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had little or no sport at all till I came amongst them; and therefore they skipped and leaped for joy, singing a carol to the tune of hey,
1 Let's dance and sing, and make good chear,
For Christmas comes but once a year; Draw hogsheads dry, let flagons fly,
For now the bells shall ring; Whilst we endeavour to make good
The title 'gainst a king.'
Thus, at active games and gambols of hot cockles, shoeing the wild mare, and the like harmless sports, some part of the tedious night was spent; and early in the morning, I took my leave of them, promising they should have my presence again the next 25th of December, 1653."
Herrick, in his ' New Year's Gift" sent to Sir Simeon Steward, sings—
" Of Christmas sports, the wassel boule, That tost up after fox-ith'-hole; Of blind-man-biufe, and of the care That young men have to shooe the mare; Of Twelf-tide cakes, of pease and beanes, Wherewith ye make those merry sceanes, When as ye chuse your king and queen, And cry out, ' Hey for our town green.''
The noblemen and gentry were, in the early part of the reign, directed to return to their mansion-houses in the country, to keep up hospitality during the Christmas; and many of them lived like petty princes, their household establishments forming almost a mimic court. The Christmas feast was kept up, the poor man's heart was cheered by earthly comforts, and he was led to the contemplation of |
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