Flowers and Festivals 



with boughs, and perfumed with incense." And in 

 the parish accounts of S. Botolph, Bishopsgate, is 

 the following entry for the year 1678 : — 



'-^ Paid for frankincense and flowers, wiien the Chan- 

 cellor sat with us . . . . , . . ijd." 



Polydore Vergil has also reference to the custom 

 of not only decorating the Church with flowers ; but 

 says that, in England, the priests performed the ser- 

 vice, on certain high days, crowned with flowers; 

 more especially at S. Paul's Cathedral, in London, 

 on the feast-day of the Patron Saint. 



Learned John Stow also states that the Dean and 

 Chapter of that Cathedral, on S. Paul's day, were 

 " apparelled in coaps and vestments, with garlands 

 of roses on their heads." A probable relic of this 

 custom may be traced in the fact that the Judges, 

 the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Common 

 Councillors, when they attend Service at the Cathe- 

 dral on the Sunday after Easter, and on Trinity 

 Sunday, with many of the Clergy, carry each of 

 them a bouquet of flowers in their hands, which 



