The book of Christmas : $b descriptive of the customs, ceremonies, traditions, superstitions, fun, feeling, and festivities of the Christmas seasonHervey, Thomas K.
Religion
The book of Christmas : $b descriptive of the customs, ceremonies, traditions, superstitions, fun, feeling, and festivities of the Christmas season
Hervey, Thomas K.
Christmas
We must not omit to observe that a corresponding officer appears to have
formerly exercised his functions at some of the colleges at Cambridge,
under the more classical title of Imperator. And we must further state
that at Lincoln's-Inn, in the early times of their Christmas
celebrations, there appear to have been elected (besides the Lord of
Misrule, and, we presume, in subordination to him) certain dignitaries
exercising a royal sway over the revelries of particular days of the
festival. In the account given by Dugdale of the Christmas held by this
society in the ninth year of the reign of Henry VIII., mention is
made--besides the Marshal and (as he is there called) the Master of the
Revels--of a King chosen for Christmas day, and an officer for
Childermas day having the title of King of the Cockneys. A relic of this
ancient custom exists in the Twelfth Night King, whom it is still usual
to elect on the festival of the Epiphany, and of whom we shall have
occasion to speak at length in his proper place.
The length of the period over which the sway of this potentate extended
does not seem to be very accurately defined, or rather it is probable
that it varied with circumstances. Strictly speaking, the Christmas
season is in our day considered to terminate with Twelfth Night, and the
festival itself to extend over that space of time of which this night on
one side and Christmas eve on the other are the limits. In ancient
times, too, we find frequent mention of the _twelve_ days of Christmas.
Thus the George Ferrers of whom we have spoken, is appointed "to be in
his hyness household for the twelve days;" and he dates one of his
communications to Sir Thomas Cawarden, "From Greenwich y^{e} second of
January and y^{e} ix^{th} day of o^{r} rule." In the extract from the
Household-Book of the Northumberland family which we have already
quoted, mention is also made of the "Playes, Interludes and Dresinge
that is plaid befor his lordship in his hous in the xijth dayes of
Christenmas." Stow, however, says that "these Lords beginning their rule
at Allhallond Eve, continued the same till the morrow after the Feast of
the Purification, commonly called Candlemas day;" and that during all
that time there were under their direction "fine and subtle disguisings,
masks and mummeries, with playing at cards for counters, nayles and
points in every house, more for pastimes than for gaine." This would
give a reign of upwards of three months to these gentlemen. Dugdale, in
describing the revels of the Inner Temple speaks of the three principal
days being All-hallows, Candlemas, and Ascension days,--which would
extend the period to seven months; and the masque of which we have
spoken as forming the final performance of the celebrated Christmas of
1594, described in the "Gesta Grayorum," is stated to have been
represented before the queen at Shrovetide. At the Christmas exhibition
of St. John's college, Oxford, held in 1607, Mr. Thomas Tucker did not
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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