aight we all must begone,
And leave none to keep house, but our new porter John,
Who relieves the poor with a thump on the back with a stone,
Like a young courtier of the King's,
And the King's young courtier"

(_Percy's Reliques_)

Another called "Time's Alteration, or, the Old Man's Rehearsal, what
brave dayes he knew a great while agone, when his old cap was new,"
says--

"A man might then behold,
At Christmas, in each hall,
Good fires to curb the cold
And meat for great and small;
The neighbours were friendly bidden,
And all had welcome true,
The poor from the gates were not chidden,
When this old cap was new

Black jacks to every man
Were filled with wine and beer,
No pewter pot nor can
In those days did appear
Good cheer in a nobleman's house
Was counted a seemly shew,
We wanted no brawn nor souse,
When this old cap was new."

(_Evans's Ballads_)

Referring to the Restoration of the monarchy, and contrasting it with
the Protectorate period, _Poor Robin's Almanack_, 1685, says--

"Now thanks to God for Charles' return,
Whose absence made old Christmas mourn,
For then we scarcely did it know,
Whether it Christmas were or no

* * * * *

To feast the poor was counted sin,
When treason that great praise did win
May we ne'er see the like again,
The roguish Rump should o'er us reign."

After the Restoration an effort was made to revive the Christmas
entertainments of the Court at Whitehall, but they do not appear to
have recovered their former splendour. The habits of Charles the
Second were of too sensual a nature to induce him to interest himself
in such pursuits; besides which the manners of the country had been
changed during the sway of the Puritans. Pepys states that Charles II.
visited Lincoln's Inn to see the Christmas revels of 1661, "there
being, according to an old custom, a Prince and all his nobles, and
other matters of sport and charge." And the diary of the Rev. John
Ward, vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon, extending from 1648 to 1679,
states: "The Duke of Norfolk expended L20,000 in keeping Christmas.
Charles II. gave over keeping that festival on this account; his
munificence gave great offence at Court." Sandys mentions that a
pastoral called _Calisto_, written by Crowne, was acted by the
daughters of the Duke of York and the young nobility. About the same
time the Lady Anne, afterwards