Oxford University Press London Edinburgh Glasgow Copenhagen New York Toronto Melbourne Cape Town Bombay Calcutta Madras Shanghai Humphrey Milford Publisher to the UNIVERSITY A BOOK OF CHRISTMAS VERSE SELECTED BY H. C. BEECHING SECOND EDITION REVISED The Property of LONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD 1926 821.2 B41b p 1926 Printed in England At the OXFORd University PRESS By John Johnson Printer to the University Stacke Vof moleague Library 1-15-68 671512-291 PUBLISHER'S NOTE HE original edition of A Book of Christmas Verse THE was issued in 1895. At his death in 1919 Dean Beeching left a copy of the book marked with deletions and corrections, and an amount of new matter for insertion. This revision has been carried out, and both deletions and additions have been a little increased. But substantially the book remains the same; its editor's divisions have been preserved, and the omission of his own preface to the first edition is in accord with his markings. A few poems by contemporary writers have been added. Dean Beeching's acknowledgements for permission to use copyright poems are here reprinted from his notes: For No. 54 to the authorities of Christ Church, Oxford; for No. 71 to Messrs. Macmillan; for No. 112 to Mr. Robert Bridges; for No. 113 to Messrs. Kegan Paul and Trench; for No. 133 to the Chiswick Press; and for No. 114 to Mr. Davidson (with an omission specially sanctioned by him). Nos. 78 and 79 (by Gerard Hopkins and Selwyn Image) appeared for the first time in this book. For poems now appearing for the first time acknowledgements are due as follows: for No. 77, by Coventry |