from the Saxons. For Bede tells us, That this very Night was observed in this Land before, by the Heathen Saxons. They * began, says he, their Year on the Eight of the Calends of January, which is now our Christmas-Day: And the very Night before, which is now Holy to us, was by them called Madrenack, or the Night of Mothers; because, as we imagine, of those Ceremonies which were perform'd that Night. The Yule-Clog therefore hath probably been a Part of that Night's Ceremonies. The very Name seems to speak it, and tells its Original to every Age.

It seems to have been used, as an Emblem of the return of the Sun, and the lengthening of the Days. For as + both December and January were called Guili or Yule, upon Ac

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* Incipiebant autem annum ab octavo calendarum Januarii die, ubi nunc natale domini celebramus; & ipsam noctem nunc nobis sacro-sanctam tunc gentili vocabulo mædrenack, i. e. matrum noctem appellabant: Ob causam, ut suspicamur, ceremoniarum, quas in ea pervigiles agebant. Beda de Rat. Temp. Cap. 13.

† December guili, eodem quo Januarius nomine vocatur.Guili a conversione solis in auctum diei, nomen accipit. Beda, ibid.

Gehol or Geol Angl Sax. Jol vel Jul, Dan, Sax. « And "to this Day in the North Yule, Youle, siguifics the solemn "Festival

count of the Sun's returning, and the Increase of the Days; so, I am apt to believe, the Log has had the Name of the Yule-Log, from its being burnt as an Emblem of the returning Sun, and the Increase of its Light and Heat.

"Festival of Christmas, and were Words used to denote a Time "of Festivity very anciently, and before the Introduction of Christianity among the Northern Nations. Learned Men "have disputed much about this Word, some deriving it from « Julius Cæsar, others from the Word Getheol, a Wheel, as Bede, who would therefore have it so called, because of the "Return of the Sun's annual Course, after the Winter Solstice.

But, he writing de Rat. Temp. speaks rather as an Astronomer "than an Antiquary. The best Antiquaries derive it from the "Word, Ol, Ale, which was much used in their Festivities and

merry Meetings. And the I in Iol, iul cimbr. as the Ge and "Gi in Gehol, Geol, Giul, Sax, are premised only as Intensives "to add a little to the Signification, and make it more emphati"cal. Ol or Ale, as has been observed, did not only signifie the

Liquor they made Use of, but gave Denomination likewise to "their greatest Festivals, as that of Gehol or Yule at Mid"winter; and as is yet plainly to be discern'd in that Custom "of the Whitsun-Ale, at the other great Festival. Elstob. Sax. "Hom. Birth. Day-Greg. Append. P. 29.

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Bishop Stillingfleet has also taken Notice of this, and says, "That some think the Name of this Feast was taken from Iola, "which in the Gothick Language signifies to make merry. But "he seems not inclinable to this Opinion, and therefore tells us, "that Olaus Rudbeck thinks the former (viz. Its being called "so from the Joy that was conceived at the Return of the Sun) "more proper, not only from Bede's Authority, but because in "the old Runic Fasti, a Wheel was used to denote that Festival." Stilling. Orig. Britain,

This was probably the Reason of the Custom among the Heathen Saxons; but I cannot think the Observation of it was continued for the same Reason, after Christianity was embraced. For Bishop Stillingfleet observes in his Origines Britanica, That though the "ancient Saxons observed Twelve Days at "that Time, and sacrificed to the Sun, in hopes of his returning; yet when Chris

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tianity prevailed, all these idolatrous Sacrifices were laid aside, and that Time of Feasting was joined with the religious Solemnity of that Season, which in other Parts

of the World were observed by Christians." And in like manner as these Days of Feasting were joined with the religious Solemnities of that Season, so the keeping up of this Custom, seems to have been done with another View, than it was originally. If a Conjecture may be allowed, it might have been done on Account of our Saviour's Birth, which happened that Night. For as the Burning of it before Christianity, was an Emblem of the Coming of the Sun, which they worshipped as their God; so the continuing it after, might have been for a Symbol of that Light, which was that Night born into the World: The

Light that shineth in Darkness; the Light that lightned the Gentiles, that turn'd them from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unio GÓD.

And indeed it will be some strengthening of the Conjecture, that Light has been the Emblem of several Things, both in Scripture, and in the ancient Church: For the Scripture makes use of it, and the Church in Imitation of the Scripture, as a lively Representation of several Things. Thus Light is the Emblem of GOD: For GOD is Light, says the Apostle St. John. John the Baptist was a Burning and a Shining Light. And therefore in some Places it is customary to carry Torches on St. John the Baptist's Eve, to represent St. John Baptist himself, who was a Burning and a shining Light, and a Preparer of the Way for the true Light, that lighteneth every Man that cometh into the World. The Apostles were the Light of the World; and as our Saviour was frequently called Light, so was his Coming into the World signified, and

* Feruntur quoque brandæ seu faces ardentes, & fiunt ignes, qui significant sanctum Joannem, qui fuit lumen & lucerna ardens. & præcedens & præcursor veræ lucis, quæ illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. Durand, Rational. Lib. 7. Cap. 14. Nu. 12.

pointed

pointed out by the Emblems of Light: "It

was then (says our Country-man Gregory) "the longest Night in all the Year; and it "was the midst of that, and yet there was Day where he was: For a glorious and be

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tokening Light shined round about this Holy "Child. So says Tradition, and so the Masters "describe the Night-Piece of the Nativity." If this be called in Question, as being only Tradition, it is out of Dispute, that the Light which illuminated the Fields of Bethlehem, and shone around about the Shepherds as they were watching their Flocks, was an Emblem of that Light, which was then come into the World. What can be the meaning, says venerable Bede, that this Apparition of Angels was surrounded with that heavenly Light, which is a Thing we never meet with in all the Old Testament? For tho' Angels have appeared to Prophets and holy Men, yet we never read of their Appearing in such Glory and Splendor before. It must surely be, be

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* Quid est quod apparenti angelo divinæ quoque claritatis splendor eos circumdedit, quod nunquam in tota testamenti veteris serie & reperimus, eum tam innumeris vicibus angeli prophetis & justis apparuerunt, nusquam eos fulgore divinæ lucis homines circumdedisse legimus; nisi quod hoc privilegium recte hujus temporis dignitati servatum est? &c. Bed. Hyem. de Sanc. in Gal. Cant.