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He held his Christmas this yeare at Eltham, being sore vexed with sicknesse, so that it was thought sometime, that he had beene dead; notwithstanding it pleased God that he somwhat recouered his strength againe, and so passed that Christmasse with as much ioy as he might. Such as were about him, thinking verelie that he had béene departed, couered his face with a linnen cloth.
"We will not receyue the new Servyce, because it is but lyke a Christmasse game, but we wyll have our olde Servyce of Mattens, masse, evensong and procession in Latten as it was before.
I take this riuer to be that which we call Waren in Virginia, whither at Christmasse last 1585. the Spaniards sent a barke with fortie men to discouer where we were seated: in which barke was Nicholas Burgoignon the reporter of all these things. The Spaniards of S. Augustine haue slaine three hundred or the subjects of Potanou. One Potassi is neighbour to Potanou.
Geuen at Westminster. An. Immediatlie after Christmasse, euen in the Octaues of the Epiphanie, the king and duke Henrie met againe Oxenford, where all the earls and barons of the land being assembled, sware fealtie vnto duke Henrie, their allegiance due vnto king Stephan, as to their souereigne lord and supreme gouernour so long as he liued, alwaies reserued.
I observe also in some old books accounts of a feast of "cakes and ales" being usual. In the book of Christmasse Carolles, by Wynkyn de Worde in 1521, are the following verses on bringing in the Boar's head: Upon the young prince's coronation, 1170, Henry II. "served his son at the table as server, bringing up the bore's head with trumpets before it, according to the manner." Hollinshed.
In solitarie rooms these uprores keep, And beate at doores, to wake men from their slape, Seeming to force lockes, be they nere so strong, And keeping Christmasse gambols all night long. Pots, glasses, trenchers, dishes, pannes and kettles. They will make dance about the shelves and settles. As if about the kitchen tost and cast, Yet in the morning nothing found misplac't.
But leauing the consideration hereof to others, I will returne to the purpose from whence I haue thus far stepped. Thom. And further, that the said duke ment to haue broken into the manor of Eltham the last Christmasse, by scaling the wals in the night season, the king being there the same time, to the intent to haue murthered him.
Then hauing determined so saile vnto a place of the Antilles called Leauguaue, belonging vnto the king of Spaine, and there to goe on land on Christmasse night, with intention to enter into the Church while the Masse was sayd after midnight, and to murder all those that they found there, they set saile the eight of December.
* At Christmasse there was in the Kinges house, wheresoever hee was lodged, a lorde of misrule or mayster of merie disportes, and the like had ye in the house of every nobleman of honor, or good worshipper were he spirituall or temporall.
J. Brand, op. cit. i. 455; The Denham Tracts, edited by Dr. Herrick, Hesperides, "Ceremonies for Christmasse": "Come, bring with a noise, My merrie merrie boyes, The Christmas log to the firing;... With the last yeeres brand Light the neiv block"
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