A. heavenly muse, sh.ill nut thy
sacred vein
Afford u present to tlit InfaTit
Coil.
Ilift Hum no cise, or hymn, or
solemn stiuln
lo welcome hint to this, Ills
nuw abode?
So sung John Milton. Ami tin- question
recurs to one ut tilth season of till' year,
when (Christinas cheer Is visibly displayed
to our allui ill eyes, while our pursc-sti lug
iiro loosened uml our hearts an- enlarged
hy u feeling or ihlliintliroiy ami benevo
lence (it us not .say charity that Is a cold
word for Christina). As an answer to the
poet'n question we Imoluiituiily think of
Urn "caud" a the one distinctive "wrse or
liyiun or hoIi'iiiii niialn" connected wim tho
.Morrlo Chrlstmustlilc.
That many of tho popular Christina
cutols were really lnspli oil hy tho heavenly
muse Is a certainty, hut others suggest
more ilellnltely the Inspiration of llaciiius
or Sir John llarleyoorn.
Tho subject of "Carols" is such an ex
telislvt e If both or all kinds are re
viewed lhat it will bo wltiu to limit the
carols of revelry to an example or two and
proceed to a sketch of what Is generally
understood by a Christmas enrol that Is,
verso relating to the nativity. As a good
Instance of the carol of "yo mcrrio folko"
tako tho following:
A bone, Clod wot!
Slicks In my throat
Without I have u draiiKht
01 cornio niu,
Nappy and stale,
My life lies In grout waste.
noino nie or Deer,
Oentlo butler.
Some lliiuor thou us show,
Such as you mash
our throats to wash,
I ho best ware that you brew.
And this Is very popular:
All you that nre good fellows
Como hearken to my song;
I know you do not hato good cheer
Nor liquor that Is strong.
1'liim porridge, roast beef and mlnco pies
Stand smoking on the board,
With other lirnvo varieties
Our mastrr doth afford.
This Is no miner's fenst,
Although that things be dear,
Ood grant the founder of thlH feast
Fneh Christmas keep good cheer,
Tho close alliance of the spiritual and
tho material In this carol Is Interesting
Now that tho time Is como wherein
Our Savior Christ was born,
Tho larders full of beef nnd pork,
Tho garners tilled with corn.
As (Jod hath plenty to thee sent.
Tako comfort of thy labors,
And let It never theo repent.
To feast thy needy neighbors.
I : it r 1 1 'h I t'lirlxl iiiiin enrol.
Kver since that eventful time when tho
star shone over tho manger nnd tho kings
camo to worship nt tho lowly crib, man
kind lias suns enrols of kindness nnd of Joy.
There Is a species of theologian which
argues nn tho folly of celebrating tho fcstlvu
Christmas, because through tho higher
criticism It has discovered that tho accom
panying desiderata of frost, snow anil cold
aro absurd, for Christ was really horn nt
such and such a time. Lot them bo excom
municated and with them tho all-wise ones
who say: "Little children, thero Is no
Santa Clans."
When those slmplo shepherds sat to
gether that night, and no doubt passed tho
i lino discussing tho lleeco of this sheep and
tho weight of thnt, when they ono by one
told their talo of how they had visited such
n plnco or met such an one, when thoy
gossiped nbout tho most recent ovent In
their simplo society or Joked ono another
nbout their lovo nffnlrs. then for tho ilrst
tlmo was a carol heard.
1'lcturo them not as wo are wont to do,
as though they were prophets or seers but
pleturo thorn ns ordlnnry humnn holngs
working for a living, herding sheep, talking
commonplaces nnd agreeing or disagreeing
over trilling affairs. Then Imnglno tho
puzzling of their untutored minds ns to tho
reniarknhlo appearnnco of tho heavens.
Wh.'tt COUlll this Btnr inimn'
Mill then Rlirnrtsnn mrtrn siimrlalnfrl
What Is thnt? 1. 1st mi ! 'on rnp n ti il tin in
I. mmcs ami tuner ami rullor grows the
volume of rapturous song until tho wholo
world Is filled with that first great c.trol
"fllorla In excelsls Deo. Kt In terrn pax
liomlnlbus bonne voluntatis." "(Jlory to
(iod In the highest! And on enrth pence,
good will to men!".
mills til' I'mise.
The carol Is said lo havo been Imported
into Kiigland from Italy and It has under
none many changes since Its Drat appear
ance, after the Norman couqtiisl. Soinu
carol w i Iters have chosen legendary Ideas
for their woik and they aro Immensely in
toiostlng. In this sketch there will he
space only for a few specimens, and, Inas
uniih as many of them were very long, it
will bo necessary to abbreviate. One of the
most Interesting on account of Its simplicity
and sincerity Is the following.
Hod bless tho muster or this house,
The mistress also.
And all the little chlldieu
Thai loiiud the table go.
Another very famous carol Is the one be
ginning. Thu Loni nt ilrst did Adam mala
out ol the dust and clay,
And In his nostills bl eatlied life,
U on as tho scriptures say.
There aro seven stanzas, eight lines each,
In this carol, and It carefully recites tho
Morj of the apple episode which caused so Christ In the eye of nil who m
It Is the
of tho few
niucli trouble In tho (iurden of L'den. Knelt
verso ends with a chorus like this:
Now, let good Christians all begin
An bulj illo to live,
Anil to rejoice and merry lie,
For tills Is Christinas eve.
Ono of the must popular of the early
Kngllsh caiols Is entitled "All You that
Aro to Mirth Inclined." It contains six
teen stanzas of four lines each, exclusive
of tho refrain, which is sung to each verse:
And to redeem our souls from thnill,
Ho Is the Saviour of us all.
It Is amusing to read the following old
carol, which was written lu deep sincerity
and with much style. Here aro a few
lines holectcd from various stanzas:
The llve-urnl-twentieth of December
tiood cause have you tor to remember.
Tho spotless virgin and her guide
Went long time seeking up and down
l'o tlnd them lodging In the town.
Of course, tho word "silly is here used
In Its older meaning, "simple."
Another very popular one, which is heard
In tho country places of (Jreat llrltaln, Is
the ono about tho "Angol (iabrlel," a fa
vorite theme:
Tho Angel Unbtiel from Ood
W as sent to Galilee,
Unto ti virgin lair and free,
Whose numo was called Mary.
Kach verse ends with the chorus:
Then, slug we nil, both great and small,
Noel, Noel, Noel,
We may rejoice to hear tho voice
Of the Angel Gabriel
Tho story of the nativity Is told lu five
eight-lino stanzas, and the Inst one is often
seen on Christmas cards:
tiood people nil, both gnat nnd small,
'bo wh'ch do hear my voice,
With ono accord let's pialso tho Uml,
And lu our hearts rejoice.
It Is safe to assort that llio favorite Kng
llsh enrol of Christmnstlde, nnd tho ono
most often Ming nowadays, Is:
Ood rest you, memo gentlemen,
Iot nothing you dismay,
l-'or Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
Was born upon this day,
l'n save us all irom Satan's power.
W hen we were gone astray.
( borus:
Ob. tidings of comfort nnd Joy,
For Jesus Christ, o.n S.uiiiiii. v.. is born mi
chrlsim.is ciu
It was the singing nf this particular carol
Unit so IUINi . .1 Mr. Scrooge In IMckells'
Immortal story, tin 1st man Cniul," tti.it
ho seized a ruler and Hut w li at the unend
ing chorister, who was fortunatcl) discreet
enough to have sung through a ke.vlmlo.
l.i'U'tidiii' (mills,
TIm following very rare carol was ft.r
meily sung, huudruls of yeais ago, Indeed,
at the hall of Tara, nnd doubileis was ne
cnitil ruled by the ever-famiiui! "harp, tint
once -the soul of music shed,
best and most simply devout
known carols of Ireland:
Christ on my tight hand,
Christ on my lift hand,
Christ In tile heart of nil who heed me.
Christ lu the mouth of nil who speak to me.
Christ In the eye of nil Who see me.
i mist in tue car ot all wno Hear tile
When Count Xinzciidnrf canto to this
country Ilrst. lo visit the .Moravians, he ar
rived at a llttlo settlement In Pennsylvania
and conducted a service there lu a mnblo
on Christmas eve and he began by the sing
ing of this line old hymn-a veritable
Christmas carol:
Nleht Jerusalem, sinidern llethlehem,
Alls ilem Knmmct, was uns fronimet
Nleht Jerusalem.
The name of the place since that tlmo has
been llethlehem ( l't'liiiBsyl vim In ). Thu music
appears herewith:
'I'll .n cat el i mil nines ihiough many wi-boh
and Is worth leoklng up. li Is too long to
print here.
A nut liii- of the old favorites Is-
I saw llnee ships entile sailing In
On t 'In Istinas day, on Christinas dav
I saw thice ships come sailing In
on ChilsliuiiH ilny In the innruttiK
(mills In III hec nun I lies.
In Sweden, where the people arc full of
musical teiiipcrami ut, and where iiHkIiiii
has study secuieil music as hei h.ii.ilmald,
the early hours of Christmas uiurn are
gleetcd Willi these wolds, which will come
with lireslstlble force to those hung In
this country and will semi their thoughts
llylng homeward:
Vnr litis ul, skfina iiioritoastuini.
Sum at priifttcis lielga mini
Ar nss lie liAil.nl Minion'
I lu slora dag, ilu still. i iliu-,
I'll hvllketi liltiilens villhcliag
Aiiiiu honker Jnrden'
ruga
SJiing.t
Med de gumla ;
Mg lilrsiuiila
.lindens liflller'
Krlng den Mtnrsln nf tless snner.
Another of tho famous carols, and one
which Is sung in many .Sunday schools of
the United Slates. Is tho beautiful sliuy of
King Wenceslaiis. Tho text lu Us usual
form Is as follows:
OREOOHS-ISTH ULTIlCt
(i, S, , 3, Trochaic)
Al'iiii timt. tM3
4G, A
ImV i.i .t:rn
t. 1 L
0
w i 0 " f 0 w'ti ' In
Hero Is a good typo of a renlly old carol: tl""'l Mug Wenceslaiis looked out
nn ine i'ciisi oi nil' i i'ii.
When the snow lay loiiud about,
When Cryst wns born o' Mary fro
lu lledliim lu that fayre cyte,
Augellls sangen wt mirth and glo
In excelsls gloria.
Tliero Is a lino Bwing to tho lines of the
next tnrol and a treatment of tho nativity
theme which wnB very populnr. It might
bo described ns tho "carol-ballad stylo:"
Cold mid cl Isp uiiil even.
An old Dutch carol starts olf lu this re
miirkahly Imaginative way:
Thorn comes u vessel ludeu
And on Us highest gunwale
Muiy holds Hie rudder,
iiie angel steels II on,
which lliuls a counterpart In this, a typo of
tlin sixteenth century ballad music:
i'beio comes a ship far sailing then,
Saint Michael was tin- steersman,
Saint John sat lu tho horn;
Our Lord harneil. our l.mlv sum:
lint one or the most political carols along Aim all Hie bells ot Heaven tin y rang
this lino Is this one and It may be Interest-
Ah I rode out this endenes (last) night,
Of Hire loll sbeppanles I saw a sight,
And all ntiouto their fold a star
Shone bright.
They stingo terll, terlow,
So merrell tho sheppanles their pipes
Uilll Ul'JlV.
lug ( note that It has been set to music
by no less n muster thnn Johannes Ilralnns:
There has been a very popular enrol,
known as tho "Cherry Tree" carol, which
Is found In all the works on carols in II-luarlcs-
Joseph was nn old man,
And an old miiti was he
When ho wedded Mary
lu tho hind of Oalllee.
I st Casio.
M.io.
i fMHI.
I . ,ril.)
IU-1.
Ar.mir,
I l't.1. I'lloltltS.
heo llm tr.nqiirini; l.o . ro cuium, hound ll.i'trniii l,lKal il,.j dnn.n:
lii'i' ll,.i connu'rilll! Ill . roi olIli'. .Sulllid tin. Irumii t li.it ll.i. ilniniki
rin ami's Siiiu.l ti,.' iruniiK in, jt lliinlnmi:
Ki'o tlio cutiiii rui(j li roiniiii . S'liii.l tin' triiiiin-t, luat . . tlioilnitxiii
Iliu coiiiiu'riiig lm
i i
0
n- pin', thu Ian rt'l Imiirf
Uii-1 -rJj :vi 1533 yj .imm
'If
tit ?- J-
ot In iiiiijiIi to
PimrU prb-uiro, tho lin rrl In in-' Shij
fcuiti prc.pvri', Iliu Iju . ul Ihiiii;, Sine
re-ari' tlio lau nl I rin Sotii
Sj,rts
.9 -
a.
T3 J
mm
tain nn;;.
nt tri . iinili to" liim rlnip
nf r i - ti in li to . , hlin i,!iij
ul tri . inn .h in
I B. ft
-t t
. liim eiiij;,
r -a f t i i p
; fa
'rJ i r nT'$i
I'm i in 1st s Sunday at muni
A favorite old round lu early days was
tho "Uridegrooiii" carol:
Frankincense uml Mynli
When the bridegroom came,
Frniiklnci use and M ri h
When the liiiilegiiiom came,
FiunUlnci use uml M 1 1 h
When the litldcginoui ciime,
And the Loni Is liiirn lu liollilelieui.
And yet another, which Is credited to the
people of Voikshiie ami was supposed to bo
a cha tin iigaiust evil results irom bums
when said fervently uml devoutly three
times:
Thelo wile till t'ti angels ciime fiom Hie
west,
iini one liioiight lire,
The other brought tiosl.
And the other brought the hook of Jesus
Christ.
Tho follow lug catol Is said to bo of Scan
dinavian origin and Is often met with:
I llllst was born on (iuisliutiH day,
W tenth tho holly, twlno the liny.
(iillstiiH iiaius lioille;
The liabe, the Son, the Holy Ono of Mary.
I lie Hod, tho Lord, by all udoleil loievor.
And so on through suveral verses. Tlila
article would not bo complete lii any suuso
without an excerpt from the "Lullaby"
i and, which was written some tlmo lu tho
sixteenth century:
Ltilla, In liillu. lullu lullaby,
My sweet llttlo bubo, what meanest thou
to cry''
Ho still, my blessed babe, though cninoi
thou hast to mourn,
Whose blond, most Innocent, the cruol king
lintli sworn.
And lo, nlns, behold what sluugiitur ho
ilntli make,
Shedding tin., blond of Inf itits all, swcot
.Savior, lor Thy sake.
A King Is horn, iliey Hay, whliii King this
king would kill,
oh, wo, iiinl wofiil heavy day, when
wretches have their will
It will bo found on si tidying up thu ancient
e.irols thnt King Herod came In for his
share of attention, ns In the above lines.
I'eisiililil I to ill in I set' li re.
A personal reminiscence may bo per
mitted hero. Thu writer's most potent
recollection of an old couatry Chrlitmii.
was ill In: A upeclal permission to on in .
with a jotitiKtl tnolliii thu "spate i.'Oiii
with Itn mahogany furniture nnd lis non
Windows, ibis was qullf a piumni n n
back room of the Iiuiiko was oui iiguim
slut plug apartmtiil. Hut mi tho m . .i- n
of tho iilililiiil Msil of lhat rauiuus pi i in.
age whom we Knew as "Father Chi imiii.i.-'
Itisteail of Sauia China, wt wele .ub-t I
the pct lal privilege, sinnil ludei d n
ut thu spate loom.
AttusH the sliest was the magnilii nt eld
chiiuh of St. Aim's, a stalci) uliu,. l .ul
on classic lines and Mlu ruble Willi ai.
Hero we welo wont to sen the inilu.ii
companies leave Hie thuitli on ."mih.I.iv
and wuttii tlio "ltd coals" m.iich up i Inn li
ni cel and home lo their bat racks. A11..1I11 1
feutlllo of lltli lent was thu exit ul ill
Italian I) fundi) , iliu carl and euiiutu s, un.i
tilt) llllWager ll.tllllCbS, llldllllt den. 1 1 .1.)
botocil lietaliHo ol t lie 1 1 chill Hill. I. die. in
and their ileiuotiallc siuiplit lij .
How thrilling was tho music of old S
Aim's when those bells pealed out on
ChiiHtiuas un.i nlng. hlei p soon luisuol.
tlio out lit til ejes and ciigcll) Wc waned
for thu sounds of music. ,nt lung did wt
have to wall, for tho bells had begun to
ling at I o clock, and al about n we heaid
those glorious stratus Lome fitun (la band,
tlio bainl of hi aas Instruments, those stialns
which linluj ling lino as of old.
ilaik! the llel.ihl Angels s.llg'
(limy to Hie new inn 11 King!
IV. ice on cnilh and nieicy mini,
(iod and sluueih it ouiitili il.'
Not lo the tune by .Meiiilelesohn. No, no,
older by far than that. Thu tune ot ' See
thu Conquering Hero dunes!" b Handel,
written in the lino old oratorio, "Judas
.Man abacus." Tho tune Is leprudilced 011
this page with its own wolds, but the leader
can oaslly stud) the beiiulitiit setting b) ar
ranging tho well known wolds 111 Hu wa)
1 .-ec, I lie eiiniiiei Inu hei 0 climes
) I lull. Hie llei nlil-.t libels slim.
I .-Ollllll Hie II lllupels, liMiU inn ill nn, s.
I I 1 1 1 1 y In lie nn,, iiiiin King.
I 'pin Is plop, lie, the l.illl i III lug,
1 I'oaeo 011 e.ii in uml meicy mllil.
Idlings ol 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . 1 in him slug,
I Iiinl and siiineis leciiiieileii.
Ami after each half-verso following, te
turn to the line,
"Ilaik! Ibe belaid uilgols slug. '
iilon caiiio the music ot tho glorious old
CliliBtiims Iijiiiii, to its faniouH tune,
"Adebto l''ideles," which has been en 11
neoiisly named lu many modern h)iuualu,
i'oitugtiese ll)iiin." This Is Hiich a popu
lar carol tlial ui appnud two verses, the
Latin text and Its tiniislntluu. It Is tho
only Christmas carol on which Catholic and
I'HiteHlaiit unite:
A (les lc, lldeles,
l.uctL.j!lu.iiipi,mtcs,
eiilie, Velille III llelhlehcin;
.Naluiii vldele,
Itegem uugelortiiu,
eiiitu iiiloi eiiniH,
'euitti titlol emus,
Veiille adori'iiiiiB, Duiiitiiiiui.
Dt lllll de Deo,
Lllllieli lie I, online
Ocsliiut inn Uau viscera:
Dt iliu vet , 1111
tioulluin nun tuiiuit muHi lu 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
V elilte iidoieiuiis, etc., olc.
1, come, all yo ruliliful,
,n)lui mid It luiiiilmiit;
t. eoine, ye, O, come, ye, to liolhleln m'
Come nnd behold llltn,
H0111 Ibe Mug of Angels!
O, come, let us aduru llltn,
O, come, let us inline 1 1 J Ml,
o, conic, let us inline him, Christ the .,.m
liod of lioil.
Unlit "I l.lgllt.
Lo, He iibhnrs not tho virgin's womb,
S'eiy Hod,
Ili-gotten, not created;
O, come, let us adoi e liim, etc., etc.
Then ciime tho beautiful uilvout hymn.
"Lo, lie Climes With Clouds D, s. ending,"
to llio old tuiio, "Helinsloy," which tin hu
found In uii.si hymnals, and niter , hai the
great Mngllsh Chiistnins hymn.
Cliilstliuis. awake; salute the h.ipp iiiniu
Winn on the .Suvliiiir of mankind was burn
Itlse to llllole Ihe IIDSltl) of oe,
W hlch liiisls of uugels chanted 1 alum ,
Willi Iheiii the Jojiul iliiingH Hi hi In gun.
or (mil liicaililite nnd the Vligllls son
i'hls music was always an: Iphonal, Hie
Imnd playing a vtuse and ilicu thu chorls ur.
singing one.
Willi the warm glare of the torches In the
hands of the carollits ami tho singing nnd
Hie playing, the frost ami iho snow, ihoro
awoko a memory of Christmas which shall
never bo forgotten as long as tho old world
hears the Ilrst great Christmas tnrol
Olorlu In excelsls"
THOMAS J. KKLLY,