"She shall not do it scathelessly,' thus spake old Hildebrand,
'That she should slay him traitorously, the bravest in the land-
What though he was my enemy, it matters not to me-

The death of the bold Tronje most sure revenged shall be.'”

Hildebrand slays Kriemhild.

""Twas thus the royal lady most suddenly was slain

The dead all gathered round her, a wierd and ghastly train—
Herr Dietrich and King Etzel must weep for very woe,
Their kindred and their comrades, to see them lying so.
"Alas! alas! I cannot say what more thereon befell,
How knights and women wept around I cannot, cannot tell,
And how each faithful vassal lamented some fond friend—
The mournful Niebelungenlied hath here its fateful end.”

And so the old song closes, and the singer's voice is hushed; and we thank him for the reticence that spares us further woe. But all who read the original, must own no nation's infancy was ever rocked with a grander cradle music than is breathed in this first German Epic.

CHURCH, OR HOLY ALES.

"It hath been sung at festivals,
On ember days and holy ales."

SHAKESPEARE.

How often one reads of and occasionally hears of Church and Holy Ales, and how few know what is meant by them, or anything concerning their origin.

Carew, in his "Survey of Cornwall," says, "Touching Church Ales, these be mine assertions, if not my proofs: of things induced by our forefathers, some were instituted to a good use, and perverted to a bad. Again, some were both naught in the invention, and so continued in the practice.

"Now that Church Ales ought to be sorted in the better rank of these twaine, may be gathered from their causes and effects, which I trust raffe up together; entertaining of Christian love, conforming of men's behaviour to a civil conversation, compounding of controversies, appeasing of quarrels," etc., etc.

The Holy Ales, or Church Ales, called also Easter Ales, and Whitsun. Ales, from their being sometimes held on Easter and Whit-Sunday, or on some of the holidays, certainly originated, says Strutt, from the Wakes. "Others," says Hampson, "trace them to the love-feasts of the early Christians;" and as to the word ale, Mr. Douce observes that much pains have been taken to get at its derivation. The best opinion, however, seems to be that from its use in composition, it means nothing more than a feast or merry-making, as in the words Leet Ale, Lamb Ale, Clerk Ale, Bread Ale, Church Ale, Scot Ale, Midsummer Ale, etc.

At all these feasts ale appears to have been the predominant liquor, and it is exceedingly probable that from these circumstances the metonymy arose. Dr. Hickes says that the AngloSaxon Geol, the Dano-Saxon Iol, and the Icelandic Ol respectively have the same meaning, and perhaps Christmas was called by our northern ancestors Yule, or the feast, by way of pre-eminence.

The churchwardens and parish officers of olden time, not well up in etymologies, considered ale to be a liquor, and used to lay in a large quantity of malt, which they brewed into strong ale, and sold it to the populace in holiday times, applying the money re

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ceived for it to the repairs of the church, or to the relief of the poor and sick.

Aubrey's description of Whitsun Ale is, "that in every parish was a church-house, to which belonged spits, crooks, and other utensils for dressing provisions. Here the housekeepers met, young people gathered here likewise, and had dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, etc., the elders sitting by and gravely looking

on."

An arbour, called Robin Hood's Bower, was erected in the churchyard, and here maidens stood gathering contributions.

In Lancashire we find the term Gyst-ale, which appears to be one of the corruptions of disguising, as applied to mumming, and in this sense the entire name Gyst-ale is confirmatory of Mr. Douce's observations. "Gyst-ale, or guising," says Baines, in his History of Lancashire, "was celebrated in Eccles with much rustic pleasure at the termination of the marling* season, when the villagers, with their king at their head, walked in procession with garlands, to which silver plate was attached, which was contributed by the principal gentry of the neighbourhood.

The object of ambition was to excel in the splendour of their procession; and in the year 1777 it is said in a History of Eccles and Barton's Contentious War, "That guisers in the latter township collected and expended £614 in this idle parade, while the Eccles guisers expended no less a sum than £1881 5s. 6d. in the same contest, raised by collections from the gentry and the neighbouring farmers.

"To stimulate liberality, the sum given by each individual was publicly announced, and the treasurer of the feast hearing it, exclaimed, A largesse!' on which the people demanded from whom, when the name of the donor was proclaimed with the affix My Lord' attached to it."

In the northern parts of England a feast or entertainment is made at funerals called "Avril," or more correctly Arval Supper. On these occasions arval bread is distributed to the guests. In Lancashire a funeral was formerly celebrated with great profusion in meat and drinks. After the interment the relations first, and then their attendants, threw sprigs of bay, rosemary, or other odoriferous evergreens which had been previously distributed among them. The company then adjourned to a neighbouring public-house, where they were severally presented with a cake

*The old English game of hurling.

+ Avril, or arval, is clearly derived from aïeul, a deceased relative or ancestor.

"Ah mon aïeul, comme il buvait,

Et quel grand verre il vous avait."