A very popular carol, too, was that of the Legend of the Cherry Tree, which is very ancient, and is one of the scenes in the fifteenth of the Coventry Mysteries, which were played in the fifteenth century, on _Corpus Christi Day_. Joseph was an old man, And an old man was he, And he married Mary The Queen of Galilee. When Joseph was married, And Mary home had brought, Mary proved with child, And Joseph knew it not. Joseph and Mary walked Through a garden gay, Where the cherries they grew Upon every tree. O, then bespoke Mary, With words both meek and mild, "O, gather me cherries, Joseph, They run so in my mind." And then replied Joseph, With his words so unkind, "Let him gather thee cherries, That got thee with child." O, then bespoke our Savior, All in His mother's womb, "Bow down, good cherry tree, To My mother's hand." The uppermost sprig Bowed down to Mary's knee, "Thus you may see, Joseph, These cherries are for me." "O, eat your cherries, Mary, O, eat your cherries now, O, eat your cherries, Mary, That grow upon the bow." The parable of Dives and Lazarus was a great favourite at Christ-tide, as, presumably, it served to stir up men to deeds of charity towards their poorer brethren; but the following carol, parts of which are very curious, has nothing like the antiquity of the foregoing examples:-- As it fell out upon a day, Rich Dives made a feast, And he invited all his guests, And gentry of the best. Then Lazarus laid him down, and down, And down at Dives' door, "Some meat, some drink, brother Dives, Bestow upon the poor." "Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus, That lies begging at my door, No meat, nor drink will I give thee, Nor bestow upon the poor." Then Lazarus laid him down, and down, And down at Dives' wall, "Some meat, some drink, brother Dives, Or with hunger starve I shall." "Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus, That lies begging at my wall, No meat, nor drink will I give thee, But with hunger starve you shall." Then Lazarus laid him down, and down, And down at Dives' gate, "Some meat, some drink, brother Dives, For Jesus Christ, His sake." "Thou art none of my brother, Lazarus, That lies begging at my gate, No meat, nor drink I'll give to thee, For Jesus Christ, His sake." Then Dives sent out his merry men, To whip poor Lazarus away, But they had no power to strike a stroke, And flung their whips away. Then Dives sent out his hungry dogs, To bite him as he lay. But they had no power to bite at all, So licked his sores away.