Said the Grey Day Saints to the May Day Saints, Singing across the year: How is it with you in the Spring? The leaves in the wood are red, And the frightened trees are a-shake Down by the moaning brook. The birds sweep the sky with desperate wings of escape. There is none to serve our Mass, And the high wind is our Priest. No censer swings for us From the lime-tree’s blossomed boughs; Yet have we joy of our feast, For we know that the Child is near— The Child Who is born in December, In the frozen December stillness. Round Him the year shall wake, And climb up the Spring into May, To the feast of Philip and James. The tapers of Christ’s own Mass Shall rekindle the fading sun, And Mary shall lift her Babe To the horn of the wintry moon, And ride Him into a Happy New Year. ST. PETER & ST. PAUL _The Gate of Lewes_ St. Peter sits on Caburn Hill, St. Paul sits high on Beacon Down, And there, each side of Wakeland’s Mill, They guard the way to Lewes Town: They hold the Sword and Keys in state— Our bands are loosed, our sins forgiven— They sit there guarding Lewes Gate As they would guard the Gate of Heaven. _For Lewes Town like Heaven is, And Heaven is like Lewes Town._ The golden streets go up the hill, In sunshine dreaming, warm and still; Ouse river through the vale below Like Sion’s Stream of Life doth flow, And many fruits our fruit-trees bear— Plum, cherry, apple, quince, and pear— And in our streets the live-long day The girls and boys are at their play. When evening falls the church bells ring, And faithful voices pray and sing; When morning comes the faithful feet Tread to the altar-paces sweet. The Lamb is with us day and night, So, like high Heaven’s, our streets are bright. The Lamb is with us night and day, So two Apostles guard the way ’Twixt Caburn Hill and Beacon Down, The way that leads to Lewes Town. _For Lewes Town like Heaven is, And Heaven is like Lewes Town._ Oh, great St. Peter, hear our cry From your high sunset seat on Firle, Promise by Him you did deny That our dear city’s gates of pearl Shall not be forced by any foe; Nor any soul that mongers sin, Or in defilement loves to go, Or makes a lie, shall enter in.