It is a kind of game, in which brandy is poured over a large dish full of raisins, and then set alight. The object is to snatch the raisins out of the flame and devour them without burning oneself. This can be managed by sharply seizing them, and shutting the mouth at once. It is suggested that the name is derived from the German _schnapps_, spirit, and _drache_, dragon. CHAPTER XXIII The First Carol--Anglo-Norman Carol--Fifteenth-Century Carol--"The Twelve Good Joys of Mary"--Other Carols--"A Virgin most Pure"--"Noel"--Festive Carol of Fifteenth Century--"A Christenmesse Carroll." Bishop Jeremy Taylor very appropriately said that the first Christmas carol was sung by the angels at the Nativity of our Saviour--"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN." No man knows when the custom began of singing carols, or hymns on Christmas day in honour of the Nativity; but there can be no doubt that it was of very ancient date in the English Church, and that it has been an unbroken custom to this day, when the practice is decidedly on the increase, as may be judged from the many collections of ancient carols, and of modern ones as well. It would be impossible for me to give anything like a representative collection of Christmas carols, because of space, but I venture to reproduce a few old ones, and first, perhaps the oldest we have, an Anglo-Norman carol, which is in the British Museum, and with it I give Douce's very free translation. It will be seen by this that all carols were not of a religious kind, but many were songs appropriate to the festive season:-- Seignors ore entendez a nus, De loinz sumes venuz a wous, Pur quere Noel; Car lun nus dit que en cest hostel Soleit tenir sa feste anuel Ahi cest iur. Deu doint a tuz icels joie d'amurs Qi a DANZ NOEL ferunt honors. Seignors io vus di por veir KE DANZ NOEL ne uelt aveir Si joie non: E replein sa maison De payn, de char, e de peison, Por faire honor. Deu doint, etc. Seignors il est crie en lost Qe cil qui despent bien e tost, E largement; E fet les granz honors sovent Deu li duble quanque il despent Por faire honor. Deu doint, etc. Seignors escriez les malveis, Car vus nel les troverez jameis De bone part; Botun, batun, ferun groinard, Car tot dis a le quer cunard Por faire honor. Deu doint, etc. NOEL beyt bein li vin Engleis E li Gascoin e li Franceys E l'Angeuin; NOEL fait beivre son veisin, Si quil se dort, le chief en clin, Sovent le ior. Deu doint, etc. Seignors io vus di par NOEL, E par li sires de cest hostel, Car benez ben: E io primes beurai le men, E pois apres chescon le soen, Par mon conseil. Si io vus di trestoz Wesseyl Dehaiz eil qui ne dirra Drincheyl.