Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-04-30

Iilt -S'S W bt uuCu uNC SuhI'iISS NCChiy
he said May-pole be taken down.
Accordingly down went all the May-polcs
hat were left. A famous one inthe Strand,
which had ten years before been sung in lofty
metre, appears TO have previously fallen.
The poet says
Fairly We marched on, till our approach
Within the spacious passage of the Strand
Objected 10 our sight summer breach,
Ycleap'da May Pale, which in all our land,
No city, towne nor strccte, can parallel,
Nor can the lofty spire of Clarken- well,
Although we have the advantage of rookie
Peach up more high his turning weather-cock.
Stay. quoth my Muse, and here behold signe
Ofharme esse mirth and honest neghbourhood
Where all the parish did in combine
To mount the rod Of peace and none withstood
When no cnpritious cons,ables disturb them,
Nor justice of the peace did seek to curb them,
Nor peevsh puritan, in rayling sort,
Nor over-wise church warden, spoyGd the sport.
Happy the age, and harmlesse were the dayes
(For then true love and amity was found.)
When every village did MAY Pole raise,
And Whitson-ales and M,Y-GAMEs did abound |
And all the usty yonkers in rout,
With merry lasses damned the rod about,
Then Friendship to their banquets bid the guests,
And poore men far'd the better for their ieasts.
The lords of castles, mannors townes, and towers
Rcjoic d when they beheld the farmers flourish,
And would come downe unto the summer bowers
To see the coun,ry-gallans dauce the Morrce.
But since the SUMNER Poles rcre orerthroun.
Aud all coed sports and merrlments decay'd,
low times and men are chang ed, so wei is knownc
1t were bu, labour lost if more were sayid
But doe hope once more the day will come,
That you shall mo mt & perch your cocks as high
As ere vol did and that the pipe and drum
Snail bid defiance q
And that all fders, which in corners lurke.
And have been almost starvd for wan, # worNe,
Shall draw Their crowds and at your exalta'ion,
Play many a TIT Of merry recreation
The restoration of Charles IT.was the sig
nal for the restoration of May-poles. On the
very first May-day afterwards, in 1861, the
May-poie in the Strand was reared with
great ceremony and rejoicing, curious ac-
count Of which, from IA rare tract is at the
readers service. "Let me declare to you,"
says the triumphant narrator, "the manner
in general of that stately cedar erected in the
strand, 1874 foot high, commonly called the
Mdy-p0le upon the cost Of the parishioncrs
there ad iacent, & the gracious consent of his
sacred Majesty with the illustrous Prince the
Duke of York. This Tree was most choice
and remarkable piece; twas made below
Bridge, and brought in two parts up to Scot
land Yard near the Kings Palace, and from
thence 1t was conveyed April 18th to the
Strand to be erected. 1t was brought with
streamer hourishing before it, Drums beat
ing all the way and other sorts of musick !;
it was supposed to be SO long, that Landsmen
(as Carpcnters) could not possibly raise it !;
prince James the Duke Of York, Lord High
Admiral of England, commanded twelve SEA-
men of board to come and ofiiciate the
business, whereupon they came and brought
their cables, Pullics, and other tacklIns, with
six great anchors (atter his was brought three
Crowns, bore by three men bare-hcadcd and
astreamer displaying all the way before them,
Drums beating and other musick playing !;
numerous multitudes of people thronging the
streets, with great shouts aud acclamations
all day long. The May pole then being
joyned together, and hoopt about with bands
of iron, the crown and cane with the Kings
Arms richly glied, was placed upon the
head oft, large top like Balcony was a.
bout the middle of it. This being done, the
trumpets did sound, and IN four hours space
it was advanced upright, after winch being
established fast in the ground six drums did
beat, and the trumpcts did sound again great
shouts and acclamatons the people give
that it did ring throughout all the strand. Al
ter that came a Woriee Dance finely deckt,
with purple scaris, in their half shirts, with
a Tabor and Pipe, the ancient Musick, and
danced round about the Maypole, and after
that danced the rounds ofthcr liberty. Up
on the top Of this famous standard is likewise
set up royal purple streamcr, about the
middle of tits placed four crowns more, with
the Kings Arms likewise, there is also gar
land set upon it of various colours of delicate
rich favors, under which is to be placed three
great Lanthorns, to remain for three honours
that is, one for Prince James Duke of York
Id High Admiral of England the other for
the Vice Admiral and the third for the
Rear Admiral these are to give light in dark
nights and to continue so as long as the Pole
stands which will be a perpetual honour for
seamen. 1t is placed as near hand as they
could guess, in the very same pit where the
former stood, but more glorious, bigger and
higher than ever any one that stood before it
and the seamen themselves do confess that il
could not be built higher nor is there not sucl
a one in Europe beside, which highly dotl
P'dsc HiS NhdlcStN, anu tTt husuious INV
+ Duke of York little children did much re-
f joice, and antlent people did clap their hands
saying, golden days began to appear.
question not but twill ring like melodiou,
musick throughout every county in England
when they read this story being exactly pen'c
let this satisiie for the glories of London tina
other loyal subjects may read what we d,
here see."