is always sent on ahead to
inquire of the household they propose to visit if there is mourning in
the house, or any other valid reason why the musicians should not
play, in which case the candle-lighter merely presents his tray,
receives his offering, and passes on. Never, if they can help it, will
a family refuse admission to the musicians. They have not many
amusements, poor things, and their Christmas entertainment pleases
them vastly.

"The carols of these islands are exceedingly old-world and quaint.
When permission is given the troupe advance towards the door, singing
a sort of greeting as follows: 'Come now and open your gates to our
party; we have one or two sweet words to sing to you.' The door is
then opened by the master of the house; he greets them and begs them
to come in, whilst the other members of the family place chairs at one
end of the room, on which the musicians seat themselves. The first
carol is a genuine Christmas one, a sort of religious recognition of
the occasion, according to our notions fraught with a frivolity almost
bordering on blasphemy; but then it must be remembered that these
peasants have formed their own simple ideas of the life of Christ, the
Virgin, and the saints, to which they have given utterance in their
songs. A priest of St. George kindly supplied me with the words of
some of their carols, and this is a translation of one of the
prefatory songs with which the musical company commence:--

"'Christmas, Christmas! Christ is born;
Saints rejoice and devils mourn.
Christmas, Christmas! Christ was fed
On sweet honey, milk, and bread,
Just as now our rulers eat
Bread and milk, and honey sweet.'

After this the company sing a series of songs addressed to the various
members of the family, to the father, to the mother, to the daughters,
to the sons; if there chances to be a betrothed couple there, they are
sure to be greeted with a special song; the little children, too, are
exhorted in song to be good and diligent at school. Of these songs
there are an infinite number, and many of them give us curious
glimpses into the life, not of to-day, but of ages which have long
since passed away.

"The following song is addressed to the master of the house, and has
doubtless been sung for centuries of Christmases since the old
Byzantine days when such things as are mentioned in the song really
existed in the houses. This is a word-for-word translation:--

"'We have come t