~December 24.~
_Sts. Thrasilla_ and _Emiliana_. _St. Gregory_, of Spoleto, A. D. 304.
~Christmas Eve.~
This is the vigil of that solemn festival which commemorates the day
that gave
“To man a saviour--freedom to the slave.”
[Illustration: ~Calabrian Shepherds playing in Rome at Christmas.~]
In the last days of Advent the Calabrian minstrels enter Rome, and are
to be seen in every street saluting the shrines of the virgin mother
with their wild music, under the traditional notion of soothing her
until the birth-time of her infant at the approaching Christmas. This
circumstance is related by lady Morgan, who observed them frequently
stopping at the shop of a carpenter. To questions concerning this
practice, the workmen, who stood at the door, said it was done out of
respect to St. Joseph. The preceding engraving, representing this
custom, is from a clever etching by D. Allan, a Scottish artist of great
merit. In Mr. Burford’s excellent panorama of the ruins of Pompeii,
exhibited in the Strand, groups of these peasantry are celebrating the
festival of the patron saint of the master of a vineyard. The printed
“Description” of the panorama says, these mountaineers are called
_Pifferari_, and “play a pipe very similar in form and sound to the
bagpipes of the Highlanders.” It is added, as lady Morgan before
observed, that “just before Christmas they descend from the mountains to
Naples and Rome, in order to play before the pictures of the Virgin and
Child, which are placed in various parts of every Italian town.” In a
picture of the Nativity by Raphael, he has introduced a shepherd at the
door playing on the bagpipes.
_Christmas Carols._
Carol is said to be derived from _cantare_, to sing, and _rola_, an
interjection of joy.[414] It is rightly observed by Jeremy Taylor, that
“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good-will towards
men,” the song of the angels on the birth of the Saviour, is the first
Christmas carol.
Anciently, bishops carolled at Christmas among their clergy; but it
would be diverging into a wide field to exemplify ecclesiastical
practices on this festival; and to keep close to the domestic usages of
the season, church customs of that kind will not now be noticed.
In Mr. Brand’s “Popular Antiquities,” he gives the subjoined
Anglo-Norman carol, from a MS. in the British Museum,[415] with the
accompanying translation by his “very learned and communicative friend,
Mr. Douce; in which it will easily be observed that the translator has
necessarily been obliged to amplify, but endeavours every where to
preserve the sense of the original.”
_Anglo-Norman Carol._
Seignors ore entendez a nus,
De loinz sumes venuz a wous,
Pur quere NOEL;
Car lem nus dit que en cest hostel
Soleit tenir sa feste anuel
Ahi cest iur.
Deu doint a tuz icels joie d’amurs
Qi a DANZ NOEL ferunt honors.
Seignors io vus di por veir
KE DANZ NOEL ne uelt aveir
Si joie non;
E repleni sa maison,
De payn, de char, & de peison,
Por faire honor.
Deu doint a tuz ces joie damur.
Seignors il est crie en lost,
Qe cil qui despent bien & tost,
E largement;
E fet les granz honors sovent
Deu li duble quanque il despent
Por faire honor.
Deu doint a.
Seignors escriez les malveis,
Car vus nel les troverez jameis
De bone part:
Botun, batun, ferun groinard,
Car tot dis a le quer cuuard
Por faire honor.
Deu doint.
NOEL beyt bein li vin Engleis
E li Gascoin & li Franceys
E l’Angeuin.
NOEL fait beivre son veisin,
Si quil se dort, le chief en clin,
Sovent le ior.
Deu doint a tuz cels.
Seignors io vus di par NOEL,
E par li sires de cest hostel,
Car beuez ben:
E io primes beurai le men,
E pois apres chescon le soen,
Par mon conseil,
Si io vus di trestoz Wesseyl
Dehaiz eit qui ne dirra Drincheyl.
_Translation._
Now, lordings, listen to our ditty,
Strangers coming from afar;
Let poor minstrels move your pity,
Give us welcome, soothe our care
In this mansion, as they tell us,
Christmas wassell keeps to day;
And, as the king of all good fellows,
Reigns with uncontrouled sway.
Lordings, in these realms of pleasure,
Father Christmas yearly dwells;
Deals out joy with liberal measure,
Gloomy sorrow soon dispels:
Numerous guests, and viands dainty,
Fill the hall and grace the board;
Mirth and beauty, peace and plenty,
Solid pleasures here afford.
Lordings, ’tis said the liberal mind,
That on the needy much bestows,
From Heav’n a sure reward shall find;
From Heav’n, whence ev’ry blessing flows.
Who largely gives with willing hand,
Or quickly gives with willing heart,
His fame shall spread throughout the land,
His memory thence shall ne’er depart.
Lordings, grant not your protection
To a base, unworthy crew,
But cherish, with a kind affection,
Men that are loyal, good, and true.
Chace from your hospitable dwelling
Swinish souls, that ever crave;
Virtue they can ne’er excel in,
Gluttons never can be brave.
Lordings, Christmas loves good drinking,
Wines of Gascoigne, France, Anjou,[416]
English ale, that drives out thinking,
Prince of liquors old or new.
Every neighbour shares the bowl,
Drinks of the spicy liquor deep,
Drinks his fill without controul,
Till he drowns his care in sleep.
And now--by Christmas, jolly soul!
By this mansion’s generous sire!
By the wine, and by the bowl,
And all the joys they both inspire!
Here I’ll drink a health to all.
The glorious task shall first be mine:
And ever may foul luck befal
Him that to pledge me shall decline!