The Cherry-Tree- Cowper Birmingham 1843 Child B d.
Child give four versions of B:
a. Husk, Songs of the Nativity, p. 59, from a Worcester broadside of the last century.
b. Hone's Ancient Mysteries, p. 90, from various copies.
c. Sylvester, A Garland of Christmas Carols, p. 45.
d. Birmingham chap-book, of about 1843, in B. Harris Cowper's Apocryphal Gospels, p. xxxviii.
He provides the text to B a. and gives the changes from that.
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The Apocryphal Gospels and other Documents Relating to the History; Benjamin Harris Cowper - 1867
Many pages might be filled from all sorts of writers in illustration of the present topic, but possibly my readers will be better pleased with examples from the popular literature of our own country and time. Moralities, miracle plays, mysteries, and carols drew largely from apocryphal materials, and were all the more popular in consequence. Confining myself to Carols, I select three from a chap-book printed in or about 1843 at Birmingham. The resemblance between these and some of our Apocryphal Gospels will not be called in question.
When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he,
And he married Mary the Queen of Galilee;
"When Joseph he had his cousin Mary got,
Mary proved with child, by whom Joseph knew not.
As Joseph and Mary walked the garden gay,
Where cherries were growing upon every spray ;
0 then bespoke Mary with words so meek and mild,
"Gather me some cherries, for I am with child:
Gather me some cherries, they run so in my mind."
Then bespoke Joseph with wordes so unkind,
"I will not gather cherries." Then said Mary, "You shall see,
By what will happen, these cherries were for me."
Then bespoke Jesus all in his mother's womb,
"Go to the tree, Mary, and it shall bow down,
And the highest branch shall bow to Mary's knee,
And she shall gather cherries by one, two, and three."
As Joseph was a walking he heard an angel sing.
"This night shall be born our Heavenly King;
He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall,
But in fine linen, as were babies all.
"He never did require white wine and bread, [1]
But cold spring-water with which we were christened;
He shall neither be rocked in silver and gold,
But in a wooden cradle that rocks on the mould."
Then Mary took her young Son and sat him on her knee,
"Come tell me dear child, how this world shall be."
"This world shall be like the stones in the street,
For the sun and the moon shall bow down at my feet."
Footnote:
1. I suppose this line ought to be written,
He never shall require white wine and red,