176 MIDSUMMER TIDE. 



JUNE 24. Nativity of St. John the Baptist. 



iMartyrs of Rome under Nero, a. d. 64. 



St. Bartholomew the Less. 



Obs. St. Austin observes that the churcli usually celebrates the 

 festivals of saints on the day of their death, but that the feast of St. 

 John the Baptist is excepted from this rule, because this saint was 

 sanctified in his mother's womb. St. Bernard and many emment 

 divines make no doubt that he was born free from original sin, re- 

 mission of which was imparted to him by the presence of our blessed 

 Iledeemer in the visit made by the blessed virgin to St. Elizabeth. 

 St. John was inspired by the Holy Ghost to retire into the wilder- 

 ness. He remained iii the desert even when he began to preach 

 penance, lest the purity of his heart should be sullied if he had any 

 commerce with men. — Butler, 



Common St. John's Wort Hypericum pidchrum fl. 

 Scarlet Lychnis Lychnis Chalcedonica full fl. 

 Meadow Sweet Spiraea ubnaria fl. 



The Scarlet Lychnis Li,'c/i«)s C/ia/cedo/iico now begins to flower, 

 and its brilliant scarlet adorns the gardens till the end of July or 

 beginning of August, when the plant sheds its seeds, and the arm ot 

 it dies in September ; but, being a perennial, it grows again eacii 

 succeeding year. This beautiful plant grows wild in llussia, Siberia, 

 and other northern parts of Europe, and consequently bears the se- 

 verity of winter remarkably well. It forms agreeabl- clusters in the 

 borders at this time of year, alternating with beds of Pi.'iks, Sweet 

 Williams, and Orange Lilies. Its brilliant scarlet is conirasted 

 agreeably to the deep crimson of the China Rose. The blowing of 

 the Scarlet Lychnis is one of the sure signs of the approaching summer 

 solstice. This plant has been called Candelabrum Ingens S. Johannis, 

 and also Lucerna. 



By this time the Red Corn Poppy Papaver Rhaeas is become 

 numerous, where the Corn fields seem quite scarlet with it : in many 

 places too they have been then called the Red Mantle of Ceres. 

 'J'his plant is probably the original Cereale Papaver of the ancients, 

 transferred by Virgil to his description of the large Officinal Poppy. 

 Now is the beginning of Hay harvest for the southern and middle 

 parts of the kingdom. This is one of the busiest and most agreeable 

 of rural occupations ; both sexes and all ages are engaged in it. 



Currants now begin to ripen, and in some of the warmer parts ot 

 the Continent are now quite ripe : hence they have been called Jo- 

 hannisberen, or Berries of St. John. With us in P^ngland they are 

 beginning to be ripe about ten days hence, which corresponds nearly 

 to St. John's Day in the old style. 



Cherries and Strawberries of all sorts begin to be common. 



