CHAP. XV. Of the Christmas Carol, an ancient Custom: The common Observation of it very unbecoming. As soon as the Morning of the Nativity appears, it is customary among the common People to sing a Christmas-Carol, which is a Song upon the Birth of our Saviour, and generally sung with some others, from the Nativity to the Twelfth-Day, the Continuance of Christmas. It comes, they say, from Cantare, to sing, and Rola, which is an Interjection of Joy For in ancient Times, the Burden of the Song, when Men were Merry, was Rola, Rola. : This kind of Songs is of an ancient standing; They were sung early in the Church itself, in memory of the Nativity, as the many HYMNS for that Season manifestly declare: Tertullian says, it was customary among the *Such are, The New-Year's Songs, and that whose Burden is Hagmena. The Word Hagmena is the same as Hagiameene, or the Holy Month. Angli, says Hospinnian, Halegmonath, quasi sacrum mensem vocant. Hosp. de Orig. Eth. P. 81. Ut quisque de scripturis sanctis vel de proprio ingenio potest, provocatur in medium Deo cantare. Tertul. Adzers. Gent. C. 39, Christians, Christians, at their Feasts, to bring those, who were able to sing, into the Midst, and make them sing a Song unto GOD; either out of the Holy Scripture, or of their own Composing and Invention. And as this was done at their Feasts, so no doubt it was observed at the great Feast of the Nativity; which Song, no Question of it, was to them, what the Christmas-Carol should be to us. In after ages we have it also taken Notice of: For Durand tells us,* That on the Day of on_the_ the Nativity, it was usual for the Bishops of some Churches to sing among their Clergy, in the Episcopal House, which Song was undoubted a Christmas-Carol. The Reason of this Custom seems to be an Imitation of the Gloria in Excelsis, or Glory be to GOD on High, &c. which was sung by the Angels, as they hovered o'er the Fields of Bethlehem, in the Morning of the Nativity. For even that Song, as the learned Bishop Taylor observes, was a Christmas-Carol. As soon, says he, as these blessed Choristers had sung their Christmas-Carol, and taught the * In quibusdam quoque locis.In natali Prælati cum suis clericis ludant, vel in domibus episcopalibus: Ita ut etiam descendant.-Ad cantus. Durand. Rat. Lib. 6. C. 86. S. 9.. Church a Hymn, to put into her Offices for Ever, in the Anniversary of this Festivity; the Angels, &c. Was this performed with that Reverence and Decency, which are due to a Song of this Nature, in Honour of the Nativity, and Glory to our LORD, it would be very commendable; but to sing it, as is generally done, in the midst of Rioting and Chambering, and Wantoness, is no Honour, but Disgrace; no Glory, but an Affront to that Holy Season, a Scandal to Religion, and a Sin against CHRIST. OBSERVATIONS ON CHAP. XV. THE Subsequent Specimen of a very curious Carrol in the Scotch Language, preserved in "Ane compendious Booke of godly and spirituall Sangs, "Edinburgh, 1621. printed from an old Copy," will, I flatter myself, be thought a precious Relique by those who have a Taste for the literary Antiquities of this Island. Ane Sang of the Birth of Christ: With the Tune of Baw lula law. (Angelus, ut opinor, loquitur.) I come from Hevin to tell, The best Nowellis that ever befell: To To yow thir Tythinges trew I bring, This Day to you is borne ane Childe, My Saull and Lyfe stand up and see O God that made all Creature, How art thow becum so pure, O my deir Hert, zoung Jesus sweit, But I sall praise thee ever moir It *The Word "say" is happily used here. The Author, whoever he has been, has dealt much more in saying than in singing. He is indeed the veriest Coast-Sailer that ever ventured out into the perilous Ocean of Verse! †The Rev. Mr. Lamb, in his entertaining Notes on the old Poem on the Battle of Flodden Field, tells us, that the Nurse's lullaby Song, It is hardly credible that such a Composition as this should ever have been thought serious. The Author has left a fine Example in the Art of Sinking. Had he designed to have rendered his Subject ridiculous, he could not more effectually have made it so; and yet we will absolve him from having had the smallest Degree of any such Intention! In the Office where this Work was printed, (at Newcastle, 1777.) there was preserved an hereditary Collection of Ballads, numerous almost as the celebrated one of Pepys.-Among these (the greatest Part of which is worse than Trash) I find several Carrols for this Season; for the Nativity, St. Stephen's Day, Childermass Day, &c. with Alexander and the King of Egypt, a mock Play, usually acted about this Time by Mummers. The Stile of them all is so puerile and simple, that I cannot think it would be worth the Song, balow, (or "he balelow") is literally French. "He bas! la "le loup!" that is, hush! there's the Wolf! An Etymologist with a tolerably inventive Fancy, might easily. persuade himself that the Song usually sung in dandling Children in Sandgate, the Wapping or Billingsgate of the North, “A you a ** hinny!" (Cantilena barbara si quæ sit alia) is nearly of a similar Signification with the antient Eastern Mode of saluting Kings, viz. "Live for ever" a, aa, or aaa, in Anglo Saxon, signifies for ever. See Benson's Vocab. The good Women of the District above named are not a little famous for their Powers in a certain Female Mode of Declamation, vulgarly called scolding. A common Menace they use to each other is, " 'I'll make a holy Byson of you." Birene, A. Sax, is Example: So that this evidently alludes to the penitential Act of standing in a white Sheet before the Congregation, which a certain Set of Delinquents are enjoined to perform. Thus the Gentle Shep herd, a beautiful Scotch Pastoral: |