"Of course, the houses were all decorated with holly and ivy, winter natural flowers, and other emblems of joy. People hardly went to bed at all on Christmas eve, and the first who announced the crowing of the Cock, if a male, was rewarded with a cup of tea, in which was mixed a glass of spirits; if a female, the tea only; but, as a substitute for the whisky, she was saluted with half a dozen kisses, which was the greatest compliment that could be paid her. The Christmas block for the fire, or Yule log, was indispensable. The last place in which I saw it was the hall of Lord Ward's mansion, near Downpatrick, in Ireland; and although it was early in the forenoon, his lordship (then a young man) insisted on my tasting a glass of whisky, not to break the custom of the country, or the hall. He did the same himself." CHAPTER XVII Ordinance against out-door Revelry--Marriage of a Lord of Misrule--Mummers and Mumming--Country Mummers--Early Play--Two modern Plays. These Christmas revelries were sometimes carried to excess, and needed curbing with the strong hand of the law, an early instance of which we find in Letter Book I. of the Corporation of the City of London, fol. 223, 6 Henry V., A.D. 1418. "The Mair and Aldermen chargen on že kynges byhalf, and žis Cite, žat no manere persone, of what astate, degre, or condicoun žat euere he be, duryng žis holy tyme of Christemes be so hardy in eny wyse to walk by nyght in eny manere mommyng, pleyes, enterludes, or eny ožer disgisynges with eny feynyd berdis,[65] peyntid visers, diffourmyd or colourid visages in eny wyse, up peyne of enprisonement of her bodyes and makyng fyne after že discrecioun of že Mair and Aldremen; ontake[66] žat hit be leful to eche persone for to be honestly mery as he can, within his owne hous dwellyng. And more ouere žei charge on že Kynges byhalf, and že Cite, žat eche honest persone, dwellyng in eny hye strete or lane of žis Citee, hang out of her house eche night, duryng žis solempne Feste, a lanterne with a candell žer in, to brenne[67] as long as hit may endure, up[68] peyne to pay ivd, to že chaumbre at eche tyme žat hit faillith." [Footnote 65: False beards.] [Footnote 66: Except that it shall be.] [Footnote 67: Burn.] [Footnote 68: Upon pain of paying.]