An English Easter custom is referred to in more than one book of sermons. “Fryndys,” says one preacher, “you schall understonde that hyt ys a custome in plasys of worschyp, and in many other dyvers plasys, that at thys solempe fest of Estern, the whyche ys ye day and fest of the glorious Resurexcion of our Lorde Ihesu, now to put owghte and remove ye fire owghte of ye hall wt ye blakke wynture brondys defyllyd and made blakke wt vyle smoke, and instede of ye seyde fyre and blakke wynter brondys to strewe ye hall wythe green rushys and other swete flewres.” And another preacher adds the moral-- “Shewing example to all men and women that they should in like wise clense the house of their soules.” Langland gives us a slight sketch of an Easter morning in England as he knew it in the fourteenth century. “Men rang to ye resurrection and with that ich awakede and kallyd Kytte my wyf, and Kalote my daughter, A-ryse and go reverence, Godes resurrection, and creep on knees to he cryos and cusse hit, for And ryghtfullokest a relyk. Non riccher juwel on erthe for Godes blesside body hit bar for oure bote And hit afereth ye feonde for such is ye myghte may no grysliche gost glyde ther hit shadeweth.” ROGATION DAYS.--During the entire week of Easter all work not actually necessary was ordered to be laid aside, that the people might have time for spiritual rejoicing. During this time also, in most of the larger churches, after Evensong, a procession with all the ministers vested in albs was formed to the newly hallowed font, which, wreathed with flowers and evergreens, was censed by the parish priest, and a “station” for prayer was held at that spot. On the three days before the feast of our Lord’s Ascension, the ancient practice of going in procession singing the litany of the Saints was kept up in every church, unless it was one of the churches in a cathedral city, for in that case the various parishes had to attend at the Mother church and join together in one procession. These “rogations,” as they were called, passed out of the church precincts, and wound their way about streets or country roads of the parish, unless bad weather confined them to the church itself. “Gode men,” says the _Liber Festivalis_, “theis thre dayes suying, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, ye schall faston and com to chyrche, husbond and wyfe and servaunde, for alle we be syners and neduth to have mercy of God.... So holy Chyrch ordaineth yt none schall excuson hym from theise processions yt may godely ben there.”