INTRODUCTION. 
21 
May-day festivities are now falling rapidly 
into disuse ; but in ancient times it was cele¬ 
brated as was fitting by the young. They 
rose shortly after midnight, and went to some 
neighbouring wood, attended by songs and 
music, there breaking green branches from 
the trees, and making nosegays, wreaths, and 
crowns of flowers. They returned home at 
the rising of the sun, and made their windows 
and their doors gay with garlands. In the 
villages they danced during the day round the 
May-pole, which afterwards remained the 
whole year untouched, except by the seasons, 
a fading emblem, and a consecrated offering 
to the goddess of flowers. Chaucer, in his 
conclusion of the Court of Love, hath de¬ 
scribed the feast of May. 
Forth goth all the court, both most and least, 
To fetch the floures fresh, and branch and blome.— 
And namely hawthorn brought both page and grome, 
And then rejoysen in their great delite, 
Eke ech at others threw the floures bright, 
The primrose, violete, and the gold, 
With fresh garlants party blue and white. 
