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— 196 —
The thirteenth is a dialogue between a shepherd and his wife, and begins in the following quaint way.
" Fanne, coraige, Le Diale a mor, Aipre 1' oraige, J'on le bea jor."
The glossary contains, incidentally, some curious particulars. It is stated to be the custom in the provinces, for the master of the family, with his wife and children, to sing noels; " une tres grosse buche," called lai suche de noei, was put on the fire, and the younger children were sent into the corner of the room, to pray that the suche might produce bon-bons; and on their return, packets of sugar-plums, &c, were found near the suche, to whom the children implicitly attributed the power of producing them.
There was a collection of Noels Bourguignons, by De la Monnoye, of which a translation into the common language of the country was published in 1735. De la Monnoye was denounced by the priests at Dijon, for his carols; but the translation, though it might have taken off the sting, probably lessened the humour also.
In 1738 was published, at Troyes,r La Grande Bible Renou-velles de Noels Nouveaux,' in four parts, containing ninety noels, many of them of a rude and humble description. In 1750, at Avignon, ' Nouveaux Cantiques Spirituels Pro-vencaux,' with the music; it contains some noels, though not exclusively confined to them. In 1785, at Paris, ' Noels Nouveaux sur les Chants des Noels anciens, notez pour en faciliter le chant,' par M. PAbbe Pellegrin. In 1791, at Avignon, Recueil de Noels Provencaux,' par le Sieur Peirol, |
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