68 LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
“ every man, except impediment, would walk into 
the sweet meadows, and green woods, there to 
rejoice their spirits with the beauty and savour of 
sweet flowers, and with the harmony of birds praising 
God in their kind.” People of all ranks joined in 
this recreation. King Henry VIII. rode a-maying 
from Greenwich to Shooter’s Hill, with his queen 
Katherine, accompanied by many lords and ladies. 
In the country, the juvenile part of both sexes 
were accustomed to rise soon after mid-night, and 
walk to some neighbouring wood accompanied 
with music and the blowing of horns ; there they 
would break branches from the trees and adorn 
them with nosegays and crowns of flowers. This 
done, they returned homeward about sunrise with 
their booty, and decorated their doors and windows 
with the flowery spoil. The after-part of the day 
was chiefly spent in dancing round a tall pole, 
called a May-pole: which, being placed in a con¬ 
venient part of the village, stood there, conse¬ 
crated as it were to the goddess of flowers, with¬ 
out suffering the least violation during the whole 
year. 
Herrick, in his beautiful poem of “ Corinna’s 
going a-maying,” has also given us some idea 
