A Righte Merrie Christmasse Part 7

The viij day tok Jhesu hys name, That saved mankynd fro syn and shame, And circ.u.msysed was for no blame, But for ensample of meknesse.

The xij day offerd to hym kynges iij, Gold, myr, and cence, thes gyftes free, For G.o.d, and man, and kyng was he, Thus worschyppyd thei his worthynes.

On the xl day cam Mary myld, Unto the temple with hyr chyld, To shew hyr clen that never was fylyd, And therwith endyth Chrystmes.

[Footnote 26: Yule.]

[Footnote 27: St. Thomas a Becket, of Canterbury, was commemorated on 29th December.]

The following is taken from a MS. of the latter half of the fifteenth century, which Mr. Thomas Wright edited for the Percy Society in 1847.

The spelling is even more archaic than the above, so that it is modernised, and a gloss given for all those words which may not be easily understood wherever possible:--

This endris[28] night I saw a sight, A star as bright as day; And ever among A maiden sung, Lullay, by by, lullay.

The lovely lady sat and sang, and to her Child said-- My son, my brother, my father dear, why lyest Thou thus in hayd.

My sweet bird, Thus it is betide Though Thou be King veray;[29]

But, nevertheless, I will not cease To sing, by by, lullay.

The Child then spake in His talking, and to His mother said-- I bekyd[30] am King, in Crib[31] there I be laid; For Angels bright Down to Me light, Thou knowest it is no nay; And of that sight Thou mays't be light To sing, by by, lullay.

Now, sweet Son, since Thou art King, why art Thou laid in stall?

Why not Thou ordained Thy bedding in some great King his hall?

Me thinketh it is right That King or Knight Should lie in good array; And then among It were no wrong To sing, by by, lullay.

Mary, mother, I am thy child, though I be laid in stall, Lords and dukes shall wors.h.i.+p Me, and so shall Kings all; Ye shall well see That Kings three Shall come the twelfth day; For this behest Give me thy breast And sing, by by, lullay.

Now tell me, sweet Son, I pray Thee, Thou art my love and dear, How should I keep Thee to Thy pay,[32] and make Thee glad of cheer; For all Thy will I would fulfil Thou witest[33] full well, in fay,[34]

And for all this I will Thee kiss And sing, by by, lullay.

My dear mother, when time it be, thou take Me up aloft, And set Me upon thy knee, and handle Me full soft; And in thy arm, Thou wilt Me warm, And keep night and day; If I weep, And may not sleep, Thou sing, by by, lullay.

Now, sweet Son, since it is so, that all thing is at Thy will, I pray Thee grant me a boon, if it be both right and skill.[35]

That child or man, That will or can Be merry upon my day; To bliss them bring, And I shall sing Lullay, by by, lullay.

[Footnote 28: Last.]

[Footnote 29: True.]

[Footnote 30: I am renowned as.]

[Footnote 31: Manger.]

[Footnote 32: Satisfaction.]

[Footnote 33: Knowest.]

[Footnote 34: In faith.]

[Footnote 35: Reasonable.]

A very popular carol, too, was that of the Legend of the Cherry Tree, which is very ancient, and is one of the scenes in the fifteenth of the Coventry Mysteries, which were played in the fifteenth century, on _Corpus Christi Day_.

Joseph was an old man, And an old man was he, And he married Mary The Queen of Galilee.

When Joseph was married, And Mary home had brought, Mary proved with child, And Joseph knew it not.

Joseph and Mary walked Through a garden gay, Where the cherries they grew Upon every tree.

O, then bespoke Mary, With words both meek and mild, "O, gather me cherries, Joseph, They run so in my mind."

And then replied Joseph, With his words so unkind, "Let him gather thee cherries, That got thee with child."

O, then bespoke our Savior, All in His mother's womb, "Bow down, good cherry tree, To My mother's hand."

The uppermost sprig Bowed down to Mary's knee, "Thus you may see, Joseph, These cherries are for me."

"O, eat your cherries, Mary, O, eat your cherries now, O, eat your cherries, Mary, That grow upon the bow."

The parable of Dives and Lazarus was a great favourite at Christ-tide, as, presumably, it served to stir up men to deeds of charity towards their poorer brethren; but the following carol, parts of which are very curious, has nothing like the antiquity of the foregoing examples:--

As it fell out upon a day, Rich Dives made a feast, And he invited all his guests, And gentry of the best.

Then Lazarus laid him down, and down, And down at Dives' door, "Some meat, some drink, brother Dives, Bestow upon the poor."

"Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus, That lies begging at my door, No meat, nor drink will I give thee, Nor bestow upon the poor."

Then Lazarus laid him down, and down, And down at Dives' wall, "Some meat, some drink, brother Dives, Or with hunger starve I shall."

"Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus, That lies begging at my wall, No meat, nor drink will I give thee, But with hunger starve you shall."

Then Lazarus laid him down, and down, And down at Dives' gate, "Some meat, some drink, brother Dives, For Jesus Christ, His sake."

"Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus, That lies begging at my gate, No meat, nor drink I'll give to thee, For Jesus Christ, His sake."

Then Dives sent out his merry men, To whip poor Lazarus away, But they had no power to strike a stroke, And flung their whips away.

Then Dives sent out his hungry dogs, To bite him as he lay.

But they had no power to bite at all, So licked his sores away.

As it fell upon a day, Poor Lazarus sickened and died, There came an Angel out of heaven, His soul there for to guide.

"Rise up, rise up, brother Lazarus, And come along with me, For there's a place in heaven provided To site on an Angel's knee."

As it fell upon a day, Rich Dives sickened and died, There came a serpent out of h.e.l.l, His soul there for to guide.

"Rise up, rise up, brother Dives, And come along with me, For there's a place in h.e.l.l provided, To sit on a serpent's knee."

Then Dives lifting his eyes to heaven, And seeing poor Lazarus blest, "Give me a drop of water, brother Lazarus, To quench my flaming thirst.