DECIDUOUS OKNAMENTAL TIISES. 249 



poetic, and legendary associations which belong to it in 

 England ; for scarcely any tree is richer in such than 

 this. With the floral games of May, this plant, from its 

 blooming at that period, and being the favorite of the 

 season, has become so identified, that the blossoms are 

 known in many parts of Britain chiefly by that name. 

 Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, they were dedi- 

 cated to Flora, whose festival began on the first of that 

 month ; and in the olden times of merry England, the 

 May-pole, its top decked with the gayest garlands of these 

 blossoms, was raised amid the shouts of the young and 

 old assembled to celebrate this happy rustic festival. 

 Chaucer alludes to the custom, and describes the hawthorn 

 thus: 



Marke the faire blooming of the Hawthorne tree, 

 Which finely cloathed in a robe of white, 

 Fills full the wanton eye with May's delight. 



Court of Love, 



And Herrick has left us the following lines to " Corrina 

 going a Maying :" 



" Come, my Corrina, come ; and coming marke 

 How eche field turns a street, eche street a park 

 Made green, and trimmed with trees ; see how 

 Devotion gives eche house a bough 

 Or branch ; eche porch, eche doore ere this. 

 An arke, a tabernacle is, 

 Made up of Hawthorne, neatly interwove, 

 As if here were those cooler shades of love." 



The following lines descriptive of the English species, 

 we extract from the " Romance of Nature." 



" Come let us rest this hawthorn tree beneath. 

 And breathe its luscious fragrance as it flies, » 



