A BOOK OF
CHRISTMAS VERSE

The original edition of A Book of Christmas Verse was issuedin 1895. At his death in 1919 Dean Beeching left a copy of the bookmarked with deletions and corrections, and an amount of new matter forinsertion. This revision has been carried out, and both deletions andadditions have been a little increased. But substantially the bookremains the same; its editor’s divisions have been preserved, and theomission of his own preface to the first edition is in accord with hismarkings. A few poems by contemporary writers have been added.

Dean Beeching’s acknowledgements for permission to use copyright poemsare here reprinted from his notes:

For No. 54 to the authorities of Christ Church, Oxford; for No. 71 toMessrs. Macmillan; for No. 112 to Mr. Robert Bridges; for No. 113 toMessrs. Kegan Paul and Trench; for No. 133 to the Chiswick Press; andfor No. 114 to Mr. Davidson (with an omission specially sanctioned byhim). Nos. 78 and 79 (by Gerard Hopkins and Selwyn Image) appeared forthe first time in this book.

For poems now appearing for the first time acknowledgements are due asfollows: for No. 77, by Coventry Patmore, to Messrs. George Bell; forNo. 81, by R. L. Stevenson, to Messrs. Chatto & Windus; for No. 82,by Mrs. Meynell, to Messrs. Burns & Oates; for No. 83 to Mr. RobertBridges; for No. 84., by Mr. Hilaire Belloc, to Messrs. Duckworth;for No. 85 (from The Wild Knight) to Mr. G. K. Chesterton andMessrs. Dent; for Nos. 86 and 87 to the Rev. R. L. Gales; for No. 88,by Miss Sayers, to Mr. Basil Blackwell; for No. 89 to Mr. J. D. C.Pellow; for No. 90 to Messrs. Macmillan; for No. 91 to Mrs. Chesterton;for No. 92 to Mr. Francis Keppel.