"This kils, not cures charity.": Christmas Fights Against His Rejection

An engraving from the 1653 pamphlet The Vindication
of Christmas, possibly by also by John Taylor. Christmas 
in the centre is menaced by one and welcomed by another.

A couple days ago, in The Complaint of Christmas, we left the far-travelled titular character just as he arrived in England. John Taylor, the (English) author, has him do a joyful little dance because he has arrived in the “ancient Harbour or heaven of happiness, in the Eden of the Earth, the Paradise of Terrestrial Peace, Plenty and Pleasure, the most fruitful Garden of the rotundious Globe, the comfortable Canaan, that flowest with Milk and Honey.” The holiday personified exclaims: “Thou (O England) hast ever given old Christmas (with his twelve Holy-day Servingmen) good entertainment, with such cheer, hospitality, and welcome, as the Christian world never hath done the like." 

However, things are not as of old and therein lies the real Complaint. English hospitality, even in 1631, is a pale ghost of its former self. Christmas goes to a manor where he has been welcomed in many years past but all he finds there is an “old poor half-starv'd Servingman” bemoaning the present state of the house, “watering every word with a tear.” He greets the potential guest with: 

“Oh Christmas, old reverend Christmas! whither art thou going? What haste art thou now making to this house, where hospitality had once her habitation; where the poor man was relieved, the stranger succored, the traveler refresh'd, and all men bid welcome?" He explains: "This house that from the Conquest hath been famous for Hospitality, is now buried in her own ruins.” 

The culprit is the young master, who is off in the City of London and partaking of all that represents in commercial interests. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is not new to condemn monetary forces that overwelm other aspects of the festive season. The seventeenth century serving man that Christmas meets gives a number of examples in which foodstuffs (the backbone of the holiday) have been decimated for new concerns.

“Is there a Calf or Sheep in the Pastures? no, they are all knockt on the head, and have their throats cut, having Parchment made of their skin to make him bonds after he had sold their flesh. Look into the Garden, is there a Beehive there? no, all the honey-birds are fled, and the Wax spent in sealing Bonds for Commodities. Look about the Yard, there is not a Ducke, Chicken, Hen or Capon to be seen? not a Goose to be had? they are all pluckt, and have pens made of their quills.” 

The old provider of hospitality concludes: “O Christmas, Christmas, my old eyes are almost bloodshot with weeping at the follies of my young Master, who instead of making his Chimneys smoke in the Country, makes his nose smoke in a Tobacco-shop in the City.” Tobacco was, of course, introduced to England relatively recently at this point, coming from the New World, which was an axis in extensive and often dehumanizing trade efforts. 

Christmas moves about the manor house, seeing just dust where memories of cheering many once were. Once such memory takes a mock military tone: “I have known the time when I have seen a Gentleman Server...that Captainlike led a company of Servingmen armed with full dishes of meat...and spite of hunger and famine place the right worshipful sur-loin at the upper end of the Table, attended by two saucers of Vinegar and Pepper, that waited on him like his Pages. If these stout Captains, Brawn and burly Beef could not take down the stomachs of those that did assault them...instantly upon the Rear would come whole troops of hot soldiers, as Capons, Hens, Lamb, Mutton and Veal to their rescue, and after them whole companies of wild- fowl would come flying to their succor.” 

These are just shadows of the past and Christmas explains: “Thus looking into every corner of the house... but finding no such thing as I expected, upstairs went I...and looking into a withdrawing Chamber I saw the old Mammon himself.” Mammon is from a Hebrew word for money and came to scripturally represent earthly riches as compared to heavenly pursuits - “Instead of a Bible he had a Bond in his hand.” The character is not happy to see Christmas nor hear his exhortation to feed the poor: “This old Penny-father look'd as sour on me, as if I had brought him a Privy-Seal to borrow money of him, or a Subpoena out of the Exchequer for extortion: and in brief told me, that I was an imposture, and only came to entice the people to prodigality and expense: and as for the poor he had nothing to do with them, for he was poor himself."  The Holiday responds “Poor your self..'tis true; for how can you be rich, that never think you have enough.” 

The Complaint criticizes two interrelated groups that work against holiday hospitality, the miserable lover of Mammon but also the prodigals who over celebrated and who entertain in the wrong way. The passage above is clearly attacking the first but introduces the second with Mammon accusing Christmas of enticing wild spending. Taylor has Christmas defend himself by explaining bad hospitality. The season's representation does sound a little hypocritical considering what he says he had enjoyed but they provide some interesting examinations of period food, if at its extremes. He rails against overpreparation, for instance: “Is it not against Nature to see fishes that should swim in the Seas, first swim in wine vinegar, then in wine, being so scorcht, carbonadoed [scored and broiled], sous'd, and so martyred, that when it comes to the Table, a man cannot judge whether it be fish or flesh?” Amongst others he also provides this informative period example: “Is it not against Nature to have Mutton larded with Ambergreece.” Ambergris, in modern spelling, is a very expensive secretion from the intestine of sperm whales. It is used to hold scents in perfumes but was once used as a very intense spice. Christmas summarizes his condemnation of food excess: “to have many of these invented and made dishes come to a Table, do you think it would not make Nature complain? Yes, yes; for all this doth no good to Charity.”

The excess and conspicuous consumption is wrong in itself but who it leaves wanting makes it doubly adverse to the ideal of holiday hospitality. “What cause had your Master to feast all the richest in the Country, and at one sumptuous and sinful supper, to consume more than would relieve a Parish of poor folks a quarter? Is this charity...Is it charity to lard and grease the fat Country Bores, I mean the rich chuffs [stupid fellows] that have enough in their Barnes to relieve themselves and their poor neighbors? This kills, not cures charity.” The perfect form of hospitality, especially during holy days, always comes back to providing for the lower classes. 

It must be said that there is a bright spot for Christmas in his Complaint. He leaves the manor but does find a fine country gentleman at whose home he was first “presented with a cup of brown Ale, seasoned with Cinamon, Nutmegs, and Sugar.” At the meal, he has: “Brawn of their own feeding, Beef of their own killing; we had brave plum broth in bowl-dishes of a quart. The White-loaf ran up and down the Table...the March Beer march'd up and down.” By the fire “lay [a] store of Apples piping hot, expecting a bowl of Ale to cool themselves in” and “[a]t last came in a company of Maids with Wassell, Wassell, jolly Wassell: I tasted of their Cakes, and sup'd of their Bowl: and for my sake, the White-loaf and Cheese were set before them, with Mince-Pies, and other meat.” Christmas was not left wanting and enjoys foods we have come to know from the period. 

Despite experiencing this, the character of the festive season moves back into a warning tone: “Therefore England, beautiful, fruitful, and yet blessed Land, take heed lest thy Gluttony, Pride, and Excess, Covetousness, Bribery, and Extortion, have that Adamantine force to pull down Heavens Judgments on thee...except some of thy fullness have vent toward the poor.” The end of the piece is interesting as Taylor neuters this message slightly; Christmas says: “But as I was going forward with my Admonition, they stop'd my mouth by their entreating me to be their guest for three or four days;” and he ends up residing until Candlemas (early February). 

Tomorrow we will talk a bit about period food and drink for New Year's Eve.