In The Yule-Log Glow, Vol. IV | Page 4

STEPHEN, THE CLERK.
Saint Stephen was a clerk
In King Herod's hall,
And servéd him of
bread and cloth
As ever king befall.
Stephen out of kitchen came
With boar's head on hand,
He saw a
star was fair and bright
Over Bethlehem stand.
He kist adown the boar's head
And went into the hall:
"I forsake
thee, King Herod,
And thy workés all.

"I forsake thee, King Herod,
And thy workés all;
There is a child in
Bethlehem born
Is better than we all."
"What aileth thee, Stephen?
What is thee befall?
Lacketh thee either
meat or drink
In King Herod's hall?"
"Lacketh me neither meat ne drink
In King Herod's hall;
There is a
child in Bethlehem born
Is better than we all."
"What aileth thee, Stephen?
Art thou wode,[I] or thou ginnest to
breed?[J]
Lacketh thee either gold or fee,
Or any rich weed?"[K]
"Lacketh me neither gold nor fee,
Ne none rich weed;
There is a
child in Bethlehem born
Shall helpen us at our need."
"That is also sooth,[L] Stephen,
Also sooth i-wis
As this capon
crowé shall
That lieth here in my dish."
That word was not so soon said,
That word in that hall,
The capon
crew _Christus natus est_
Among the lordés all.
"Riseth up, my tormentors,
By two and all by one,
And leadeth
Stephen out of this town,
And stoneth him with stone."
Tooken they Stephen
And stoned him in the way,
And therefore is
his even
On Christés own day.
FOOTNOTES:
[I] Mad.
[J] Scold.
[K] Dress.
[L] As true.

THE CARNAL AND THE CRANE.
As I pass'd by a riverside,
And there as I did reign,[M]
In argument
I chanced to hear
A Carnal[N] and a Crane.
The Carnal said unto the Crane,
If all the world should turn,
Before
we had the Father,
But now we have the Son!
From whence does the Son come?
From where and from what place?

He said, In a manger,
Between an ox and ass!
I pray thee, said the Carnal,
Tell me before thou go,
Was not the
mother of Jesus
Conceived by the Holy Ghost?
She was the purest Virgin,
And the cleanest from sin;
She was the
handmaid of our Lord,
And mother of our King.
Where is the golden cradle
That Christ was rockéd in?
Where are
the silken sheets
That Jesus was wrapt in?
A manger was the cradle
That Christ was rockéd in;
The provender
the asses left
So sweetly He slept on.
There was a star in the West-land,
So bright did it appear
Into King
Herod's chamber,
And where King Herod were.
The Wise Men soon espied it,
And told the king on high,
A princely
babe was born that night
No king could e'er destroy.
If this be true, King Herod said,
As thou tellest unto me,
This
roasted cock that lies in the dish
Shall crow full fences[O] three.
The cock soon freshly feathered was
By the work of God's own hand,

And then three fences crowéd he
In the dish where he did stand.
Rise up, rise up, you merry men all,
See that you ready be,
All

children under two years old
Now slain they all shall be.
Then Jesus, ah! and Joseph,
And Mary that was so pure,
They
travelled into Egypt,
As you shall find it sure.
And when they came to Egypt's land,
Amongst those fierce wild
beasts,
Mary, she being weary,
Must needs sit down to rest.
Come sit thee down, says Jesus,
Come sit thee down by me,
And
thou shalt see how these wild beasts
Do come and worship me.
First came the lovely lion,
Which Jesu's grace did spring,
And of
the wild beasts in the field,
The lion shall be the king.
We'll choose our virtuous princes,
Of birth and high degree,
In
every sundry nation,
Where'er we come and see.
Then Jesus, ah! and Joseph,
And Mary, that was unknown,
They
travelled by a husbandman,
Just while his seed was sown.
God speed thee, man! said Jesus,
Go fetch thy ox and wain,
And
carry home thy corn again
Which thou this day hast sown.
The husbandman fell on his knees,
Even before his face;
Long time
hast Thou been looked for,
But now Thou art come at last.
And I myself do now believe
Thy name is Jesus called;
Redeemer
of mankind Thou art,
Though undeserving all.
The truth, man, thou hast spoken,
Of it thou may'st be sure,
For I
must lose my precious blood
For thee and thousands more.
If any one should come this way,
And inquire for me alone,
Tell
them that Jesus passed by,
As thou thy seed did sow.
After that there came King Herod,
With his train so furiously,


Inquiring of the husbandman,
Whether Jesus passed by.
Why, the truth it must be spoke,
And the truth it must be known,

For Jesus passéd by this way
When my seed was sown.
But now I have it reapen,
And some laid on my wain,
Ready to
fetch and carry
Into my barn again.
Turn back, says the captain,
Your labor and mine's in vain,
It's full
three-quarters of a year
Since he his seed sown.
So Herod was deceivéd
By the work of God's own hand,
And
further he proceeded
Into the Holy Land.
There's thousands of children young,
Which for His sake did die;

Do not forbid those little ones,
And do not them deny.
The truth now I have spoken,
And the truth now I have shown,

Even