THE MISTLETOE IN HEREFORDSHIRE. 383 
early in the last century, it is said, ** the rooms were embowered with 
Holly, Ivy, Cypress, Bays, Laurel, and Mistletoe, and a bouncing 
Christmas log in the chimney.” : 
** Kissing a fair one under the Mistletoe," says Timbs, ** and wishing 
her a happy new year, as you present her with one of the berries for 
luck, is the Christmas custom of our times; and in some places persons 
try lots for the bough with the most berries, by the crackling of leaves 
and berries in the fire." This conclusion is certainly inconsistent, and 
tends itself to prove the new-year character of the Mistletoe. 
. Gay's description, and many more, might be cited to show it a Christ- 
mas evergreen in later times, but itis unnecessary, since they are chiefly 
written by authors who were not acquainted with Mistletoe lore. They 
lived beyond the range of true Mistletoe customs,—where the plant did 
not grow naturally, or only very sparingly, and where consequently 
there were no traditions existing amongst the common people with re- 
ference to it. The old New Year's Day custom, indeed, is rapidly 
changing,—even here, in the very centre of the Mistletoe district, — 
and where, as I have shown, its traditions endure so tenaciously. 
Partly from lapse of time, perhaps, but chiefly from change of inhabi- 
tants, the Mistletoe is changing its character as a symbol of New 
Year's Day, to take its place with the Holly, as an emblem of the festi- 
vities of Christmas. 
No man, perhaps, has done more to effect this change than he who 
of all modern writers would the most regret it—Sir Walter Scott. 
Great lover as he was of folk-lore, and the traditions of the people, he 
was quite ignorant of the history and legendary lore of the Mistletoe. 
His spirited description of Christmas-tide, in the introduction to the 
sixth canto of ‘ Marmion,’ ever hangs on the memory :— 
* England was merry England, when 
Old Christmas brought his sports again.. 
The damsel donn'd her. kirtle sheen ; 
The hall was dressed with holly green, 
Forth to the wood did merry men go 
To gather in the Mistletoe.” 
Had a single sprig of Mistletoe grown in the domain of Abbotsford, 
we may safely say that the two last lines would never have been 
written, Who can wonder that lesser writers should follow in the same 
