Produced by Julie Barkley, Linda Cantoni, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net A righte Merrie Christmasse!!! The Story of Christ-tide By John Ashton. Copperplate Etching of "The Wassail Song," by Arthur C. Behrend. London: published by the Leadenhall Press, Ltd., 50 Leadenhall Street; Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 153-157 Fifth Avenue. The Leadenhall Press Ltd. London [1894] [Transcriber's Notes: This text contains passages using the Anglo-Saxon thorn (Ž or ž, equivalent of "th"), which should display properly in most text viewers. The Anglo-Saxon yogh (equivalent of "y," "i," "g," or "gh") will display properly only if the user has the proper font, so to maximize accessibility, the character "3" is used in this e-text to represent the yogh. Characters with a macron are preceded by an equal sign and enclosed in square brackets, e.g., [=a]. Superscripted characters are preceded by a carat and enclosed in curly brackets, e.g., y^{t}.] [Illustration: The Wassail Song] TO THE READER I do not craue mo thankes to haue, than geuen to me all ready be; but this is all, to such as shall peruse this booke. That, for my sake, they gently take what ere they finde against their minde, when he, or she, shal minded be therein to looke. _Tusser._ A righte Merrie Christmasse!!! PREFACE It is with a view of preserving the memory of Christmas that I have written this book. In it the reader will find its History, Legends, Folk-lore, Customs, and Carols--in fact, an epitome of Old Christ-tide, forming a volume which, it is hoped, will be found full of interest. JOHN ASHTON. A righte Merrie Christmasse!!! CONTENTS CHAPTER I Date of Christ's Birth discussed--Opinions of the Fathers--The Eastern Church and Christ-tide--Error in Chronology--Roman Saturnalia--Scandinavian Yule--Duration of Christ-tide 1 CHAPTER II Historic Christ-tides in 790, 878, and 1065--William I., 1066-1085--William II.--Henry I., 1127--Stephen--Henry II., 1158-1171--Richard I., 1190--John, 1200--Henry III., 1253--Edwards I., II., and III.--Richard II., 1377-1398--Henry IV.-V., 1418--Henry VIII., his magnificent Christ-tides 9 CHAPTER III Historic Christ-tides--Edward VI., 1551--Mary--Elizabeth--James I.--The Puritans--The Pilgrim Fathers--Christmas's Lamentation--Christ-tide in the Navy, 1625 19 CHAPTER IV Attempts of Puritans to put down Christ-tide--Attitude of the people--Preaching before Parliament--"The arraignment, etc., of Christmas" 26 CHAPTER V The popular love of Christmas--Riots at Ealing and Canterbury--Evelyn's Christmas days, 1652, '3, '4, '5, '7, Cromwell and Christ-tide--The Restoration--Pepys and Christmas day, 1662--"The Examination and Tryal of old Father Christmas" 34 CHAPTER VI