Page:Glossary of words in use in Cornwall.djvu/351

XVm ADDITIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Chonu : — ^And to jrour weasel, And to jolly weasel, Love and joy be to you. And to your weasel (tree). The wesaeU hob is made Of rosemary tree, And so is your beer Of the heek barley. And to your wesaell^ ftc. We are not beggars^ childeren That begs from door to door. But we are neighbours' childeren That has been here before. And to your wesaell, &o We have got a little purse Made of ratching leather skin, And we want a little money To line it well within. And to your wesaell, &o. Bring us out your table. And spread it with a cloth ; Bring us out your mouldy cheese, lii&ewiae your Christmas loaf. And to your wessell, &o. God bless the master of this house, Likewise the mifltrees too. And all the little childeren That round the table go. And to your wessell, &o. Qood master and good miatereaa^ While you're sitting by the fire. Pray think of us poor childeren That's wandering in the mire. And to your wessell, &c.' Immediately afber midnight Tarioua sets of singers ^ round from house to house (in the season of 1873 I heard two parties ; in that of 1876 not one, owing to the boisterous night), and sing generally three verses of the Christmas hymn so popular here, ' Christians, awake, salute the happy mom.' Sometimes as many as sixteen sets visit a house during the night, consisting of singers, bands, and hand-bell ringers. Li the minds of the superstitious a highly important part of the proceedings is * the letting Christmas in, which is sometimes done over-night, after twelve, but more commonly early in the mominff. On this occasion no woman must enter the house first ; but if possible a man with dark hair : one with light hair is objectionable, and with