Rise up, the mistress of this house, with gold along your breast, For the summer springs so fresh, green, and gay; And if your body be asleep, we hope your soul’s at rest, Drawing near to the merry month of May. Rise up, the children of this house, all in your rich attire, For the summer springs so fresh, green, and gay; For every hair upon your head(s) shines like the silver wire, Drawing near to the merry month of May. God bless this house and harbour, your riches and your store, For the summer springs so fresh, green, and gay; We hope the Lord will prosper you, both now and evermore, Drawing near to the merry month of May. So now we’re going to leave you, in peace and plenty here, For the summer springs so fresh, green, and gay; We shall not sing you May again until another year, For to draw you these cold winters away. NEW MAY SONG. Come listen awhile to what we shall say, Concerning the season, the month we call May; For the flowers they are springing, and the birds they do sing, And the baziers[42] are sweet in the morning of May. When the trees are in bloom, and the meadows are green, The sweet-smelling cowslips are plain to be seen; The sweet ties of nature, which we plainly do see, For the baziers are sweet in the morning of May. All creatures are deem’d, in their station below, Such comforts of love on each other bestow; Our flocks they’re all folded, and young lambs sweetly do play, And the baziers are sweet in the morning of May. So now to conclude with much freedom and love, The sweetest of blessings proceeds from above; Let us join in our song that right happy may we be, For we’ll bless with contentment in the morning of May.”[43] [42] The _bazier_ is the name given in this part of Lancashire to the auricula, which is usually in full bloom in April. [43] The Cheshire May-song is very similar to this. LINCOLNSHIRE. Oliver in his _Monumental Antiquities of Great Grimsby_ (1825, p. 39), speaking of Holm Hill and Abbey Hill, two of the seven hills on which the British town of Grym-by was situated, says they were united by an artificial bank, called the _Ket Bank_, in connection with which he relates the following curious ceremony:--