German Ninth Century Picture of the Nativity 16
Ancient Roman Illustrations 17
Ancient Roman Illustrations 18
Ancient Agape 19
Ancient Roman Illustrations 21
Early Celebrations in Britain 23
Queen Bertha 27
An Ancient Fireplace 30
Traveling in the Olden Time, with a "Christmas Fool" on the Front Seat" 31
The Wild Boar Hunt: Killing the Boar 32
Adoration of the Magi (Picture of Stained Glass, Winchester Cathedral) 34
A King at Dinner 40
Blind Minstrel at a Feast 42
Minstrels' Christmas Serenade at an Old Baronial Hall 44
Westminster Hall 46
Strange Old Stories Illustrated (From Harl. MS.) 50
A Cook of the Period (Early Norman) 55
Monk Undergoing Discipline 56
Wassailing at Christmastide 57
Panoply of a Crusader 58
Royal Party Dining in State 63
Ladies Looking from the Hustings upon the Tournament 73
The Lord of Misrule 74
Curious Cuts of Priestly Players in the Olden Time 76
A Court Fool 77
Virgin and Child (Florentine, 1480. South Kensington Museum) 83
Henry VI.'s Cradle 84
Lady Musician of the Fifteenth Century 91
Rustic Christmas Minstrel with Pipe and Tabor 92
Martin Luther and the Christmas Tree 106
The Little Orleans Madonna of Raphael 107
Magdalen College, Oxford 110
Bringing in the Boar's Head with Minstrelsy 111
Virgin and Child, Chirbury, Shropshire 118
Riding a-Mumming at Christmastide 121
A Dumb Show in the Time of Elizabeth 123
The Fool of the Old Play (From a Print by Breughel) 137
The Acting of one of Shakespeare's Plays in the Time of Queen Elizabeth 141
Neighbours with Pipe and Tabor 147
Christmas in the Hall 149
The Hobby-Horse 197
Servants' Christmas Feast 202
"The Hackin" 216
Seafaring Pilgrims 219
An Ancient Fireplace 225
A Druid Priestess Bearing Mistletoe 228
A Nest of Fools 229
"The Mask Dance" 231
The Christmas Mummers 234
The Waits 240
The Christmas Plum-Pudding 245
Italian Minstrels in London, at Christmas, 1825 246
Snap Dragon 247
Blindman's Buff 249
The Christmas Dance 250
The Giving Away of Christmas Doles 257
Poor Children's Treat in Modern Times 265
The Christmas Bells 271
Wassailing the Apple-Trees in Devonshire 279
Modern Christmas Performers: Yorkshire Sword-Actors 282
Modern Christmas Characters: "St Peter," "St. Denys" 283
A Scotch First Footing 285
Provencal Plays at Christmastide 320
Nativity Picture (From Byzantine Ivory in the British Museum) 324
Calabrian Shepherds Playing in Rome at Christmas 329
Worshipping the Child Jesus (From a Picture in the Museum at Naples) 337
Angels and Men Worshipping the Child Jesus (From a Picture in Seville Cathedral) 338
Simeon Received the Child Jesus into his Arms (From Modern Stained Glass in Bishopsgate Church, London) 348
Lichfield Cathedral 349
THE HERALD ANGELS.
Lo! God hath ope'd the glist'ring gates of heaven, And thence are streaming beams of glorious light: All earth is bath'd in the effulgence giv'n To dissipate the darkness of the night. The eastern shepherds, 'biding in the fields, O'erlook the flocks till now their constant care, And light divine to mortal sense reveals A seraph bright descending in the air.
Hark! strains seraphic fall upon the ear, From shining ones around th' eternal gates: Glad that man's load of guilt may disappear, Infinite strength on finite weakness waits.
Why are the trembling shepherds sore afraid? Why shrink they at the grand, the heavenly sight? "Fear not" (the angel says), nor be dismay'd, And o'er them sheds a ray of God-sent light. O matchless mercy! All-embracing love! The angel speaks and, gladly, men record:-- "I bring you joyful tidings from above: This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord!"
Hark! "Peace on earth, and God's good-will to men!" The angels sing, and heaven resounds with praise-- That fallen man may live with God again, Through Christ, who deigns the sons of men to raise.
W. F. D
CHAPTER I.
THE ORIGIN AND ASSOCIATIONS OF CHRISTMAS.
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS: THE ADVENT OF CHRIST.
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, And bear a Son, And shall call His name Immanuel.
(Isaiah vii. 14.)
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for it is He that shall save His people from their sins. Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a Son, And they shall call His name Immanuel;
which is, being interpreted, God with us. And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; and knew her not till she had brought forth a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
(Matthew i. 18-25.)
And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you; Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased.
And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.
(Luke ii. 8-20.)
THE PLACE OF THE NATIVITY.
The evangelist Matthew tells us that "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king;" and Justin Martyr, who was born at Shechem and lived less than a century after the time of Christ, places the scene of the Nativity in a cave. Over this cave has risen the Church and Convent of the Nativity, and there is a stone slab with a star cut in it to mark the spot where the Saviour was born. Dean Farrar, who has been at the place, says: "It is impossible to stand in the little Chapel of the Nativity, and to look without emotion on the silver star let into the white marble, encircled by its sixteen everburning lamps, and surrounded by the inscription, 'Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est.'"