THE QUEEN OF MAY 313 
of flowers; and the belt which encircled her slender waist 
was covered with bunches of Hawthorn-blossoms. She 
looked as if the Goddess of Flowers had newly alighted 
upon the earth, and ascended that throne to preside over 
her worshippers. 
In her hand she held a sceptre, covered with the choic- 
est flowers of spring; and as she raised or lowered it, so 
the dancers proceeded, or halted in a moment in the midst 
of their merry measure. They also were ornamented with 
flowers; and had a stranger suddenly come up who had 
never before witnessed these floral amusements, he w^ould 
have thought that the nymphs of Arcady had wandered 
from their ancient and poetical vales, and come to pay 
homage to the flowery pastures of England. 
A handsome - looking young gentleman stood gazing 
upon the scene, with his horse’s bridle thrown negligently 
over his arm, while he timed the measure of the dance 
with the butt-end of his riding-whip upon the ground. 
The Queen of May lowered her flowery sceptre, and, 
stopping the dance, beckoned one of the village maidens 
to approach, when, whispering something in her ear, she 
took the band of rosebuds from her neck and placed it 
in the hands of the dancer, who exchanged a few words 
with flve of her fair companions, and they went trippingly 
up to the young gentleman, and, throwing the wreath of 
roses around him, brought him prisoner before the Queen 
of May. Laughingly he knelt down and kissed the white 
hand that was extended towards him, then took his seat 
beside her on the throne of flowers. 
Then again the music sounded, and the light-footed 
dancers wTirled round the dizzy maze, now joined by the 
jolly old English squire, who made the earth shake again 
beneath the tread of his heavy top-boots. A few bottles 
of the choicest wine had been brought from the cellars 
of the Hall, and the corks were drawn by a servant in 
old-fashioned livery, and, amid loud huzzas, the healths 
of the King and Queen of May were drunk by the happy 
villagers. Another dance, in which the queen and her 
lover joined, being over, the squire and his family retired 
through the ancient iron gates of the lodge, and were soon 
lost in the long avenue which led to the Hall, leaving the 
merry villagers to end their May-day game amongst them- 
selves. 
