trious, and supplying them with necessaries. But the gift is now almost demanded as a right, and our journeymen, apprentices, &c. are grown so polite, that instead of reserving their Christmas-box for its original use, their ready cash serves them only for pocket-money; and instead of visiting their friends and relations, they commence the fine gentlemen of the week."

The bestowing of Christmas-boxes, indeed, is one of those absurd customs of antiquity which, till within these few years, had spread itself almost into a national grievance. The butcher and the baker sent their journeymen and apprentices to levý contributions on their customers, who were paid back again in fees to the servants of the different families. The tradesman had, in consequence, a pretence to lengthen out his bill, and the master and mistress to lower the wages on account of the vails.

Hutchinson, in his History of Northumberland, ii. ad fin., p. 20, observes on these gifts to servants and mechanics, for their good services in the labouring part of the year: "The Paganalia of the Romans, instituted by Servius Tullius, were celebrated in the beginning of the year: an altar was erected in each village, where all persons gave money. This was a mode originally devised for gaining the number of inhabitants.” In Lewis's English Presbyterian Eloquence, p. 142 (8vo. Lond. 1720), in a catalogue of Presbyterian books, I find one with the following title, Christmas Cordials fit for refreshing the Souls and cheering the Hearts; and more fit for Christmas Boxes than Gold or Silver.'

.

In the illustration of the cut to the English Usurer,' 1634, the author, speaking of the usurer and swine, says:

"Both with the Christmas boxe may well comply:

It nothing yields till broke; they till they dye."

In a Map of the Microcosme, or a Morall Description of Man, newly compiled into Essays by H. (Humphrey) Browne, 1642, speaking of "a covetous wretch," the author says, he "doth exceed in receiving, but is very deficient in giving; like the Christmas earthen boxes of apprentices, apt to take in money, but he restores none till hee be broken like a potter's vessell into many shares." And in Mason's Handful of Essaies, 1621, we find a similar thought-"like a swine, he

never doth good till his death: as an apprentice's box of earth, apt he is to take all, but to restore none till hee be broken." Aubrey, in his Introduction to the Survey and Natural History of the North Division of the County of North Wiltshire (Miscellanies, 1714, p. 26), speaking of a pot in which some Roman denarii were found, says, "it resembles in appearance an apprentice's earthen Christmas-box." Gay, in his Trivia, mentions the Christmas-box:

"Some boys are rich by birth beyond all wants,
Belov'd by uncles and kind good old aunts;

When Time comes round a Christmas-box they bear,
And one day makes them rich for all the year."

Misson, in his Travels in England, translated by Ozell, p. 34, says: "From Christmass Day till after Twelfth Day is a time of Christian rejoycing; a mixture of devotion and pleasure. They wish cne another happiness; they give treats, and make it their whole business to drive away melancholy. Whereas little presents from one another are made only on the first day of the year in France, they begin here at Christmass; and they are not so much presents from friend to friend, or from equal to equal (which is less practis'd in England now than formerly), as from superior to inferior. In the taverns the landlord gives part of what is eaten and drank in his house, that and the two next days; for instance, they reckon you for the wine, and tell you there is nothing to pay for bread, nor for your slice of Westphalia." He had ob

served, p. 29, "The English and most other Protestant nations are utterly unacquainted with those diversions of the Carnaval which are so famous at Venice, and known more or less in all other Roman Catholick countries. The great festival times here are from Christmass to Twelfth Day inclusive, at Easter, and at Whitsontide."

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The following is from Hildebrandi de Diebus festis Libellus, 1735, p. 16: Denique in nostris ecclesiis nccte natali parentes varia munuscula, crepundia, cistellas, vestes, vehicula, poma, nuces, &c. liberis suis donant, quibus plerumque virga additur, ut metu castigationis eo facilius regantur. Dantur hæc munuscula nomine S. Christi, quem per tegulas vel fenestras illabi, vel cum angelis domos obire fingunt. Mos iste similiter a Saturnalibus Gentilium descendere videtur, in

quibus ethnicos sportulas sive varia munera ultro citroque misisse, antiquissimus patrum Tertullianus meminit in lib. de Persecut."

I find the Christmas-box mentioned in the following passage in Cotgrave's English Treasury of Wit and Language, 1655, p. 163:

"Th'are sure fair gamesters use

To pay the box well, especially at in and in.
Innes of court butlers would have but a
Bad Christmas of it else."

The subsequent passage is in the Workes of John Taylor, the Water-poet, Part ii. p. 180. "One asked a fellow what Westminster Hall was like: Marry, quoth the other, it is like a butler's box at Christmas amongst gamesters, for whosoever loseth, the box will bee sure to bee a winner."

We are told in the Athenian Oracle, i. 360, that the Christmas-box money is derived from hence. The Romish priests had masses said for almost everything: if a ship went out to the Indies, the priest had a box in her, under the protection of some saint: and for masses, as their cant was, to be said for them to that saint, &c., the poor people must put something into the priest's box, which was not opened till the ship's return. The mass at that time was called Christmas: the box called Christmas-box, or money gathered against that time, that masses might be made by the priests to the Saints to forgive the people the debaucheries of that time; and from this, servants had the liberty to get box-money,' that they too might be enabled to pay the priest for his masses, knowing well the truth of the proverb, "No penny, no pater

nosters.'

The practice, however, of giving presents at Christmas was undoubtedly founded on the Pagan custom of New Year's gifts, with which in these times it is blended. Monsieur de la Valois says, that the kings of France gave presents to their soldiers at this season.2

This is still retained in barbers' shops. A thrift-box, as it is vulgarly called, is put up against the wall, and every customer puts in something. 2 See Valesiana, p. 72. See also Du Cange's Glossary, in v. Natali. Drechler, in his treatise De Larvis, p. 30, thinks he has discovered the origin of this custom: "Quin et donorum semina invenimus apud rerum

The John Bull newspaper of Jan. 1, 1837, says, "A circular from the office of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was received at the different embassies on Saturday, requesting their excellencies and chargés d'affaires to discontinue the customary Christmas-boxes to the messengers of the Foreign Department, domestic servants of Viscount Palmerston, foreign postmen, &c., much to the chagrin of the latter."

THE LORD OF MISRULE.1

WARTON,2 in his History of English Poetry, tells us, that in an original draught of the Statutes of Trinity College at Cambridge, founded in 1546, one of the chapters is entitled, "De Præfecto Ludorum qui Imperator dicitur," under whose direction and authority Latin comedies and tragedies were to be exhibited in the Hall at Christmas; as also Sex Spectacula, or as many dialogues. With regard to the peculiar business and office of the Imperator, it is ordered, that one of the Masters of Arts shall be placed over the juniors every Christmas, for ecclesiasticarum scriptores et Conciliorum Observatores. Nam Concil. Constantinopolitanum, vi. Can. 79, inter alia, hæc habet: 'Quando aliqui post Diem Natalis Christi Dei nostri reperiuntur coquentes similam ut se hac mutuo donantes prætextu scil. honoris secundinarum impollutæ Virginis Matris, statuimus ut deinceps nihil tale fiat a fidelibus.' Simila ergo mutuum fuit donum natalitium in recordationem (sic enim colligo ex dicto canone) nati Messiæ, et honorem beatæ Matris Virginis; cui dono postmodum alia sine discrimine fuerunt addita, retento eodem fine ac respectu." 1 [In former editions of this work a passage from the Taming of the Shrew has been inserted here, as if it had reference to the Lord of Misrule; but, in reality, it is merely the exclamation of Christopher Sly when he at length bends to his position, and accepts the belief that he is really "a lord, and not a tinker, nor Christophero Sly."]

2 Hist. Eng. Poet. ii. 378. It appears from the Status Scholæ Etonensis, 1560, that the Eton scholars used to act plays in the Christmas holidays. "Decembri mense. Circiter Festum D. Andreæ Ludi Magister eligere solet pro suo arbitrio scænicas fabulas optimas et quam accommodatissimas, quas pueri feriis natalitiis subsequentibus non sine ludorum elegantia, populo spectante, publice aliquando peragant. Histrionum levis ars est: ad actionem tamen oratorum et gestum motumve corporis decentem tantopere facit, ut nihil magis. Interdum etiam exhibet Anglicis sermone contextas fabulas quas habeant acumen et leporem."

the regulation of their games and diversions at that season of festivity. His sovereignty is to last during the twelve days of Christmas; and he is to exercise the same power on Candlemas Day. His fee is forty shillings.

In an audit-book of Trinity College in Oxford, for the year 1559, Warton found a disbursement "pro prandio Principis Natalicii." A Christmas Prince, or Lord of Misrule, he adds, corresponding to the Imperator at Cambridge, was a common temporary magistrate in the colleges at Oxford. Wood, in his Athenae Oxonienses, ii. 239, speaking of a manuscript which, among other things, contains the Description of the Christmas Prince of St. John's College, whom the juniors have annually for the most part elected from the first foundation of the college, says: "The custom was not only observed in that college, but in several other houses, particularly in Merton College, where, from the first foundation, the fellows annually elected, about St. Edmund's Day, in November, a Christmas Lord, or Lord of Misrule, styled in the registers Rex Fabarum and Rex Regni Fabarum; which custom continued till the reformation of religion, and then, that producing Puritanism, and Puritanism Presbytery, the profession of it looked upon such laudable and ingenious customs as Popish, diabolical, and antichristian." Thus far Wood, who gives us also the titles (ludicrous enough) assumed by Thomas Tooker when he was elected Prince, which will not be thought foreign to our purpose. "The most magnificent and renowned Thomas, by the favour of Fortune, Prince of Alba Fortunata, Lord of St. John's, High Regent of the Hall, Duke of St. Giles's, Marquis of Magdalen's, Landgrave of the Grove, Count Palatine of the Cloysters, Chief Bailiff of Beaumont, High Ruler of Rome, (Rome is a piece of land, so called, near to the end of the walk called Non Ultra, on the North side of Oxon), Master of the Manor of Walton, Governor of Gloucester Green, sole Commander of all Titles, Tournaments, and Triumphs, Superintendant in all Solemnities whatever." I fear the humour with which this bombast is so parsimoniously seasoned can only be relished by an Oxonian, well acquainted with the topography of that place and it senvirons. See similar titles in the Gesta Greyorum.

"When the Societies of the Law," says Warton, "performed these shows within their own respective refectories, at Christ