"O come, thou John Evangelist,

Thou'rt welcome unto me,

But more welcome my own dear Son,
Whom I nursed on my knee."

Then he laid his head on his right shoulder,
Seeing death it struck him nigh,-
"The Holy Ghost be with your soul,
I die, mother dear, I die."

O the rose, the gentle rose,

And the fennel that grows so green,
God give us grace, in every place,
To pray for our king and queen.

Furthermore for our enemies all

Our prayers they should be strong,
Amen, good Lord; your Charity
Is the ending of my song.

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LAST NIGHT AS I LAY SLEEPING.

[THE old religious belief that a guardian angel was appointed to watch over each bed, and that he occasionally held intercourse with the occupant, here forms the machinery of a Carol. The composition probably dates back several generations. It is now immediately taken from an old Carol-sheet, never before having been included in a collection.]

AST night as I lay sleeping,

When all my prayers were said,
With my guardian angel keeping
His watch above my head;

I heard his sweet voice caroling,

Full softly on my ear,

A song for Christian boys to sing,

For Christian men to hear.

Thy body be at rest, dear boy,

Thy soul be free from sin;

I'll shield thee from the world's annoy, And breathe pure words within. The holy Christmas tide is nigh,

The season of Christ's birth :

Glory be to God on high,

And peace to men on earth.

"Myself and all the heavenly host
Were keeping watch of old,

And saw the shepherds at their posts,
And all the sheep in fold.

Then told we with a joyful cry,

The tidings of Christ's birth;

Glory be to God on high,

"He bowed to all his Father's will,

And meek he was and lowly;

And year by year his thoughts were still Most innocent and holy.

He did not come to strive or cry,

But ever from his birth,

Gave glory unto God on high,

"Like him be true, like him be pure,

Like him be full of love;

Seek not thine own, and so secure

Thine own that is above.

And still when Christmas tide draws nigh,

Sing thou of Jesus' birth :

Glory be to God on high,

PART II.

RELIGIOUS CAROLS.

"IN EXCELSIS GLORIA."

[BISHOP TAYLOR was of the opinion that the "Gloria in Excelsis," the hymn sung by the angels to the Shepherds at our Lord's Nativity, was the earliest Christmas Carol. It is preserved in an old MS. among the Harleian collection in the British Museum, supposed to have been written about the year 1500. In English Carols of this antiquity Latin words and even whole lines are freely interlarded. They are com posite or macaronic in their language; and the refrain of this curious piece, “In Excelsis Gloria❞—Glory in the highest-is retained in its original form, doubtless, from its analogy to the "gloria" which the priests were accustomed to intone at the altar.

The "Gloria in Excelsis" is sung in Roman Catholic chapels on the Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday, and at midnight on Christmas Even, and then again at eleven o'clock on Christmas Morning.]