If Christmas day, the truth to say, Fall upon a Wednesday, There shall be a hard winter and strong, The summer merry and good shall be, He shall be doughty and gay, I wis. And wise and crafty also of deed, If Christmas day on Thursday be, If Christmas day on a Friday be, But the end thereof it shall be good. Again, the summer shall be good also; Shall multiply, and be lost none. Shall live long, and lecherous be alway. SUPERSTITIONS REGARDING CHRISTMAS DAY. If Christmas day on Saturday fall, What woman that day of child doth travel, II. F Christmas day on the Sunday be, Mingled with waters strong; Good there shall be without fable, Wines that year shall all be good, Ere that sickness shall have past, Many young people dead shall be. Princes that year with iron shall die, Amongst knights great debate, Many tidings shall come to men, The faith shall then be hurt truly, That shall then appear, Shall bring great danger near. Cattle shall thrive, one and the other, And ships shall suffer on the sea. That year on Monday, without fearing They shall be profitable; Children that on this day are born, Of wit full reasonable. "GET Ivy and Holly and deck up thine house, And take this same brawn to seethe and to souse. And feast thy poor neighbours, the great with the small, DIVISION II. TUSSER. CHRISTMAS POEMS OF THE ELIZABETHAN ERA. E now enter upon that era which was a period of transition, not merely as regards our national religion, but likewise as regards our national literature. The Reformation, and the introduction of printing had begun to produce their fruits, and, amongst other changes that were taking place, somewhat of the barbarism of our national manners, was in process of eradication. And it was fitting that such should be the case under the auspices of a female sovereign, who, although she possessed but little of the gentleness of her sex, yet brought her influence to bear in refining the manners of her courtiers, and with no other object beyond the gratification of her own vanity, converted them into so many beaux chevaliers, who did homage to her person, more perhaps because she was a woman, than by reason of her position as a queen. Among the many changes that were effected, none were, perhaps, more apparent than in the festive entertainments of the time. Some idea of the ceremony observed on these occasions may be formed from the following code of instructions for the guidance of a nobleman's household: "On Christmas day, service in the church ended, the gentlemen presently repair into the hall to breakfast, with brawn, mustard, and malmsey. "At dinner, the butler, appointed for the Christmas, is to see the tables covered and furnished; and the ordinary butlers of the house are decently to set bread, napkins, and trenchers, in good form, at every table; with spoons and knives. At the first course is served in a fair and large boar's head, upon a silver platter, with minstrelsy. "Two 'servants' are to attend at supper, and to bear two fair torches of |