Christmas Past And Present

Words: "Poor Robin's Almanac," 1739

Source: Henry Vizetelly, Christmas With The Poets (London: David Bogue, 1851).

Now Christmas comes with frost and snow,
When men do feast, or should do so;
When lusty diet, and the bowl
Should round the table troll,
And cooks prepare their poignant meat,
To teach the palate how to eat,
And every disk invite the sight
To a new hungry appetite;
The while musicians sing and play,
With mirth to pass the time away.
For mirth, being mixed with our meat,
Gives better appetite to eat.

But now the times are altered so,
When Christmas is, we scarce can know.
But, for these two things put together,
Men's hearts are hard, so is the weather
But which are hardest of the two?
Men's hearts are, without more ado.
O, may those who have richest store,
And do refuse to feast the poor,
Whilst they are served with every dish
That coin can buy, or heart can wish —
O, may they still have store of meat,
But stomach none, the same to eat.

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