OBSERVATIONS ON CHAPTER XVI. Turba frequens Jani fundit pia vota Kalendis BUCHANAN. N the antient Saturnalia*, there were frequent IN and luxurious Feaftings amongft Friends; prefents were fent mutually, and Changes of Dress made. Chriftians have adopted the fame Customs, which continue to be ufed from the Nativity to the Epiphany.-Feaftings are frequent during the whole Time, and we fend what are called New Year's Giftst: Exchanges of Dress too, as of old among the Romans, are common, and Neighbours by mutual Invitations, visit each other in the Manner which we Germans call Mummery: So writes the Author of the Convivial Antiquities, and adds, as the Heathens had their Saturnalia in December, * Ut olim in Saturnalibus frequentes, luxuriofæque canationes inter Amicos fiebant, munera ultro citroque miffitabantur, Veftium mutationes fiebant, ita hodie etiam apud nos Chriftianos eadem fieri videmus à Natalibus Dominicis ufque ad Feftum Epiphaniæ, quod in Januario celebratur: Hoc enim tempore omni et crebro convivamur et Strenas, hoc est, ut nos vocamus, Novi anni Donaria miffitamus. Eodem tempore mutationes veftium, ut apud Romanos quondam, ufurpantur, vicinique ad vicinos invitati hac ratione commeant, quod nos Germani Mummerey vocamus. Antiquitat. Convivial. 126. + Strena ufus primo die anni, Romanorum veterum eft inventum -Suetonius in Augufto. Deprav. Rel. 164. their Sigillaria in January, and the Lupercalia and Bacchanalia in February; fo amongst Christians these three Months are devoted to Feastings and Revellings of every Kind*. There was an antient+ Custom, (I know not whether it be not yet retained in many Places): Young Women went about with a Waffail-bowl, that is, a Bowl of spiced Ale' on New Year's Eve, with fome Sort of Verses that were fang by them in 66 *Johannes Boëmus Aubanus tells us, Calendis Januarii, quo tempore et Annus & omnis Computatio noftra inchoatur, Cognatus cognatum, Amicus amicum accedunt, & confertis manibus "invicem in novum Annum profperitatem imprecantur, diemque "illum festiva Congratulatione & Compotatione deducunt. Tunc "etiam ex avita confuetudine ultro citroque munera mittuntur, quæ à Saturnalibus, quæ eo tempore celebrantur à Romanis, Saturnalitia, a Græcis Apophoreta dicta funt. Hunc morem anno fuperiori ego ita verfificavi:" 66 cr 66 Chrifte patris Verbum, &c. Natalemque tuum celebrantes octo diebus, P. 265. There are Allufions to fome other obfolete Rites at this Time in Pope Zecharias' Interdiction of them, preferved in the Convivial Antiquities. "Si quis Calendas Januarii ritu Ethnicorum colere, ut aliquid plus novi facere propter novum annum, aut menfas cum "lampadibus, vel Epulas in domibus præparare, et per vicos et plateas cantatores et Choréas ducere aufus fuerit, Anathema fit.” Antiquit. Conviv. p. 126. In Trufler's Chronology; A. D. 1198, we are told, Fools, Fe"ftival of, at Paris, held January rft, and continued for 240 Years, "when all Sorts of Abfurdities and Indecencies were committed." Mr Pennant tells us, that the Highlanders on New Year's Day, burn Juniper before their Cattle, and on the first Monday in every Quarter sprinkle them with Urine. 0 2 going * going about from Door to Door. Wassail is derived from the Anglo. Sax. Wær pæl, that is, "be in "Health." They accepted little Prefents from the Houses they stopped at.—Mr. Selden thus alludes to it in his Table Talk, Art. Pope. "The Pope in "fending Relicks to Princes, does as Wenches do by "their Waffels at New Year's Tide.-They prefent you "with a Cup, and you must drink of a flabby Stuff; "but the Meaning is, you must give them Money, "ten Times more than it is worth." Stow has preferved an Account of a remarkable Mummery, 1377, "made by the Citizens for disport young Prince Richard, Sonne to the Black of the Prince. On the Sunday before Candlemass in the Night, 130 Citizens difguifed and well horfed, in a Mummery, with Sound of Trumpets, Sackbuts, Cornets, Shalmes and other Minstrels, and innumerable Torch Lights of Wax, rode to Kennington, besides Lambeth, where the young Prince was. In the ft Rank, 48 in Likeness and Habit of Efquires, two and two together, clothed in red Coats and Gowns of Say or Sendall, with comely Vizors on their Faces. After them came 48 Knights, in the fame Livery: Then followed one richly arrayed, like an Emperor ; and after him fome Distance, one ftately tyred like a Pope, who was followed by 24 Cardinals: And after them eight or ten with black Vizors, not amiable, as if they had been Legates from fome forraigne Princes. These Maskers, after they had entred the Mannor of Kennington, alighted from their Horses, and and entred the Hall on foot; which done, the Prince, his Mother and the Lords came out of the Chambers into the Hall, whom the Mummers did falute; fhewing by a Paire of Dice on the Table, their defire to play with the young Prince; which they fo handled, that the Prince did alwaies winne, when he caft at them. Then the Mummers fet 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 Cafts. Then they set to the Princes Mother, the Duke, the Earles and other Lords, to every one a Ring of Gold, which they did also win. After which they were feafted, and the Musick founded, the Prince and Lords daunced on the one Part with the Mummers, who did alfo dance; which Jollity being ended, they were again made to drink, and then departed in Order as they came. The like he fays was to Henry the 4th—in the 2d Year of his Reign, he then keeping his Christmafs at Eltham, twelve Aldermen of London, and their Sonnes, rode in a Mumming, and had great Thanks. We reade in Fabian's Chronicle, Temp. Henry 4th: "In whiche paffe Tyme the Dukys of Amnarle, "of Surrey, and of Exetyr, with the Earlys of Salesbury, and of Gloucetyr, with other of their .. Affynyte made Provyfyon for a Dyfguyfynge, or a "Mummynge, to be fhewyd to the Kynge upon "twelfethe Nyght, and the Tyme was nere at "Hande, and all Thynge redy for the fame. "Upon the fayd twelfethe Day, came fecretlye "unto the Kynge, the Duke of Amnarle, and "fhewyd to hym, that he wyth the other Lordys "aforenamed, were appointyd to fle hym in the "Time of the fore fayd Dyfguyfynge, &c." Fol. 169. This Mumming had like to have proved a very ferious Jeft! Mr. Bourne feems to "carry Coals to Newcastle," when he attempts to prove that it is no Way finful to with each other a good New Year. That Perfon carried his Scruples methinks very far, who first doubted concerning the Lawfulness of this Ceremony. If the Benevolent can thus hardly be faved, how fhall the Malicious and the Envious appear? * Mummer fignifies a Mafker; one disguised under a Vizard; from the Danish Mumme, or Dutch Momme. Lipfius tells us, in his 44th Epistle, Book III. " that Momar, which is used by "the Sicilians for a Fool, fignifies in French, and in our Language, 66 a Perfon with a Mask on." See Lye's Junii Etymolog. in verbo. The very ingenious Scotch Writer, Buchanan, prefented to the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots the following fingular Kind of New-year's Gift. Hiftory is filent concerning the Manner in which her Majefty received it. Ad Mariam Scotia Reginam: Do quod adeft: opto quod abeft tibi, dona darentur Hoc leve fi credis, paribus me ulcifcere donis: CHAP. |