Early Christmas Carols (fair copy, Fitzwilliam Museum) anonymous Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1 © Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Early Christmas Carols DGR 1850? fair copy 13 leaves DGR DGR Fitzwilliam Museum DGR is the editor of the carols, which have been transliterated from his Middle English source texts. ruled white 11.2 x 17.7cm unwatermarked Commentary
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DGR copied these anonymous carols into a little notebook with ruled white paper.

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Ancient Christmas Carols blank page Ancient Christmas Carols ----- 1 “Christo parvemus cauticum excelsis gloria” ----- When Christ was born of Mary free, In Bethlehem, in that fair city, Angels sang there with mirth and glee, “In Excelsis Gloria” Herdsmen beheld these Angels bright To them appearing with great light, Who said, “God's son is born this night; In Excelsis Gloria” This King is come to save mankind, In scripture as we find; Therefore this song have we in mind— “In Excelsis Gloria” Lord, out of thy great grace Let us, in bliss, look on thy face, There we may sing to thy solace— “In Excelsis Gloria” ----- 2.<lb/> “Jesus Christus hodie natus est de Virgine” ----- Blessèd be that maid Mary; Born he was of her body,— God's son that sitteth on high,— nostro ex virili semine. In the manger of an ass Jesus layed and lulled was, Hard pains for to pass pro peccante homine. Kings came from divers lands With great gifts in their hands There they found him in swaddling-bands, Stella ducti lumine. Man and child, both old and young, Do joy in his blissful coming; To that child now we sing, “Gloria tibi Domine.” Noel! Noel! In this hall Make merry, I pray ye all; Unto that child we may call Ullo sine crimine. ----- 3.<lb/> “Ah my Dear Son” ----- “Ah my dear Son,” said Mary, “ah my dear! Kiss thy mother, Jesus, with a laughing cheer.” Even this night I saw a sight All in my sleep: Mary the May she sang lullay And sore did weep; To keep she sought full fast about Her son from cold. Joseph said, “Wife, my joy, my life,— Say what ye wold, No room, my spouse, is in this house For any pay: My son (a King that made all thing) Must lie in hay.” Ah my dear Son! “My mother dear, amend your cheer, And now be still; Thus for to lie, it is soothlily My father's will. Derision,—great passion Infinitely,— (As it is found) and many a wound Suffer shall I. On Calvary that is so high— There shall I be (Man to restore) nailed full sore Upon a tree.” Ah my dear Son! ----- 4. A New Carol of Our Lady ----- Lord and Ladies, all bidden For your goodness and honour,— I will sing to you of a Queen; Of all women she is the flower. There came an angel bright of face Flying from Heaven with a great light, And said: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, For thou shalt bear a man of might; Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!” This said the Angel Gabriel. Astonied was that lady free, And had marvel of that greeting: “Angel,” she said, “how may that be, For never of man had I knowing?” “Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!” This said the Angel Gabriel. “Dread thou nothing, Mary mild,— Thou art fullfilled with great virtue; Thou shalt conceive and bear a child That shall be named sweet Jesu. Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!” This said the Angel Gabriel. She kneeled down upon her knee: “As thou hast said, so may it be; With heart, thought, and mild cheer, God's handmaid I am here.” Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!” This said the Angel Gabriel. 5.<lb/>Followis ane sang of the birth of Christ,<lb/>with the tune of Balulalow ----- Out of heaven I come to tell The best news that ere befell; To ye such tidings true I bring, And of them I will say and sing. This day to you is born a child Of Mary Virgin, meek and mild; That blessèd child, gracious and kind, Shall you rejoice both heart and mind. Ye shall him find sans mark or ring, Full simple in a cribb lying; So lieth he who us hath wrought And all the world made out of nought. O God, that made all creäture,— How art thou become so poor, On the hay and the straw to lie Among the asses, oxen, and kye. Were the world ten times as wide, Clad over with gold and stones of pride, Unworthy still it were of thee— Under thy feet a stool to be. The silk and sandell, thee to ease, Are hay and simple swathing-claes, Wherein thou gloriest, greatest King, As thou in Heaven satt'st in thy ring. O my dear Heart, young Jesus sweet, Prepare thy cradle in my spirit, And I shall rock thee in my heart And never more from thee depart. But I shall praise thee evermore With sweet songs unto thy gloire; The knees of my heart I shall bow, And sing that right Balulalow. Glory be to God eternally, Who gave his only son for me! The angels are gladdened when they hear The gracious gift of this new Year. ------- 6. The Wassaile. ----- Give way, give way, ye gates, and win An easy blessing to your kin And basket by our entering in. May both with manchet stand repleat; Your larders, too, so hung with meat That thereof them and folk may eat. Next, may your dairies prosper so As that your pans no ebb may know; But if they do, the more to flow. Like to a solemn sober stream Bankt all with lilies, and the cream Of sweetest cowslips, filling them. Then may your plants be prest with fruit, Nor beehive that you have be mute But sweetly sounding like a lute. Next, may your duck and teeming hen Both to the cock's-trend say Amen, And for their two eggs render ten. Last, may your harrows, shares, & ploughs, Your stacks, your stocks, your sweetest mows All prosper by your virgin-vows. ------ 7. A Carol of Mary Virgin. ----- The Angel Gabriel from God Was sent to Galilee Unto a Virgin fair and dear Whose name was called Mary: And when the Angel thither came, He fell down on his knee, And looking up in the Virgin's face He said “All hail, Mary.” Then sing we all, both great and small, Noel! Noel! Noel! We may rejoice to hear the voice Of the Angel Gabriel. Mary anon looked him upon, And said, “Sir, what are ye? I marvel much at these tidings Which thou hast brought to me. Married I am to an old man, As the lot fell unto me; Therefore I pray, depart away. For I stand in doubt of thee.” Then sing, &c. “Mary,” he said, “be not afraid, But do believe in me: The power of the Holy Ghost Shall overshadow thee; Thou shalt conceive without any grief, As the Lord told unto me; God's own dear Son from Heaven shall come And shall be born of thee. Then sing, &c. This came to pass as God's will was, Even as the Angel told. About midnight an Angel bright Came to the shepherds' fold, And told them then both where and when Born was the child our Lord, And all along this was their song— “All Glory be given to God.” Then sing, &c. ----- 8. The Cherry Carol. ----- Joseph was an old man And an old man was he, And he married Mary Queen of Galilee. When Joseph was married And his cousin Mary got, Mary proved big with child,— By whom Joseph knew not. As Joseph and Mary Walked through the garden gay Where the cheries they grew Upon every tree, O then bespoke Mary With words both meek and mild: “Gather me some cherries, Joseph,— They run so in my mind; Gather me some cherries, For I am with child.” O then bespoke Joseph With words that reviled: “Let him gather thee cherries That got thee with child.” O then besoke Jesus, All in his mother's womb: “Go to the tree, Mary, And it shall bow down; Go to the tree, Mary, And it shall bow to thee, Yea the highest branch of all Shall bow down to Mary's knee, “And she shall gather cherries By one, by two, by three.” “Now look you,” she said, “Joseph, Those cherries were for me.” O! eat your cherries, Mary, O! eat your cherries now, O! eat your cherries, Mary, That grow on the bough. ------ As Joseph was a-walking, He heard an angel sing— “This night shall be born Our heavenly King; “He neither shall be born In housen, nor in hall, Nor in the place of Paradise But in an ox's stall; “He neither shall be clothed In purple nor in pall, But in fair linen As are babies all; “He neither shall be rocked In silver nor in gold, But in a wooden cradle That rocks on the mould; “He neither shall be christen'd In white wine nor in red, But with the spring-water Wherewith we were christenèd.” Then Mary took her young Son And set him on her knee: “I pray thee now, dear Child, Tell how this world shall be.” “This world shall be like The stones in the street, For the sun and the moon Shall bow down at thy feet. And upon a Wednesday My vow I will make, And upon Good Friday My death I will take; And upon the third day My uprising shall be, And the sun and the moon Shall rise up with me.” -------- 9. The Twelve. ----- What is that which is but one? We have but one God alone In Heaven above sits on His throne. What are they which are but two? Two Testaments, as we are told; The one is New and the other Old. What are they which are but three? Three Persons in the Trinity,— The Father, Son, and Ghost Holy. What are they which are but four? Four Gospels written true,— John, Luke, Mark, and Matthew. What are they which are but five? Five senses we have to tell; God grant us grace to use them well. What are they which are but six? Six ages this world shall last; Five of them are gone and past. What are they which are but seven? Seven days in the week have we,— Six to work, and the seventh holy. What are they which are but eight? Eight beatitudes are given: Use them well and go to Heaven. What are they which are but nine? Nine degrees of Angels high Which praise God continually. What are they which are but ten? Ten Statutes God to Moses gave, Which kept or broke do spoil or save. What are they which are but eleven? Eleven with Christ in Heaven do dwell; The twelfth for ever burns in Hell. What are they which are but twelve? Twelve are attending on God's son: Twelve make our creed. The dial's done. -------- 10. “O fair Jerusalem!” ----- O fair, O fair Jerusalem! When shall I come to thee? When shall my sorrows have an end? Thy joys when shall I see? Thy fields were green as green could be, When from his glorious seat The Lord our God he watered us With his heavenly dew so sweet. And for the saving of our souls Christ died upon the cross: We ne'er shall do for Jesus Christ As he hath done for us. The life of man is but a span,— It is cut down in its flower; We are here to-day, and to-morrow are gone; We are all dead in an hour. ------- 11. Mary Mother. ----- Mary Mother, be not adread; Jesus is in thy body bred, And of thy breast he will be fed. Mary Mother, the fruit of thee For us was nailed on a tree: In Heaven is now his majesty. Mary Mother, the third day Up he rose as I now say; To hell taking his righteous way. Mary Mother, after this soon Up to his Heaven he took thee home. The Angels were glad when thou wert come. 12. A Song of the Holly and Ivy. ----- Nay, ivy, nay, it shall not be, I wis; Let holly have the mastery, as the manner is. Holly stands in the hall, fair to behold; Ivy stands without the door; she is full sore a-cold. Holly and his merry men, they dance & they sing; Ivy and her maidens, they weep & they wring. Holly hath berries as red as any rose, That foster the hunters and keep them from dews. Ivy hath berries as black as any sloe;— There come the owls, and eat them as they go. Holly hath birds, a full fair flock,— The nightingale, the popinjay, the gentle laverock. Good ivy, what birds hast thou? None but the howlet that cries “how how.” Nay, ivy, nay, it shall not be, I wis; Let holly have the mastery, as the manner is. ------- blank page blank page blank page