Hilaire Belloc bought King's Land (in Shipley, Sussex), 5 acres and a working windmill for £1000 in 1907 and it was his home for the rest of his life. Belloc loved Sussex as few other writers have loved her: he lived there for most of his 83 years, he tramped the length and breadth of the county, slept under her hedgerows, drank in her inns, sailed her coast and her rivers and wrote several incomparable books about her. "He does not die that can bequeath Some influence to the land he knows, Or dares, persistent, interwreath Love permanent with the wild hedgerows; He does not die, but still remains Substantiate with his darling plains."

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Monday, 23 December 2013

Noël! Noël! Noël! Noël!


'Kingsland' - Belloc's home 

Noël! Noël! Noël! Noël!
A Catholic tale have I to tell! And a Christian song have I to sing
While all the bells in Arundel ring.

I pray good beef and I pray good beer 
This holy night of all the year, 
But I pay detestable drink for them 
That give no honour to Bethlehem.

May all good fellows that here agree 
Drink Audit Ale in heaven with me 
And may all my enemies go to hell! 
Noël! Noël! Noël! Noël! 
May all my enemies go to hell! 
Noël! Noël!


Hilaire Belloc (from the The Four Men, 1912)



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2 comments:

  1. Richard Collins24 December 2013 at 04:07

    I especially like the last three lines.

    A Holy and Happy Christmas to you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aged parent24 December 2013 at 10:02

    I use that delightful piece on my own blog every year or so. Always wonderful to read.

    A very Happy Christmas to you and yours, with my thanks to you for your wonderful blog.

    ap

    ReplyDelete

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