Contents
Joshua Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern Including Some Never Before Given In Any Collection. Edited, With Notes. (London: John Camden Hotten, 1861). Note that the 1901 and 1905 reprints omit considerable portions of the original.
Part I. Legendary and Narrative Carols
Carol for St. Stephen’s Day (Saint Stephen Was A Clerk)
The Virgin and Child (This Winter's Night, I Saw A Sight)
Three Kings, The - Version 3 (Now is the time of Christmas come)
The Golden Carol of Melchoir, Balthazar, and Gaspar, The Three Kings of Cologne (We saw a light shine out afar)
For Christmas Day in the Morning (The First Nowell)
Carnal and the Crane, The (As I passed by a river side)
The Holy Well (As It Fell Out One May Morning
All You That Are To Mirth Inclined
Gloria Tibi, Domine (There Is A Child Born Of Our Blessed Virgin)
The Cherry Tree Carol - Sylvester (Joseph was an old man)
Dives and Lazarus (As it fell out upon a day)
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen - Sandys
The Worcestershire Christmas Carol (How grand and how bright)
Come Rejoice, All Good Christians
Seven Virgins, The - Version 2 (All under the leaves, the leaves of life)
Part II. Religious Carols
“In Excelsis Gloria” (When The Christ Was Born of Mary Free)
Welcome Yule (Welcome be thou heavenly King)
A Carol on the Birth of Christ (Was not Christ our Saviour / Sent unto us from God above)
Carol, With Lullaby (Lulla, la lulla, lulla lullaby, / My sweet little babe, what meanest thou to cry?)
New Prince, New Pomp (Behold A Simple Tender Babe)
For Christmas Day (Immortal Babe, Who This Dear Day)
The Shepherd's Song (Sweet Music, sweeter far)
Christmas Tide (Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes)
Hymn on the Nativity of my Saviour (I Sing The Birth Was Born To-Night)
Angels’ Song, The (Run, Shepherds, run where Bethlem blest appears)
A Christmas Carol (What sweeter music can we bring)
The Star Song (Tell Us, Thou Cleere And Heavenly Tongue)
An Ode on the Birth of our Saviour (In Numbers, And But These Few)
Christmas Day - Wither (As on the night before this happy morn)
The Virgin Mother (Come Behold The Virgin Mother)
Hark The Herald Angels Sing - Sandys
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Hark! All Around The Welkin Rings
Mortals Awake With Angels Join
A New Christmas Carol (It Is The Day, The Holy Day)
Christ Was Born on Christmas Day - Version 1
Carol for St. Stephen’s Day (Saint Stephen Was A Clerk)
The Virgin and Child (This Winter's Night, I Saw A Sight)
Three Kings, The - Version 3 (Now is the time of Christmas come)
The Golden Carol of Melchoir, Balthazar, and Gaspar, The Three Kings of Cologne (We saw a light shine out afar)
For Christmas Day in the Morning (The First Nowell)
Carnal and the Crane, The (As I passed by a river side)
The Holy Well (As It Fell Out One May Morning
All You That Are To Mirth Inclined
Gloria Tibi, Domine (There Is A Child Born Of Our Blessed Virgin)
The Cherry Tree Carol - Sylvester (Joseph was an old man)
Dives and Lazarus (As it fell out upon a day)
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen - Sandys
The Worcestershire Christmas Carol (How grand and how bright)
Come Rejoice, All Good Christians
Seven Virgins, The - Version 2 (All under the leaves, the leaves of life)
Part III. Numeral Carols
Note from Sylvester:
Numeral Hymns were common in the olden time. Frequently they were set as tasks for children to acquire, and he received most praise who could ascend correctly to the highest number.
The following [The Seven Joys] is one of the commonest, at the same time that it is one of the most ancient, of all our popular Carols. The original, preserved among the Sloane MSS., and of a date not later than the fourteenth century, is entitled " Joyes Fyve." As a specimen I give the first verse.
Ye ferste joye as i zu telle
Wt mary met seynt Gab'elle,
Heyl mary i grete ye welle,
wt fadr & sone & holy gost.Perhaps some apology is necessary for the expression which is made to rhyme with "one" in the first verse. Another word was not easily found, and the taste of the time was widely different from what it is now. At first I was inclined to omit the Carol, but its popularity pleaded its insertion.
The Seven Joys (The First Good Joy Our Mary Had)
A New Dial (One God, One Baptisme, And One Fayth)
Man's Duty; or, Meditation for the Twelve Hours of the Day (One God There Is Of Wisdom)
Part IV. Carols In Praise Of The Holly and Ivy
Holly and Ivy made a great Party (Holly And Ivy)
Here comes Holly (Here Comes Holly)
Nay, Ivy, nay (The Contest of the Ivy and the Holly)
Holly Carol (Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind)
The Holly and the Ivy (The Holly And The Ivy)
Part V. Carols In Praise Of The Boar's Head
Tidings I bring you for to tell (Tidings I Bring You For To Tell)
The Boar's Head in Hand I bring (The boris hede in hond I bryng - Thomas Wright)
The Boar's Head in Hand bring I (The boar’s head in hand bring I)
The Boar's Head that we bring here (The Boar's Head, That We Bring Here)
The Boar is dead (The Boar Is Dead)
Part VI. Festive Carols
Angelo-Norman Carol
Sir Christmas (Sir Christmas)
A Carol in praise of Ale
A Carol for a Wassail Bowl (A Carrol for a Wassel)
God bless the Master of this House (God Bless The Master Of This House)
Come bring with a Noise (Come Bring The Noise)
The Wassail
Merry Christmas (Merry Christmas)
All you that in this House be here (All You That In This House Be Here)
Cheer
Old Christmas returned (Old Christmas)
Now Thrice Welcome Christmas (Now Thrice Welcome Christmas)
Christmas Day approaches near
Christmas Customs (Herrick?)
Christmas is a coming
The Wassailers' Carol
Wassailers' Carol
Carol for the Poor
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