As it fell out upon a day,

Rich Dives sickened and died,

There came two serpents out of hell,
His soul therein to guide.

"Rise up, rise up, brother Dives, And go with us to see,

A dismal place prepared in hell,

From which thou canst not flee."

Then Dives looked up with his eyes,

And saw poor Lazarus blest,

"Give me one drop of water, brother Lazarus, To quench my flaming thirst.

“Oh! had I as many years to abide,

As there are blades of grass,

Then there would be an end, but now
Hell's pains will ne'er be past.

"Oh! was I now but alive again, The space of one half hour,

Oh! that I had my peace secure,

Then the devil should have no power."

18

THE MOON SHINES BRIGHT.

[As in the case of some of the preceding, there are, doubtless, expressions in this simple effusion at which it is difficult to abstain from smiling. The perfect earnestness of these Carols, however, and the charm they have long held over the people, are sufficient apologies for inserting them here. Often they are the sole vehicles of ancient religious stories that have come down to us in this form when they have perished in the more dignified chronicles. On a broadside copy printed about 1750, I observe that it is entitled " A New Christmas Carol;" but I scarcely think it was composed later than the early part of the preceding century.]

HE moon shines bright, and the stars give

a light,

A little before it was day,

Our Lord, our God, he called on us,
And bid us awake and pray.

Awake, awake, good people all,

Awake and

you shall hear,

Our Lord, our God, he died on the cross,

For us whom he loved so dear.

O fair, O fair Jerusalem,

When shall I come to thee?

When shall my sorrows have an end,
Thy joy that I may see?

The fields were green as green could be,
When from his glorious seat

Our Lord, our God, he watered us,
With his heavenly dew so sweet.

And for the saving of our souls
Christ died upon the cross;

We ne'er shall do for Jesus Christ
As he has done for us.

The life of man is but a span,
And cut down in its flower,

We are here to-day and to-morrow are gone,
We are all dead in an hour.

O pray teach your children, man,
The while that you are here;
It will be better for your souls
When your corpse lies on the bier.

With one turf at your head, O man,
And another at your feet,

Thy good deeds and thy bad, O man,
Will altogether meet.

My song is done, I must begone,
I can stay no longer here,

God bless you all both great and small,
And send you a joyful new year!

GOD REST YOU MERRY GENTLEMEN.

[THIS is perhaps the greatest favourite of all the Carols now sung at Christmas. The melody is homely and plaintive, and appears to touch that chord in the popular mind which more elaborate compositions appeal to in vain. An antiquary many years ago thus spoke of it :-" The melody of God rest you Merry Gentlemen' delighted my childhood, and I still listen with pleasure (as who does not) to the shivering carolist's evening chant towards the clear kitchen window deck'd with holly, the flaring fire showing the whitened hearth and reflecting gleams of light from the surfaces of the dresser utensils."

An old broadside copy of this, with three other" choice Carols for Christmas Holidays,” occurs in the Roxburge Collection in the British Museum. Mr. Chappell, in his valuable work on "Popular Music," presents us with two versions of the tune, and adds, “I have received many others from different sources, for no carol seems to be more generally known."]

OD rest you merry gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour,