have adopted the same customs, which continue to be used from the Nativity to the Epiphany: that feastings are frequent during the whole time, and we send what are called New Year's gifts: that exchanges of dress too, as of old among the Romans, are common, and neighbours, by mutual invitations, visit each other in the manner which the Germans call Mummery. He adds, that, as the Heathens had their Saturnalia in December, their Sigillaria in January, and the Lupercalia and Bacchanalia in February, so, amongst Christians, these three months are devoted to feastings and revellings of every kind.

Langley, in his translation of Polydore Vergil, says: "The disguising and mummyng that is used in Chrystemas tyme in the Northe partes came out of the feastes of Pallas, that were done with vizars and painted visages, named Quinquatria of the Romaynes." Upon the Circumcision, or New Year's Day, the early Christians ran about masked, in imitation of the superstitions of the Gentiles. Against this practice St. Maximus and Peter Chrysologus declaimed: whence, in some of the very ancient missals, we find written in the mass for this day, "Missa ad prohibendum ab Idolis."

Stow, in his Survay of London, 1603, p. 97, has preserved an account of a remarkable mummery, 1377, made by the citizens of London, for disport of the young Prince Richard, son to the Black Prince.1 "On the Sonday before Candlemas, in the night, one hundred and thirty cittizens, disguised and well horsed, in a mummerie, with sound of trumpets, shackbuts, cornets, shalmes, and other minstrels, and innumerable torch-lights of waxe, rode

Origine Festorum Christianor. f. 32: "Eadem de re Constantinopolitani Concilii sexti Canon 62. sic habet: Calendas quæ dicuntur et vota Brumalia quæ vocantur, et qui in primo Martii mensis die fit, conventum ex fidelium civitate omnino tolli volumus; sed et publicas mulierum saltationes multam noxam exitiumque afferentes; qui etiam eas, quæ nomine eorum, qui falso apud Græcos dii nominati sunt, vel nomine virorum ac mulierum fiunt saltationes ac mysteria more antiquo ac a vita Christiana alieno, amandamus et expellimus, statuentes, ut nullus vir deinceps muliebri veste induatur, vel mulier veste viro conveniente. Sed neque comicas, vel satyricas, vel tragicas presonas induat, neque execrandi Bacchi nomen," &c.

"In the year 13 8, eighty tunics of buckram, forty-two visors, and a great variety of other whimsical dresses, were provided for the disguisings at court at the feast of Christmass."-Henry's History of Britain, iv. 602.

from Newgate through Cheape, over the bridge, through Southwarke, and so to Kennington, beside Lambhith, where the young prince remayned with his mother. In the first ranke did ride forty-eight in the likenes and habite of esquires, two and two together, cloathed in redde coates, and gownes of say, or sandall, with comely visors on their faces. After them came riding forty-eight knightes, in the same livery of colour and stuffe. Then followed one richly arrayed like an emperour : and after him some distance, one stately tyred, lyke a pope, whom followed twenty-four cardinals: and, after them, eight or tenne, with black visors, not amiable, as if they had beene legates from some forrain princes. These maskers, after they had entered the mannor of Kenington, alighted from their horses, and entred the hall on foot; which done, the prince, his mother, and the lordes, came out of the chamber into the hall, whom the mummers did salute; shewing, by a pair of dice upon the table, their desire to play with the young prince, which they so handled that the prince did alwayes winne when hee cast them. Then the mummers set to the prince three jewels, one after another; which were, a boule of gold, a cup of gold, and a ring of gold, which the prince wanne at three casts. Then they set to the prince's mother, the duke, the earles, and other lords, to every one a ring of gold, which they did also win. After which they were feasted, and the musicke sounded, the prince and lords daunced on the one part with the mummers, which did also daunce; which jolitie being ended, they were again made to drink, and then departed in order as they came. The like was to King Henry the Fourth, in the second of his raigne, hee then keeping his Christmas at Eltham ; twelve aldermen of London and their sonnes rode in a mumming, and had great thanks."

We read of another mumming in Henry the Fourth's time, in Fabyan's Chronicle, ed. 1516, f. 169—“ In whiche passetyme the Dukys of Amnarle, of Surrey, and of Excetyr, with the Erlys of Salesbury and of Gloucetyr, with other of their affynyté, made provysion for a dysguysynge or a mummynge, to be shewyd to the kynge upon Twelfethe Nyght, and the tyme was nere at hande, and all thynge redy for the same. Upon the sayd Twelfthe Day came secretlye to the Kynge the Duke of Amnarle, and shewyd to hym, that he, wyth the other lordys aforenamyd, were appoyntyd to sle hym in the tyme

of the fore sayd disguysyng." So that this mumming, it should seem, had like to have proved a very serious jest.

"In the reigne of King Henrie the eyght, it was ordeyned, that if any persons did disguise themselves in apparel, and cover their faces with visors, gathering a company togither, naming themselves mummers, which used to come to the dwelling-places of men of honour, and other substantiall persons, whereupon murders, felonie, rape, and other great hurts and inconveniences have aforetime growen and hereafter be like to come, by the colour thereof, if the sayde disorder should continue not reformed, &c.: That then they should be arrested by the King's liege people as vagabondes, and be committed to the gaole without bail or mainprise for the space of three moneths, and to fine, at the king's pleasure. And every one that keepeth any visors in his house, to forfeyte 208." Northbrooke's Treatise against Dice-play, 1577, p. 105.

In Thomas's Lodge's Incarnate Devils, 1596, p. 15, is the following passage: "I thinke in no time Jerome had better cause to crie out on pride then in this, for painting now-adaies is growne to such a custome, that from the swartfaste devil in the kitchin to the fairest damsel in the cittie, the most part looke like vizards for a momerie, rather than Christians trained in sobrietie." In Fenn's Paston Letters, ii. 330, in a letter, dated December 24th, 1484, we read that Lady Morley, on account of the death of her lord, July 23, directing what sports were to be used in her house at Christmass, ordered that, "there were none disguisings, nor harping, nor luting, nor singing, none loud disports, but playing at the tables, and chess and cards; such disports she gave her folks leave to play and none other."

The following is from the Antiquarian Repertory, No. xxvi. from the MS. Collections of Aubrey (relating to North Wilts) in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, dated 1678: "Heretofore noblemen and gentlemen of fair estates had their heralds, who wore their coate of armes at Christmas, and at other solemne times, and cryed largesse thrice. They lived in the country like petty kings. They always eat in Gothic halls, where the mummings and loaf-stealing, and other Christmas sports, were performed. The hearth was commonly in the middle; whence the saying,round about our coal fire.'

In the printed introduction also to his Survey of Wiltshire,

Aubrey says: "Here in the halls, where the mummings, cobloaf-stealing, and great number of old Christmass plays performed.

In the tract entitled Round about our Coal-fire, or Christmass Entertainments, I find the following: "Then comes mumming or masquerading, when the squire's wardrobe is ransacked for dresses of all kinds. Corks are burnt to black the faces of the fair, or make deputy mustacios, and every one in the family, except the squire himself, must be transformed." This account further says: "The time of the year being cold and frosty, the diversions are within doors, either in exercise, or by the fire-side. Dancing is one of the chief exercises; or else there is a match at blindman's buff, or puss in the corner. The next game is Questions and Commands, when the commander may oblige his subjects to answer any lawful question, and make the same obey him instantly, under the penalty of being smutted, or paying such forfeit as may be laid on the aggressor. Most of the other diversions are cards and dice."

[Mummings at Christmas are common in Oxfordshire. At Islip some of the mummers wear masks: others, who cannot get masks, black their faces, and dress themselves up with haybands tied round their arms and bodies. The smaller boys black their faces, and go about singing,

"A merry Christmas and a happy new year,

Your pockets full of money, and your cellars full of beer."

The following lines are sung at the Christmas mummings in Somersetshire :

"Here comes I, liddle man Jan,

With my zword in my han!

If you don't all do,

As you be told by 1,

I'll zend you all to York,

Vor to make apple-pie."]

THE YULE CLOG.

BURNT ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

CHRISTMAS DAY, in the primitive church, was always observed as the Sabbath-day, and like that preceded by an eve, or vigil. Hence our present Christmas Eve. On the night of this eve our ancestors were wont to light up candles of an uncommon size, called Christmas Candles, and lay a log of wood upon the fire, called a Yule-Clog1 or Christmas-block, to illuminate the house, and, as it were, to turn night into day. This custom is, in some measure, still kept up in the North of England. In the buttery of St. John's College, Oxford, an ancient candle-socket of stone still remains ornamented with the figure of the Holy Lamb. It was formerly used to burn the Christmas Candle in, on the high table at supper, during the twelve nights of that festival. [This candle is thus alluded to in a very rare tract, called the Country Farmer's Catechism, 1703: "She ne'er has no fits, nor uses no cold tea, as the Ladies Catechism sayes, but keeps her body in health with working all the week, and goes to church on Sundays: my daughter don't look with sickly pale looks, like an unit Christmas Candle; they don't eat oatmeal, lime, or ashes, for pain at their stomachs; they don't ride on the fellows backs before they are twelve year old, nor lie on their own before they are fifteen, but look as fresh as new blown roses, with their daily exercise, and stay till they are fit for husbands before they have them."]

There is an old Scotch proverb, "He's as bare as the birk at Yule E'en," which, perhaps, alludes to the Yule-log; the birk meaning a block of the birch-tree, stripped of its bark and dried against Yule Even. It is spoken of one who is exceedingly poor. A clergyman of Devonshire informed me that the custom of burning the Christmas-block, i. e. the Yule-Clog, still continues in that county. In Poor Robin's Almanack for 1677, in the beginning of December, he observes:

"Now blocks to cleave this time requires,

'Gainst Christmas for to make good fires."

1 ["Yu-batch, Christmas-batch. Yu-block, Yule-block, Yule-clog, Christblock. Yu-gams, Christmas games; ab A.-S. Gehul: Dan, Juledag, the