xford, and pounced upon as a gem by two such
excellent judges of poetry as Mr. Alfred W. Pollard and Mr. F. Sidgwick:--

"_Can I not sing but Hoy!
The jolly shepherd made so much joy!_
The shepherd upon a hill he sat,
He had on him his tabard[1] and his hat,
His tar-box, his pipe and his flagat;[2]
And his name was called jolly, jolly Wat,
For he was a good herd's-boy,
Ut hoy!
For in his pipe he made so much joy."

"The shepherd upon a hill was laid
His dog to his girdle was tayd,
He had not slept but a little braid
But _Gloria in excelsis_ was to him said
Ut hoy!
For in his pipe he made so much joy.

"The shepherd on a hill he stood,
Round about him his sheep they yode,[3]
He put his hand under his hood,
He saw a star as red as blood.
Ut hoy!
For in his pipe he made so much joy."

The shepherd of course follows the star, and it guides him to the inn and
the Holy Family, whom he worships:--

"'Now farewell, mine own herdsman Wat!'
'Yea, 'fore God, Lady, even so I hat:[4]
Lull well Jesu in thy lap,
And farewell Joseph, with thy round cap!'
Ut hoy!
For in his pipe he made so much joy."

[1] Short coat.
[2] Flagon.
[3] Went.
[4] Am hight, called.

Set beside this the following Burgundian carol (of which, by the way, you
will find a charming translation in Lady Lindsay's _A Christmas Posy_):--

"Giullo, pran ton tamborin;
Toi, pran tai fleute, Robin.
Au son de ces instruman--
Turelurelu, patapatapan--
Au son de ces instruman
Je diron Noel gaiman.

"C'eto lai mode autrefoi
De loue le Roi de Roi;
Au son de ces instruman--
Turelurelu, patapatapan--
Au son de ces instruman
Ai nos an fau faire autan.

"Ce jor le Diale at ai cu,
Randons an graice ai Jesu;
Au son de ces instruman--
Turelurelu, patapatapar--
Au son de ces instruman
Fezon lai nique ai Satan.

"L'homme et Dei son pu d'aicor
Que lai fleute et le tambor.
Au son de ces instruman--
Turelurelu, patapatapan--
Au son de ces instruman
Chanton, danson, santons-an!"

To set either of these delightful ditties alongside of the richly-jewelled
lyrics of Keats or of Swinburne, of Victor Hugo or of Gautier would be to
sin against congru