for not having abftained from their favourite Sport on Holidays, contrary to the Injunctions of the Church.

I can find nothing more relative to the Plough, though in Du Cange's Gloffary, there is a Reference to fome old Laws*, which mention the "drawing a Plough about," which I guess would have afforded fomething to our Purpose, could I have found them.

As to the Fool and Belly, they are plainly Fragments of the antient Festival of Fools, held on New Year's Day. See Trufler's Chronology.

There was antiently a profane Sport, among the Heathens on the Kalends of January, when they ufed to roam about in Difguifes, refembling the Figures of wild Beafts, of Cattle and of old Women. The Chriftians adopted this: Fauftinus, the Bishop, inveighs against it with great warmth.-They were wont to be covered with Skins of Cattle, and to put on the Heads of Beafts, &c.

Doctor Johnson tells us in his Journey to the Western Islands, that a Gentleman informed him of an odd Game: At New Year's Eve, in the

* Aratrum circumducere, in Lège Bajuvar. tit. 17. § 2.

Fauftinus Epifcopus in Serm. in Kalend. Jan. has these Words. "Quis enim Sapiens credere poterit inveniri aliquos fanæ mentis, qui Cervulum facientes, in ferarum fe velint habitus commutari? "Alii veftiuntur pellibus pecudum, alii affumunt Capita beftiarum, gaudentes & exultantes, fi taliter fe in ferinas Species transforma"verint, ut homines non effe videantur." Du Cange: in Cervula.

Ludi profani apud Ethnicos et Paganos-folebant ii Kalendis Januarii belluarum, pecudum, et Vetularum affumptis formis huc et illuc difcurfare et petulantiùs fe fe gerere: quod a Chriftianis non modò profcriptum, fed & ab iis poftmodum inductum conftat, ut ea die ad calcandam Gentilium Confuetudinem privatæ fierent Litaniæ et jejunaretur, &c. Ibid.

Hall or Caftle of the Laird, where at feftal Seafons, there may be fuppofed a very numerous Company, one Man dreffes himself in a Cow's Hide, upon which other Men beat with Sticks. He runs with all this Noife round the House, which all the Company quits in a counterfeited Fright; the Door is then shut. At New Year's Eve, there is no great pleasure to be had out of Doors in the Hebrides. They are fure foon to recover from their Terror enough to folicit for Re-admiffion; which for the Honour of Poetry, is not to be obtained but by repeating a Verse, with which those that are knowing and provident, take care to be furnished.

This is no doubt a Veftige of the Festival of Fools above defcribed.-See Du Cange's Gloffary in Verbo. Kalenda. &c. &c. The "veftiuntur pellibus pecudum" and "a Man's dreffing him"felf in a Cow's Hide," both too on the first of January, are fuch Circumftances as leave no Room for Doubt, but that, allowing for the Mutilations of Time, they are one and the fame Cuftomt.

* Affirmant fe vidiffe annis fingulis in Romana Urbe & juxta Ecclefiam S. Petri, in die, vel nocte, quando Calendæ Januarii intrant, Paganorum confuetudine choros ducere per plateas & acclamationes ritu Gentilium & Cantationes facrilegas celebrare & menfas illas die vel nocte dapibus onerare, et nullum de domo fua, vel ignem, vel ferramentum, vel aliquid commodi vicino fuo præftare velle. Ibid.

+ The learned Traveller tells us, that they who played at this odd Game, gave no Account of the Origin of it, and that he defcribed it, as it might perhaps be used in other Places, where the Reason of it is not yet forgot.-I am perfuaded that if Dr. Johnson will take the Trouble of confulting Du Cange's Gloffary in Verb. Cervula & Kalenda, he will no longer remain ignorant of the Original of this fingular Cuftom.

N. B. The learned Reader is requested to fubftitute ut for the et, which stands erroneously at present in the last Line of the Latin Note, p. 176, reading " ut fuper uniufcujufque, &c."

CHAP.

CHA P. XV.

Of the Christmas Carol, an ancient Custom: The common Observation of it very unbecoming.

As

S foon as the Morning of the Nativity appears, it is customary among the common People to fing a Christmas-Carol, which is a Song upon the Birth of our Saviour, and generally fung with fome * others, from the Nativity to the Twelveth-Day, the Continuance of Christmas. It comes, they fay, from Cantare, to fing, and Rola, which is an Interjection of Joy: For in ancient Times, the Burden of the Song, when Men were Merry, was Rola, Rola.

This kind of Songs is of an ancient standing: They were fung early in the Church it self, in memory of the Nativity, as the many HYMNS for that Seafon manifeftly declare: Tertullian fays, † it was customary among the Christians, at their Feafts, to bring those, who were able to fing, into the Midst, and

* Such are, The New-Year's Songs, and that whofe Burden is Hagmena. The Word Hagmena is the fame as Hagia`meene, or the Holy Month. Angli, says Hospinnian, Halegmonath, quafi facrum menfem vocant. Hofp. de Orig. Eth. P. 81.

Ut quifque de fcripturis fanétis vel de proprio ingenio poteft, provocatur in medium Deo cantare. Tertul. Adverf. Gent. C. 39.

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make

make them fing a Song unto GOD; either out of the Holy Scripture, or of their own Compofing and Invention. And as this was done at their Feasts, fo no doubt it was obferved at the great Feast of the Nativity; which Song, no Question of it, was to them, what the Christmas-Carol fhould be to us. In after Ages we have it alfo taken Notice of: For Durand tells us, * That on the Day of the Nativity, it was usual for the Bishops of fome Churches to fing among their Clergy, in the Epifcopal House, which Song was undoubted a Christmas-Carol.

The Reafon of this Cuftom feems to be an Imitation of the Gloria in Excelfis, or Glory be to GOD on High, &c. which was fung by the Angels, as they hovered o'er the Fields of Bethlehem, in the Morning of the Nativity. For even that Song, as the learned Bishop Taylor obferves, was a Christmas-Carol. As foon, fays he, as thefe bleffed Choristers had fung their Christmas-Carol, and taught the Church a Hymn, to put into her Offices for Ever, in the Anniversary of this Feftivity; the Angels, &c.

Was this performed with that Reverence and Decency, which are due to a Song of this Nature, in Honour of the Nativity, and Glory

In quibufdam quoque locis.In natali Prælati cum fuis clericis ludant, vel in domibus epifcopalibus: Ita ut etiam defcendant.-Ad cantus. Durand. Rat. Lib. 6. G. 86. S. 9.

to

to our LORD, it would be very commendable; but to fing it, as is generally done, in the midst of Rioting and Chambering, and Wantoness, is no Honour, but Difgrace; no Glory, but an Affront to that Holy Season, a Scandal to Religion, and a Sin against CHRIST.

OBSERVATIONS

ON

CHAPTER

THE

XV.

HE fubfequent Specimen of a very curious Carrol in the Scotch Language, preserved in "Ane compendious Booke of godly and spirituall "Sangs, Edinburgh, 1621, printed from an old "Copy," will, I flatter myself, be thought a precious Relique by those who have a Tafte for the literary Antiquities of this Ifland.

Ane Sang of the Birth of Chrift:

With the Tune of Baw lula law.

(Angelus, ut opinor, loquitur.)

I come from Hevin to tell,
The beft Nowellis that ever befell:
To
yow thir Tythinges trew I bring,
And I will of them fay and fing.

*

*The Word "fay" is happily ufed here. The Author, whoever he has been, has dealt much more in saying than in finging. He is indeed the veriest Coast-Sailer that ever ventured out into the perilous Ocean of Verfe!

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This