A FLOWER WEDDING

bird carrying two invitations

title page

A
FLOWER
WEDDING

DESCRIBED·BY
TWO WALLFLOWERS

DECORATED·BY
WALTER·CRANE

CASSELL·&·COMPANY·1905

A·FLOWER·WEDDING

cherubs rining bluebells

Yes, flower bells rang right merry that day,

When there was a marriage of flowers, they say.

The proposal

Young LAD’S LOVE had courted Miss Meadow·Sweet,

And the two soon agreed at the Altar to meet.

the processional

A LILY white robe was worn by the Bride,

And SWEET WILLIAM, the Groom, drest in red, at her side.

her train and three attendants

Miss Violet, Primrose, and gay Marygold,

With their Ladies’ Fingers her train did uphold.

Four brridesmaids in blue

In Ladysmocks, Bridesmaids, Forget·me·not blue,

With their sashes all tied in Love·knot·true.

the brides's motehr and friend

The Bride’s Mother follows with loving Eyebright,

All in Winter Green and fine Furze bedight.

the father with a beard

Whilst her father looked young, though with Old·man’s·beard.

the father as a dandy

(Was a Dande·lion in youth I have heard.)

The minister

The troth was plighted for woe or for weal,

And the lines attested by Solomon’s Seal:

the groom is tied

The Bachelor’s Button was cast aside,

queen with crown, shield and scepter

And the throng that witnessed was London’s Pride:

Large king

There was Good King Henry, a tall Jonquil,

Narcissus

Like Narcissus himself by the waters still;

Lord and lady dancing

There were Lords & Ladies to grace the dance,

woman with fan of rosemary

And Rose Mary, and—

woman in white flowered dress

Rose·la·France:

man with gold hat, gold sword and sceptre

With his Golden Rod

Sultan and two attendants

the Sweet Sultan came;

Old lady, bent over

Lastly, Creeping Jenny, an elderly dame

two men carrying platters

To order the feast—there was Ling, and Hartstongue,

Cook, two maids and an extremely large goose walking

And Goosefoot with Sage, the House·leek among

woman carrying bowl of peas with another woman

Very Sweet Peas, & Good Cherry Pie,

Such a feast as an Alderman could not deny!

a couple toasting

In lovely King·Cups there was Chamomile Tea

two rich guests

And the fortune in gifts was a wonder to see!

A new Penny-Royal, A fine Golden Feather;

Two horses with a man in front

A pair of Horse-chestnuts,

A pink angel carrying two slocks of Jacob's Ladder

a Jacob’s Ladder,

Venus holding blue flower like a looking-glass

Venus’s·looking·glass,

angel or cupid taking arrow from a neired

a fine Arrow-head

Discovered long since in the river’s bed;

woman carrying fabric

Garments of Flax,

a woman presenting a cushion

and a Lady’s Cushion;

two ladies puttin on hose

Hose·in·hose, Lady’s slippers to put on,

one lady with platter and golden goblets, another with pitcher on her shoulder

Buttercups gold, and a Pitcher-plant

Nay, everything that a house could want.

couple leaving in a trap or carriage

In Venus’s-fly-trap the pair drove away,

friends waving goodbye

“Speedwell, and be happy,” their friends gaily say;

maid finding the left behind chest

But alack! what a hubbub when one chanced to find

The Bride’s only Box was there left behind!

Harlequin dancing with death

The Wild-thyme they had, and the fuss that was made

Kept the guests in a rout thro’ the Deadly night shade.

Guests taking leave

But the CLOCKS ticked apace to the ope of Dais-y

Snowflakes were fast falling when all said good-bye,

groom standing over pile of gold coins with a scoop in one hand and scales in the other

With regrets for “that box,”—yet they need not to stint,

For the Bridegroom was rich, he’d a post at the Mint

The Honeymoon with bride and groom in goldola and Finis

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