AN OXONIAN AND A BISHOP, Who had half a score of the softer sex to lisp "Papa," not one of whom his lady was conjuror enough "to get off," was one day accosted in Piccadilly by an old Oxford chum, with, "I hope I see your Lordship well." "Pretty well, for a man who is daily smothered in petticoats, and has ten daughters and a wife to carve for," was the reply. BRIEF NOTICE OF THE BOAR'S HEAD CAROL, AS SUNG IN QUEEN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD, ON CHRISTMAS DAY. "The earliest collection of Christmas carols supposed to have been published," says Hone, in his Every-Day Book, "is only known from the last leaf of a volume, printed by Wynkyn Worde, in the year 1521. This precious scrap was picked up by Tom Hearne; Dr. Rawlinson purchased it at his decease in a volume of tracts, and bequeathed it to the Bodleian Library. There are two carols upon it: one, 'a caroll of huntynge,' is reprinted in the last edition of Juliana Berner's 'Boke of St. Alban's;' the other, ‘a caroll bringing in the boar's head,' is in Mr. Dibdin's edition of "Ames," with a copy of it as it is now sung in Queen's College, Oxford, every Christmas Day. Dr. Bliss of Oxford also printed on a sheet, for private distribution, a few copies of this, and Anthony Wood's version of it, with notices concerning the custom, from the handwriting of Wood and Dr. Rawlinson, in the Bodleian Library. Ritson, in his ill-tempered 'Observations on Warton's History of English Poetry,' (1782, 4to., p. 37,) has a Christmas carol upon bringing up the boar's head, from an ancient MS. in his possession, wholly different from Dr. Bliss's. The Bibliographical Miscellanies' (Oxford, 1814, 4to.) contains seven carols from a collection in one volume, in the possession of Dr. Cotton, of Christ-Church College, Oxford, 'imprynted at London, in the Poultry, by Richard Kele, dwelling at the longe shop vnder Saynt Myldrede's Chyrche,'" probably between 1546 and 1552. "I had an opportunity of perusing this exceedingly curious volume (Mr. Hone,) which is supposed to be unique, and has since passed into the hands of Mr. Freeling." "According to Aubrey's MS., in the Coll. Ashmol. Mus., Oxford," says a writer in the Morning Herald of the 25th of Dec., 1833, "before the last Civil Wars, in gentlemen's houses, at Christmas, the first dish that was brought to the table was a boar's head, with a lemon in his mouth. At Qeeun's College, Oxford," adds this writer, "they still retain this custom; the bearer of it brings it into the hall, singing, to an old tune, an old Latin rhyme, "Caput apri defero," &c. "The carol, according to Hearne, Ames, Warton, and Ritson," says Dr. Dibdin, in his edition of the second, is as follows: A CAROL BRINGING IN THE BORES HEED. Caput apri differo Reddens laudes domino. The bore's heed in hande bring I, The bores heed I understande Servite cum cantico. Be gladde lordes bothe more and lasse, "This carol (says Warton,) with many alterations, is yet retained at Queen's College, Oxford," though "other ancient carols occur with Latin burthens or Latin intermixtures." But, "Being anxious to obtain a correct copy of this ballad," says Dr. Dibdin, in his AMES," as I had myself heard it sung in the Hall of Queen's College, I wrote to the Rev. Mr. Dickinson, Tutor of the College, to favour me with an account of it: his answer, which may gratify the curious, is here subjoined. "Queen's College, June 7th, 1811. "DEAR SIR,-I have much pleasure in transmitting you a copy of the old Boar's Head Song, as it has been sung in our College-hall, every Christmas Day, within my remembrance. There are some barbarisms in it, which seem to betoken its antiquity. It is sung to the common chaunt of the prose version of the Psalms in cathedrals; at least, whenever I have attended the service at Magdalen or New College Chapels, I have heard the Boar's Head strain continually occurring in the Psalms. ""The boar's head in hand bring I, Caput apri defero Reddens laudes Domino. ""The boar's head, as I understand, Caput apri defero Reddens laudes Domino. "Our steward hath provided this Reddens laudes Domino."" "The following," adds the Doctor, "is Hearne's minute account of it: (Hist. Guil. Neubrig. vol. iii. p. 743:) 'I will beg leave here,' says the pugnacious Oxford antiquary, 'to give an exact copy of the CHRISTMAS CAROL upon the Boar's Head, (which is an ancient dish, and was brought up by King Henry I. with trumpets, before his son, when his said son was crowned) as I have it in an old fragment, (for I usually preserve even fragments of old books) of the Christmas Carols printed by Wynkyn de Worde, (who as well as Richard Pynson, was servant to William Caxton, who was the first that printed English books, though not the first printer in England, as is commonly said,) printing being exercised at Oxford in 1468, if not sooner, which was several years before he printed anything at Westminster, by which it will be perceived how much the said carol is altered, as it is sung in some places even now, from what it was at first. It is the last thing, it seems, of the book (which I never yet saw entire,) and at the same time I think it proper also to add to the printer's conclusion, for this reason, at least, that such as write about our first printers, may have some notice of the date of this book, and the exact place where printed, provided they cannot be able to meet with it, as I believe they will find it pretty difficult to do, it being much laid aside, about the time that some of David's Psalms came to be used in its stead." " THIS CUSTOM Is briefly noticed in Pointer's "Oxoniensis Academia," as "that of having a boar's head, or the figure of one in wood, brought up in the hall every year on Christmas Day, ushered in very solemnly with an old song, in memory of a noble exploit (as tradition goes,) by a scholar (a Tabardar) of this college, in killing a wild boar in Shotover Wood." That is, having wandered into the said wood, which was not far from Oxford, with a copy of Aristotle in his hand (for the Oxonians were of old logicians of the orthodox school in which an Alexander the Great was bred,) and if the latter, as a pupil who sat at the foot of Aristotle, conquered a world, no wonder our Tabardar, as a disciple being attacked by a wild boar, who came at him with extended jaws, intending to make but a mouthful of him, was enabled to conquer so rude a beast, which he did by thrusting the Aristotle down the boar's throat, crying, in the concluding words of the 5th stanza of the following song-GRECUM EST. The animal of course fell prostrate at his feet, was carried in triumph to the college, and no doubt served up with an old song,' as Mr. Pointer says, in memory of this "noble exploit." The witty Dr. Buckler, however, is not satisfied with this brief notice of Mr. Pointer's: but says, in his never-to-be-forgotten exposé, or "Complete Vindication," of The All-Souls' Mallard (of which anon,) "I am apt to fear, that it is a fixed principle in Mr. Pointer to ridicule every ceremony and solemn institution that comes in his way, however venerable it may be for its antiquity and significance;" and after quoting Mr. Pointer's words, he adds, with his unrivalled irony, "now, notwithstanding this bold hint to the contrary, it seemeth to me to be altogether unaccountable and incredible, that a polite and learned society should be so far depraved, in its taste, and so much in love with a block-head, as to eat it. But as I have never had the honour of dining at a boar's head, and there are many gentlemen more nearly concerned and better informed, as well as better qualified, in every respect, to refute this calumny than I am, I shall avoid entering into a thorough discussion of this subject. I know it is given out by Mr. Pointer's enemies, that he hath been employed by some of the young seceders from that college, to throw out a Story of the Wooden-head, in order to countenance the complaints of those gentlemen about short commons, and the great deficiency of mutton, beef, &c.; and, indeed, I must say, that nothing could have better answered their purpose, in this respect, than in proving, according to the insinuation, that the chief dish at one of their highest festivals, was nothing but a log of Wood bedeck'd with bays and rosemary; but surely this cannot be credited, after the university has been informed by the best authority, and in the most public Manner, that a young Nobleman, who lately completed his academical education at that house, was, during his whole residence, not only very well satisfied but extremely delighted with the college commons." In the Oxford Sausage is the following RYGHTE EXCELLENTE SONG IN HONOUR OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE BOAR'S HEAD, AT QUEEN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD. Tam Marti quam Mercurio. I sing not of Rome or Grecian mad games, No Thracian brawls at our rites e'er prevail, Though we honour a boar, we won't make ourselves Swine. |