"Now, concerning the particulars that these folks charge me with, I cannot answer them, because I do not remember them; my memory is but weak, as old men's use to be; but, methinks, they seem to be the seed of the Dragon; they send forth of their mouths whole floods of impious inventions against me, and lay to my charge things which I am not guilty of, which hath caused some of my friends to forsake me, and look upon me as a stranger: my brother _Good-works_ broke his heart when he heard on it, my sister _Charity_ was taken with the Numb-palsie, so that she cannot stretch out her hand...." Counsel was heard for him as well as witnesses examined on his behalf, and the Jury "brought him in, _Not Guilty_, with their own judgement upon it. That he who would not fully celebrate _Christmas_ should forfeit his estate. The Judge being a man of old integrity, was very well pleased, and _Christmas_ was released with a great deal of triumph and exaltation." CHAPTER VI Commencement of Christ-tide--"O Sapientia!"--St. Thomas's Day--William the Conqueror and the City of York--Providing for Christmas fare--Charities of food--Bull-baiting--Christ-tide charities--Going "a-Thomassing," etc.--Superstitions of the day. We take it for granted that in the old times, when Christ-tide was considered so great a festival as to be accorded a Novena--that it began on the 16th December, when, according to the use of Sarum, the antiphon "O Sapientia," is sung. This, as before stated, is pointed out plainly in our English Church Calendar, which led to a curious mistake on the part of Dr. Ellicott, Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, who on one occasion described it as the _Festival_ of "O Sapientia." The other antiphons which are sung between the 16th December and Christmas Eve are "O Adonai," "O Radix Jesu," "O Clavis David," "O Oriens Splendor," "O Rex Gentium," and "O Emmanuel," and they are commonly called the O's. But, beyond its being lawful to eat mince pies on the 16th December, I know of nothing noteworthy on the days intervening between that date and the festival of St. Thomas on the 21st December, which is, or was, celebrated in different parts of the country, with some very curious customs. The earliest I can find of these is noted by Drake in his _Eboracum_,[16] and he says he took the account from a MS. which came into his possession. [Footnote 16: Ed. 1736, p. 217.]