in the streets to greet the May. The day is
called  "the Helstone Flora Day,"  thus clearly
indicating the mythological origin of the wide-
spread festival:

    Robin Hood and little John
       They both are gone to Fair, O,
    And we will to the merry green wood
       To see what they do there, O.
    And for to chase O, to chase the buck and doe,
                    With Hallon tow, grennbelow,
                    And cheerily we all get up
                    As soon as any day, O,
                    And for to fetch the summer home,
                    The summer and the May, O,
                    For summer is a come, O,
                    And winter is ago, O.

    Where are those Spaniards
        That make so great a boast, O ?
    They shall eat the grey goose feather
        And we will eat the roast, O.
    In every land, the land that ere we go,
                    With Hallon tow, &c.

    As for St. George,
        St. George he was a knight, O
    Of all the kings in Christendom,
        King George he is the right, O.
                   In every land, &c.

    God bless Aunt Mary Moyes,
    With all her power and might, O,
    And send us peace in merry England,
    Both now and evermore, O.
                  With Hallon tow, &c.

The odd mixture of dates and ideas in this
must be obvious to every one; there is mention
of the Spanish Armada so peculiarly interesting
to western men; the reference to the custom of
eating a goose at Michaelmas is supposed to date
from that time; the change of person from
Saint to King George; it concludes with blessing
the mysterious Aunt Mary Moyes, thus
suddenly restricting the interest to some purely
local celebrity.

But to return to the French songs of May, a
very simple and graceful one is furnished by
the school inspector at Saint-Brieuc.

          En entrant dans cette cour
                   Par amour,
          Nous saluons le seigneur
                   Par honneur,
          Et sa noble demoiselle,
          Les petits enfans, et tous,
                   Par amour,
          Les valets et chambrières.

          Madame de céans,
          Vous qui avez des filles,
          Faites-les se lever,
          Promptement qu'ell'  s'habillent.
   Nous leur passerons un anneau d'or au doigt
          Ã€ l'arrivee du mez de mai,
   Nous leur donn'rons des bagues et des diamants
          Ã€ l'arrivee du doux printemps.
          Entre vous, braves gens,
          Qu'avez des bÅ“ufs, des vaches,
          L'vez vous de bon matin
          Ã€ les mettre aux pâturages:
   Ell' vous donn'rout du beurre, aussi du lait,
          Ã€ l'arrivée du mois de mai,
   Ell' vous donn'ront du beurre, aussi du lait,
          Ã€ l'arrivée du doux printemps.
          Entre vous, jeunes filles,
          Qu'avez de la volaille,
          Mettez la main au nid,
          N'apportez-pas la paille;
          Apportez dix-huit ou bien vingt,
          Mais n'apportez pas les couvains.

          Si vous avez de nous donner,
          Ne nous fait's pas attendre,
          J'ons du chemin à faire,
          Le point du jour avance.
   Donnez-nous vat des Å“ufs ou de l'argent,
          Et renvoyez-nous promptement;
   Donnez-nous vat du cidre, ou bien du vin,
          Et renvoyez-nous au chemin.

          Si vous n'ais rien à nous donner,
          Donnez-nous la servante,
          Le porteur du panier
          Est tout prêt à la prendre;
   II n'en a point, il en voudrait pourtant
          Ã€ l'arrivee du doux printemps.

          Si vous donnez des Å“ufs,
          Nous prierons pour la poule;
          Si vous donnez de l'argent,
          Nous prierons pour la bourse
   Nous prierons Dieu, le bienhe'reux Saint Nicolas,
          Que la poule mange l' renard,
   Nous prierons Dieu, et le bienhe'reux Saint Vincent
          Qu' la bourse se remplisse d'argent.

          En vous remerciant,
          Le présent est honnête,
          Retournez vous coucher
          Barrez port's et fenêtres;
   Pour nous, j'allons toute la nuit chantant
          Ã€ l'arrivée du mez du Mai,
   Pour nous j'allons toute la nuit chantant
          Ã€ l'arrivée du doux printemps.

[We come into your court-yard out of love, and we
salute the noble master out of honour; he and his
noble damsel, the little children and all, we salute
out of love— yes, and the serving-men and maids.
Good lady of the house, if you have daughters, make
them get up quickly, and dress themselves, and we
will put rings of gold on their fingers, for the merry
month of May is come; we will give them rings and
diamonds, for the sweet spring-time is come. As
for you, good people, who have kine and oxen, get
up while it is early, and lead them forth to pasture.
They will give you butter and milk, for the merry
month of May is come, &c.  As for you, young girls,
who have cocks and hens, put your hands into the
nests, and do not bring out straw, bring out eighteen
or twenty eggs, but do not touch those that the hen
is hatching. If you have anything to give us, do
not keep us waiting, for we have a long way to go,
and day is dawning quick. Give us eggs or money,
and send us away quickly— give us cider or wine,
and send us away. If you have nothing to give us,
give us the waiting-maid; he who carries our
basket is quite ready to carry her off; he has no
maid, and he willingly would have one now the
sweet spring-time is come. If you give us eggs we
will pray for the hen; if you give us money we will
pray for the purse. We will pray God and the
blessed Saint Nicholas that the hen may eat the fox;
we will pray God and the blessed Saint Vincent that
the purse may fill itself, and thanking you kindly
for your worthy presents, we bid you go back again
to bed; but first fasten your doors and windows. As
for us, we go singing through the night now the
merry month of May is come; we go singing through
the night now the sweet spring-time is come.]