"THE MERRY SONG OF THE MAYPOLE" is undoubtedly the first piece of "hilarious verse" composed on the continent of North America. A scapegrace lawyer, Thomas Morton, of Clifford's Inn, London (Justice Shallow's abiding place), landed with other ad

venturers at Plymouth, in 1622. Three years afterwards, he joined Wollaston's party at Pasonagessit, which place was named after their leader, but afterwards they called it Ma-re Mount. They lived, according to the chronicler of Plymouth, "in great licentiousness of life, in all profaneness, and the said Morton became lord of misrule, and maintained, as it were, a school of Atheism; and after they had got some goods into their hands, and got much by trading with the Indians, they spent it as vainly in quaffing and drinking both wine and strong liquors in great excess, as some have reported ten pounds' worth in a morning, setting up a Maypole, drinking and dancing about

it, and frisking about it like so many fairies, or furies rather, yea, and worse practices, as if they had anew revived and celebrated the feast of the Roman goddess, Flora, or the beastly practices of the mad Bacchanalians."

Thomas Morton published a book in 1637, called "New English Canaan." Butler, in his "Hudibras," has made use of some of the stories narrated by Morton, whose account of the Maypole is as follows:--" Being resolved to have the new name (Ma-re or Merry Mount) confirmed for a memorial to after ages, the inhabitants did devise amongst themselves to have it performed in a solemn manner with revels and merriment, after the old English custom, prepared to set up a Maypole upon the festival day of Philip and Jacob; and therefore brewed a barrel of excellent beer, and provided a case of bottles to be spent, with other good cheer for all

comers of that day. And because they would have it in a complete form, they had prepared a song fitting to the time and present occasion. And upon May-day they brought the Maypole to the place appointed, with guns, drums, pistols, and other fitting instruments, for that purpose; and there erected it with the help of salvages, that came thither of purpose to see the manner of our revels. A goodly pine tree, of eighty feet long, was reared up, with a pair of buck horns nailed on, somewhat near unto the top of it. There was, likewise, a merry song made, which was sung with a chorus, every man bearing his part; which they performed in a dance, hand-inhand about the Maypole, while one of the company sung, and filled out the good liquor, like Gammedes (Ganymede) and Jupiter."

The Song of the Maypole.

Drink and be merry, merry, merry boys,
Let all your delight be in Hymen's joys.
Io to Hymen, now the day is come,
About the merry Maypole take a roome.
Make green garlands, bring bottles out;
And fill sweet Nectar freely about.
Uncover thy head, and fear no harm,
For here's good liquor to keep it warm.
Then, drink and be merry, &c.

Nectar is a thing assigned,
By the Deities' own mind,
To cure the heart opprest with grief,
And of good liquors is the chief.
Then drink, &c.

Give to the melancholy man,
A cup or two oft now and then,
This physic will soon revive his blood,
And make him be of a merrier mood.
Then drink, &c.

Give to the nymph that's free from scorn,
No Irish stuff, nor Scotch over warm;
Lasses in beaver coats come away,
Ye shall be welcome to us night and day,
To drink and be merry, &c.

Morton remarks that "this harmless mirth, made by young men, was much distasted of the precise Separatists, who, from that time, sought occasion against my honest host of Ma-re Mount, to overthrow his undertakings, and to destroy his plantation quite and clear." Nathaniel Hawthorne, who has a sweet sketch on this subject, says, "Bright were the days at Merry Mount, when the Maypole was the banner-staff of that gay colony! They who reared it, should their banner be triumphant, were to pour sunshine over New England's rugged hills, and scatter flower-seeds throughout the soil. Jollity and gloom were contending for an empire."

Being commonly covered with ice and with snow;
And when the north-west wind with violence blows,
Then every man pulls his cap over his nose:
But if any's so hardy, and will it withstand,
He forfeits a finger, a foot, or a hand.

But when the Spring opens, we then take the hoe,
And make the ground ready to plant and to sow;
Our corn being planted and seed being sown,
The worms destroy much before it is grown;
And when it is growing some spoil there is made,
By birds and by squirrels that pluck up the blade;
And when it is come to full corn in the ear,
It is often destroyed by raccoon and by deer.
And now our garments begin to grow thin,
And wool is much wanted to card and to spin;
If we can get a garment to cover without,
Our other in-garments are clout upon clout:
Our clothes we brought with us are apt to be torn,
They need to be clouted soon after they're worn;
But clouting our garments they hinder us nothing,
Clouts double are warmer than single whole clothing.

If fresh meat be wanting to fill up our dish,
We have carrots and turnips as much as we wish;
And is there a mind for a delicate dish,
We repair to the clam-banks, and there we catch fish.

Instead of pottage and puddings, and custards and pies,

Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies; We have pumpkins at morning, and pumpkins at

noon;

If it was not for pumpkins we should be undone.

If barley be wanting to make into malt,
We must be contented, and think it no fault;
For we can make liquor to sweeten our lips,
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.

Now while some are going, let others be coming;
For while liquor's boiling, it must have a scumming,
But I will not blame them, for birds of a feather,
By seeking their fellows, are flocking together.
But you whom the Lord intends hither to bring,
Forsake not the honey for fear of the sting;
But bring both a quiet and contented mind,
And all needful blessings you surely will find.