The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Book of Christmas Verse, by H. C. Beeching
Title: A Book of Christmas Verse
Compiler: H. C. Beeching
Release Date: June 6, 2023 [eBook #70928]
Language: English
Produced by: Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
SELECTED BY
H. C. BEECHING
SECOND EDITION
REVISED
LONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
1926
Oxford University Press
London Edinburgh Glasgow Copenhagen
New York Toronto Melbourne Cape Town
Bombay Calcutta Madras Shanghai
Humphrey Milford Publisher to the University
Printed in England
At the Oxford University Press
By John Johnson
Printer to the University
The original edition of A Book of Christmas Verse was issued in 1895. At his death in 1919 Dean Beeching left a copy of the book marked with deletions and corrections, and an amount of new matter for insertion. This revision has been carried out, and both deletions and additions have been a little increased. But substantially the book remains the same; its editor’s divisions have been preserved, and the omission of his own preface to the first edition is in accord with his markings. A few poems by contemporary writers have been added.
Dean Beeching’s acknowledgements for permission to use copyright poems are here reprinted from his notes:
For No. 54 to the authorities of Christ Church, Oxford; for No. 71 to Messrs. Macmillan; for No. 112 to Mr. Robert Bridges; for No. 113 to Messrs. Kegan Paul and Trench; for No. 133 to the Chiswick Press; and for No. 114 to Mr. Davidson (with an omission specially sanctioned by him). Nos. 78 and 79 (by Gerard Hopkins and Selwyn Image) appeared for the first time in this book.
For poems now appearing for the first time acknowledgements are due as follows: for No. 77, by Coventry Patmore, to Messrs. George Bell; for No. 81, by R. L. Stevenson, to Messrs. Chatto & Windus; for No. 82, by Mrs. Meynell, to Messrs. Burns & Oates; for No. 83 to Mr. Robert Bridges; for No. 84., by Mr. Hilaire Belloc, to Messrs. Duckworth; for No. 85 (from The Wild Knight) to Mr. G. K. Chesterton and Messrs. Dent; for Nos. 86 and 87 to the Rev. R. L. Gales; for No. 88, by Miss Sayers, to Mr. Basil Blackwell; for No. 89 to Mr. J. D. C. Pellow; for No. 90 to Messrs. Macmillan; for No. 91 to Mrs. Chesterton; for No. 92 to Mr. Francis Keppel.
CONTENTS
EARLY CAROLS | page | ||
1. | Welcome Yule | 3 | |
2. | I sing of a Maiden | 4 | |
3. | As Joseph was a-walking | 4 | |
4. | Now is Christëmas ycome | 4 | |
5. | This Endris Night | 8 | |
6. | Lullay, my Liking, my Dear Son | 10 | |
7. | Saint Stephen was a Clerk | 11 | |
8. | The Shepherds’ Offerings | 13 | |
9. | Can I not sing but Hoy! | 15 | |
10. | When Christ was born of Mary free | 18 | |
11. | Be we merry in this Feast | 18 | |
12. | Man, be merry as Bird on Berry | 19 | |
13. | All this Time this Song is best | 20 | |
14. | Mater, ora filium | 21 | |
15. | Eya, Jesus hodie | 22 | |
16. | Ave maris stella | 23 | |
17. | Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël | 24 | |
18. | Of a Rose, a Lovely Rose | 25 | |
TRADITIONAL CAROLS | |||
19. | God rest you merry, Gentlemen | 29 | |
20. | Remember, O thou Man | 31 | |
21. | I saw Three Ships | 33 | |
LATER POEMS AND CAROLS | |||
22. | Of the Nativity of Christ | William Dunbar | 37 |
23. | The Burning Babe | Robert Southwell | 39 |
24. | New Prince, New Pomp | Robert Southwell | 40 |
25. | New Heaven, New War | Robert Southwell | 41 |
26. | A Child my Choice | Robert Southwell | 43 |
27. | Nativity | John Donne | 44 |
28. | For Christmas Day | Joseph Hall | 45 |
29. | A Hymn on the Nativity of my Saviour | Ben Jonson | 45 |
30. | The Shepherds’ Song | Edmund Bolton | 46 |
31. | Of the Epiphany | Sir John Beaumont | 48 |
32. | The Angels | William Drummond | 50 |
33. | The Shepherds | William Drummond | 50 |
34. | A Rocking Hymn | George Wither | 51 |
35. | Gloria in Excelsis | Giles Fletcher | 53 |
36. | Who can forget? | Giles Fletcher | 54 |
37. | A Christmas Carol | Robert Herrick | 56 |
38. | An Ode on the Birth of our Saviour | Robert Herrick | 57 |
39. | Christmas | George Herbert | 59 |
40. | On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity | John Milton | 60 |
41. | A Hymn of the Nativity | Richard Crashaw | 69 |
42. | Satan’s Sight of the Nativity | Richard Crashaw | 74 |
43. | A Hymn for the Epiphany | Richard Crashaw | 77 |
44. | Hymn for Christmas Day | Jeremy Taylor | 80 |
45. | Hymn for Christmas Day | Jeremy Taylor | 81 |
46. | Christmas Day | Joseph Beaumont | 82 |
47. | Sonnet XXV | Joseph Beaumont | 85 |
48. | On the Nativity of our Saviour | J. M. | 85 |
49. | The Shepherds | Henry Vaughan | 87 |
50. | Christ’s Nativity | Henry Vaughan | 89 |
51. | And they laid Him in a Manger | Sir Edward Sherburne | 90 |
52. | At the Sign of the Heart | 91 | |
53. | Lodged in an Inn | 92 | |
54. | Yet if His Majesty our Sovereign Lord | 93 | |
55. | And art Thou come, Blest Babe? | 94 | |
56. | Song of the Angels at the Nativity | Nahum Tate | 95 |
57. | Shepherds, rejoice | Isaac Watts | 96 |
58. | A Cradle Song | Isaac Watts | 97 |
59. | A Hymn for Christmas Day | John Byrom | 98 |
60. | A Hymn for Christmas Day | Philip Doddridge | 99 |
61. | A Hymn for Christmas Day | Charles Wesley | 100 |
62. | The Shepherds went their hasty Way | Samuel Taylor Coleridge | 101 |
63. | From Ottfried’s Paraphrase of the Gospel | Samuel Taylor Coleridge | 103 |
64. | The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn | Samuel Taylor Coleridge | 104 |
65. | Brightest and best of the Sons of the Morning! | Reginald Heber | 105 |
66. | They leave the Land of Gems and Gold | Aubrey de Vere | 106 |
67. | Christmas and New Year Bells | Alfred Tennyson | 107 |
68. | The First Christmas Eve | Alfred Domett | 109 |
69. | Christ was born on Christmas Day | John Mason Neale | 111 |
70. | A Christmas Carol | Charles Kingsley | 112 |
71. | A Christmas Carol | Christina Rossetti | 113 |
72. | Masters, in this Hall | William Morris | 115 |
73. | Outlanders, whence come ye last? | William Morris | 117 |
74. | Sir Galahad, A Christmas Mystery | William Morris | 119 |
75. | Aishah Schechinah | R. S. Hawker | 128 |
76. | King Arthur’s Waes-hael | R. S. Hawker | 130 |
77. | Regina Coeli | Coventry Patmore | 131 |
78. | Mary Mother of Divine Grace, | ||
compared to the Air we breathe | Gerard Hopkins | 132 | |
79. | A Meditation for Christmas Day | Selwyn Image | 136 |
80. | A Morning Song for Christmas Day | Herbert P. Horne | 137 |
81. | Christmas at Sea | R. L. Stevenson | 139 |
82. | Unto us a Son is given | Alice Meynell | 142 |
83. | Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913 | Robert Bridges | 143 |
84. | Noël | Hilaire Belloc | 145 |
85. | A Christmas Carol | G. K. Chesterton | 146 |
86. | The Creatures’ Nowel | R. L. Gales | 147 |
87. | The Heavenly Noel | R. L. Gales | 148 |
88. | Carol | Dorothy L. Sayers | 150 |
89. | Christmas Carol | J. D. C. Pellow | 150 |
90. | The Oxen | Thomas Hardy | 151 |
91. | How far is it to Bethlehem? | Frances Chesterton | 152 |
92. | Epiphany | Francis Keppel | 153 |
POEMS ON CHRISTMAS MERRY-MAKING | |||
93. | Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell | 157 | |
94. | Man, be joyful | 157 | |
95. | Make we merry | 158 | |
96. | Holly and Ivy | 159 | |
97. | Alleluia, Alleluia | 159 | |
98. | Ivy Chief of Trees it is | 160 | |
99. | Nay, Ivy, nay | 161 | |
100. | Hey, hey, hey, hey | 162 | |
101. | Caput apri defero | 163 | |
102. | Nowel, Nowel, Nowel, Nowel | 164 | |
103. | Proface, welcome, welcome | 164 | |
104. | Christmas Merry-making | George Wither | 165 |
105. | Ceremonies for Christmas | Robert Herrick | 169 |
106. | The Wassail | Robert Herrick | 170 |
107. | Twelfth Night | Robert Herrick | 172 |
108. | To Sir Simond Steward | Robert Herrick | 173 |
109. | Song | Thomas Campion | 175 |
110. | Song | 176 | |
111. | The Damsel donn’d her Kirtle Sheen | Sir Walter Scott | 176 |
112. | Winter was not unkind | Robert Bridges | 178 |
113. | Ballade of Christmas Ghosts | Andrew Lang | 179 |
114. | Christmas Eve | John Davidson | 180 |
115. | Now have good Day! | 184 | |
LATIN HYMNS | |||
116. | Puer natus in Bethlehem | 189 | |
117. | Heu quid jaces stabulo | John Mauburn | 190 |
118. | Adeste fideles | 191 | |
119. | Corde natus ex Parentis | Prudentius | 193 |
120. | Ave Jesu, Deus magne | 194 | |
121. | Nowell, Nowell, Nowell | 195 | |
INDEX OF AUTHORS | 197 | ||
INDEX OF FIRST LINES | 198 |
[1] Matchless.
[2] Chose.
[3] As.
[4]Last.
[5]Young.
[6]Lay low.
[7]Law.
[8]Forthwith.
[9] Last.
[10] Anon.
[11] Bird.
[12] Content.
[13] Faith.
[14] Cover.
[15] Reasonable.
[16] Mad.
[17] Become (mad).
[18] Dress.
[19] As.
[20] Certainly.
[21] Courteous.
[22] Last.
[23] Wondrous.
[24] Am called.
[25] Would go.
[26] Because.
[27] Maid.
[28] Dwell.
[29] May.
[30] Tip.
This version is from a broadside in the British Museum; another version is given in Sandy’s Christmas Carols (1833), of which the last verse is:
[31] Many.
[32] Acknowledge.
[33] Hinders.
[Sung to the King in the Presence at Whitehall.]
[Sung as by the three kings.]
[Being a dialogue between three shepherds.]
Incarnatio est maximum Dei donum.
Copied from a print of the Virgin in a Catholic village in Germany.
[Enter two angels in white, with scarlet wings; also, four ladies in gowns of red and green; also an angel, bearing in his hands a surcoat of white, with a red cross.]
The Rubric
When the brown bowl is filled for yule, let the dome or upper half be set on; then let the waes-haelers kneel one by one and draw up the wine with their reeds through the two bosses at the rim. Let one breath only be drawn by each of the morice for his waes-hael.
[For Music.]
Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
[34] Young.
[35] At once.
[36] Basket.
[37] Certainly.
[38] Chilblain.
[39] Forester.
[40] i. e. proficiat, may it do you good.
[41] Fiddlers.
[42]? A see-saw.
[43] Cribbage.
[44] Kindling.
[45] White bread.
[46] An early club of Mohocks.
Basil. Sandy. Brian. Menzies.
[47] Company.
no. | |
Adeste fideles, | 118 |
A frosty Christmas Eve, | 83 |
All after pleasures as I rid one day, | 39 |
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, now sing we, | 97 |
All this time this song is best, | 13 |
And art Thou come, blest Babe, and come to me? | 55 |
A shape, like folded light, embodied air, | 75 |
As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow, | 23 |
As Joseph was a-walking, | 3 |
As on the night before this happy morn, | 35 |
Ave Jesu, Deus magne, | 120 |
Ave maris stella, | 16 |
Awake, glad heart, get up and sing! | 50 |
Awake, my soul, and come away, | 45 |
Behold a silly tender Babe, | 24 |
Between the moonlight and the fire, | 113 |
Be we merry in this feast, | 11 |
Bright Babe! whose awful beauties make, | 43 |
Brightest and best of the sons of the morning! | 65 |
But art Thou come, dear Saviour? hath Thy love, | 52 |
Can I not sing but Hoy! | 9 |
Caput apri defero, | 101 |
Christians, awake, salute the happy morn, | 59 |
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock, | 90 |
Christ was born on Christmas day, | 69 |
Come, bring with a noise, | 105 |
Come, guard this night the Christmas pie, | 105 |
Come to your heaven, you heavenly quires! | 25 |
Come we shepherds whose blest sight, | 41 |
Consider, O my soul, what morn is this! | 79 |
Corde natus ex Parentis, | 119 |
Dormi, Jesu! mater ridet, | 64 |
Eya, Jesus hodie, | 15 |
Fair eastern star, that art ordained to run, | 31 |
Given, not lent, | 82 |
Give way, give way, ye gates, and win, | 106 |
God rest you merry, gentlemen, | 19 [Pg 199] |
Happy crib, that wert alone, | 51 |
Hark! how all the welkin rings, | 61 |
Hark, the glad sound! the Saviour comes, | 60 |
Heaven’s golden-wingèd herald late he saw, | 42 |
Herdmen hend, Dread ye no thing, | 8 |
Heu quid jaces stabulo, | 117 |
Hey, hey, hey, hey, | 100 |
Holly and Ivy made a great party, | 96 |
How far is it to Bethlehem? | 91 |
Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber, | 58 |
Immensity, cloistered in thy dear womb, | 27 |
Immortal Babe, who this dear day, | 28 |
In holly hedges starving birds, | 114 |
In numbers, and but these few, | 38 |
In the bleak mid-winter, | 71 |
I saw three ships come sailing in, | 21 |
I sing of a maiden, | 2 |
I sing the birth was born to-night, | 29 |
It chanced upon the merry merry Christmas eve, | 70 |
It is the longest night in all the year, | 74 |
It was the calm and silent night, | 68 |
Ivy chief of trees it is, | 98 |
Let folly praise that fancy loves, | 26 |
Like as the fountain of all light created, | 47 |
Lodged in an inn, | 53 |
Lullay, my liking, my dear son, my sweeting, | 6 |
Make we merry both more and less, | 95 |
Man, be joyful and mirth thou make, | 94 |
Man, be merry as bird on berry, | 12 |
Mater, ora filium, | 14 |
Nay, ivy, nay, | 99 |
Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël, | 17 |
No news of navies burnt at seas, | 108 |
Nowel, nowel, nowel, nowel, Tidings good, | 102 |
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell, Missus est, | 121 |
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Who is there, | 93 |
Now have good day, now have good day! | 115 |
Now is Christëmas ycome, | 4 |
Now, now the mirth comes, | 107 |
Now winter nights enlarge, | 109 |
Of a rose, a lovely rose, | 18 |
Oh, brother Juniper, come out and play, | 89 |
Oh! what great thing is done to-night, | 87 |
On a winter’s night long time ago, | 84 |
O than the fairest day, thrice fairer night! | 33 |
Outlanders, whence come ye last? | 73 [Pg 200] |
Proface, welcome, welcome, proface, | 103 |
Puer natus in Bethlehem, | 116 |
Remember, O thou man, | 20 |
Rorate Coeli desuper! | 22 |
Run, shepherds, run, where Bethlehem blest appears, | 32 |
Saint Stephen was a clerk, | 7 |
Say, did his Sisters wonder what could Joseph see, | 77 |
She gave with joy her virgin breast, | 63 |
Shepherds, rejoice, lift up your eyes, | 57 |
So now is come our joyful’st feast, | 104 |
Sweet baby, sleep! What ails my dear? | 34 |
Sweet, harmless live{r}s! on whose holy leisure, | 49 |
Sweet music, sweeter far, | 30 |
The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap, | 85 |
The damsel donn’d her kirtle sheen, | 111 |
The Ox said to the Ass, said he, all on a Christmas night, | 88 |
The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand, | 81 |
The shepherds went their hasty way, | 62 |
The time draws near the birth of Christ, | 67 |
They leave the land of gems and gold, | 66 |
This endris night, | 5 |
This is the month, and this the happy morn, | 40 |
To Bethlem did they go, the shepherds three, | 72 |
To shorten winter’s sadness, | 110 |
Waes-hael for knight and dame! | 76 |
Wake, what unusual light doth greet, | 80 |
Wash your hands, or else the fire, | 105 |
Wassail the trees, that they may bear, | 105 |
Welcome Yule, thou merry man, | 1 |
What sweeter music can we bring, | 37 |
When Christ was born of Mary free, | 10 |
Where is this blessed Babe, | 44 |
Where Mary keeps her court, | 86 |
While shepherds watch’d their flocks by night, | 56 |
Who can forget—never to be forgot, | 36 |
Why does the frowning winter smile, | 48 |
Wild air, world-mothering air, | 78 |
Winter was not unkind because uncouth, | 112 |
With a long train of camels following them, | 92 |
Wonder’s birthday, | 46 |
Yet if his majesty our sovereign Lord, | 54 |
Transcriber’s Notes:
Antiquated spellings or ancient words were preserved.
Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.
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