CHRISTMAS AT COURT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 78

CHRISTMAS AT COURT.

fN> THE B.RAVE DAYS OP "6ihi'\ All hailed' with .unccntrotfetl -delight -'■* And general' voice -the" happy night That to the «o*tage, as tho crown, ' v Brought tidings of salvation down. - ' , ' ' ' —'Sir W. Scotfc. Whether we consider the -subject from an 2 historical standpoint, or 100k 1 at- it in' its •ocial .aspects, Christmas at Court is well worthy of our study. In> the Saxon'' times Christmas was observed as a festival, and %re are not without information as to how Icings then kept the feast. But it will be «mply sufficient for our purpose if we hark back as far as the Conquest, and then gently elide dawn* the stream of time to the Restoration, i A CHHIBTMAB COEONATIOX. The first Christmas Day after the Conquest was one of pomp and bloodshed. Having conquered the Saxon Harold, William of Normanby hastened to London 'to be crowned on Christmas ' Day in Westminster Abbey. ■ The Londoners had expected to celebrate the festival in the Abbey, but the Conqueror demanded the church for his Coronation. Having surrounded the sacred edifice with Norman soldiers on their war-horsce, the proud Conqueror entered the Abbey with his Barons — Taking up his position before the high altar nn the grave stone of Edward .the Confessor. On either side stood an Anglo-Saxon and a -Norman prelate. The Norman was Godfrey, (Bishop of Constance, the Saxon was Aldred, Archbishop of York, holding in his, own band the golden crown of Byzantium work-] shanship wrought .by , Guy, of Amiens. . The j ■ doorman prelate • was . to • address -in' French I Cftlifose, " who could no^ speak'.. English, -J&ieJ Saxon primate was ,to. .-address -in ■/those' who Icould not; .speak French. WhehJ the moment 'arrived forl'the ancient form of;:(popular. election, ■ .from -the'mixed'-'multitutle^.'vyitliin. the 'Abbey. The .TSTprmafa, cavalry yith'out, ' hear- . ing but; not understanding JhTß\ peculiarity of Saxon institution, took alarm, and thinking their Duke was in danger, fell 'upon "and massacred many of the Saxons, and also set fire to the neighbouring houses before •the error was understood. The crowd in . the Abbey — nobles and poor, men and women — alarmed in their turn, rushed out. ' The prelates and monks were loft alono •■with William - in the church, and in thesolitude of that wintry day, amidst the cries of his new subjects trampled down by' the horses' hoofs of their conquerors, 'he himself -for the first time in his' life trembling from head to foot, the remainder of the ceremony was hurried on. But the Christma* Crown did not bring joy to the Conqueror. He is said to have been a most unhappy man. A "CEUEL CHBISTUAS" AT TOItK. William of Normandy kept his next Christinas at York, but stained his memory 'by giving orders to devastate the country between York and Durham. Between the -two Chrtstmases his enemies had risen up against him, and York had opened her • sales to welcome them. William, who was down in tho South-west of England when the news reached him, swore *'by God's splendour" that he would not leave one of • his enemies alive, and .hastened northward •tt once to. carry Tiis threat into On reaching York he gave his troops orders to devastate "the country" between that gify »nd Durham, which they were not clow to obey. "From. York to Durham." says William — Malme6bury, writing in -1129, "not an inhabited village remained. ■Fire, slaughter, and devastation made it a vast wiMerness, which it continues to this day." Another old writer says : "He devas-' tated York and Durham, wreaking his Tengeance upon the goodly cities with their towers and steeples, and the beautiful fields end pastures watered by' sweet and pleasant rivers, until they became utterly desolate, ftul cornses rotted in. J&a &Uent streets and

deserted highways for. lack of friendly hands 'tor' give" them burial; no less, than 100,000 perishing '/byVfireT and sword, cold and hunger, in that cruel Christmaatide." It i%\ meTaccholy to : b£ toM that "William < came .' back to York, wb'ich had been ruined, -with !_! _ 'wsr still -in- hie breast to celebrate the "great" festival of peace.' "There was no Minster," says Canon Raine, ''no church probably left, to worship in ; the army lay . outside the j .walk . because all shelter inside was de- : stroyed. '■ But an ordinary observance of the . feast was not enough for William. He would make it a commemoration of his 'triumph. The rich vessels and garniture of his table, the emblems of Royalty, and > the -Crown of England itself were brought j from Winchester to York, and there, amidst . sights and sounds of untold sorrow, he kept 'the hig-h festival of Christmas joy on, the great mid-winter day t " . I A BOFAL CHRISTMAS OWSTOM. j In 1085, William kept his Christmas in , great stato at Gloucester, where he set the ' custom followed for several centuries afterwards 'of wearing the crown at. the festival. | ' This custom led to an unseemly quarrel at . a Christmas feast some years after. It «was j in 1137, when Henry I was holding his ; Christmas fc-ast at [Windsor,,- and to which j he had invited the King ?- --. Scots. The j feast was marred by a, 1 between the ( Archbishops of Cante-vbui. Yoik. The 1 quarrel arcse as Xo which of them belonged the right to place the crown on the King's head ere be " set out for church. The dispute waxed so hot that both the Primates hastened to Rome to' have the matter settled { by the Pope. Twenty-one years after this • i Henry II kept tho Christmas- fea6t at !„ Worcester, .and, on r this occasion he laid h irtide His crown dn : the. altar and, never wore • jit j afterward^.-'lThB same monarch,'- in 1171, ■ celebrated. his\.Christmas feast at "Dublin in ;a large, wooden house erected for the purpose, where,: he astonished the natives by , : the „ magnificence with which he entertained [ s 'them.- J TweSiy y^s 1 later another Christ- ! maa'-was -kept, by.Jan English' king abroad, j JRfchard^Twas on" his way to the Holy Land, ' an3^aF/Siciiy he kept the feast, when every- ! body ''present at the feasting received a present worthy of the giver. j THE KING AND THE ARCHBISHOP. | John celebrated his first Christmas at Guildford, and for the purpose spent large sums in costly apparel for his attendants, \ but was vexed to find that the Archbishop ' of Canterbury could out-do him in, magnifi- j cenoe. However, he tcok his revenge next year by going with all his Court and re- j tamers to Canterbury to keep his Christmas 1 there at the Archbishop's expense. But the Primate, the celebrated Hubert de Burgh, made him welcome, and prepared for him a right royal feast. This was in 1203. Ten .years afterwards the King kept his Christmas with great festivity at Windsor, but as the years rolled on his guests became fower,' until John had more enemies among bis nobles than friends. A CHRISTMAS WEDDING AT YORK. Passing down the stream of time we come to Henry 111, who held thre-e Christmas j festivals in York (1229-1230 and 1252). In the Christmas of 1230 Alexander of Scotland, I who had previously married Joan, Henry's sister, in the Minster, was his guest, and for three days the splendid Court kept high revelry, Henry scattering his gifts with a wasteful hand. But his third Christmas at York was the mO3t conspicuous of all. A ' marriage had been arranged between his nephew, the young Alexander of Scotland, ! and Margaret, then a young lady of 12 years 1 old. To witness" the ceremony the great 1 men of both countries were present. Tho J Queen Dowager of Scotland attended, bring- , , ing with her a gcodU- array of her French ' j compatriots. On Ckristmas Day Henry knighted his nephi .w, and on the morrow | I tho marriage was celebrated, with vast pomp and the most lavish display. The banquets were prodigality itself, Archbishop Gray, who was constrained to play the host, giving the most siimutuous of the entertainment^

and spending over the Royal visit the very I large cum of 4000 marks. "eufus's boabikg hall." The great hall, of "Westminster was added to the palace of Edward the Confessor by William H. Hence. Pope calls it "Rufus's Roaring Halli" It was in this hall that the Christmas festival was observed by Henry I during the first four year 3of his reign, i Here, tp<s, Stephen kept his Christmas till | his -fifth year, when the celebration was laid aside:— When in 1248 Henry 111 kept his Christmas -at Winchester, not unmindful of the' claims of the >I<ondon poor, he ordered his ■ treasurer.- "to'fill the King's Great Hall with' poor people and feast them there." i In 1277 Edward * kept his" Christmas at I'Westininster, 'and." we are' 'told by Walcott, j in his very, iriteresring-/'Memorials of Westminster^"- that- Llewellen, -Prince of Wales, i bidden witb-cpnsiderable 'mockery from his mountain fastnesses ! 'jvith a kiss, of peace, sat a -guest at the Christmas eobnto fall, ' the last of" his "weeping country's independence, in unequal battle with the ruthless -Sing. In 1290-92 and 1303 Edward' I also kept his Christmas here. As did Edward- II in 1317, "when, however, few nobles were present, ''because of discord betwixt them and the s King," but in 1320" Christmas was kfpt' here "with great- honour and,', glorie." :" •*■ -- . , V " ' _ , Ed>vard-' 111 seems Ib , have" - been a righr ropal .provider ' 7 of' feasts, and one' of his banquets is said- to have cost- a sum in those 'days , equal "to/ $40,000 of -t>resent\ money.' -In? 1358 he.dcept. ,his-. Christmas -'in \Wes.tminster Hall, and had; for, 'his giiests at the banquet-table the -.captive King of- Frstrice " -and David, -King of Scotland, when ,the' latter came to England to offer his services in the French -wars.'. And in 1362 King I David and the King of Cyprus met here at two grand entertainments given by King Edward. According to Stowe, Richard II gave on Christmas Day a house-warming in Westminster Hall upon the completion of the magnificent edifice. On" this occasion the King sat robed_ in cloth of gold, garnished with pearls and precious stones to the amazing value of 3000 marks. While the feast lasted - 10,000 guests were invited every day "under his household roof." ■' We need not wonder that Richard kept 2000 cooks. In 1478 Edward IV kept his Christmas at Westminster Hall with great pomp, wear- ' ing his crown and making presents to the ! household 1 . EICHAED III.'S LAST OHHISTMAS. Richard, 111, although his roign was short and turbulent, kept' two Christmases in great state in Westminster Hall, and in I*B3, when, says Phillip de Oomines, "he was reigning in greater splendour and authority than any King of England for the last hundred years, he solemnised this festival with great pomp and 6plendomv encouraging t the recreations,,usual at. this season, presiding at- the customary -feast, and .■8»-»ttsDHveljr v observing ""'everT' the most, trivial matters that the, warrant is entered ■for; the-paymeni of- 200/ marks for certainNew Tear's gifts brought against the feastof Christmais:" ' The festival' 'continued- with- r .put interruption- until- the Epiphany, when it terminated' with,an entertainment of ex? traordinary , magnificence- ' given " by- -the monarch tofhh nobles in Westminster' Hall" — "the King himself wearing his- crown" are the words of Croyland, historan, and holding a splendid feast in the Great Hall simi- : lar to iliac of liis coronation. Little did i Richard imagine that this, would be the last ' feast at which he would preside— the last time ho would display hie crown in^ peace before the assembled peers. THE LOBD MATOK INVITED. Henry VII, though little given to hospi- I tality, kept the ninth Christmas of his reign ! with great magnificence in Westminster ' HalL feasting the Aldermen and Lord ' Mayor of London, and showing them sports on the- night following in the Great Hall, , which was richly hung with tapestry, which sports being ended in the morning, the King, <Jueen, and Court sat down at table of stone to 120 dishes placed by as many ' knights and squires, while the Mayor was j served with 24 dishes and abundance of \ win*. And finally, the King and Que^n ! being conveyed with great lights into the palace, the Mayor, with his company, returned in barges to London by break of the next morning. STILL CHRISTMASES. The first "still Christmas" in England occurred in the reign of Henry VIII. It was in 1528: Henry had not yet forfeited thercapect of his subjects. In December the King wae sick, and the naiion was filled with j anxiety. It was decided lhat the Christmas should be a silent one, and there were no \ carols, -bells, or merry-making':!. The Christ- \ mas/before his marriage with Anne Boleyn was also mirthless. As the King grew older his Christmasee grew dulled, and the "Eng- ! lish Bluebeard' J chiefly passed the time in .gambling, and the record of his *privy expenses shows us that he was in the' habit of drawing on the Treasury for £100 Christmas playmoney, while -the alrasmoney only amounted to £10. N A QrEKX'B CHRISTMAS IN THE INXEB TEMFLE. In the short reign of Queen Mary the Christmas festivities were neglected, but they were revived by Queen Elizabeth with great pomp. The fourth Christmas "of her reign was kept with great magnificence in the Inner Temple. Plays and. masques were especially encouraged; the play of St. George becoming very popular, and Shakespeare himself may have acted before Elizabeth at Christmas. In 1568 the Earl of Shrewsbury, writing to his wife, cays: — "The plage is disposed far abrode in London, so that the Queene keeps her Kyrogomas her, and goeth not to Greenwych, as it \ was mete." cromwell's Christmas. Throughout the reign of James I plays and masques continued to be favourite Christmas festivities, and the gambling at Court ran high. They were observed after the accession of Charles I, but when Cromr I well sat upon the throne he issued an edict against all Christmas festivities. The festi- ! val was altogether abolished, and the dis- | play even of the emblems of the Nativity was held to be seditious. The change was I the most notable in London. There was j eilence in the Strand. The.church bells were ! still. Se> Paul's lifted it 3 white roofs over the Thames, and Westminster -Abbey its towers, I but the tides of happy people in holiday attire I no more poured in and out of those "ancient 1 fanes. Bells, indeed, rang out upon the frosty air, but how different from the chimes of old. They were the handbells of 1 I the heralde, in simple garb, passing from

The special Gahden Fertiliser made lip by Nimmo and Blair -will be fownd to give excellent results when used for Flowers and Vegetables; also for Pot Plants, in and out o£ greenhouse. It is put up in 7lb bags, at Is 6d . each. Ask your storekeeper for if 1 I

street to street, end smiting the air with* ' the cry, "No Christmas ! No Christmas." For— The high-shoe lords of Cromwell's making ] Were -not -for dainties, roasting, baking ; The chiefest food they found much-good -in - "Was rusty bacon and bag-pudding ; , Plum- broth was Popish, and lifirice pie— - Oh! that was flat idolatry. - ' I A GREAT CHANGE. A great change followed the Restoration. The Christmas- bells rang out' once more.' The waits again ysang tJheuV "carols at the gates of the^ old feudal hall. -..There 1 were merry-makings egain in the Court. " "The" festival, indeed, in J the days of the, "Merrie Monarch, became a revel after the Puritanical silence.