220 BRAMBLES AND BAY LEAVES. 



St. John's day — the 24th of June. This was founded on a passage 

 of Holy Writ, in which John is represented as a shining and burning 

 light. In London these vigils were kept with much boisterous mer- 

 riment. " Every man's door was shaded with green birch, long 

 fennel, St. John's-wort, orpine, white lilies, and the like, ornamented 

 with garlands of beautiful flowers." Young men and maidens, car- 

 rying posies in their hands, and having their brows encircled with 

 vervain and St. John's-wort, danced round the blazing bonfires, and 

 threw the flowers into it, at the same time invoking the protection of 

 the saint, and praying him to grant that the coming year might be 

 less fruitful in sorrow, and more profuse in happiness than the one 

 just passed. The St. John's-wort was a plant possessing great pro- 

 tective virtues and magical powers. In Lorraine, the peasant will 

 not, on any account, cut down his grass until St. John's-day ; and 

 whether the season be backward or forward is all the same to him — 

 the dead saint has more to do with the matter than the living sun. 

 In the days of chivalry, when two persons were to decide a quarrel 

 by combat, and thereby reduce moral truth and justice to a question 

 of brute force, an oath was administered to each knight, requiring 

 him to " Swear that ye had no stone of virtue, nor hearbe of virtue, 

 nor charm, nor experiment, nor none other enchantment ; and that 

 ye trust in none other things properly, but in God, and your body 

 and your brave quarrel." 



Of all the old customs which deserve to be cherished and held as 

 sacred, those of decking the bride with flowers we esteem the first. 

 What can have a more exalting influence upon the mind of a young 

 maiden, than to be surrounded with flowers when walking to the 

 altar ? Flowers are at all times fit adornments for beauty, and may, 

 to a bride especially, convey a sentiment of hope, and trust, and con- 

 fiding love. 



*' Among the Latins, the bride, on her wedding day, was dressed 

 in a long white robe with a purple fringe ; her face was covered with 

 a red veil, and her head was crowned with flowers. On arriving at 

 the house of her husband, she bound woollen fillets round the door- 

 posts, which were adorned with flowers, and anointed with the fat of 

 wolves, to avert enchantment."* At the present day, a similar cus- 

 tom prevails in Wales. Wreaths and garlands are worn at weddings, 



* Adams's Roman Antiquitieg. 



