Chapter LXIII: Conclusion (6)

The editor of this humble work, who has derived much assistance in its
progress from the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” which Mr. Nichols edited for
nearly half a century, would omit to do rightly if he were not thus to
acknowledge the obligation. Nor can he recollect without feelings of
respectful gratitude, that his name appeared a few years ago in the
“Domestic Occurrences” of the “Gentleman’s Magazine” with fidelity to
its readers, unaccompanied by remarks which some of its admirers
might, perhaps, at that time have admired. Its critical pages
subsequently distinguished the volume on “Ancient Mysteries” by
approval; and since then they have been pleased to favour, and even
praise, the publication of which this is the last sheet. There was no
personal intimacy to incline such good-will, and therefore it may be
fairly inferred to have resulted from pure feelings and principles of
equity. Mr. Nichols’s rank as a literary antiquary is manifested by
many able and elaborate works. As he declined in life, his active
duties gradually and naturally devolved on his successor: may that
gentleman live as long in health and wealth, and be remembered with as
high honour, as his revered father.

_Dec. 23, 1826._

W. H.

GLASTONBURY THORN.

On Christmas-eve, (new style,) 1753, a vast concourse of people attended the noted thorn, but to their great disappointment there was no appearance of its blowing, which made them watch it narrowly the 5th of January, the Christmas-day, (old style,) when it blowed as usual.--_London Evening Post._

On the same evening, at Quainton, in Buckinghamshire, above two thousand people went, with lanterns and candles, to view a blackthorn in that neighbourhood, and which was remembered to be a slip from the famous Glastonbury thorn, and that it always budded on the 24th, was full blown the next day, and went all off at night. The people finding no appearance of a bud, it was agreed by all, that December 25 (new style) could not be the right Christmas-day, and accordingly refused going to church, and treating their friends on that day as usual: at length the affair became so serious, that the ministers of the neighbouring villages, in order to appease them, thought it prudent to give notice, that the _Old_ Christmas-day should be kept holy as before.[550]

* * * * *

This famous hawthorn, which grew on a hill in the church-yard of Glastonbury-abbey, it has been said, sprung from the staff of St. Joseph of Arimathea, who having fixed it in the ground with his own hand on Christmas-day, the staff took root immediately, put forth leaves, and the _next_ day was covered with milk-white blossoms. It has been added, that this thorn continued to blow every Christmas-day during a long series of years, and that slips from the original plant are still preserved, and continue to blow every Christmas-day to the present time.

There certainly was in the abbey church-yard a hawthorn-tree, which blossomed in winter, and was cut down in the time of the civil wars: but that it always blossomed on Christmas-day was a mere tale of the monks, calculated to inspire the vulgar with notions of the sanctity of the place. There are several of this species of thorn in England, raised from haws sent from the east, where it is common. One of our countrymen, the ingenious Mr. Millar, raised many plants from haws brought from Aleppo, and all proved to be what are called Glastonbury thorns. This exotic, or eastern thorn, differs from our common hawthorn in putting out its leaves very early in spring, and flowering twice a year; for in mild seasons it often flowers in November or December, and again at the usual time of the common sort; but the stories that are told of its budding, blossoming, and fading on Christmas-day are ridiculous, and only monkish legends.[551]

“HODENING” IN KENT.

At Ramsgate, in Kent, they begin the festivities of Christmas by a curious musical procession. A party of young people procure the head of a dead horse, which is affixed to a pole about four feet in length, a string is tied to the lower jaw, a horse cloth is then attached to the whole, under which one of the party gets, and by frequently pulling the string keeps up a loud snapping noise, and is accompanied by the rest of the party grotesquely habited and ringing hand-bells. They thus proceed from house to house, sounding their bells and singing carols and songs. They are commonly gratified with beer and cake, or perhaps with money. This is provincially called a _hodening_; and the figure above described a “hoden,” or wooden horse.

This curious ceremony is also observed in the Isle of Thanet on Christmas-eve, and is supposed to be an ancient relic of a festival ordained to commemorate our Saxon ancestors’ landing in that island.[552]

CHRISTMAS POTTAGE.

Amongst the customs observed on Christmas-eve, the Venetians eat a kind of pottage, which they call _torta de lasagne_, composed of oil, onions, paste, parsley, pine nuts, raisins, currants, and candied orange peel.

MARSEILLES’ FESTIVAL.

Many festivals, abrogated in France by the revolution, were revived under Buonaparte. Accordingly, at Marseilles on Christmas-eve all the members of any family resident in the same town were invited to supper at the house of the senior of the family, the supper being entirely _au maigre_, that is, without meat,--after which they all went together to a solemn mass, which was performed in all the churches at midnight: this ceremony was called in Provence _faire calène_. After mass the party dispersed and retired to their respective houses; and the next day, after attending high mass in the morning, they assembled at dinner at the same house where they had supped the night before, a turkey being, as in England, an established part of the dinner. The evening was concluded with cards, dancing, or any other amusement usual on holydays. Formerly there had been the midnight mass, which was often irregularly conducted, and therefore on the revival of the old custom it was omitted.[553]

* * * * *

CHRISTMAS.

With footstep slow, in furry pall yclad,
His brows enwreathed with holly never sere
Old Christmas comes, to close the wained year;
And aye the shepherd’s heart to make right glad;
Who, when his teeming flocks are homeward had,
To blazing hearth repairs, and nutbrown beer,
And views well pleased the ruddy prattlers dear
Hug the grey mungrel; meanwhile maid and lad
Squabble for roasted crabs. Thee, Sire, we hail,
Whether thine aged limbs thou dost enshroud
In vest of snowy white and hoary veil,
Or wrap’st thy visage in a sable cloud;
Thee we proclaim with mirth and cheer, nor fail
To greet thee well with many a carol loud.

_Bamfylde._

CAROLS.

The practice of singing canticles or carols in the vulgar tongue on Christmas-eve, and thence called _noels_ in the country churches of France, had its origin about the time that the common people ceased to understand Latin. The word _noel_ is derived from _natalis_, and signified originally a cry of joy at Christmas.[554]

NATURALISTS’ CALENDAR.

Mean Temperature 37·87.

[541] Stukeley’s Palæographia Britannica, No. 11. 1745.

[542] Ibid.

[543] Stowe’s Annals, 159.

[544] Baker’s Chronicles, 94.

[545] Ibid.

[546] Bellman’s Treasury, 1707.

[547] “In good king Charles’s golden days.”

This is said to have been written by an officer in colonel Fuller’s
regiment, in the reign of king George I. It is founded on an
historical fact, and, though it reflects no great honour on the hero
of the poem, is humorously expressive of the complexion of the times
in the successive reigns from Charles II. to George I.

[548] “My fond shepherds of late were so blest.”

A favourite air in Dr. Arne’s “Eliza.”

[549] “There lived a youth in Ballan o Crazy.”

This song is ascribed to a lady of great quality: it does not,
however, abound with the wit which usually flows from female pens; but
it admits of being sung with great humour.

[550] Gentleman’s Magazine.

[551] Communicated by D. B. C. from Boswell’s Antiquities of England
and Wales.

[552] Busby’s Concert Room and Orchestra Anecdotes, &c.

[553] Miss Plumptre.

[554] Burney’s History of Music.

~December 25.~

CHRISTMAS-DAY.

BELLMAN’S VERSES, 1707,

_Upon Christmas Day._

_To the Shepherds._

Go, happy shepherds, leave your flocks and hie
To Bethlem, where your infant Lord doth lie:
And when you’ve view’d his Sacred Person well,
Spare not aloud what you have seen to tell.
Write volumes of these things, and let them bear
The title of the _Shepherd’s Calendar_:
This I assure you never _shepherds_ knew
With all their studies half so much as you.[555]

WHITEHAVEN CUSTOMS.

_To the Editor of the Every-Day Book._

_Whitehaven, 4th Sept. 1826._

Sir,--You furnished your readers last Christmas with a dish, greatly up-heaped, of information regarding the manner in which it was kept in various parts of the kingdom. I enclose herein a printed copy of the play, which is said, or rather sung, at and about that time, by numbers of boys in this town. The comedians, of which there are many companies, parade the streets, and ask at almost every door if the _mummers_ are wanted. They are dressed in the most grotesque fashion; their heads adorned with high paper caps, gilt and spangled, and their bodies with ribbons of various colours, while St. George and the prince are armed with ten swords. The “mysterie” (query?) ends with a song, and afterwards a collection is made. This is the only relic of ancient times which exists in this town, excepting, indeed, it be the _Waites_--a few persons who parade the streets for a fortnight or three weeks before Christmas, and play upon violins one or two lively jig tunes, and afterwards call upon the inhabitants for a few pence each. The same persons, when they hear of a marriage, or of the arrival from abroad of a sea-faring man, regularly attend and fiddle away till they raise the person or persons; and for this they expect a trifling remuneration.

I am satisfied you will join me, in surprise, that for so great a number of years, such a mass of indecent vulgarity as “Alexander and the king of Egypt,” should been used without alteration.

Upon the death of any individual, poor or rich, in this town, and the day before the funeral, the parish clerk, or the clerk of the church in whose church-yard the corpse is to be interred, goes round the town, with or without mourning as the case may be, and rings a bell, like a bellman, and thus announces his purpose: “All friends and neighbours are desired to attend the corpse of A. B. from Queen-street to St. James’s church to-morrow afternoon at four o’clock.”

Some of these hints may be of use to you--if so I shall rejoice; for a kinder-hearted publication than yours I never perused.

For the present I am, Mr. Hone,

Yours, most respectfully,

AN ADMIRER OF YOUR EVERY-DAY BOOK.

* * * * *

The tract accompanying the preceding communication is entitled “Alexander and the King of Egypt; a mock Play, as it is acted by the Mummers every Christmas. Whitehaven. Printed by T. Wilson, King-street.” Eight pages, 8vo. An opportunity is thus obligingly afforded of making the following extracts:

Act I. Scene I.

Enter Alexander

_Alexander speaks_

Silence, brave gentlemen, if you will give an eye,
Alexander is my name, I’ll sing a tragedy;
A ramble here I took the country for to see,
Three actors I have brought, so far from Italy.
The first I do present, he is a noble king,
He’st just come from the wars, good tidings he doth bring;
The next that doth come in he is a doctor good,
Had it not been for him I’d surely lost my blood.
Old Dives is the next, a miser you may see,
Who, by lending of his gold, is come to poverty;
So, gentlemen, you see, our actors will go round,
Stand off a little while more pastime will be found.