A FLOWER WEDDING
[1]
A
FLOWER
WEDDING
FLOWER
WEDDING
DESCRIBED·BY
TWO WALLFLOWERS
DECORATED·BY
WALTER·CRANE
CASSELL·&·COMPANY·1905
TWO WALLFLOWERS
DECORATED·BY
WALTER·CRANE
CASSELL·&·COMPANY·1905
[2]
A·FLOWER·WEDDING
Yes, flower bells rang right merry that day,
When there was a marriage of flowers, they say.
[3]
Young LAD’S LOVE had courted Miss Meadow·Sweet,
And the two soon agreed at the Altar to meet.
[4]
A LILY white robe was worn by the Bride,
And SWEET WILLIAM, the Groom, drest in red, at her side.
[5]
Miss Violet, Primrose, and gay Marygold,
With their Ladies’ Fingers her train did uphold.
[6]
In Ladysmocks, Bridesmaids, Forget·me·not blue,
With their sashes all tied in Love·knot·true.
[7]
The Bride’s Mother follows with loving Eyebright,
All in Winter Green and fine Furze bedight.
[8]
Whilst her father looked young, though with Old·man’s·beard.
[9]
(Was a Dande·lion in youth I have heard.)
[10]
The troth was plighted for woe or for weal,
And the lines attested by Solomon’s Seal:
[11]
The Bachelor’s Button was cast aside,
[12]
And the throng that witnessed was London’s Pride:
[13]
There was Good King Henry, a tall Jonquil,
[14]
Like Narcissus himself by the waters still;
[15]
There were Lords & Ladies to grace the dance,
[16]
And Rose Mary, and—
[17]
Rose·la·France:
[18]
With his Golden Rod
[19]
the Sweet Sultan came;
[20]
Lastly, Creeping Jenny, an elderly dame
[21]
To order the feast—there was Ling, and Hartstongue,
[22]
And Goosefoot with Sage, the House·leek among
[23]
Very Sweet Peas, & Good Cherry Pie,
Such a feast as an Alderman could not deny!
[24]
In lovely King·Cups there was Chamomile Tea
[25]
And the fortune in gifts was a wonder to see!
A new Penny-Royal, A fine Golden Feather;
[26]
A pair of Horse-chestnuts,
[27]
a Jacob’s Ladder,
[28]
Venus’s·looking·glass,
[29]
a fine Arrow-head
Discovered long since in the river’s bed;
[30]
Garments of Flax,
[31]
and a Lady’s Cushion;
[32]
Hose·in·hose, Lady’s slippers to put on,
[33]
Buttercups gold, and a Pitcher-plant
Nay, everything that a house could want.
[34]
In Venus’s-fly-trap the pair drove away,
[35]
“Speedwell, and be happy,” their friends gaily say;
[36]
But alack! what a hubbub when one chanced to find
The Bride’s only Box was there left behind!
[37]
The Wild-thyme they had, and the fuss that was made
Kept the guests in a rout thro’ the Deadly night shade.
[38]
But the CLOCKS ticked apace to the ope of Dais-y
Snowflakes were fast falling when all said good-bye,
[39]
With regrets for “that box,”—yet they need not to stint,
For the Bridegroom was rich, he’d a post at the Mint
[40]
