Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May! that dost inspire
Mirth and youth with warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee and wish thee long.
Twenty Female Figures.
So sings Milton to the sweet Birdmonth--he whose mighty mind "nigh
sphered in Heaven," hymned the soft beauty of the first day that
dawned upon the infant world, which surely must have been a
May-morning.
"Sweet day, so calm, so pure, so bright,
The bridal of the earth and skies."
What must have been a May-morning in Paradise, when even now, in the
homeliest districts, it gladdens the heart of man with its advent of
young flowers and budding leaves and sweetly singing birds! It seems
to be Nature's own birthday, throughout the varied kingdoms of her
living world. All countries have greeted the welcome arrival of this
fair day, but none more so than old Pastoral England, in the time of
her elder poets. Time was, when, from the court to the cottage, all
"rose up early to observe the rite of May;" some went a
"dew-gathering," a sort of rustic love-spell that was sure to enchant
every maiden, gentle or simple; others to "fetch in May"--a rivalry
that "robbed many a hawthorn of its half-blown sweets;" and others set
their wits to work to get up some pretty device, some rural drama, one
of which our tableau represents.
The Fairies' Offering to the Queen of May is a tableau of great
excellence and artistic beauty. The Queen of May is seated on a floral
throne in the background, which is situated upon a platform about six
feet high, with broad steps extending across the stage and to the
footlights. These should be covered with green bocking, and on them
are grouped the fairies, who are offering to the queen, baskets,
bouquets, and garlands of flowers. On the lower step are other fairies
ascending to the throne, and bearing baskets of fruit and flowers on
their heads. The number of figures in the piece is twenty, nineteen of
which are young misses, quite small and pretty, and one a beautiful
maiden, who takes the part of the May Queen.
You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear;
To-morrow'll be the happiest time of all the glad New-year;
To-morrow'll be of all the year the maddest, merriest day,
For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May.