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, O 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," you a 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 Shepherd, a beautiful Scotch Pastoral: Pains to invade the Hawkers' Province, by exhibiting any Specimens of them.-The Conclusion of this bombastic Play I find in Ray's Collection of Proverbs; * "Bounce Buckram, Velvet's dear, "Christmass comes but once a Year; "And when it comes, it brings good Cheer† : Dr. Johnson tells us, that the Pious Chansons, a Kind of Christmass Carrol, containing some Scrip ture * Mr. Blount tells us, that in Yorkshire and our other Northern Parts, they have an old Custom, after Sermon or Service on Christmass Day, the People will, even in the Churches, cry Ule, Ule, as a Token of rejoicing, and the common Sort run about the Streets, singing, Ule, Ule, Ule, Ule, Three Puddings in a Pule, Hearne gives us these Lines from Robert of Glocester. "Bounce Buckram, &c." seems to be an Apology offered for the Badness or Coarseness of the Mummers' Cloaths: The moral Reflections that follow are equally new and excellent; the " Carpe "Diem" of Horace is included in them, and if I mistake not the good Advice is seldom thrown away. + There is an old Proverb preserved in Ray's Collection, which I think is happily expressive of the great Doings, as we say, or good Eating on this Festival: "Blessed be St. Stephen, there's no Fast upon his Even.” Thus also another: "It is good to cry Ule at other Men's Costs." I shall add a third; 'tis Scotch : "A Yule Feast may be quit at Pasche." That is, one good Turn deserves another. In the Collection of old Scotch Ballads above-mentioned, there is a Hunting Song, in which the Author runs down Rome with great Fury. I subjoin a Specimen: The Hunter is Christ, that hunts in haist, The Hunds are Peter and Paul; The Paip is the Fox, Rome is the Rox, Indulgencies ture History, thrown into loose Rhimes, were sung about the Streets by the common People, when they went at that Season to beg Alms. Hamlet. Appendix, Vol. VIII. Indulgencies are alluded to in a comical Thought in the following Stanza: “ He had to sell the Tantonie Bell, And Pardons therein was, Our Sauls to bring from Grace.") CHAP. XVI. Of New-Year's Day's Ceremonies. The New Year's-Gist án harmless Custom : wishing a good New-Year, no Way sinful. Munming, a Custom which ought to be laid aside. As the Vulgar are always very careful to End the old Year well, so they are also careful of Beginning well the new one : As they End the Former with a hearty Compotation, so they begin the latter with the sending of Presents, which are termed New-Year's Gifts, to their Friends and Acquaintances: The Original of both which Customs, is * superstitious and sinful; and was observed that the succeeding Year, might be prosperous and successful. Bishop + Stillingfleet tells us, That among “ the Saxons of the Northren Nations, the Feast “ of the New Year was observed with more " than ordinary Jollity: Thence as Olaus Wor“ mius and Scheffer observe, they reckoned * Et sic quidem annum veterem terminamus, novumque auspicamur, inauspicatis prorsus dirisque auspiciis. Hosp. de Orig. Fest. Christ, P. 41. f Orig. Brit. P. 343. o their |