The wearer's no mean shepherdess.
At shearing-times, and yearly wakes,
When Themilis his pastime makes,
There thou shalt be; and be the wit,
Nay more, the feast, and grace of it.
On holydays, when virgins meet
To dance the heys with nimble feet,
Thou shalt come forth, and then appear
The Queen of Roses for that year.
And having danced ('bove all the best)
Carry the garland from the rest,
In wicker-baskets maids shall bring
To thee, my dearest shepherdling,
The blushing apple, bashful pear,

And shame-faced plum, all simp'ring there.
Walk in the groves, and thou shalt find
The name of Phillis in the rind

Of every straight and smooth-skin tree; Where kissing that, I'll twice kiss thee. To thee a sheep-hook I will send, Be-prank'd with ribbands, to this end, This, this alluring hook might be Less for to catch a sheep, than me. Thou shalt have possets, wassails fine, Not made of ale, but spicéd wine; To make thy maids and self free mirth, All sitting near the glitt'ring hearth. "Thou shalt have ribbands, roses, rings, Gloves, garters, stockings, shoes, and strings Of winning colours, that shall move Others to lust, but me to love.

-These, nay, and more, thine own shall be, If thou wilt love, and live with me.

* 18 *

THE WASSAIL

GIVE way, give way, ye gates, and win
An easy blessing to your bin

And basket, by our entering in.

May both with manchet stand replete ;
Your larders, too, so hung with meat,
That though a thousand, thousand eat,

Yet, ere twelve moons shall whirl about
Their silv'ry spheres, there's none may doubt
But more's sent in than was served out.

Next, may your dairies prosper so,
As that your pans no ebb may know;
But if they do, the more to flow,

Like to a solemn sober stream,
Bank'd all with lilies, and the cream
Of sweetest cowslips filling them.

Then may your plants be press'd with fruit, Nor bee or hive you have be mute,

But sweetly sounding like a lute.

Last, may your harrows, shares, and ploughs, Your stacks, your stocks, your sweetest mows, All prosper by your virgin-vows.

-Alas! we bless, but see none here,
That brings us either ale or beer;
In a dry-house all things are near.

Let's leave a longer time to wait,
Where rust and cobwebs bind the gate;
And all live here with needy fate;

Where chimneys do for ever weep
For want of warmth, and stomachs keep
With noise the servants' eyes from sleep.

It is in vain to sing, or stay

Our free feet here, but we'll away :
Yet to the Lares this we'll say:

'The time will come when you'll be sad,

'And reckon this for fortune bad,
'T'ave lost the good ye might have had.'

IF ye

*19*

THE FAIRIES

will with Mab find grace,

Set each platter in his place;

Rake the fire up, and get

Water in, ere sun be set.

Wash your pails and cleanse your dairies,

Sluts are loathsome to the fairies;

Sweep your house; Who doth not so,

Mab will pinch her by the toe.

* 20 *

CEREMONY UPON CANDLEMAS EVE

DOWN with the rosemary, and so
Down with the bays and misletoe ;
Down with the holly, ivy, all

Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas hall;
That so the superstitious find

No one least branch there left behind;
For look, how many leaves there be
Neglected there, maids, trust to me,
So many goblins you shall see.

* 21 *

CEREMONIES FOR CANDLEMAS EVE

DOWN with the rosemary and bays,

Down with the misletoe; Instead of holly, now up-raise The greener box, for show.

The holly hitherto did sway;
Let box now domineer,
Until the dancing Easter-day,

Or Easter's eve appear.

Then youthful box, which now hath grace

Your houses to renew,

Grown old, surrender must his place

Unto the crispéd yew.

When yew is out, then birch comes in,

And many flowers beside,

Both of a fresh and fragrant kin,

To honour Whitsuntide.

Green rushes then, and sweetest bents,

With cooler oaken boughs,

Come in for comely ornaments,

To re-adorn the house.

Thus times do shift ; each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old.

* 22 *

THE CEREMONIES FOR CANDLEMAS DAY

KINDLE the Christmas brand, and then
Till sunset let it burn;

Which quench'd, then lay it up again,
Till Christmas next return.

Part must be kept, wherewith to teend
The Christmas log next year;
And where 'tis safely kept, the fiend
Can do no mischief there.

*23*

FAREWELL FROST, OR WELCOME SPRING

FLED are the frosts, and now the fields appear Reclothed in fresh and verdant diaper;