Part 30 (1/2)

MERRY BOYS OF CHRISTMAS,

OR

The Milk-maid's New Year's Gift.

When Lads and La.s.ses take delight, together for to be; They pa.s.s away the Winter night, and live most merrily.

To the tune of, _Hey boys up go we_.

Come, come my roaring ranting boys lets never be cast down, We'l never mind the female toys, but Loyal be to th' Crown: We'l never break our hearts with care, nor be cast down with fear, Our bellys then let us prepare to drink some Christmas Beer.

Then here's a health to Charles our King, throughout the world admir'd, Let us his great applauses sing, that we so much desir'd, And wisht amongst us for to reign, when Oliver rul'd here, But since he's home return'd again, come fill some Christmas Beer.

These holidays we'l briskly drink, all mirth we will devise, No Treason we will speak or think, then bring us brave minc'd pies Roast Beef and brave Plum porridge, our Loyal hearts to chear, Then prithee make no more ado, but bring us Christmas Beer.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”THE HACKIN”]

[In these Times all the Spits were sparkling the _Hackin_ must be boiled by Daybreak or else two young Men took the Maiden by the Arms and run her round the Market Place till she was ashamed of her laziness.--_Round about our Coal Fire or Christmas Entertainments_ published in 1740.]

Many of the popular songs of this period complain of the decline of the Christmas celebrations during the time of the Commonwealth, and some of them contrast the present with former celebrations. In a ballad called ”The Old and Young Courtier,” printed in 1670, comparing the times of Queen Elizabeth with those of her successors, the fifth and twelfth verses contain the following parallel respecting Christmas--

V

”With a good old fas.h.i.+on, when Christma.s.se was come, To call in all his old neighbours with bagpipe and drum, With good chear enough to furnish every old room, And old liquor, able to make a cat speak, and man dumb Like an old Courtier of the Queen's, And the Queen's old Courtier”

XII

”With a new fas.h.i.+on, when Christmas is drawing on, On a new journey to London straight we all must begone, And leave none to keep house, but our new porter John, Who relieves the poor with a thump on the back with a stone, Like a young courtier of the King's, And the King's young courtier”

(_Percy's Reliques_)

Another called ”Time's Alteration, or, the Old Man's Rehearsal, what brave dayes he knew a great while agone, when his old cap was new,”

says--

”A man might then behold, At Christmas, in each hall, Good fires to curb the cold And meat for great and small; The neighbours were friendly bidden, And all had welcome true, The poor from the gates were not chidden, When this old cap was new

Black jacks to every man Were filled with wine and beer, No pewter pot nor can In those days did appear Good cheer in a n.o.bleman's house Was counted a seemly shew, We wanted no brawn nor souse, When this old cap was new.”

(_Evans's Ballads_)

Referring to the Restoration of the monarchy, and contrasting it with the Protectorate period, _Poor Robin's Almanack_, 1685, says--

”Now thanks to G.o.d for Charles' return, Whose absence made old Christmas mourn, For then we scarcely did it know, Whether it Christmas were or no

To feast the poor was counted sin, When treason that great praise did win May we ne'er see the like again, The roguish Rump should o'er us reign.”

After the Restoration an effort was made to revive the Christmas entertainments of the Court at Whitehall, but they do not appear to have recovered their former splendour. The habits of Charles the Second were of too sensual a nature to induce him to interest himself in such pursuits; besides which the manners of the country had been changed during the sway of the Puritans. Pepys states that Charles II.