In The Yule-Log Glow, Vol. IV | Page 7

floor._
"In an ox-stall this night we saw,
_The snow in the street and the
wind on the door._
A Babe and a maid without a flaw.
_Minstrels
and maids, stand forth on the floor._
"There was an old man there beside,
_The snow in the street and the
wind, on the door._
His hair was white, and his hood was wide.

_Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor._
"And as we gazed this thing upon,
_The snow in the street and the
wind on the door._
Those twain knelt down to the Little One.

_Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor._
"And a marvellous song we straight did hear,
_The snow in the street
and the wind on the door._
That slew our sorrow and healed our
care."
_Minstrels and maids, stand forth on the floor._
News of a fair and a marvellous thing,
_The snow in the street and
the wind on the door._
Nowell, nowell, nowell, we sing!
_Minstrels
and maids, stand forth on the floor._
_William Morris._
A FRENCH NOËL.
(TRANSLATED FROM GUI BARÔZAI.)
I hear along our street
Pass the minstrel throngs;
Hark! they play so
sweet,
On their hautboys, Christmas songs!
Let us by the fire
Ever higher
Sing them till the night expire!
In December ring
Every day the chimes;
Loud the gleemen sing

In the streets their merry rhymes.

Let us by the fire, etc.
Shepherds at the grange,
Where the Babe was born,
Sang, with
many a change,
Christmas carols until morn.
Let us by the fire, etc.
These good people sang
Songs devout and sweet;
While the rafters
rang
There they stood with freezing feet.
Let us by the fire, etc.
Nuns in frigid cells
At this holy tide
For want of something else

Christmas songs at times have tried.
Let us by the fire, etc.
Washerwomen old,
To the sound they beat,
Sing by rivers cold

With uncovered heads and feet.
Let us by the fire, etc.
Who by the fireside stands
Stamps his feet and sings;
But he who
blows his hands
Not so gay a carol brings.
Let us by the fire, etc.
_Henry Wadsworth Longfellow._
MASTERS, IN THIS HALL.
"To Bethl'em did they go, the shepherds three;
To Bethl'em did they
go to see whe'r it were so or no,
Whether Christ were born or no
To set men free."
Masters, in this hall,
Hear ye news to-day
Brought over sea,
And

ever I you pray.
_Nowell! Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!_
_Sing we
clear!_
_Holpen are all folk on earth,_
_Born is God's Son so dear._
Going over the hills,
Through the milk-white snow,
Heard I ewes
bleat
While the winds did blow.
_Nowell, etc._
Shepherds many an one
Sat among the sheep;
No man spake more
word
Than they had been asleep.
_Nowell, etc._
Quoth I, "Fellows mine,
Why this guise sit ye?
Making but dull
cheer,
Shepherds though ye be?
_Nowell, etc._
"Shepherds should of right
Leap, and dance, and sing;
Thus to see
you sit
Is a right strange thing."
_Nowell, etc._
Quoth these fellows three,
"To Bethl'em town we go,
To see a
Mighty Lord
Lie in manger low."
_Nowell, etc._
"How name ye this Lord,
Shepherds?" then said I.
"Very God," they
said,
"Come from Heaven high."
_Nowell, etc._
Then to Bethl'em town
We went two and two,
And in a sorry place

Heard the oxen low.
_Nowell, etc._

Therein did we see
A sweet and goodly May,
And a fair old man;

Upon the straw she lay.
_Nowell, etc._
And a little Child
On her arm had she;
"Wot ye who is this?"
Said
the hinds to me.
_Nowell, etc._
Ox and ass Him know,
Kneeling on their knee:
Wondrous joy had I

This little Babe to see.
_Nowell, etc._
This is Christ the Lord:
Masters, be ye glad!
Christmas is come in,

And no folk should be sad.
_Nowell, etc._
_William Morris._
_The Worship Of The Babe._
"Rejoice, our Saviour He was born
On Christmas day in the
morning."
_Old Carol._
TO HIS SAVIOUR, A CHILD; A PRESENT, BY A CHILD.
Go, pretty child, and bear this flower
Unto thy little Saviour;
And
tell Him by that bud now blown,
He is a Rose of Sharon known.

When thou hast said so, stick it there
Upon His bib or stomacher;

And tell Him, for good handsel too,
That thou hast brought a whistle
new,
Made of a clean, strait oaten reed
To charm His cries at time
of need.
Tell Him for coral thou hast none,
But if thou had'st He

should have one;
But poor thou art, and known to be
Even as
moneyless as He.
Lastly, if thou can'st win a kiss
From those
mellifluous lips of His,
Then never take a second on
To spoil the
first impression.
_Robert Herrick._
HONOR TO THE KING.
Yet if his majesty our sovereign lord
Should of his own accord

Friendly himself invite,
And say, "I'll be your guest to-morrow
night,"
How should we stir ourselves, call and command
All hands
to work: "Let no man idle stand.
Set me fine Spanish tables in the hall,

See they be fitted all;
Let there be room to eat,
And order taken
that there want no meat.
See every sconce and candlestick made
bright,
That without tapers they may give a light.
Look to the
presence; are the carpets spread,
The dais o'er the head,
The
cushions in the chairs,
And all the candles lighted on the stairs?

Perfume