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
woman in white flowered dress
man with gold hat, gold sword and sceptre
Sultan and two attendants
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
Venus holding blue flower like a 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
a woman presenting a 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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