Beginning of Christianity: However fabulous that Story may be, taken Notice of by * Bishop Stillingfleet, from Hector Boethius, "That king "Arthur kept with his Nobles at York, a very prophane Christmas for+thirteen Days together, and that such Jollity and Feasting then, "had its Original from him." But however these Words, if true, may be a Testimony of the too great Antiquity of the Abuse of this Festival; yet they will by no Means justifie "Buchannan's Comment upon them. For as the learned Bishop goes on, "Buchannan is so well pleased with this notable Observation, that He sets it down for good History, saying upon it, that the old Saturnalia were renew'd, only the Days increased, and Sa

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1

*Origin. Britan. Stilling.

+ Christmas day is said to be none of the twelve Days, but one of the twenty. For if it was added, it would make thirteen Days, which are the thirteen Days here mentioned. It is said to be one of the twenty Days, because, as I imagine, it was reckon'd among those twenty Days in which the Church forbad Fasting. For in the Laws of Canutus, it is order'd, || That no Man shall fast from Christmas-Day, till after the Octave of the Epiphany, except he do it out of Choice, or it be commanded him of the Priest.

|| Atque ab ipso natali Jesu Christi die ad octavam ad Epiphania lucem, jejunia nemo observato, nisi quidam judicio ac voluntate fecerit sua, aut id ei fuerit a sacerdote imperatum. Seld. Analect. Lib. 2. P. 108.

turn's

"turn's Name changed to Caesar's: For says

he, we called the Feast Julia. But why "should the Name of Saturn be changed into "Casar's? Was he worshipped for a GOD

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among the British Christians, as Saturn was 86 among the old Pagans? But the Name Ju"lia imports it; by no Means. For Buchan66 does not nan that this Name was ever "used for that Festival among the Britains ; "and the Saxons, who brought in both the

prove,

Name and the Feast, give another * Reason " for it."

Buchannan seems therefore to have a great deal more Malice than Truth on his Side. But however such Revellings, and Frolicks, and Extravagances, whether or not derived from the old Saturnalia, as are customary at this Season, do come very near to, if not exceed its Liberties. In particular, what commoner at this Season, than for Men to rise early in the Morning, that they may follow strong Drink, and continue untill Night, till Wine inflame them? As if CHRIST who came into the World to save us, and was manifested to destroy the Works of the Devil; was to be

* Vide Chap. Christ. Candle.

honour'd

honour'd with the very Works he came to destroy.

*

With some, Christmas ends with the Twelve Days, but with the generality of the Vulgar, not till Candlemas. Till then they continue Feasting, and are ambitious of keeping some of their Christmas-Chear, and then are fond of getting quit of it. Durand tells us, They celebrated this Time with Joy, because the Incarnation of CHRIST was the Occasion of Joy to Angels and Men. But the lengthening of the Time from twelve to forty Days, seems to have been done out of honour to the Virgin Mary's Lying-in: Under the old Law, the Time of Purification was forty Days, which was to Women then, what the Month is to Women now. And as during that Time, the Friends and Relations of the Women, pay them Visits, and do them Abundance of Honour; so this Time seems to have been calculated, to do Honour to the Virgin's Lying-in.

There is a Canon in the Council of Trut lus, against those who bak'd a Cake in Ho

* Hanc Quadragessimam cum gaudio celebramus, quia Christi incarnatio fuit gaudium angelorum & hominum. Di rand. Lib. 6. C. 22.

t Gun 80. Tril. Bal.

mout

nour of the Virgin's Lying-in, in which it is decreed, that no such Ceremony should be observed; because it was otherwise with her, at the Birth of our Saviour, than with all other Women. She suffer'd no Pollution, and therefore needed no Purification, but only in Obedience to the Law: If then the Baking of a single Cake was faulty, how much more so many Feasts in her Honour?

OBSERVATONS ON CHAP. XVII.

THE subsequent Extract from Collier's Ecclesiastical History, Vol. I. p. 163. seems to account in a satisfactory Manner for the Name of Twelfth Day. "In the Days of King Alfred, a Law was "made with Relation to Holidays, by Virtue of "which the twelve Days after the Nativity of our "Saviour were made Festivals."

In the ancient Calendar of the Romish Church above cited, I find in an * Observation on the fifth of January, the Vigil of the Epiphany, Kings "created or elected by Beans." The sixth is called there "The Festival of Kings;" and there is added,

*

Reges Fabis creantur.

And on the sixth Day of January,

Festum Regum

(as also)

Regna atque Epule in multos dies exercentur.

That

"That this Ceremony of electing Kings "was con"tinued with Feasting for many Days."

There was a custom similar to this on the festive Days of Saturn among the Romans, Grecians, &c, Persons of the same Rank drew Lots for Kingdoms, and like Kings exercised their temporary Authority Alex. ab Alex. B. 2. ch. 22. The learned * Moreşin observes, that our Ceremony of chusing a King on the Epiphany or Feast of the three Kings, is practised about the same Time of the Year.-He is called the Bean King from the Lot.

This Custom is practised no where that I know of in the Northern Parts of the Kingdom, but is still retained in the South.†

*

I gather

Regna sortiri inter æquales festis Saturni diebus & tanquam Reges imperitare mos fuit, qui etiam Romanis, cum Græcis et exteris communis fuit. Circa idem tempus inter æquales, Regis fit electio ad Epiphaniæ nostræ, seu trium regum festum, et Rez fubaceus dicitur, ex sorte nomen habens. Moresin. Deprav. Rel. P. 143.

† I find also in Joannes Boëmus Aubanus' Description of some singular Rites in Franconia, in Germany, the following circumstantial Description of this Ceremony:

"In Epiphania Domini singulæ Familiæ ex melle farina, addito "Zinzibere et pipere, libum conficiunt et Regem sibi legunt hoc “modo: Libum mater familias facit, cui absque consideratione inter subigendum denarium unum immittit, postea amoto igne supra calidum focum illud torret, tostum in tot partes frangit, quot "homines familia habet: demum distribuit, cuique partem unam ie tribuens. Adsignantur etiam Christo, beataæque Virgini & tribus Magis suæ partes, quæ loco eleemosynæ elargiuntur. In cujus "autem portione Denarius repertus fuerit, hic Rex ab omnibus "salutatus, in sedem locatur et ter in altum cum jubilo elevatur: "ipse in dextera cretam habet, qua toties signum crucis suprà in "Triclinii laqueariis delineat: quæ cruces quòd obstare plurimis "malis credantur, in multa observatione habentur." p. 266.