INTRODUCTION. IX 



is, four days before the calends of May. 

 These prophetic books had a college of priests 

 appointed to undertake the charge of them, 

 and were held in such reverence that they 

 were never consulted but when the state 

 seemed in danger, and then it was done with 

 the greatest solemnity. 



From the writings of Pliny the Elder, we 

 learn that the worship of this goddess had 

 been greatly neglected, and that it was not 

 until after some unfruitful seasons that the 

 Sibylline books were consulted, which or- 

 dained that the feast of Flora should be ce- 

 lebrated with regularity so as to ensure the 

 well flowering and kindly shedding of the 

 blossoms of all species of plants. 



Let one great day 



To celebrate sports and floral play 



Be set aside. Prior. 



This festival was introduced into Britain by 

 the Romans, as we have already noticed in 

 the Sylva Florifera ; to which we shall add, 

 that as late as the time of Henry VIII. it 

 was so much the fashion for the citizens of 

 London to keep up this ancient custom, by 



b 5 



