
















92 INTRODUCTION. 
untouched, except by the seasons, a fading 
emblem, and a consecrated offering to the 
goddess of flowers.” Chaucer, in his conclu- 
sion of the Court of Love, hath described the 
feast of May. 
Forth goth all the court, both most and least, 
To fetch the floures fresh, and braunch 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. 
The twenty-ninth of May, the anniversary 
of the restoration of King Charles, is celebrated 
at Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire, with much 
rejoicing among the junior members of the 
community. Rising early in the morning, 
they sally forth into the neighbouring woods, 
and break off large boughs from the oak trees, 
which they convey into the town, and fix 
them projecting from the windows. To 
these they suspend garlands of flowers, orna- 
mented with birds’ eggs, which are cruelly 


