be said for them to that Saint, &c. the poor People must put in something into the Priests' Box, which is not to be opened till the Ship return.

The Mass at that Time was called Christmass*; the Box, Christmass Box, or Money gathered against that Time, that Masses might be made by the Priests to the Saints to forgive the People the Debaucheries of that Time; and from this Servants had the Liberty to get Box Money, that they too might be enabled to pay the Priest for his Masses, knowing well the Truth of the Proverb,

"No Penny, No Pater-noster."

Christmass, says Blount, was called the Feast of Lights, in the Western or Latin Church, because they used many Lights or Candles at the Feast; or rather, because Christ, the Light of all Lights, that true Light then came into the World.

* Christmass, says Selden, succeeds the Saturnalia, the same Time, the same Number of Holy Days, when the Master waited upon the Servants like the Lord of Misrule. Table Talk.

Int he Feast of Christmass, says Stow in his Survey, there was in the King's House, à Lord of Misrule, or Master of Merry Disports, and the like had ye in the House of every Nobleman of Honour, or good Worship, were he spiritual or temporal. The Mayor of London and either of the Sheriffs had their several Lords of Misrule, ever contending, without Quarrel or Offence, who should make the rarest Pastimes to delight the Beholders. These Lords, beginning their Rule at All-hallon Eve, continued the same till the Morrow after the Feast of the Purification, commonly called Candlemas Day: In which Space, there were fine and subtil Disguisings, Masks, and Mummeries, with playing at Cards for Counters, Nayles, and Points in every House, more for Pastime than for Gaine. P. 79.

On the pulling down of Canterbury Court, Christ Church, Oxford, 1775, many of these Counters were found. There was a Hole in the Center of each, and they appeared to have been strung together. I saw many of them, having been in Oxford at that Time.

*

Hence it should seem the Christmass Candle, and what was perhaps only a Succedaneum, the Yule Clog or Block, before Candles † were in general Use. Thus a very large Coal is often set apart at present in the North for the same Purpose, i. e. to make a great Light on Yule or ChristmassEve. Lights indeed seem to have been used upon all festive Occasions:-Thus our Illuminations, Fireworks, &c. on the News of Victories.

In the antient Times to which we would trace back the Origin of these almost obsolete Customs, Blocks, Logs, or Clogs of dried Wood might be easily procured, and provided against this festive Season: At that Time of Day it must have been

*

Clog is properly a Piece of Wood, fastened about the Legs of Beasts, to keep them from running astray.—In a secondary or figurative Sense, it signifies a Load, Let, or Hinderance. Thus also a Truant-Clog.-Bailey supposes it to come from Log, (which he derives from the Saxon hgan, to lie, because of its Weight, it lies as it were immoveable) the Trunk of a Tree or Stump of Wood for Fuel.—Block has the same Signification.

There is an old Scotch Proverb, "He's as bare as the Birk at "Yule E'en," which perhaps alludes to this Custom; the Birk meaning a Block of the Birch Tree, stripped of its Bark, and dried against Yule Even.-It is spoken of one who is exceedingly poor.

This is merely Conjecture! and yet we can do little else but make Conjectures concerning the Origin of Customs of such remote Antiquity.

Perhaps the Yule Block will be found at last only the Counter Part of the Midsummer Fires, made on within Doors because of the cold Weather at this Winter Solstice, as those in the hot Season at the Summer one are kindled in the open Air.—After a diligent and close Study of Gebelin, the French Bryant, on this Subject, one cannot fail, I think, of adopting this Hypothesis, which is confirmed by great Probability and many cogent if not infallible Proofs.

in

in the Power but of a few to command Candles or Torches for making their annual Illumination.

Besides the Definitions of the Word Yule, which Bourne gives us from Elstob, Stillingfleet, &c. I shall lay yet others before my Readers, but perhaps ought not to presume to determine which is absolutely the truest Etymon. There have been great Controversies about this Word; and many perhaps will think it still left in a State of Uncertainty, like the Subject of the

-"Certant, et adhuc sub judice lis est," of Horace.

Dr. Moresin* supposes it a Corruption of Io! Io! well known as an antient Acclamation on joyful Occasions.

Ule, Yeule, Yool, or Yule Games, says Blount, in our northern Parts, are taken for Christmass Games or Sports: From the French Nouël, Christmass, which the Normans corrupt to Nuel, and from Nuel we had Nule, or Ule.

Dr. Hammond thinks Yule should be taken immediately from the Latin Jubilum†, as that signifies a Time of Rejoicing or Festivity.

M. Court

* Sed Scoti adhuc efficacius soliti sunt reddere Saturnalia, qui ad Natalia Christi per Urbes nocte ululare solebant, IvL, Iul, non a nomine Iulii Cæsaris, sed corruptè pro Io, Io, ut fieri solet in omni linguarum ad diversos commigratione, et hodie cum ab aliis alius accipit, fit. Moresin. Deprav. Rel. Orig. p. 106.

† Mr. Selden, in defining the Word Gentlemen, tells us, that in the Beginning of Christianity, the Fathers writ contra Gentes, and contra Gentiles, they were all one: But after all were Christians, the better Sort of People still retained the Name of Gentiles, through

out

M. Court de Gebelin, in his Allegories Orientales, printed at Paris, 1775, is profuse of his Learning on the Etymon of this Word.

Iol*, says he, pronounced Hiol, Iul, Jul, Giul, Hweol; Wheel, Wiel, Vol, &c. is a primitive Word, carrying

out the four provinces of the Roman Empire; as Gentil-homme in French, Gentil-homo in Italian, Gentil-huombre in Spanish, and Gentil-man in English: And they, no Question, being Persons of Quality, kept up those Feasts which we borrow from the Gentils; as Christmass, Candlemass, May-day, &c. continuing what was not directly against Christianity, which the common People would never have endured. Table Talk.

“* Iol prononcé Hiol, Iul, Jul, Giul, Hweol, Wheel, Wiel, Vol, &c. est un mot primitif qui emporta avec lui toute idée de Révolution, et de Roue.

Ful-Iom désigne en Arabe le premier Jour de l'année : c'est mot a mot le Jour de la Revolution, ou du retour.

Giul-ous en Persan signifie Anniversaire. Il est affecté à celle du Couronnement des Rois.

Hiul en Danois & en Suédois signifie Roue.

En Flamand, c'est Wiel.

¡En Anglois, Wheel.

Chez les Germains le Verbe Well-en signifie Tourner.

Wel désigne les flots, parce qu'ils ne font qu' aller & venir.

C'est notre mot Houle.

De-là le Vol-vo des Latins.

Les Solstices étant le Tems où le Soleil revient sur ses pas, en prirent le Nom: de là chez les Grecs le nom des Tropiques, qui signifie retour.

Il en fut de même chez les Celtes. Ils donnerent aux Solstices, et aux Mois qui commencent aux Solstices, le nom d'Iul, qui signifioit également retour.

Stiernbielm, habile dans les Langues & dans les Antiquités du Nord, nous aprend, que les anciens Habitans de la Suéde célébroient au Solstice d'hyver ou à Noël, une fête, qu'ils appelloient Iul, que ce mot signifie Revolution, roue; que le Mois de Décembre s'en apelloit, Iul-manat, Mois du retour, & que cet mot s'écrivoit également par Hiule & Giule.

Les Habitans du Comté de Lincoln en Angleterre, appellent encore Gule-Block, Bloc, ou souche de Iul, la souche qu'on met au feu le jour de Noël, & qui doit durer l'Octave entiere.

Il ne faudroit donc pas être étonné si notre Mois de Juillet qui

carrying with it a general Idea of Revolution, and of Wheel.

Iul-Iom signifies in Arabic the first Day of the Year: Literally, the Day of Revolution or of Re

turn.

Giul-ous in the Persian Tongue is Anniversary. It is appropriated to that of a King's Coronation. Hiul in Danish and Swedish implies Wheel. It is Wiel in Flemish.

In English, Wheel.

The Verb Well-en in German signifies to turn. Wel implies Waves, which are incessantly coming and going.

'Tis our Word Houle (i. e. French).

The Vol-vo of the Latin too is from hence.

suit le Solstice d'Eté, eût pris son nom de là. Les Romains nous disent, il est vrai, que ce Mois tira son Nom de Jules César; ce pouroit être une Etymologie digne des Flatteries dont ils accabloient leurs Empereurs, tandis qu'ils n'auroient fait qu'altérer la Pronunciation du mot Iul pour le faire quadrer avec le Nom de Jules, qu'ils prononçoient lulus, Nom que porta aussi Ascagne, Fils d'Enée, & qui remontoit par là même aux Langues premieres de'l'Orient. Il en aura été de même du Mois suivant.

S'ils choisirent ces deux Mois, pour leur faire porter les Noms du premier & du second de leurs Empereurs, ce fut premierement parce que les Noms de ces Mois avoient déja dư raport à ceux de Jules & d'Auguste.

Ce fut secondement, pour imiter les Egyptiens qui avoient donné à ces deux Mois le Nom de leurs deux premiers Rois, Mesor et Thot.

Comme le Mois d'Août étoit le premier Mois de l'année Egyptienne, on en apella le premier jour Gule: ce mot latinisé, fit Gula. Nos Légendaires surpris de voir ce Nom à la tête du Mois d'Août, ne s'oublierent pas; ils en firent la fête de la Fille du Tribun Quirinus, guérie d'un mal de gorge en baisant les Liens de Saint Pierre dont on célébre la fête ce jour-là."

The