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OBSERVATIONS

ON

CHAPTER XIV.

TOW*, in his Survey of London, tells us,

S.. Against

"Against the Feast of Christmass, every Man's "Houfe, as alfo their Parish Churches, were decked "with Holme, Ivy, Bayes, and whatsoever the "Seafon of the Year afforded to be Green: The "Conduits and Standards in the Streets, were like"wife garnished. Among the which, I read, that * In the antient Calendar of the Church of Rome, I find the following Obfervation on Christmas Eve:

"Templa exornantur.”

"Churches are decked."

Mr Gay in his Trivia describes this Custom:

When Rosemary and Bays, the Poet's Crown,
Are bawled in frequent Cries through all the Town;
Then judge the Festival of Chriflmafs near,
Christmass, the joyous Period of the Year!
Now with bright Holly all the Temples ftrow,
With Laurel green and facred Miletoe.

There is an Effay in the Gentlemen's Magazine, 1765, in which it is conjectured that the antient Custom of dreffing Churches and Houses at Christmass with Laurel, Box, Holly, or luy, was in Allufion to many figurative Expreffions in the Prophets, relative to Christ, the Branch of Righteousness, &c. or that it was in Remembrance of the Oratory of wrythen Wands, or Boughs, which was the first Chriftian Church erected in Britain: Before we can admit either of thefe Hypothefes, the Queftion must be determined whether or no this Custom was not prier to the Introduction of the Chriftian Faith amongst us.

The learned Dr. Chandler tells us, "It is related where Druidifm "prevailed, the Houses were decked with Ever-greens in Decém"ber, that the Sylvan Spirits might repair to them, and remain "unnipped with Froft and cold Winds, until a milder Seafon had "renewed the foliage of their darling Abodes."

Travels in Greece.

"in the Year 1444, by Tempeft of Thunder and "Lightning; toward the Morning of Candlemas "Day, at the Leaden Hall, in Corn-hilll, a Stan"dard of Tree, being fet up in the Midst of the "Pavement, faft in the Ground, nailed full of Holme

and Ivie, for difport of Christmas to the People; "was torne up and caft downe by the malignant "Spirit, (as was thought) and the Stones of the "Pavement all about, were caft in the Streets, and into divers Houfes, fo that the People "were fore aghaft at the great Tempefts."

In the North there is another Cuftom used at or about this Time, which if I mistake not, was antiently obferved in the Beginning of Lent: The Fool Plough goes about, a Pageant that confifts of a Number of Sword Dancers †, dragging a

Plough,

*This illuftrates the Spectator's Obfervation, where he tells us, that our Forefathers looked into Nature with other Eyes than we do now, and always afcribed common natural Effects to Supernaturat Caufes: This Joy of the People at Christmass was, it should feem, Death to their Infernal Enemy-envying their feftal Pleafures, and owing them a Grudge, he took this Opportunity of Spoiling their Sport!

Aliter, the White Plough, so called because the gallant young Men that compose it, appear to be dreffed in their Shirts, (without Coat or Waistcoat) upon which great Numbers of Ribbands folded into Rofes, are loofely ftitched on. It appears to be a very airy Habit at this cold Seafon, but they have warm Waistcoats under it. Mr. Wallis, in his History of Northumberland, tells us, that the Saltatio armata of the Roman Militia on their Festival Armiluf trium, celebrated 19th of October, is ftill practifed by the Country People in this Neighbourhood, on the annual Feftivity of Christmass, the rule Tide of the Druids-Young Men march from Village to Village, and from Houfe to Houfe, with Mufic before them, dressed in an antic Attire, and before the Vestibulum, or Entrance of every House entertain the Family with the motus incompofitus, the Antic Dance, or Chorus Armatus, with Swords or Spears in their Hands, erect and shining: this they

call

1

.

Plough, with Mufic, and one, fometimes two, in a very antic Drefs; the Beffy, in the grotesque Habit of an old Woman, and the Fool, almoft covered with Skins, a hairy Cap on, and the Tail of fome Animal hanging from his Back: The Office of one of these Characters is, to go about rattling a Box amongst the Spectators of the Dance, in which he collects their little Donations.

This Pageant or Dance as used at present, seems a Compofition made up of the Gleanings of feveral obfolete Customs followed antiently, here and elsewhere, on this and the like feftive Occafions.

I find a very curious and minute Description of the Sword Dance in Olaus Magnus'

History .of

call the Sword Dance. For their Pains they are presented with a Small Gratuity in Money, more or lefs, according to every Householder's Ability; their Gratitude is expreffed by firing a Gun. One of the Company is diftinguished from the Reft by a more antic Drefs; a Fox's Skin generally ferving him for a'Covering and Ornament to his Head, the Tail hanging down his Back.-This droll Figure is their Chief or Leader. He does not mingle in the Dance. Vol. 2. p. 29.

*De Chorea gladiatoria, vel
Armifera Saltatione.

Habent præterea feptentrionales Gothi et Sueci pro exercenda juventute-ludum, quod inter nudos enfes, et infeftos Gladios feu frameas, fefe exerceant faltu: idque quodam gymnastico ritu et difciplina, ætate fucceffiva, à peritis et præfultore, fub cantu addiscunt: et oftendunt hunc ludum præcipue tempore Carnifprivii Maschararum Italico verbo dicto. Ante etenim tempus ejufdem Carnifprivii, octo diebus continua faltatione fefe adolefcentes numerose exercent, elevatis fcilicet Gladiis, fed vagina reclufis, ad triplicem gyrum. Deinde evaginatis, itidemque elevatis Enfibus, poftmodum manuatim extenfis, modeftiùs gyrando alterius Cufpidem Capulumque receptantes, fefe mutato ordine in modum figura hexagoni fubjiciunt: quam Rofam dicunt. Et ilico eam gladios retrahendo, elevandoque refolvunt, et fuper uniufcujufque Caput

quadrata

of the northern Nations.-He tells us, that the northern Goths and Swedes, have a Sport wherein they exercise their Youth, confifting of a Dance with Swords in the following Manner: First with their Swords fheathed and erect in their Hands, they dance in a triple Round. Then with their drawn Swords held erect as before: Afterwards extending them from Hand to Hand, they lay hold of each other's Hilt and Point, while they are wheeling more moderately round, and changing their Order, throw themselves into the Figure of a Hexagon, which they call a Rofe.-But presently raising and drawing back their Swords, they undo that Figure, to form (with them) a four-fquare Rofe, that may rebound over the Head of each. At laft they dance rapidly backwards, and vehemently rattling the Sides of their Swords together, conclude the Sport. Pipes, or Songs (fometimes both) direct the Measure, which at firft is flow, but increasing afterwards, becomes a very quick one, towards the Conclufion.

He calls this a Kind of Gymnaftic Rite*, in which the Ignorant were fucceffively inftructed by those who were skilled in it: And thus it must have been preferved and handed down to us. I have been a frequent Spectator of this Dance, which is now quadrata rofa refultet ; et tandem vehementiffima gladiorum laterali collifione, celerrime retrograda faltatione determinant ludum: quem tibiis, vel cantilenis, aut utrifque fimul, primum per graviorem, demum vehementiorem faltum, et ultimó impetuofiffimum, moderantur. Olai Magni. Gent. Septent. Hift. Breviar, p. 341.

* Dr. Morefin alludes to a Dance at this Seafon, without Swords, in thefe Words." Sicinnium, Genus Saltationis, feu Choreæ ubi "Saltitantes cantabant, ac Papiftæ facere funt foliti in Scotia að "Natalitia Domini, et alibi adhuc fervant. p. 160.

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performed with few or no Alterations; only they lay their Swords, when formed into a Figure, upon

the Ground and dance round them.

With regard to the Plough drawn about on this Occafion; I find the Monday after Twelfth Day, called antiently (as Coles tells us) Plough Monday, "when our northern Plough Men, beg Plough "Money to drink" (it is very probable they would draw about a Plough on the Occafion; fo in hard Frofts our Watermen drag a Boat about the Streets, begging Money): And he adds, " In fome Places if "the Ploughman (after that Day's Work) come "with his Whip to the Kitchen Hatch and cry, "Cock in Pot," before the Maid fays, " Cock on "the Dunghill," he gains a Cock for Shrove Tuefday*." Vide Cock-fighting in the Appendix.

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Joannes Boëmus Aubanust, in his Description of fome remarkable Cuftoms used in his Time in Franconia, a Part of Germany, tells us of the following on Ash Wednesday. Such young Women as have frequented the Dances throughout the Year, are gathered together by young Men, and inftead of Horfes, are yoked to a Plough, upon which a Piper fits and plays: In this Manner they are dragged into a Water.-He fufpects this to have been a Kind of felf-enjoined or voluntary Penance,

* Coles tells us alfo of an old Custom in fome Places, of Farmers giving Sharping Corn to their Smith at Christmass, for sharping Plough-irons, &c.

In die Cinerum mirum eft, quod in plerifque locis agitur. Virgines quotquot per annum choream frequentaverunt, à juvenibus congregantur, et Aratro, pro equis, advecte, cum tibicine, qui fuper illud modulans fedet, in fluvium aut lacum trahuntur. Id quare fiat non planè video, nifi cogitem eas per hoc expiare velle, quòd feftis diebus contra ecclefiæ præceptum, à levitate fua non abftinuerint. P. 267.

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