christmas, merry, merry vein-a,
Is child Rowlan, and a straight young man,
Though he come out of Crooked-lane-a.
There should have been, and a dozen I ween,
But I could find but one more
Child of Christmas, and a Log it was,
When I them all had gone o'er.
I prayed him, in a time so trim,
That he would make one to prance it;
And I myself would have been the twelfth
O' but Log he was too heavy to dance it.
Now, Cupid, come you on.
_Cup._ _You worthy wights, king, lords, and knights,_
_Or queen and ladies bright:_
_Cupid invites you to the sights_
_He shall present to-night._
_Ven._ 'Tis a good child, speak out; hold up your head, Love.
_Cup._ _And which Cupid--and which Cupid--_
_Ven._ Do not shake so, Robin; if thou be'st a-cold, I have some warm
waters for thee here.
_Chris._ Come, you put Robin Cupid out with your water's and your
fisling; will you be gone?
_Ven._ Ay, forsooth, he's a child, you must conceive, and must be used
tenderly; he was never in such an assembly before, forsooth, but once
at the Warmoll Quest, forsooth, where he said grace as prettily as any
of the sheriff's hinch-boys, forsooth.
_Chris._ Will you peace, forsooth?
_Cup._ _And which Cupid--and which Cupid--_
_Ven._ Ay, that's a good boy, speak plain, Robin; how does his majesty
like him, I pray? will he give eight-pence a day, think you? Speak
out, Robin.
_Chris._ Nay, he is out enough. You may take him away, and begin your
dance; this it is to have speeches.
_Ven._ You wrong the child, you do wrong the infant; I 'peal to his
majesty.
_Here they dance._
_Chris._ Well done, boys, my fine boys, my bully boys!
THE EPILOGUE.
_Sings._ Nor do you think that their legs is all
The commendation of my sons,
For at the Artillery garden they shall
As well forsooth use their guns,
And march as fine as the Muses nine,
Along the streets of London;
And in their brave tires, to give their false fires,
Especially Tom my son.
Now if the lanes and the allies afford
Such an ac-ativity as this;
At Christmas next, if they keep their word,
Can the children of Cheapside miss?
Though, put the case, when they come in place,
They should not dance, but hop:
Their very gold lace, with their silk, would 'em grace,
Having so many knights o' the shop.
But were I so wise, I might seem to advise
So great a potentate as yourself;
They should, sir, I tell ye, spare't out of their belly,
And this way spend some of their pelf.
Ay, and come to the court, for to make you some sport,
At the least once every year,
As Christmas hath done, with his seventh or eighth son,
And his couple of daughters dear.
_And thus it ended._
_Ben Jonson._
_Santa Claus._
"His back, or rather burden showed
As if it stooped with its own load.
To poise this, equally he bore
A paunch of the same bulk before,
Which still he had a special care
To keep well crammed with thrifty fare."
_Butler._
A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her kerchief and I in my cap
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash;
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of day to the objects below;
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer! now, Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Dunder and Blixen!
To the top of the stoop, to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too;
And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound;
He was dressed all in furs from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back;
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes, how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle;
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
_Clement C. Moore._
THE HARD TIMES IN ELFLAND.
Strange that the termagant winds should scold
The Christmas Eve so bitterly!
But Wife, and Harry, the four-year old,
Big Charley, Nimblewits, and I,
Blithe as the wind was bitter, drew
More frontward of the mighty fire,
Where wise Newfoundland Fan foreknew
The heaven that Christian dogs desire--
Stretched o'er the rug, serene and grave,
Huge nose on heavy paws reclined,
With never a drowning boy to save,
And warmth of body and peace of mind.
And as our happy circle sat,
The fire well capp'd the company:
In grave debate or careless chat,
A right good fellow, mingled he:
He seemed as one of us to sit,
And talked of things above, below,
With flames more winsome than our wit,
And coals that burned like love aglow.
While thus our rippling discourse rolled
Smooth down the channel of the night,
We spoke of Time: thereat, one told
A parable of the seasons' flight.
Those seasons out, we talked of these:
And I, with inward purpose sly,
To shield my purse from Christmas-trees,
And stockings, and wild robbery
When Hal and Nimblewits invade
My cash in Santa Claus's name,--
In full the hard, hard times surveyed,
Denounced all waste as crime and shame;
Hinted that "waste" might be a term
Including skates, velocipedes,
Kites, marbles, soldiers, towers infirm,
Bows, arrows, cannon, Indian reeds,
Cap-pistols, drums, mechanic toys,
And all th' infernal host of horns
Whereby to strenuous hells of noise
Are turned the blessed Christmas morns;
Thus, roused--those horns! to sacred rage,
I rose, forefinger high in air,
When Harry cried, some war to wage,
"Papa is hard times ev'ywhere?
"Maybe in Santa Claus's land
It isn't hard times none at all!"
Now, blessed vision! to my hand
Most pat, a marvel strange did fall.
Scarce had my Harry ceased, when "Look!"
He cried, leapt up in wild alarm,
Ran to my Comrade, shelter took
Beneath the startled mother's arm,
And so was still: what time we saw
A foot hang down the fireplace! Then,
With painful scrambling, scratched and raw,
Two hands that seemed like hands of men,
Eased down two legs and a body through
The blazing fire, and forth there came
Before our wide and wondering view
A figure shrinking half with shame,
And half with weakness. "Sir," I said,
--But with a mien of dignity
The seedy stranger raised his head:
"My friends, I'm Santa Claus," said he.
But oh, how changed! That rotund face
The new moon rivall'd, pale and thin;
Where once was cheek, now empty space;
Whate'er stood out, did now stand in.
His piteous legs scarce propped him up;
His arms mere sickles seemed to be:
But most o'erflowed our sorrow's cup
When that we saw--or did not see--
His belly: we remembered how
It shook like a bowl of jelly fine:
An earthquake could not shake it now;
He had no belly--not a sign.
"Yes, yes, old friends, you well may stare:
I have seen better days," he said:
"But now with shrinkage, loss, and care,
Your Santa Claus scarce owns his head.
"We've had such hard, hard times this year
For goblins! Never knew the like.
All Elfland's mortgaged! And we fear
That gnomes are just about to strike.
"I once was rich, and round, and hale,
The whole world called me jolly brick;
But listen to a piteous tale,
Young Harry,--Santa Claus is sick!
"'Twas thus: a smooth-tongued railroad man
Comes to my house and talks to me:
'I've got,' says he, 'a little plan
That suits this nineteenth century.
"'Instead of driving as you do,
Six reindeer slow from house to house,
Let's build a Grand Trunk Railway through
From here to earth's last terminus.
"'We'll touch at every chimney-top
An Elevated Track, of course,
Then, as we whisk you by, you'll drop
Each package down: just think the force
"'You'll save, the time! Besides, we'll make
Our millions: look you, soon we will
Compete for freight--and then we'll take
Dame Fortune's bales of good and ill--
"'Why, she's the biggest shipper, sir,
That e'er did business in this world!
Then Death, that ceaseless traveller,
Shall on his rounds by us be whirled.
"'When ghosts return to walk with men,
We'll bring 'em cheap by steam, and fast:
We'll run a branch to heaven! and then
We'll riot, man; for then, at last,
"'We'll make with heaven a contract fair
To call each hour, from town to town,
And carry the dead folks' souls up there,
And bring the unborn babies down!'
"The plan seemed fair: I gave him cash,
Nay every penny I could raise.
My wife e'er cried, ''Tis rash, 'tis rash:'
How could I know the stock-thief's ways?
"But soon I learned full well, poor fool!
My woes began that wretched day.
The President plied me like a tool,
In lawyer's fees, and rights of way,
"Injunctions, leases, charters, I
Was meshed as in a mighty maze;
The stock ran low, the talk ran high,
Then quickly flamed the final blaze.
"With never an inch of track--'tis true!
The debts were large ... the oft-told tale.
The President rolled in splendor new,
--He bought my silver at the sale.
"Yes, sold me out: we've moved away.
I've had to give up everything;
My reindeer, even, whom I ... pray,
Excuse me" ... here, o'er-sorrowing,
Poor Santa Claus burst into tears,
Then calmed again: "My reindeer fleet,
I gave them up: on foot, my dears,
I now must plod through snow and sleet.
"Retrenchment rules in Elfland, now;
Yes, every luxury is cut off,
--Which, by the way, reminds me how
I caught this dreadful hacking cough:
"I cut off the tail of my Ulster furred
To make young Kris a coat of state
That very night the storm occurred!
Thus we become the sport of Fate.
"For I was out till after one,
Surveying chimney-tops and roofs,
And planning how it could be done
Without any reindeers' bouncing hoofs.
"'My dear,' says Mrs. Claus, that night,
A most superior woman she!
'It never, never can be right
That you, deep sunk in poverty,
"'This year should leave your poor old bed,
And trot about, bent down with toys;
There's Kris a-crying now for bread--
To give to other people's boys!
"'Since you've been out, the news arrives
The Elfs' Insurance Company's gone.
Ah, Claus, those premiums! Now, our lives
Depend on yours: thus griefs go on.
"'And even while you're thus harassed,
I do believe, if out you went,
You'd go, in spite of all that's passed,
To the children of that President!'
"Oh, Charley, Harry, Nimblewits,
These eyes that night ne'er slept a wink;
My path seemed honeycombed with pits,
Naught could I do but think and think.
"But, with the day, my courage rose.
Ne'er shall my boys, my boys, I cried,
When Christmas morns their eyes unclose,
Find empty stockings gaping wide!
"Then hewed, and whacked, and whittled I;
The wife, the girls, and Kris took fire;
They spun, sewed, cut,--till by and by
We made, at home, my pack entire!"
He handed me a bundle here.
"Now, hoist me up: there, gently: quick!
Dear boys, don't look for much this year:
Remember, Santa Claus is sick!"
_Sidney Lanier._
OLD CHRISTMAS.
Now he who knows Old Christmas,
He knows a wight of worth,
For he's as good a fellow
As any on the earth;
He comes warm-cloaked and coated,
And buttoned to the chin;
And ere he is a-nigh the door,
We ope to let him in.
He comes with voice most cordial,
It does one good to hear;
For all the little children
He asks each passing year:
His heart is warm and gladsome,
Not like your griping elves,
Who, with their wealth in plenty,
Think only of themselves.
He tells us witty stories,
He sings with might and main;
We ne'er forget his visit
Till he comes back again.
With laurel green and holly
We make the house look gay;
We know that it will please him,
It was his ancient way.
Oh, he's a rare old fellow;
What gifts he gives away!
There's not a lord in England
Could equal him to-day!
Good luck unto Old Christmas,
Long life now let us sing;
He is more kind unto the poor
Than any crownéd king.
_Mary Howitt._
MRS. SANTA CLAUS.
The moon was like a frosted cake,
The stars like flashing beads
That round a brimming punch-bowl break
'Mid spice and almond seeds;
And here and there a silver beam
Made bright some curling cloud
Uprising like the wassail's stream,
Blown off by laughter loud.
It was the night of Christmas Eve,
And good old Santa Claus
His door was just about to leave,
When something made him pause:
"I haven't kissed my wife," quoth he,
"I haven't said good-by."
So back he went and lovingly
He kissed her cap awry.
Now Mrs. Claus is just a bit--
The least bit--of a shrew.
What wonder? Only think of it--
She has so much to do.
Imagine all the stocking-legs,
Of every size and shape,
That hang upon their Christmas pegs
With greedy mouths agape.
These she must fill, and when you see
The northern skies aflame
With quivering light, 'tis only she--
This very quaint old dame--
Striking a match against the Pole
Her whale-oil lamp to light,
That she may see to work, poor soul,
At making toys all night.
"Odd he should kiss me," this she said
Before the sleigh had gone;
"'Tis many a year since we were wed;
I'll follow him anon.
For faithless husbands, one and all,
Ere on their loves they wait,
Their wives' suspicion to forestall
Seem most affectionate."
So, pulling on her seal-skin sacque,
Into her husband's sleigh
She slipped, and hid behind his pack
Just as he drove away.
"Great Bears!" growled Santa in his beard,
"A goodly freight have I;
Were't fouler weather, I had feared
The glacier path to try."
Yet none the less they safely sped
Across the realms of snow--
The glittering planets overhead,
The sparkling frost below--
Until the reindeer stopped before
A mansion tall and fair,
Up to whose wide and lofty door
Inclined a marble stair.
So soundly all its inmates slept,
They heard no stroke of hoof;
No fall of foot as Santa leapt
From pavement unto roof.
So, down the chimney like a sweep
He crept, and after him
Went Mrs. Claus to have a peep
At chambers warm and dim.
As luck would have it, there was hung
A stocking by the fire
To wear which no one over-young
Could fittingly aspire:
Long, slender, graceful--it was just
The thing to fill the heart
Of Mrs. C. with deep distrust;
And--well--it played its part.
Scowling, she watched her husband fill
The silken foot and leg
With bonbons, fruit, and toys until
It almost broke its peg.
"My!" whispered Santa, "here's a crop.
This little boy is wise;
He knows I fill 'em to the top,
No matter what the size."
But Mrs. Claus misunderstood,
Like every jealous wife;
She _would_ make bad things out of good,
To feed her inward strife.
Snapped she unto herself: "The minx
Sha'n't have a single thing!
I'll take 'em home again, methinks,
Nor leave a stick or string!"
So said, so done; and all that night
She followed Santa's wake,
And as he stuffed the stockings tight,
She every one did take,
Stowing them all unseen away,
In order grimly neat,
Within the dark box of the sleigh,
All underneath the seat.
And when gray dawn broke, and all
The bells began to peal,
And tiny forms down many a hall
And stairway 'gan to steal,
In vain each chimney-piece they sought--
Those weeping girls and boys--
For Christmas morn had come and brought
No candy and no toys.
_Charles Henry Lüders._
SANTA CLAUS TO LITTLE ETHEL.
(IN ANSWER TO HER LETTER, GIVING HIM A LIST OF HER CHRISTMAS WANTS.)
My dear little Ethel,
I fear that the breath'll
Be out of our bodies before we get through;
Day in and day out
We are rushing about,
And you haven't a notion how much there's to do.
Ever since last December,
When you may remember
I paid you a visit at dear Elsinore,
There's not been a minute
With a resting-place in it,
And my nose has not once been outside of the door.
My shop has been going,
My bellows a-blowing,
My hammers and tongs and a thousand odd tools,
Never give up the battle,
But click, bang, and rattle
Like ten million children in ten thousand schools.
Dear me, but I'm weary!
And yet, my small deary,
I read all the letters as fast as they come;
If I didn't,--good gracious!
The house is not spacious,
And the letters would soon squeeze me out of my home.