Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-05-04
nj A Y ID A Y.

ocoPy the following from "Ihe Com
ponion," neat little paper, issued gra-
tuitously with the Liverpool Chronicle
1t will be read with pleasure by those
who feel Il vcneraton for the good old
pious customs Of our ancestors.
Now the bright morning star, DAYS halhugrr
Cones dancing from the east, aud leads with her
The ilowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowSIlp, and the pale primrose
/ Hail, bounteouS May that do;t inspire
Alulh and youth, and warm desire;
" Nood> and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill aud dale both boast Thy blessing
Thus wc salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee aud wish thee long.
MAY DAY was the great rural festival
of our lorciathers. Their hearts rcspon-
dcd mcrrily to the chceriulncss of the
season. At the dawn Of May morning,
the lads and lasscs left their towns and
villages, and repairing to the woodlands
by sound Of music, they gathered the
May, or blossomcd branches of the trees,
and bound them with wrcaths Of flowers;
then returning to their homes by sunrise,
they decorated the lalticcs and doors with
the sweet-smeling spoil Of their joyous
journey, and spent the remaining hours
in sports and pastimcs. Spcnser'S "Shcp-.
herds Calendar" poctically records these
customs, in beautiful eclogue:-
Youths foe now focken every where
TO gather may y-buSkets, and smelling breere;
And home they hasien the poStes to dight,
And all the kirke pliers, ere daylight,
With hawthorne buds, and sweet eglantine,
And gironds of roses, and scopes in wine.
| Skier this morrow, 10 longer ago,
! saw a shole Of shcphoard, ou,go
With singing and sIowrng, and jolly chcere;
/ Before them yodc mslic tabrere,
/ That to the meync "A horncpip pc plad
" hereto they daunc en- eche one with his made
To see these lolkes make such osisauncc,
Made nv heart after the pipe TO dauncc,
Tho Ia the greene wood they speeden them all
! To frlchcn home May with their muscalI:
And home they brinecn, in royal throne,
/ Crowned aS king: and his queen atone
Was Iadle Flora, on whom did attend
| a fare flock of laeres, and fresh bend
Ofloycly nymphS. o. that were there
10 hcIpen the ladies' their May bush brare!
A gathcrcr Of notices respecting our
pas.ilnes says,-"Tho aiicr-part of May
day is chiefly spent in dancing round a
tall Poll, which is called a May Poll;
which being placed in a convenient part
Of the village, stands there. as it were
consecratcd to the Goddess Of Flowers,
without the least violation offered to it, in
the whole circle ofthc year" One who
was an implacablc enemy to popular sports
relates the fetching in of "the May".
{ T.. q, q, L.,
chceiest jewell they bring from thence is
their Nlaic poole, which they bring home
with create yencration, as thus. They
have twcntlc or iourtic yoke of OK n, ev-
cry oXc havying n swcetc noscgaic of
flowers tyed on the tippe Of his horncs,
and these oxen drawc home this Maic
poole, which is covered all over with
flowers and hcarbcs, bounde round a.
bout with strnges, from the top to the
bottomc, and sometyme painted with va
rablc colours, with two or three undrcd
men, women, and children following it,
with great devotion. And thus bcyng
reared up, with handkcrchcics and flag
ges streaming on the toppe, they strawc
the groundc aboutc ,binde greene boughes
dbou, it, sett up Sommer-haulcs, Bowers,
and Arbours hard by it. And then fall
they to banquet and feast, to lcapc and
daunce aboute it, as the Heather people
did at the dedication of their Idollcs,
whereofthis is perfect patterne, or rath-
er the thyng itself"
The May pole is up,
Now give me the cup,
I'll drink 10 the gdrands around it;
Hut first unto those
Whose hands did compose
The glory of the flowers that crown'di it.
II HERRICK.