n a similar strain, finding
it hard to hold his own against the patrons of the pantomime:--

"They in the drama find no joys,
But doat on mimicry and toys.
Thus, when a dance is in my bill,
Nobility my boxes fill;
Or send three days before the time,
To crowd a new-made pantomime."

"OLD MERRY PLENTIFUL CHRISTMAS,"

at this period, is sketched by a writer in _Poor Robin's Almanack_,
for 1723, thus:--"Now comes on old merry plentiful Christmas. The
Husbandman lays his great Log behind the fire, and with a few of his
neighbours, over a good fire, taps his Christmas beer, cuts his
Christmas cheese, and sets forward for a merry Christmas. The Landlord
(for we hope there are yet some generous ones left) invites his
Tenants and Labourers, and with a good Sirloin of Roast Beef, and a
few pitchers of nappy ale or beer, he wisheth them all a merry
Christmas. The beggar begs his bread, sells some of it for money to
buy drink, and without fear of being arrested, or call'd upon for
parish duties, has as merry a Christmas as any of them all."

[Illustration: "THE MASK DANCE."]

So the people made merry at Christmas throughout the reign of George
I., who died on June 10, 1727, and was succeeded by his son,

GEORGE THE SECOND.

In this reign the customs of Christmas were kept up with unabated
heartiness, and liberality to the poor was not forgotten. The
customary distributions of creature comforts on Christmas Eve were
continued, and, in some instances, provision for the maintenance of
them was made in the wills of worthy parishioners. An instance of this
kind is recorded in Devonshire. "It appears, from a statement of
charities in an old book, that John Martyn, by will, 28th of November,
1729, gave to the churchwardens and overseers of the poor of the
parish of St. Mary Major, Exeter, twenty pounds, to be put out at
interest, and the profits thereof to be laid out every Christmas Eve
in twenty pieces of beef, to be distributed to twenty poor people of
the parish, such as had no relief on that day, for ever."[78]

That

CHRISTMAS HOUSEKEEPING IN LONDON,

at this period, was excellent, both as to quantity and quality, is
evident, from a contribution made to _Read's Weekly Journal_, of
Saturday, January 9, 1731, by Mr. Thomas North, who thus describes the
Christmas entertainment and good cheer he met with in London at the
house of a friend: "It was the house of an eminent and worthy
merchant, and tho', si