SOME ACCOUNT

OF

CHRISTMAS

CAROLS.

THE origin and formation of the word "Carol" are uncertain. By some writers it is supposed to be of Latin, by others of Italian, by others of French, extraction: but whencesoever it was derived, and whatever may be its etymology, it has been long naturalized in our language, being familiarly used by Spenser, Shakspeare, Bacon, and, doubtless, other authors in the time of Queen Elizabeth. The meaning of the word is generally a song of joy and exultation; specially of religious joy in particular, the "Christmas Carol" denotes such a song, adapted to the festival of Christ's Nativity.

The "Christmas Carol" is of high antiquity: indeed, the Angels' Hymn of "Glory to God in the highest, &c.," recorded in St. Luke's history of our Lord's Nativity, has been sometimes cited, as the first instance of this sort of holy song. With allusion to this Hymn, Bishop Jeremy Taylor, in his Great Exemplar, Part I., Sect. iv., says, "As soon as these blessed Choristers had sung their Christmas Carol, and taught the Church a hymn, to put into her offices for ever in the anniversary of this festivity, the Angels returned into heaven." And with reference to the "Angelical Hymn," introduced by our Church, after the example of antiquity, into her Communion Service, L'Estrange remarks, in his Alliance of Divine Offices, chap. vii., "Called it is the Angelical Hymn, because the first part thereof is the Nativity

Carol, mentioned Luke ii. 13, sung by the Angels." Milton, also, in Paradise Lost, xii., 364, thus mentions the same hymn:

His place of birth a solemn Angel tells

To simple shepherds, keeping watch by night;
They gladly thither haste, and by a quire
Of squadron'd Angels hear his carol sung.

This hymn was introduced at a very early period into the offices of the Christian Church; being sung either at Morning Prayer, or in the Communion Service, or before the Lessons, on Christmas-day, as Mr. Bingham states, in his Antiquities of the Christian Church, book xiv., c. ii. : in this last case more particularly retaining its original character of the "Christmas Carol." In process of time other hymns of the same sort appear to have been formed after this example; and it is stated by an ancient Ritualist, cited by Mr. Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, (vol. i., p. 371, Ellis's edition,)" that in the earlier ages of the Church, the Bishops were accustomed, on Christmas Day, to sing Carols among their clergy."

It would be difficult, probably, even if it were desirable, to trace this matter in detail: it should seem, however, that before the era of the Reformation the singing of "Christmas Carols" was very commonly practised in this country, as well as in other countries of Christendom.

In a Latin Poem, intituled The Popish Kingdom, by Naogeorgus, a Bavarian, written about the middle of the sixteenth century, and soon after translated into English, or rather adapted to the condition of things in England, by Barnaby Googe, occurs the following mention of Carols," in his account of Christmas-day:

Then comes the day wherein the Lorde did bring his birth to passe;
Whereas at midnight up they rise, and every man to masse.

And, after some intervening verses,

Three masses every priest doth sing upon that solemne day,
With offerings unto every one, that so the more may play.

This done, a woodden childe in clowtes is on the aultar set,
About the which both boyes and gyrles do daunce and trymly jet;
And Carrols sing in prayse of Christ, and, for to helpe them heare,
The organs aunswere every verse with sweete and solemne cheare.
The priestes do rore aloude; and round about the parentes stande,

To see the sport, and with their voyce do helpe them and their bande. Meanwhile a modification had taken place with respect to the "Christmas Carols" in two remarkable particulars. For whereas these "Carols" had originally formed, and still in some degree continued to form, a part of the public offices of the Church, they had now been brought into a different use; being not confined to the Church Services, but being sung by parties of singers, or nocturnal itinerant musicians, called appropriately "waits," or watchmen, as the word signifies; who roamed about the streets from house to house, on Christmas eve, and other nights preceding the festival of our Lord's nativity, knocking at the doors, singing their Christmas Carols, and wishing a happy new year. This custom is thus described by Barnaby Googe, in the poem already quoted:

Three weekes before the day whereon was born the Lord of Grace,
And on the Thursdaye, boyes and girls do runne in every place,
And bounce and beate at every doore, with blowes and lustie snaps,
And crie, the Advent of the Lord, not born as yet perhaps :
And wishing to the neighbours all, that in the houses dwell,

A happy yeare, and every thing to spring and prosper well.

And, whereas the "Christmas Carols" had been originally religious songs, they had, in many instances at least, deviated from that rule, and had become little else than incitements to the secular mirth and enjoyment, which now characterized the season of Christmas, and had well-nigh superseded the primitive holy character of the time. A curious specimen of this deviation occurs in an Anglo-Norman Carol, of the date of the thirteenth century, given by Mr. Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, vol. i. p. 371, which is, in fact, a jovial drinkingsong. And Mr. Warton, in his History of English Poetry, vol. iii.

p. 142, 4to., notices a scarce book, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, in the year 1521, containing a sett of Christmas Carols," which "were festal chansons, for enlivening the merriments of the Christmas celebrity; and not such religious songs as are current at this day with the common people, under the same title."

After the Reformation the "Christmas Carol" was still continued, as one of the peculiarities of that season of rejoicing.

In the description of a good and hospitable housekeeper, in 1631, cited by Mr. Brand, p. 351, occurs the following picture of Christmas festivities" Suppose Christmas now approaching, the evergreen ivie trimming and adorning the portals and portcloses of so frequented a building; the usual carolls, to observe antiquitie, cheerefully sounding; and that which is the complement of his inferior comforts, his neighbours, whom he tenders as members of his owne family, joyne with him in this consort of mirth and melody."

At the end of Wither's Juvenilia, published about the same period, in a "Miscellany of Epigrams, Sonnets, Epitaphs, &c.," is a "Christmas Carroll," which contains a recital of the pastimes in vogue at that season. This, and other similar compositions which might be cited, of the seventeenth century, make, however, no pretensions to any religious character: but may be more aptly represented in the language of a contemporary, as "the chearful carrols of the wassell-cup."

But in the mean time others also, of a religious character, were in frequent use. In a work in rhyme, intituled Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie, which was printed at London in 1557, among the "Christmas husbandlie fare," the author, Thomas Tusser, recommends "jolie carols;" and then introduces a "Christmas Carol," four lines of which are transcribed by Mr. Warton, in his History of English Poetry, iii. 306.

Even Christ I meane, that virgin's child,

In Bethlem born:

That Lamb of God, that Prophet mild,

Crowned with thorn!

The same Historian notices a license granted to John Tysdale, in 1562, for printing "Certayne goodly Carowles to be songe to the glory of God;" and again, "Crestenmas Carowles auctorisshed by my lord of London."

Bishop Andrewes in his thirteenth Sermon "of the Nativitie,” preached on Luke ii. 14, " on the 25th of December, 1619, being Christmas-day," celebrates the day, as " glorious in all places, as well at home with Carolls, as in the Church with Anthemes." And Thomas Warmstry, D. D., the author of a very rare Tract, intituled The Vindication of the Solemnity of the Nativity of Christ, in 1648, as quoted by Mr. Brand, p. 360, thus judiciously delivers his sentiments concerning the practice under consideration. "Christmasse Kariles, if they be such as are fit for the time, and of holy and sober composures, and used with Christian sobriety and piety, they are not unlawfull, and may be profitable, if they be sung with grace in the heart."

But to whatever merit for good intention these compositions may be entitled, on the score of execution their pretensions seem to have been very slight. A specimen of them is given by Mr. Brand, in a very curious Carol in the Scottish language, preserved in " Ane Compendious Booke of godly and spirituall Sangs, Edinburgh, 1621, printed from an old copy :" on which Mr. Brand remarks, " It is hardly credible, that such a composition should ever have been thought serious. Had the author designed to render his subject ridiculous, he could not more effectually have made it so: and yet we will absolve him from having had in the smallest degree any such intention." (Popular Antiquities, p. 378.) Scotland, however, appears to have shared this character with her southern neighbour. "I saw, some years ago," says Mr. Brand, p. 381, "at Newcastle upon Tyne, in the printing-office of the late Mr. Saint, an hereditary collection of Ballads, numerous almost as the celebrated one in the Pepysian Library at Cambridge. Among these, of which the greater part were the veriest trash imaginable, and which deserve to be neither printed again nor remembered, I found several