A Carol For St. Stephen's Day
Words and Music: Unknown
Source: William Henry Husk, Songs of the Nativity (London: John Camden Hotten, 1868):
1. In friendly love and unity
For good St. Stephen's sake,
Let us all this blessed day
To heaven our prayers make;
That we with him the Cross of Christ
May freely undertake,
And Jesus will send you His blessing.
2. Those accursed infidels
That stoned him to death,
Could not by their cruelties
Withhold him from his faith:
In such a godly martyrdom,
Seek we all the path,
And Jesus will send you His blessing.
3. And whilst we sit here banquetting,
Of dainties having store,
Let us not forgetful be
To cherish up the poor,
And give what is convenient
To those that ask at door.
And Jesus will send you His blessing.
4. For God has made you stewards here
Upon the earth to dwell;
He that gathereth for himself,
And will not use it well,
Lives far worse than devils do
That burneth now in hell.
And Jesus will send you His blessing.
5. And now in love and charity
See you your table spread;
That I may taste of your good cheer,
Your Christmas ale and bread,
That I may say that I full well
For this my carol sped.
And Jesus will send you His blessing.
6. For bounty is a blessed gift,
The Lord above it sends;
And he that gives it from his hands
Deserveth many friends;
I see it on my master's board;
And so my carol ends.
Lord Jesus now send you His blessing.
Husk's Note:
This is a north-country carol and is principally to be met with in the broad-sheets printed at Newcastle during the last and present centuries. An abbreviated version, with some alterations, which are anything but improvements, is given in some of the broadsides issued from the Seven-Dials press of the well-known Catnach. It has not been given in any preceding collection of carols.
Note that Hugh Keyte, an editor of The New Oxford Book of Carols (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1992) believes that "Joshua Sylvestre" is a pseudonym for a collaboration between William Sandys (1792-1874) and William Henry Husk (1814-1887). See Appendix 4.
Note:
Saint Stephen's feast day is December 26. Other hymns and carols for St. Stephen: Hymns to St Stephen. Saint Stephen was among the first seven deacons and was the first martyr. See the book of Acts, Chapters 6 and 7, and this biography of St. Stephen from the Catholic Encyclopedia.
