The Boar's Head. With our forefathers a soused boar's head was borne to the principal table in the hall with great state and solemnity, as the first dish on Christmas-day. In the book of "Christmasse Carolles" printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1521, are the words sung at this "chefe servyce,' or on bringing in this the boar's head, with great ceremony, as the first dish: it is in the next column. A CAROL bryngyng in the Boar's Head The bore's head in hande bring I, The bore's head, I understande, Servite cum Cantico. Be gladde, lords, both more and lasse, order, sex; the differ ever gainsays a Juxuries st that; but Who c "Let me matter wh "With garlandes gay and rosemary." and my wine, and and I wi mas. Wh our blood? repartee, br people, and memories, ho in the street a me in the aft "This carol, yet with spirit of harmays, tions, is retained at Queen'sthat ark of thin ford." It is still sung in ear with sweet somewhat altered, "to the Let the multity, arrested by ant of the prose version of us in cathedrals;" so, however, unremind a wist rev. Mr. Dibdin says, as mentioned before. Mr. Brand thinks it probable that Chaucer alluded to the custom of bearing the boar's head, in the following passage of the " Franklein's Tale :"— "Janus sitteth by the fire with double berd. And he drinketh of his bugle-horne the wine, Before him standeth the brawne of the tusked swine." In "The Wonderful Yeare, 1603," Holinshed says, that in 1170, upon the Dekker speaks of persons apprehensive young prince's coronation, king Henry II. of catching the plague, and says, "they" served his son at the table as sewer, went (most bitterly) miching and muffled bringing up the bore's head, with trumup and down, with rue and wormwood pets before it, according to the manrer.' stuft into their eares and nosthrils, looking like so many bores heads stuck with branches of rosemary, to be served in for brawne at Christmas." An engraving from a clever drawing by Rowlandson, in the possession of the editor of the Every-Day Book, may grace fully close this article. There are some just observations on the old mode of passing this season, in "The World" a periodical paper of literary pleasantries. "Our ancestors considered Christmas in the double light of a holy commemoration, and a cheerful festival, and accordingly distinguished it by devotion, by vacation from business, by merriment, and hospitality. They seemed eagerly bent to make themselevs, and every one about them happy with what punctual zeal did they wish one another a merry Christmas! and what an omission would it have been thought, to have concluded a letter without the compliments of the season! The great hall resounded with the tumultuous joys of servants and tenants, and the gambols they played served as amusement to the lord of the manor, and his family, who. by encouraging every art conducive to mirth and entertainment, endeavoured to soften the rigour of the season, and mitigate the influence of winter." The country squire of three hundred a year, an independent gentleman in the reign of queen Anne, is described as having "never played at cards but at Christmas, when the family pack was produced from the mantle-piece." "His chief drink the year round was generally ale, except at this season, the 5th of November, or some other gala days, when he would make a bowl of strong brandy punch, garnished with a toast and nutmeg. In the corner of his hall, by the fire-side, stood a large wooden two-armed chair, with a cushion, and within the chimney corner were a couple of seats. Here, at Christmas, he entertained his tenants, assembled round a glowing fire made of the roots of trees, and other great logs, and told and heard the traditionary tales of the village, respecting ghosts and witches, till fear made them afraid to move. In the meantime the jorum of ale was in continual circula tion."* Grose. It is remarked, in the "Literary Pocket Book," that now, Christmas-day only, or at most a day or two, are kept by people in general; the rest are school holidays. "But, formerly, there was nothing but a run of merry days from Christmas-eve to Candlemas, and the first twelve in particular were full of triumph and hospitality. We have seen but too well the cause of this degeneracy. What has saddened our summer-time has saddened our winter. What has taken us from our fields and May-flowers, and suffered them to smile and die alone, as if they were made for nothing else, has contradicted our flowing cups at Christmas. The middle classes make it a sorry business of a pudding or so extra, and a game at cards. The rich invite their friends to their country houses, but do little there but gossip and gamble; and the poor are either left out entirely, or presented with a few clothes and eatables that make up a wretched subsutute for the long and hospitable intercourse of old. All this is so much the worse, inasmuch as christianity had a special eye to those feelings which should remind us of the equal rights of all; and the greatest beauty in it is not merely its charity, which we contrive to swallow up in faith, but its being alive to the sentiment of charity, which is still more opposed to these proud distances and formal dolings out. The same spirit that vindicated the pouring of rich ointment on his feet, (because it was a homage paid to sentiment in his person,) knew how to bless the gift of a cup of water. Every face which you contribute to set sparkling at Christmas is a reflection of that goodness cf nature which generosity helps to uncloud, as the windows reflect the lustre of the sunny heavens. Every holly bough and lump of berries with which you adorn your houses is a piece of natural piety as well as beauty, and will enable you to relish the green world of which you show yourselves not forgetful. Every wassail bowl which you set flowing without drunkenness, every harmless pleasure, every innocent mirth however mirthful, every forgetfulness even of serious things, when they are only swallowed up in the kindness and joy with which it is the end of wisdom to produce, is Wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best ;' and Milton's Eve, who suggested those epithets to her husband, would have thought so too, if we are to judge by the poet's account of her hospitality." ANCIENT CHRISTMAS. Loved, when the year its course had roll' The fire, with well-dried logs supply'd, Scrubb'd till it shone, the day to grace, Sir Walter Scott. YOUR pardon, Gentles, while we thus implore, 'Tis said by some, perchance, to mock our toil, To brighter scenes we now direct our view- |