Hoyt & Roberts, comps. Hoyt’s New Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations. 1922.
Christmas
The mistletoe hung in the castle hall,
The holly branch shone on the old oak wall.
Thos. Haynes Bayly—The Mistletoe Bough.
And the Baron’s retainers were blithe and gay,
And keeping their Christmas holiday.
Thos. Haynes Bayly—The Mistletoe Bough.
No trumpet-blast profaned
The hour in which the Prince of Peace was born;
No bloody streamlet stained
Earth’s silver rivers on that sacred morn.
Bryant—Christmas in 1875.
Christians awake, salute the happy morn
Whereon the Saviour of the world was born.
John Byrom—Hymn for Christmas Day.
For little children everywhere
A joyous season still we make;
We bring our precious gifts to them,
Even for the dear child Jesus’ sake.
Phebe Gary—Christmas.
It was the calm and silent night!
Seven hundred years and fifty-three
Had Rome been growing up to might
And now was queen of land and sea.
No sound was heard of clashing wars,
Peace brooded o’er the hushed domain;
Apollo, Pallas, Jove and Mars,
Held undisturbed their ancient reign,
In the solemn midnight,
Centuries ago.
Alfred Domett—Christmas Hymn.
How bless’d, how envied, were our life,
Could we but scape the poulterer’s knife!
But man, curs’d man, on Turkeys preys,
And Christmas shortens all our days:
Sometimes with oysters we combine,
Sometimes assist the savory chine;
From the low peasant to the lord,
The Turkey smokes on every board.
Gay—Fables. Pt. I. Fable 39.
What babe new born is this that in a manger cries?
Near on her lowly bed his happy mother lies.
Oh, see the air is shaken with white and heavenly wings—
This is the Lord of all the earth, this is the King of Kings.
R. W. Gilder—A Christmas Hymn. St. 4.
As I sat on a sunny bank
On Christmas day in the morning
I spied three ships come sailing in.
Washington Irving—Sketch book. The Sunny Bank. From an old Worcestershire Song.
High noon behind the tamarisks, the sun is hot above us—
As at home the Christmas Day is breaking wan,
They will drink our healths at dinner, those who tell us how they love us,
And forget us till another year be gone!
Kipling—Christmas in India.
Shepherds at the grange,
Where the Babe was born,
Sang with many a change,
Christmas carols until morn.
Longfellow—By the Fireside. A Christmas Carol. St. 3.
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Longfellow—Christmas Bells. St. 1.
Hail to the King of Bethlehem,
Who weareth in his diadem
The yellow crocus for the gem
Of his authority!
Longfellow—Christus. Golden Legend. Pt. III.
“What means this glory round our feet,”
The Magi mused, “more bright than morn!”
And voices chanted clear and sweet,
“To-day the Prince of Peace is born.”
Lowell—Christmas Carol.
Let’s dance and sing and make good cheer,
For Christmas comes but once a year.
G. Macfarren—From a Fragment. (Before 1580).
Ring out, ye crystal spheres!
Once bless our human ears,
If ye have power to touch our senses so;
And let your silver chime
Move in melodious time,
And let the bass of Heaven’s deep organ blow;
And with your ninefold harmony
Make up full consort to the angelic symphony.
Milton—Hymn. On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity.
This is the month, and this the happy morn,
Wherein the Son of Heaven’s eternal King,
Of wedded maid and virgin mother born,
Our great redemption from above did bring,
For so the holy sages once did sing,
That He our deadly forfeit should release,
And with His Father work us a perpetual peace.
Milton—Hymn. On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity.
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,—not even a mouse:
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
Clement C. Moore—A Visit from St. Nicholas.
God rest ye, little children; let nothing you affright,
For Jesus Christ, your Saviour, was born this happy night;
Along the hills of Galilee the white flocks sleeping lay,
When Christ, the Child of Nazareth, was born on Christmas day.
D. M. Mulock—Christmas Carol. St. 2.
As many mince pies as you taste at Christmas’ so many happy months will you have.
Old English Saying.
England was merry England, when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
’Twas Christmas broach’d the mightiest ale;
’Twas Christmas told the merriest tale;
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor man’s heart through half the year.
Scott—Marmion. Canto VI. Introduction.
At Christmas I no more desire a rose,
Than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth.
Love’s Labour’s Lost. Act I. Sc. 1. L. 107.
The time draws near the birth of Christ:
The moon is hid; the night is still;
The Christmas bells from hill to hill
Answer each other in the mist.
Tennyson—In Memoriam. XXVIII.
Christmas is here:
Winds whistle shrill,
Icy and chill,
Little care we:
Little we fear
Weather without,
Sheltered about
The Mahogany-Tree.
Thackeray—The Mahogany-Tree.
At Christmas play, and make good cheer,
For Christmas comes but once a year.
Tusser—Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry. Ch. XII.
The sun doth shake
Light from his locks, and, all the way
Breathing perfumes, doth spice the day.
Henry Vaughan—Christ’s Nativity.
“Hark the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king.”
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Charles Wesley—Christmas Hymn. (Altered from “Hark how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings.”)
Blow, bugles of battle, the marches of peace;
East, west, north, and south let the long quarrel cease;
Sing the song of great joy that the angels began,
Sing the glory to God and of good-will to man!
Whittier—Christmas Carmen. St. 3.