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| LOVELY MAYA! HERMES’ mother, | |
| Of fair FLORA much befriended, | |
| To whom this sweet month is commended, | |
| This month more sweet than any other, | |
| By thy sweet sovereignty defended. | 5 |
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| Daisies, cowslips, and primroses, | |
| Fragrant violets, and sweet mynthe, | |
| Matched with purple hyacinth: | |
| Of these, each where, Nymphs make trim posies, | |
| Praising their mother BERYCINTH. | 10 |
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| Behold, a herd of jolly Swains | |
| Go flocking up and down the mead! | |
| A troup of lovely Nymphs do tread! | |
| And dearnly dancing on yon plains: | |
| Each doth, in course, her hornpipe lead! | 15 |
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| Before the grooms, plays PEERS the Piper. | |
| They bring in hawthorn and sweet briar: | |
| And damask roses, they would bear; | |
| But them, they leave till they be riper. | |
| The rest, round Morrises dance there! | 20 |
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| With frisking gambols, and such glee, | |
| Unto the lovely Nymphs they haste! | |
| Who, there, in decent order placed, | |
| Expect who shall Queen FLORA be; | |
| And with the May Crown, chiefly graced? | 25 |
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| The Shepherds poopen in their pipe, | |
| One leads his wench a Country Round; | |
| Another sits upon the ground; | |
| And doth his beard from drivel wipe, | |
| Because he would be handsome found. | 30 |
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| To see the frisking, and the scouping! | |
| To hear the herdgrooms wooing speeches! | |
| Whiles one to dance, his girl beseeches. | |
| The lead-heeled lazy luskins louping, | |
| Fling out, in their new motley breeches! | 35 |
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| This done, with jolly cheer and game, | |
| The batch’lor Swains, and young Nymphs met; | |
| Where in an arbour, they were set. | |
| Thither, to choose a Queen, they came, | |
| And soon concluded her to fet. | 40 |
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| There, with a garland, they did crown | |
| PARTHENOPHE, my true sweet Love! | |
| Whose beauty all the Nymphs above, | |
| Did put the lovely Graces down. | |
| The Swains, with shouts, rocks’ echoes move! | 45 |
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| To see the Rounds, the Morris Dances, | |
| The leaden galliards, for her sake! | |
| To hear those songs, the Shepherds make! | |
| One with his hobby horse still prances! | |
| Whiles some, with flowers, an highway make! | 50 |
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| There in a mantle of light green, | |
| (Reserved, by custom, for that day) | |
| PARTHENOPHE, they did array! | |
| And did create her, Summer’s Queen! | |
| And Ruler of their merry May! | 55 |
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