be early felt, and form the topic of frequent complaint and the subject of many of the popular ballads of that day. The song of the "Old and Young Courtier" was written for the purpose of contrasting the good old manners with those of Charles's time; and the effects of the change upon the Christmas hospitalities has due and particular notice therein. We extract it from the Percy collection for our readers, as appropriate to our subject and a sample of the ballads of the time:-- THE OLD AND YOUNG COURTIER. An old song made by an aged old pate, Of an old worshipful gentleman who had a greate estate, That kept a brave old house at a bountifull rate, And an old porter to relieve the poor at his gate; Like an old courtier of the Queen's, And the Queen's old courtier. With an old lady, whose anger one word assuages; They every quarter paid their old servants their wages, And never knew what belong'd to coachmen, footmen, nor pages, But kept twenty old fellows with blue coats and badges; Like an old courtier, etc. With an old study fill'd full of learned old books, With an old reverend chaplain,--you might know him by his looks,-- With an old buttery hatch worn quite off the hooks, And an old kitchen, that maintained half-a-dozen old cooks; Like an old courtier, etc. With an old hall, hung about with pikes, guns, and bows, With old swords, and bucklers that had borne many shrewde blows, And an old frize coat, to cover his worship's trunk hose, And a cup of old sherry to comfort his copper nose; Like an old courtier, etc. With a good old fashion, when Christmasse was come, To call in all his old neighbours with bagpipe and drum, With good chear enough to furnish every old room, And old liquor able to make a cat speak, and man dumb; Like an old courtier, etc. With an old falconer, huntsman, and a kennel of hounds, That never hawked, nor hunted, but in his own grounds, Who, like a wise man, kept himself within his own bounds, And when he dyed gave every child a thousand good pounds; Like an old courtier, etc. But to his eldest son his house and land he assign'd, Charging him in his will to keep the old bountifull mind, To be good to his old tenants, and to his neighbours be kind; But in the ensuing ditty you shall hear how he was inclined; Like a young courtier, etc. Like a flourishing young gallant, newly come to his land, Who keeps a brace of painted madams at his command, And takes up a thousand pound upon his father's land, And gets drunk in a tavern, till he can neither go nor stand; Like a young courtier, etc.