But He hath other waiters now:
A poor cow,

An ox and mule, stand and behold,
And wonder

That a stable should enfold

Him that can thunder.

Chorus. O what a gracious God have we,
How good! how great! even as our misery.

1613-1667.

A Hymn for Christmas Day1

AWAKE, my soul, and come away.

Put on thy best array ;

Lest if thou longer stay

Jeremy Taylor.

Thou lose some minutes of so blest a day.

Go run

And bid good-morrow to the sun;

Welcome his safe return

To Capricorn.

And that great morn

Wherein a God was born,

Whose story none can tell

But He whose every word's a miracle.

To-day Almightiness grew weak.

The Word itself was mute and could not speak.

That Jacob's star which made the sun
To dazzle if he durst look on,

Now mantled o'er in Bethlehem's night,
Borrowed a star to show him light.

1 Festival Hymns.

He that begirt each zone,

To whom both poles are one,

Who grasped the Zodiac in His hand
And made it move or stand,

Is now by nature man,
By stature but a span;

Eternity is now grown short;

A king is born without a court;

The water thirsts; the fountain's dry;
And life, being born, made apt to die.

Chorus. Then let our praises emulate and vie With His humility!

Since He's exiled from the skies

That we might rise—

From low estate of men

Let's sing Him up again!
Each man wind up his heart
To bear a part

In that angelic choir and show

His glory high as He was low.

Let's sing towards men goodwill and charity, Peace upon earth, glory to God on high! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah

APPENDIX II

MODERN CAROLS IN THE MEDIEVAL MANNER

Modryb Marya-Aunt Mary

A CHRISTMAS CHANT

1838.

Robert Stephen Hawker.

Now, of all the trees by the king's highway,
Which do you love the best?

O! the one that is green upon Christmas Day,
The bush with the bleeding breast.

Now the holly with her drops of blood for me:
For that is our dear Aunt Mary's tree.

Its leaves are sweet with our Saviour's Name,
"Tis a plant that loves the poor:

Summer and winter it shines the same

Beside the cottage door.

O! the holly with her drops of blood for me:
For that is our kind Aunt Mary's tree.

"Tis a bush that the birds will never leave:
They sing in it all day long;

But sweetest of all upon Christmas Eve

Is to hear the robin's song.

'Tis the merriest sound upon earth and sea:
For it comes from our own Aunt Mary's tree.

1817.

1860.

So, of all that grow by the king's highway,

I love that tree the best;

"Tis a bower for the birds upon Christmas Day,
The bush of the bleeding breast.

O! the holly with her drops of blood for me:
For that is our sweet Aunt Mary's tree.

The Virgin's Cradle-Hymn1

DORMI, Jesu! Mater ridet
Quae tam dulcem somnum videt,
Dormi, Jesu! blandule!

Si non dormis, Mater plorat,
Inter fila cantans orat,
Blande, veni, somnule.

English

S. T. Coleridge.

Sleep, sweet babe! my cares beguiling:
Mother sits beside thee smiling;
Sleep, my darling, tenderly!

If thou sleep not, mother mourneth,
Singing as her wheel she turneth :
Come, soft slumber, balmily!

Masters, in this Hall

William Morris.

"To Bethlem did they go, the shepherds three;

To Bethlem did they go to see whe'r it were so or no,
Whether Christ were born or no

To set men free."

1 Sibylline Leaves.

Masters in this Hall,

Hear ye news to-day Brought from over sea, And ever I you pray.

CHORUS.

Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth,
Born is God's son so dear :
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
Nowell sing we loud!

GOD to-day hath poor folk rais'd,
And cast adown the proud.

Going over the hills,

Through the milk-white snow,

Heard I ewes bleat

While the wind did blow.

Chorus.-Nowell, &c.

Shepherds many an one
Sat among the sheep,
No man spake more word
Than they had been asleep.
Chorus.-Nowell, &c.

Quoth I, "Fellows mine,
Why this guise sit ye?
Making but dull cheer,
Shepherds though ye be?
Chorus.-Nowell, &c.

T