ls of the
period, and are often half in Latin, half in French. Here are a few such
"macaronic" verses:--

"Celebrons la naissance
_Nostri Salvatoris_, |56|
Qui fait la complaisance
_Dei sui Patris_.
Cet enfant tout aimable,
_In nocte media_,
Est ne dans une etable,
_De casta Maria_.

* * * * *

Mille esprits angeliques,
_Juncti pastoribus_,
Chantent dans leur musique,
_Puer vobis natus_,
Au Dieu par qui nous sommes,
_Gloria in excelsis_,
Et la paix soit aux hommes
_Bonae voluntatis_.

* * * * *

Qu'on ne soit insensible!
_Adeamus omnes_
A Dieu rendu passible,
_Propter nos mortales_,
Et tous, de compagnie,
_Deprecemur eum_
Qu'a la fin de la vie,
_Det regnum beatum_."{3}

The sixteenth century is the most interesting _Noel_ period; we find then
a conflict of tendencies, a conflict between Gallic realism and broad
humour and the love of refined language due to the study of the ancient
classics. There are many anonymous pieces of this time, but three
important _Noelistes_ stand out by name: Lucas le Moigne, Cure of Saint
Georges, Puy-la-Garde, near Poitiers; Jean Daniel, called "Maitre Mitou,"
a priest-organist at Nantes; and Nicholas Denisot of Le Mans, whose
_Noels_ appeared posthumously under the pseudonym of "Comte d'Alsinoys."

Lucas le Moigne represents the _esprit gaulois_, the spirit that is often
called "Rabelaisian," though it is only one side of the genius of
Rabelais. The good Cure was a contemporary of |57| the author of
"Pantagruel." His "Chansons de Noels nouvaulx" was published in 1520, and
contains carols in very varied styles, some naive and pious, others
hardly quotable at the present day. One of his best-known pieces is a
dialogue between the Virgin and the singers of the carol: Mary is asked
and answers questions about the wondrous happenings of her life. Here are
four verses about the Nativity:--

"Or nous dites, Marie,
Les neuf mois accomplis,
Naquit le fruit de vie,
Comme l'Ange avoit dit?
--Oui, sans nulle peine
Et sans oppression,
Naquit de tout le monde
La vraie Redemption.

Or nous dites, Marie,
Du lieu imperial,
Fut-ce en chambre paree,
Ou en Palais royal?
--En une pauvre etable
Ouverte a l'environ
Ou n'avait feu, ni flambe
Ni latte, ni chevron.