and streamers, surmounted by a doll.

The frontispiece of May garland at Glatton is a copy of a water colour
drawing by the Rev. E. Bradley (Cuthbert Bede) when living there in
1856.

In the earlier part of the last century it was the custom for a young
man to get as large a branch as possible of May in flower on May 1st and
fix it to his sweetheart's window. If the shutters were closed it was
thrust through the diamond, oval, round, or heartshaped openings at the
top of the shutters. The larger the branch and the more the blossoms the
greater the compliment. If a quarrel had taken place, and peace not
made, then the angry swain would fix a branch of blackthorn in the place
which otherwise should have held the May blossom.

In the country if the servant maids had not pleased the farm boys they
used to get a branch of the crab apple and put it in the girl's window.

MAY DAY.

A branch of May I have brought you,
And at your door it stands;
Well set out, and well spread about
By the work of our Lord's hands.
Take a Bible in your hands,
And read a chapter through;
And when the day of Judgement comes,
God will remember you,
God bless ye all both great and small,
And I wish you a merry May.

Another variation is:--

Arise! Arise! ye dairy maids,
Shake off your drowsy dreams,
Step straightway to your dairies
And fetch us a bowl of cream,
If not a bowl of your sweet cream,
A pot of your brown beer;
And if we should tarry in this town,
We'll come again next year.

When Caster Common Lands were open to all and the gates taken off on May
13th, there was a struggle with the cottagers as to whose cow would get
through the gateway first and the cow which secured the place of honour
had a garland of flowers put round its horns when driven home at night,
and the cow which was last to get on the Common returned with a "Dish
Clout" tied to its tail.

Sunny May.

Cold May, good for corn and Hay.

Rain in May, makes plenty of Hay.

A May flood never did good.

The last two appear to be contradictory but the flood refers to the
valley of the Nene and the lowlands which are apt to be flooded when the
river overflows its banks. The mud and dirt consequently settle on the
grass and make it unfit for hay, but the rainfall does good, causes the
grass to grow and it is not injured by the silt.

Till May goes out, change not a clout.

29th May, Restoration Day, comm