Padiham and Pendle, and even from places more remote. Not only was John
Lawe's of the Dragon full, but the Chequers, and the Swan also, and the
roadside alehouse to boot. Sir Ralph Assheton had several guests at the
abbey, and others were expected in the course of the day, while Doctor
Ormerod had friends staying with him at the vicarage.

Soon after midnight, on the morning of the festival, many young persons
of the village, of both sexes, had arisen, and, to the sound of horn,
had repaired to the neighbouring woods, and there gathered a vast stock
of green boughs and flowering branches of the sweetly-perfumed hawthorn,
wild roses, and honeysuckle, with baskets of violets, cowslips,
primroses, blue-bells, and other wild flowers, and returning in the same
order they went forth, fashioned the branches into green bowers within
the churchyard, or round about the May-pole set up on the green, and
decorated them afterwards with garlands and crowns of flowers. This
morning ceremonial ought to have been performed without wetting the
feet: but though some pains were taken in the matter, few could achieve
the difficult task, except those carried over the dewy grass by their
lusty swains. On the day before the rushes had been gathered, and the
rush cart piled, shaped, trimmed, and adorned by those experienced in
the task, (and it was one requiring both taste and skill, as will be
seen when the cart itself shall come forth,) while others had borrowed
for its adornment, from the abbey and elsewhere, silver tankards,
drinking-cups, spoons, ladles, brooches, watches, chains, and bracelets,
so as to make an imposing show.

Day was ushered in by a merry peal of bells from the tower of the old
parish church, and the ringers practised all kinds of joyous changes
during the morning, and fired many a clanging volley. The whole village
was early astir; and as these were times when good hours were kept; and