[Footnote 3:  NOTE C.

From the Flying Eagle, a small gazette, published December 24, 1652:  “The House spent much time this day about the business of the Navy, for settling the affairs at sea; and before they rose, were presented with a terrible remonstrance against Christmas day, grounded upon divine Scriptures, 2 Cor. v. 16; 1 Cor. xv. 14, 17; and in honour of the Lord’s Day, grounded upon these Scriptures, John xx.  I; Rev. i. 10; Psalm cxviii. 24; Lev. xxiii. 7, 11; Mark xvi. 8; Psalm lxxxiv. 10, in which Christmas is called Anti-Christ’s masse, and those Mass-mongers and Papists who observe it, etc.  In consequence of which Parliament spent some time in consultation about the abolition of Christmas day, passed orders to that effect, and resolved to sit on the following day, which was commonly called Christmas day.”]

[Footnote 4:  NOTE D.

An English gentleman at the opening of the great day, i. e. on Christmas day in the morning, had all his tenants and neighbours enter his hall by daybreak.  The strong beer was broached, and the black jacks went plentifully about with toast, sugar, nutmeg, and good Cheshire cheese.  The hackin (the great sausage) must be boiled by daybreak, or else two young men must take the maiden (i.e. the cook) by the arms and run her round the market-place till she is shamed of her laziness.—­Round about our Sea-coal Fire.]

[Footnote 5:  NOTE E.

The old ceremony of serving up the boar’s head on Christmas day is still observed in the hall of Queen’s College, Oxford.  I was favoured by the parson with a copy of the carol as now sung, and as it may be acceptable to such of my readers as are curious in these grave and learned matters, I give it entire.

“The boar’s head in hand bear I,
Bedeck’d with bays and rosemary;
And I pray you, my masters, be merry,
Quot estia in convivio. 
Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino.

“The boar’s head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all this land,
Which thus bedeck’d with a gay garland
Let us servire cantico. 
Caput apri defero, etc.

“Our Steward hath provided this
In honour of the King of Bliss,
Which on this day to be served is
In Reginensi Atrio. 
Caput apri defero,”
Etc., etc., etc.]

[Footnote 6:  NOTE F.

The peacock was anciently in great demand for stately entertainments.  Sometimes it was made into a pie, at one end of which the head appeared above the crust in all its plumage, with the beak richly gilt; at the other end the tail was displayed.  Such pies were served up at the solemn banquets of chivalry, when knights-errant pledged themselves to undertake any perilous enterprise; whence came the ancient oath, used by Justice Shallow, “by cock and pie.”

The peacock was also an important dish for the Christmas feast; and Massinger, in his “City Madam,” gives some idea of the extravagance with which this, as well as other dishes, was prepared for the gorgeous revels of the olden times: