132 POETICAL LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
pleasantest months in the whole year; for to them 
that word recalled the season of poetry—the month of 
flowers, and was fraught with associations of all that 
is bright and beautiful in the earth : for there aie but 
few objects that strike the eye with greater delight 
than the rural hedgerows which stretch for miles 
throuo-hout our country, and are at the close of spring 
flushed over with the pink-white blossoms of May. In 
the olden time our ancestors did homage to this season 
of flowers; and went out with songs and music to 
“bring home May.” They erected arbors of green 
branches, they selected 3. beautiful maiden and clown¬ 
ed her Queen of May, they placed her upon a throne 
of flowers, they -wreathed her brow with blossoms, and 
danced around her, and they hung the tall, tapering 
Maypole with gay garlands of variegated colors. Even 
kings and queens left their palaces, the proud baion 
rode out from under the dark-browed archway of his 
feudal castle, the fair lady deserted her bower, and the 
brave knight, with his plumes dancing in the wind, 
mounted on his prancing war-horse, rode beside the 
white palfry of his lady-love, and so they went foith, 
throwing their titles and dignities for once aside, to 
“ do observance to the May.” 
