1807.] 
Statius, two books of which only are ex- 
tant, it may be sufficient to observe, that 
combining all the faults of the Thebais, 
possessing none of its beauties, posterity 
has lost little by its non-execution. 
The editions of Statius are, 
Statii Opera, fol. Editio princeps, 
Rome, 1475. 
Statius, 12mo. Venet. apud Ald. 1502. 
Statius, a Fred. Tiliobroga (i, e. Lin- 
denbrog,) 4to. Paris, 1600. 
Statius, Gronovil, 12mo. Amst. Elzev. 
1653, very scarce. 
Statii Opera Omnia, a Barthio, 2 vols. 
Ato. 1664. This edition is esteemed, not 
so much for the beauty of the-type or 
paper, but the critical and explanatory 
notes of Barthius. 
Statius, cum Notis Variorum et Veen- 
husen, 8vo. Lug. Bat. 1671. 
Statius, in usum: Delphini, 4to. Paris. 
2 vols. 1685. 
=i 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazwne 
SIR, 
OUR Correspondent in p. 438, vol. 
xxill. desires “ some information to 
be given him on the origin of the custom 
of placing sprigs of holly and ivy in our 
churches, aud the windows of our dwel- 
ling houses, at Christmas.” 
This custom is of heathen origin, and 
one among the many corruptions which 
was early introduced into the Christian 
church.. When the Christians of the 
first ages began to depart from the purity 
and simplicity of the Gospel, and were 
unwilling any longer to undergo persecu- 
tion on account of thi profession of their 
faith, they sought means of bringing their 
religion as near as possible to the super- 
Stitions of the heathen nations, with whom 
they were intermixed. Thus, in order to 
bring over the philosophers of those 
times, they admitted many of their reli- 
gious tenets, and incorporated them with 
the Gospel; and the better to recommend 
it to the bulk of the people, who were 
passionately fond of the shews and cere- 
monies of the heathen worship, and who, 
at the festivals dedicated to their deities, 
were accustomed to gratify every sensual 
indulgence, in mirth, riot, and intem- 
perance—to recommend the Christian 
worship to such votaries, festivals of a si- 
milar kind were insututed, and observed 
by the new converts in uearly the same 
manner; only what before was dedicated 
to the heathen gods, was now consecrated 
to the service of saints and martyrs, and 
the celebration of the birth of Christ, 
and the same ceremonies, customs, and 
manners, were adopted in the Christian 
Origin of placing Sprigs of Holly in Churches, Ke.. 
357 
church, and inserted in the Christian 
calendar, which before had been canon- 
ized in a heathen one. 
Your Correspondent will be satisfied 
with the truth of these observations, 
when he sees them confirmed by the au- 
thority of writers well versed in the cus- 
toms of antiquity. (See Sir Isaac New- 
ton’s Observations upon the Prephecies of 
Daniel, part I. chap. 14, p. 203.) ‘* Gre- 
gory Nyssen tells us, that, after the persee 
cution of the Emperor Decius, Gregory, 
Bishop of Neocesarea, in Pontus, insti« 
tuted amongst all people, as an addition 
or corollary of devotion towards God, 
that festival days and assemblies should 
be celebrated to them who had contend- 
ed for the faith (that is, to the martyrs).” 
And he adds this reason for the institue 
tion: “ When he observed (saith Nyse 
sen) that the simple and unskilful multi- 
tude, by reason of corporeal delights, re- 
mained in the error of idols; that the 
principal thing might be corrected among 
them, namely, that instead of their vain 
worship, they might turn their eyes upon 
God, he permitted that, at the memories 
of the holy martyrs, they might make 
merry, and delight themselves, and be 
dissolved into joy. 
‘‘ The heathens were delighted with the 
festivals of their gods, and unwilling to 
part with those delights; and therefore 
Gregory, to facilitate their conversion, in= 
stituted annual festivals to the saints and 
martyrs. Hence it came to pass, that, 
for exploding tlie festivals of the heath- 
ens, the principal festivals of the Chris- 
tians succeeded in their room; as the 
keeping of Christmas with ivy and feast- 
ing, and playing and sports, in the room 
of Bacchanalia and Saturnalia; the cele- 
brating of May-day with flowers, in the 
room of the Floreala; and the keeping 
of festivals to the Virgin Mary, John the 
Baptist, and divers of the Apostles, in the 
reom of the sole.nnities at the entrance 
of the sun into the signs of the Zodiac, in 
the old Julian calendar. In the same per- 
secution of Decius, Cyprian ordered the 
passions of the martyrs in Africa to be 
registered, in order to celebrate their 
memories annually with oblations and sae 
crifices; and Felix, Bishop of Rome, a 
little after, as Platina relates, ‘ Marty. 
rum glorie consulens, constituit ut quot- 
annis sacrificia eorum nomine celebra- 
rentur,’ cousulting the glory of the tnar- 
tvrs, ordained, ‘ that sacrifices should be 
ceiebrated annually in their name.” By 
the pleasures of these festivals. the Chris- 
tiams increased much in aumber, aud de- 
creased as much in virtue, until tucy 
wer¢g 
~~ 
