own; the boy, after Salisbury s death (1400), being received and nurtured by Philip of Burgundy, at whose solicitation Christine wrote Le Livre des Faitz et bonnes Moeurs du Saige Roy Charles. Henry IV. of England desired her to make his court her home, and she received a like invitation from Galeazzo Visconti tyrant of Milan. She preferred, however, to sojourn in France, where she enjoyed the favour of Charles VI., the dukes of Berry and Burgundy, the prince of Guienne, and others. Of the circumstances of her death nothing is known. A son of her s, how ever, Jean du Castel, is said to have attained distinction as a poet under^Charles VII. Christine de Pisan wrote voluminously in prose and verse. Her works are by no means devoid of merit, nor altogether without interest even at the present time, though the language in which they are written is crude and imperfect, and they sin too often on the side of diffuseness. They are principally of a moral character, Christine seldom interfering in the political questions of her age save to clamour for peace and unity. There is no complete edition of her works. One of them, Le Livre des Faitz d Armes et de Chevalerie, was
translated into English and printed by order of Henry VII.CHRISTMAS DAY (French, Noel from Dies natalis ; German, Weihnachtsfest ; Old Eng. and Scand., Yule ; An g. -Sax., Geol), a festival of the Christian church, observed on the 25th of December, in memory of the birth of Jesus Christ. There is, however, a difficulty in accepting this as the date of the Nativity, December being the height of the rainy season in Judea, when neither flocks nor shepherds could have been at night in the fields of Bethlehem.
The Christian communities which keep Christmas (as the Roman Catholic, Greek, Armenian, and indeed all Episcopalian churches, and the Lutherans) would probably agree in laying more stress on keeping a day in memory of the Nativity, than on success in selection of the actual and precise date of the event. Indeed in the parallel case it does not appear that Good Friday and Easter lose anything of their respective associations from their variableness in different years. Although as regards Christmas an ingenious case on behalf of the month of October has been made out from what is known concerning the course of Abia, (Luke i. 5.) it does not seem possible to arrive at any certain conclusion. By the 5th century, however, whether from the influence of some tradition, or from the desire to supplant heathen festivals of that period of the year, such as the Saturnalia, the 25th of December had been generally agreed upon. Augustine expressly mentions this date (De Trin. iv. 5) ; and Chrysostom seems to speak of it as a custom imported from the West within ten years. Before that time it appears to have been kept conjointly with the feast of the Epiphany on the Gth of January. It is gen erally considered to rank third among the festivals of the church (Easter and Whitsuntide alone being placed above it) and to have a joy peculiarly its own.
In all civilized countries the annual recurrence of Christmas has been celebrated with festivities of various kinds. In none, however, was it more joyfully welcomed than in England, where even still the " old honour" has not altogether fled. In that country it was the custom on Christmas eve, after the usual devotions were over, to light large candles and throw on the hearth a huge log, called the Yule Log or Christmas Block. At court, and in the houses of the wealthy, an officer, named the Lord of Misrule, was appointed to superintend the revels ; and in Scotland a similar functionary used to be appointed under the title of the Abbot of Unreason, till the year 1555, when the office was abolished by Act of Parliament. The reign of the Lord of Misrule began on All-Hallow eve, and lasted till Candlemas day. The favourite pastimes over which he presided were gaming, music, conjuring, dipping for nuts and apples, dancing, fool plough, hot cockles, blind-man s buff, &c.; and various Christian preachers (as, for instance, St Bernard) have taken occasion to remonstrate with their flocks for paying too great attention to the festive character of the season, and too little to its more solemn aspects, The favourite dishes for breakfast and supper at this season were the boar s head with an apple or orange in the mouth, and set off with rosemary, plum-pudding, and mince pies. The houses and churches were decked with evergreens, especially with mistleto, to which a traditionary sacredness has attached since the days of the Druids.
As might be expected, this festival has been illustrated by many fine and admirable outpourings of devotion in the way of services, and of Christian oratory, hymnology, and art. The services must be sought in the liturgies and office-books of different communities. Among preachers who have dwelt with striking impressiveness on the ideas and associa tions of this sacred season may be specially named St Leo, St Chrysostom, St Bernard, Matthias Faber, Bourdaloue, Bishop Andrewes, Dr Mill, Dr Newman. Mediaeval Latin hymns may be found in Archbishop Trench s Sacred Latin Poetry (London, 1849) and in Daniel s TJiesaurus Hymnologicus. Many of these have been paraphrased with great effect by German Lutherans, and of late years, with considerable success, by English compilers of hymn-books. Among the most popular original contribu tions to the English hymns of the season must be men tioned those of Charles Wesley, Tate, Byrom, Heber, and Keble. The Nativity has been represented by a host of great painters; and it is the inspiring theme of a large part of Handel s greatest triumph, the Messiah.
Discussions of the questions concerning the actual date of the Nativity and other matters respecting Christmas may be found in Tillemont, Histoire de VEglise (tome i.) ; Martigny, Dictionnaire des Anliquites Chretiennes (Paris, 1865) ; Caspari, Chronological aiid Geographical Introduction to the Life of Christ (Engl. trans. 1876); Wordsworth s Greek Testament (1872); Greswell, Dissertations (1840); Pearson, Minor Works, vol. ii. (1844); Ellicott, Lectures on the Life of Christ (1861) ; Smith and Cheetham, Dictionary of Christian Antiquities (1876) ; A. Macmillau s Oreck Testament (1876.)
CHRISTOPHER, Saint, according to the legend, was a Christian martyr of the 3d century, and a native of Palestine or of Syria. Glorying in his gigantic strength and stature, he resolved to serve none who owned a superior. His first master was more powerful than any man, but it soon appeared that he was exceedingly afraid of the devil. The devil therefore became the master of the future saint. But even he was found not to ba superior to fear ; for he trembled before the image of Christ. His servant consequently deserted him, and, meeting a hermit who told him of the Saviour, was baptized, and undertook as penance to carry Christian pilgrims over a bridgeless stream. At length a little child requested his aid, but the burden proved more than the giant could support. The child was Christ; and thus is explained the name Chris topher (Christ-bearer). As a sign, Christopher s staff, being planted, grew into a palm-tree eovered with fruit and foliage, a miracle which effected the conversion of thousands. In consequence, the prefect Dagnus seized him, and after cruelly torturing him commanded him to be shot with poisoned arrows. These, however, instead of harming him, rebounded and wounded his persecutors. One entered the eye of the prefect ; and in pity Christopher sacrificed himself to save his enemy. He was decapitated, and his blood healed the wound. The festival of St Christopher is celebrated by the Roman Catholic church on the 25th July, by the Greek church on the 9th May. St Christopher was invoked as a defence against pestilence, and in order to frighten away the spirits who watch over hidden treasure.
