Page:Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern.djvu/121

 the 15th century, three songs are introduced, sufficiently rude in their construction, which from the subjoined specimens may be considered in the nature of carols; and several other examples of ancient ones will be found in the following collection.

The custom of singing carols had become general about this time; and in some of the early ones scraps of Latin will be found introduced, adopted probably from the Christmas hymns, for which these songs were intended as a substitute. So popular did