should think, to please even the customers of Mr. Batchelar. Amongst the musical signs of the season we must not omit to place that once important gentleman, the bellman, who was anciently accustomed, as our excellent friend Mr. Hone says, at this time, "to make frequent nocturnal rambles, and proclaim all tidings which it seemed fitting to him that people should be awakened out of their sleep to hearken to." From that ancient collection, "The Bellman's Treasury," which was once this now decayed officer's vade-mecum, we shall have occasion to extract, here and there, in their proper places, the announcements by which, of old, he broke in upon the stillness of the several nights of this period. In the mean time our readers may take the following example of bellman verses, written by Herrick, and which we have extracted from his "Hesperides:" "From noise of scare-fires rest ye free, From murders Benedicitie; From all mischances that may fright Your pleasing slumbers in the night. "Mercie secure ye all, and keep The goblin from ye while ye sleep. Past one aclock, and almost two. My masters all, good day to you!" The bell of this ancient officer may still be heard, at the midnight hour of Christmas Eve (and perhaps on other nights), in the different parishes of London, performing the overture to a species of recitative, in which he sets forth (amongst other things) the virtues of his patrons (dwelling on their liberality), and offers them all the good wishes of the season. The printed papers containing the matter of these recitations he has been busy circulating amongst the parishioners for some time; and, on the strength thereof, presents himself as a candidate for some expression of their good-will in return, which, however, he expects should be given in a more profitable form. These papers, like the carol-sheets, have their margins adorned with wood-cuts after Scriptural subjects. One of them now lies before us, and we grieve to say that the quaint ancient rhymes are therein substituted by meagre modern inventions, and the wood-cuts exhibit a most ambitious pretension to be considered as specimens of improved art. There is a copy of Carlo Dolce's "Last Supper" at the foot. The beadle of to-day is in most respects changed, for the worse, from the bellman of old. Still, we are glad to hear his bell--which sounds much as it must have done of yore--lifting up its ancient voice amongst its fellows at this high and general season of bells and bob-majors. [Illustration: BELL-RINGING.] Part Second. THE CHRISTMAS DAYS. [Illustration: The Lord of Misrule