These deck the unused candlesticks,

And pictures hanging by the wall.
Neighbours resume their annual cheer,
Wishing, with smiles and spirits high,
Glad Christmas and a happy year,
To every morning passer-by;
Milkmaids their Christmas journeys go,
Accompanied with a favour'd swain;
And children pace the crumping snow,
To taste their granny's cake again.
The shepherd, now no more afraid,
Since custom doth the chance bestow,
Starts up to kiss the giggling maid
Beneath the branch of mistletoe
That 'neath each cottage beam is seen,
With pearl-like berries shining gay:
The shadow still of what hath been,
Which fashion yearly fades away,

The singing wates, a merry throng,
At early morn, with simple skill,
Yet imitate the angels' song,

And chant their Christmas ditty still;
And, 'mid the storm that dies and swells
By fits-in hummings softly steals
The music of the village bells,

Ringing round their merry peals.

When this is past, a merry crew,
Bedeck'd in masks and ribbons gay,
The "Morris-dance," their sports renew,
And act their winter evening play.
The clown turn'd king, for penny praise,
Storms with the actor's strut and swell;

And Harlequin a laugh to raise,

Wears his hunchback and tinkling bell

And oft for pence and spicy ale,
With winter nosegays pinn'd before,

The wassail-singer tells her tale,

And drawls her Christmas carols o'er, While 'prentice boy, with ruddy face,

And rime-bepowder'd, dancing locks,

From door to door with happy pace,

Runs round to claim his "Christmas-box."

The block upon the fire is put,

To sanction custom's old desires; And many a fagot's bands are cut,

For the old farmers' Christmas fires;
Where loud-tongued Gladness joins the throng,
And Winter meets the warmth of May,

Till feeling soon the heat too strong,
He rubs his shins, and draws away.

While snows the window-panes bedim,
The fire curls up a sunny charm,
Where, creaming o'er the pitcher's rin,
The flowering ale is set to warm;
Mirth, full of joy as summer bees,
Sits there, its pleasures to impart,
And children, 'tween their parent's knees,
Sing scraps of carols o'er by heart.

And some, to view the winter weathers,
Climb up the window-seat with glee,
Likening the snow to falling feathers,
In Fancy's infant ecstasy ;
Laughing, with superstitious love,
O'er visions wild that youth supplies,
Of people pulling geese above,

And keeping Christmas in the skies.

As though the homestead trees were drest,
In lieu of snow, with dancing leaves;
As though the sun-dried martin's nest,
Instead of i'cles hung the eavez ;
The children hail the happy day--

As if the snow were April's grass,
And pleased, as 'neath the warmth of May,
Sport o'er the water froze to glass.

Thou day of happy sound and mirth,
That long with childish memory stays,
How blest around the cottage hearth
I met thee in my younger days!
Harping, with rapture's dreaming joys,
On presents which thy coming found,
The welcome sight of little toys,

The Christmas gift of cousins round.
Around the glowing hearth at night,

The harmless laugh and winter talc

Go round, while parting friends delight
To toast each other o'er their ale;
The cotter oft with quiet zeal

Will musing o'er his Bible lean;
While in the dark the lovers steal
To kiss and toy behind the screen.

Old custonus! Oh! I love the sound,
However simple they may be :
Whate'er with time hath sanction found,
Is welcome, and is dear to me.
Pride grows above simplicity,

And spurns then from her haughty mind, And soon the poet's song will be

The only refuge they can find.

INDEX OF SUBJECTS.

The name of the author of each extract is printed in italic.

Agrippina, the Mother of Nero, Death of, Character, Influence of the Parental, Rev. R.
Tacitus-G. Long, 23.
Cecil, 247.

Ar, Sheelah, thou 'rt my Darling, Tannahill, Charles II., Character of, Burnet, 358.
164.
Chatterton, Thomas, Campbell, 48.

Anchor, The Forging of the, S. Ferguson, Christmas and Martelmass, Lines on, Herrick,
482.

Ancient London, Fitz Stephen, 373.
Anglo-Saxons and Normans, Hardy, 227.
Another Year. See Year.

Another Year! Another Year! Norton, 468.
Art and Nature, Byron, 298.

Art, Imitation in, Reynolds, 98.

414.

Christmas Carol, A, Anonymous, 417.
Christmas Day, Hymn for, Keble, 457.
Christmas, End of, Herrick, 466.
Christmas, Selections on, from Coleridge, Her
rick, Wither, Shakspere, and Anonymous,

414.

Artevelde, Philip Van, Extract from the Dra- Christmas Tree, The, Coleridge, 379-

matic Poem of, H. Taylor, 360.

Astrologer, The, Butler, 33-

B.

BETROTHED, The, Crabbe, 103.

The Prince Consort, 469.

****

Christina, Queen, of Sweden, Ranke, 431.
Clouds, The, Shelley, 71.

Commedia Divina, The, Dante, 332–352.

Coningsby and the Mysterious Stranger, Dis
raeli, 120.

Birmingham, The Prince Consort's Speech at, Contentment, Special Means of, Bishop San

derson, 81.

DEATH of Agrippina, the Mother of Nero, Generalisations of Science, Humboldt, 211.
Tacitus-G. Long, 23.

EARL OF GOWRIE, The, Extract from the Play Heart, Lyrics of the, Alaric A. Watts-

English Cathedral, An, and St Mark's, Rus- Hope Beyond the Grave, Beattie, 176.

Field Sports, Agriculture, and Trade of the Imitation of Horace, Swift and Pope, 260

Middle Ages, Hallam, 28.

Fireside, My Own, A. A. Watts, 439.
First-Born, Death of the, A. A. Watts, 441.
Floods, Great, in the Province of Moray, Sir
T. Dick Lauder, 526.

Independent Minister, The, Mrs Gaskell, 502.
Florence, A Legend of, Extract from the Play Indians, The Canadian, Sir F. B. Head, 381.