“_Then doth the joyfull feast of John the Baptist take his turne,_ _When bonfiers great with loftie flame, in every towne doe burne;_ _And yong men round about with maides, doe daunce in every streete,_ _With garlands wrought of Motherwort, or else with Vervain sweete,_ _And many other flowres faire, with Violets in their handes,_ _Whereas they all do fondly thinke, that whosoever standes,_ _And thorow the flowres beholds the flame, his eyes shall feele no paine._ _When thus till night they daunced have, they through the fire amaine_ _With striving mindes doe runne, and all their hearbes they cast therin,_ _And then with wordes devout and prayers, they solemnely begin,_ _Desiring God that all their illes may there consumed bee,_ _Whereby they thinke through all that yeare from Agues to be free._ _Some others get a rotten wheele, all worne and cast aside,_ _Which covered round about with strawe, and tow, they closely hide:_ _And caryed to some mountaines top, being all with fire light,_ _They hurle it downe with violence, when darke appeares the night:_ _Resembling much the Sunne, that from the heavens downe should fal,_ _A straunge and monstrous sight it seemes, and fearfull to them all:_ _But they suppose their mischiefes all are likewise throwne to hell,_ _And that from harmes and daungers now, in safetie here they dwell._”(397) From these general descriptions, which to some extent still hold good, or did so till lately, we see that the main features of the midsummer fire-festival resemble those which we have found to characterize the vernal festivals of fire. The similarity of the two sets of ceremonies will plainly appear from the following examples.