The names of Father Christmas, his Children, with their attyres.
(What???You didn’t know that Father Christmas was married? And who is his bride? Why, none other then VENUS :Good Lady Venus of Pudding-lane, you must go out for all this.)
I’ve highlighted the FOOD babies.
MIS-RULE.
In a velvet Cap with a Sprig, a short Cloake, great yellow Ruffe like a
Reveller, his Torch bearer bearing a Rope, a Cheese and a Basket,
CAROLL.
A long tawny Coat, with a red Cap, and a Flute at his girdle, his Torch-bearer
carrying a Song booke open.
MINC’D-PIE.
Like a fine Cookes Wife, drest neat; her Man carrying a Pie, Dish, and Spoones.
GAMBOLL.
Like a Tumbler, with a hoope and Bells; his Torch-bearer arm’d with a Cole-staffe,
and a blinding cloth.
POST AND PAIRE.
With a paire-Royall of Aces in his Hat; his Garment all done over with Payres,
and Purrs; his Squier carrying a Box, Gards, and Counters.
NEW-YEARES-GIFT.
In a blew Coat, serving-man like, with an Orange, and a sprig of Rosemarie guilt
on his head, his Hat full of Broaches, with a coller of Gingerbread, his Torch-bearer carrying a March-paine, with a bottle of wine on either arme.
MUMMING.
In a Masquing pied suite, with a Visor, his Torch-bearer carrying the Boxe, and
ringing it.
WASSALL.
Like a neat Sempster, and Songster; her Page bearing a browne bowle, drest with
Ribbands, and Rosemarie before her.
Wassail bowl - imagine the ribbons and rosemary
OFFERING.
In a short gowne, with a Porters staffe in his hand; a Wyth borne before him,
and a Bason by his Torch-bearer.
BABIE-COCKE.
Drest like a Boy, in a fine long Coat, Biggin, Bib, Muckender, and a little Dagger; his Vsher bearing a great Cake with a Beane, and a Pease.
Last, Baby-cake, that an end doth make
of Christmas merrie, merrie vaine a
Is Child Rowlan, and a straight young man,
though he come out of Crooked-lane ‘a.
Samuel Pepys London on Epiphany night, 6 January 1659/1660: “…to my cousin Stradwick, where, after a good supper, there being there my father, mothers, brothers, and sister, my cousin Scott and his wife, Mr. Drawwater and his wife, and her brother, Mr. Stradwick, we had a brave cake brought us, and in the choosing, Pall was Queen and Mr. Stradwick was King. After that my wife and I bid adieu and came home, it being still a great frost.”
Pall was the Queen of the Pea – Mr Stradwick was the King of the Bean.
Tags: baby-cake, bean, Ben Jonson, bottle of wine, cake, cheese, coller of Gingerbread, Father Christmas, King of the Bean, march-paine, marzipan, Minc'd Pie, orange, pea, Queen of the Pea, rosemary, Samuel Pepys, Twelfth night, Venus, wassail, wassail bowl
This is wonderful! What is the source? Is it from Pepys diary?
Yes, this is from Pepys diary – I somehow lost the notation in moving it around.