On The Origin And Observance Of Christmas.—Ii.

has appropriated to himself all the battle feats of the Teuton deities , may not be without great conformities . A principal feature iu the southern Germanic celebration of tho church Prcesepe is , their cradle songs in Latin and German . One begins , in Latin" 0 Jcsulc , pupule , parvule , "

whicli the extreme paucity of diminutives iu our English language would prevent our rendering with anything like ; the eil ' ect of the ori ginal . Some of our readers will , however , possibl y bo gratified by a German version of its first two verses , where tlie Teutonic richness in those littlenesses of endearment and tenderness have full scope .

" O I Jesulcin , Piippcheii du klehics AVillst , class ivir kiisscn dich ? AVillst , Liiimnehen du feincs Eni Zuckcrbrciclchen , sprich ? AVillst Milch du wlirzcglich Kindlcin , du kleincs ? 0 ! Engel all , Erzcngcl all

Lasst llimmel lliinmel scin , Koiiiint zu dem Krippelcin ; Stimuit in das Lobliccl ein Ein Kuablcin gcborn in Bethlehem Des frcuct sich Jerusalem . O ! liebster Kniibclcin Mem womiig kind , O ! Jesus , zarrl ancl kleiu , Scblaf siiss unci lind .

" Christ-kind , du heller Kurfunkcl ! Kelirc in mein ilcrz cm , Mach hell sein Dunkel . Lass es dcin Gartchen scin Dcin Bcttehen wcicli unci rein Mein Jcsulein ! < iuell gcistcr all ' , Ellen all '

Erschoint aus AVald unci Ciuell Konimt her zum lvnaben schncll Und singet hint und hell : Im Kripp'leiu licgt Herr Jesus Christ Des Kiinigrcich olm 'Enclc ist . 0 ! du mein Augenstcrn Mein holdcs kind

Dich kiiss ich gar zu gern Sclilaf siiss unci lind " In tliis second verso the invocation to all tho ell ' s , to the spirits of woods and springs , sounds oddly in a Christian hymn , and may bo taken as an additional ancl convincing proof of their heathen ori gin . And it seems from this very

cause that no Christian festival had in fact such a popular tone or rooted so strongly in the minds of the people as the Christian revels , both ecclesiastical and worldly . As child or as parent , every one had acted the scene at home ancl around their own hearths ; the dread mysteries of tho resurrection , the ascensionor of Pentecostmiht astonish more from

, , g their inscrutable nature , but tho Nativity was brought home to every breast , its supernatural action was ignored , ancl the mere humanl y view was felt with homo deli ght , as it coulcl be entertained without doubt , no obtrusive cavil rising by which it coulcl be rejected .

\\ here churches were frequent , each parish prepared a separate Procsepc , ami each strove to excel in their beaut y and adornment ; crowds of votaries chanting choral songs of Hallelujahs rushed during the entire Christmas ni ght from church to church , from cathedral to chapel , to visit the various decorated cradles and the babe , and returned homo to

compare and descant upon their several glories . The different guilds of merchants ancl traders rivalled each other also in the adornment of their chavm-trees , where the natal Procsepc of the nascent Gocl was a great object of their care , and much expense was lavished on them . The grandees of tho towns lihted up their best apartmentsand threw

g , open tho windows , to enliven and illumine the streets , a necessary observance for tho crowd , where so few streets had any lamps . ' When the great day was passed , began the period when

for twelve days profane ancl uproarious jollity had full scope . Tournaments were proclaimed , lists were staked , and all the nobility of the nei g hbourhood , with every one rejoicing in the right of coat armour , tested their prowess and agility in jousts of arms , which afforded no less pleasure to the spectators that the knightly combatants were often roused to a real

combat , ancl the imaginary contest was converted into one d ; Ventrance . Almost every day to the Epiphany was an ordained church service ; with each of which the people most willingly combined their peculiar spore . The boy bishop chosen on St . Nicholas ' s day had not yet abdicated his short lived and

boisterous prelacy . The Lord of Misrule , with all his indecency , frolic , and riot , had still an impunity for several clays from the mystic birth , and the motley fool , a more than usual licence during the period . But all these and tho grand and final clay of " the three kings of Koln" ( Twelfth Night ) must be reserved for their own distinctive festivals .

Wo have already observed the distinction which a preponderance of Protestantism in the north of Europe introduces against the above mummeries of the south ; in tho south we have seen that the celebration is more objective in relation to the nascent deity ; iu the north , it has become entirely subjective and refers entirely to the children who celebrate the festival . Here the attraction is turned from the new born babe to the , as it were , ministering babes , and all parade and ceremony is centered iu their pleasures and

delight , circling round' the Christmas trees ( Ohrislbaume , loei / b-iiackts bdume ) which radiating from tho Windsor nurseries have now thrown such a halo of hilarity and happiness round our Christmas clogs , as entirely to supersede " sna | i dragon , " "bliudinan ' s bull ) ""hunt the slipper , " ifec ., withamuch more intellectual and rational festivity . These trees serve

as a kind of domestic verdict on . the conduct of tho youthful scions during the year : for the dutiful and docile a fir saplingis hung with smeetmeats and decorated with foil and mirrors , reflecting the gifts and illumined with tapers ; whilst , where the paternal decision is less approving , the gifts diminish iu value , tho lights aro less splendid ; and , in cases of great

reprehension ( though mostly softened by the mother ' s prayers ) the tree , inscribed with the name of tho juvenile delinquent , may be left totally blank ancl completely dark . Berlin may be stated to be tho chief seat of this northern mode of celebration . The week preceding Christmas the large space opposite the Schlossotherwise a sandy plainis

, , entirely green with the young firs which the neighbouringwoods so readily supply , intermingled with the toys ancl cakes , the li ghts and mirrors , which are necessary for the full display . The prices are suited to all pockets , for so universal is the custom , that the lowest labourer would be looked upon by his family as unfeeling and cruel who did not manage to ,

provide some show at least of the customary fir . In extreme cases , benevolent individuals subscribe means to furnish the Christmas luxury where they know it will bo otherwise wanting . W . B . P . D .

THE VoLlixiKMi M ' OVJG . IIKXI ' . —Whilst referring to tho proceedings of the various Volunteer Corps throughout the united kingdom , we arc induced to call attention to the issue of ti most exquisite medal , designed and executed in silver by Bro . 5 . M . Thcarle , of li ) 3 , I'loot-strcob , for tho " Bedford Mounted Volunteer Hide Corps , established in 1857 . " Tho lace of the medal consists of an exquisitely raised bust of her most gracious Majesty , which oven Mr . Wyon , the Mint medalist , has never

excelled , iu comparing the likeness of the queen with that of the Mint coinage , everyone will be immediately struck with its superiority both iu point of resemblance ancl also as to superiority of execution . Not a single medal that has been of late struck either for military or naval service , at the Mint , has been at all equal to this beautiful specimen of private enterprise and a good taste , ivhich clearly proves that if this department were intrusted to private hands , greater success than is now obtained would bo secured , independently of the inestimable boon oI :

getting rid of routine and red tape . The reverse of the medal bears the words " Prize for best marksman , " which tu'b encircled by a raised chaplet of laurel leaves , tho sharpness of which is in every respect equal to the superior finish of the obverse .