No line was degraded, no family pride
Insulted, by either the bridegroom or bride,
For in him all was majesty, beauty, and splendour,
In her all was elegant, simple, and tender.
Now nothing remained but to win her consent,
And Miss IRIS her friend as the messenger went,
The arts of entreaty and argument trying,
Till at length she returned, and announced her complying.
Complete satisfaction the tidings conveyed,
And whispers and dimples the pleasure displayed. The COCKSCOMB, indeed, and a few powdered beaux,
Who were not little vain of their figure and clothes, Look'd down with chagrin which they could not disguise,
That they were not fix'd on to carry the prize.
At length the young nobleman ventured to name
The following spring, and supported his claim,
By duly consulting a reverend Seer,
DANDELION, who augured the wedding that year,
Moved to give his opinion by breath of perfume,
And nodding assent with his silvery plume. [1]
For licence, his lordship in person applied
To the high CROWN IMPERIAL, whose court he
descried
By the GOLDEN ROD, ensign of state, by his side.
[] In a poem, by William Howitt, this plant is thus referred to:
Dandelion, with globe of down,
The school-boy's clock in every town,
Which the truant puffs amain,
To conjure lost hours back again.
Returning from thence in the course of his journey, He ordered the deeds of JONQUIL, the attorney; And anxious a speedy conclusion to bring,
Set LOVE-CHAIN and GOLD-DUST to work on the ring.
Now, April was garnished with smiles, and the day
Was fixed for the first of luxuriant May.
Along the green garden, in shade or in sun,
All was business and bustle, and frolic and fun ;
For, as Flora had granted a full dispensation
To every gay tribe in her blooming creation,
By which at the festival all might appear,
Who else were on duty but parts of the year;
There was now such a concourse of beauty aud
grace,
As had not, since Eden, appeared in one place;
And cards were dispersed with consent of the fair,
To every great family through the parterre. [1]
There was one city lady, indeed, whom the bride
Did not wish to attend, which was Miss LONDON
PRIDE:
And his lordship declared he would rather not meet
So doubtful a person as young BITTER-SWEET. [2]
Sir MICHAELMAS DAISY was asked to appear,
But was gone out of town for best part of the
year;
And though he was sent for, NARCISSUS declined
Out of pique, and preferred to keep sulking behind;
For having beheld his fine form in the water,
He thought himself equal to any flower's daughter,
[1] Parterre-a flower-garden.
[2] Bitter-sweet-the woody nightshade.
And would not consent to increase a parade,
The hero of which, he himself, should have made.
Dr. CAMOMILE was to have been of the party,
But was summoned to town to old Alderman
Old ALOE, a worthy respectable don,
Could not go in the clothes that just then he had
And his tailor was such a slow fellow, he guessed, That it might be a century before he was dressed. Excuses were sent, too, from very near all
The ladies residing at Great Green-house Hall, Who had been so confined, were so chilly and
It might cost them their lives to be out in the air. The SENSITIVE PLANT hoped her friend would excuse her,
It thrill'd every nerve in her frame to refuse her,
But she did not believe she had courage to view
The solemn transaction she'd summoned her to.
Widow WAIL had a ticket, but would not attend,
For fear her low spirits should sadden her friend;
And, too wild to regard either lady or lord,
HONEY-SUCKLE, as usual, was gadding abroad.
Notwithstanding all which, preparations were made
In the very first style for the splendid parade.
One CLOTH-PLANT, a clothier of settled repute,
Undertook to provide every beau with a suit,
Trimmed with Bachelor's Buttons, but these, I
presume,
Were rejected, as out of the proper costume.
Miss SATIN-FLOWER, fancy-dress-maker from
Had silks of all colours and patterns sent down;
For which LADIES' RIBBON could hardly prepare Her trimmings, so fast as bespoke by the fair. Two noted perfumers from Shrubbery Lane, Messrs. MUSK-ROSE and LAVENDER, essenced the train,
And ere the last twilight of April expired,
The whole blooming band was completely attired.
At length the bright morning, with glittering eye,
Peep'd o'er the green earth from the rose-colour'd
sky;
And soon as the lark flitted out of her nest,
The bridal assembly was ready and dressed.
Among the most lovely, far lovelier shone
The bride, with an elegance purely her own:
Her tall slender figure green tissue arrayed,
With diamonds strung loose on the shining
brocade :
A cap of white velvet, in graceful costume,
Adorned her fair forehead-a silvery plume,
Tipp'd with gold, from the centre half-negligent
hung,
With strings of white pearl scattered loosely
The last (such as fairies are fancied to wear),
Aurora [1] herself had disposed in her hair.
To meet her, and welcome the high-omened day,
The bridegroom stepp'd forth in majestic array-
A rough velvet suit, mingled russet and green,
Around his fine figure, broad flowing, was seen;
His front, warm and manly, a diadem graced,
Of regal appearance, resplendent as chaste :
The centre was puckered in velvet of brown,
With golden vandykes, which encircled the crown.
[1] Aurora—the goddess of the morning—the dawn.
Since Nature's first morning, ne'er glittered a
The one so commanding, the other so fair!
Many ladies of fashion had offered to wait
As bridemaids, the honour was reckoned so great;
These famed for their beauty, for fragrancy those,
ANEMONE splendid, or sweet-smelling Rose;
But gentle and free from a tincture of pride,
A sweet country cousin was call'd by the bride,
Who long in a valley had sheltered unknown,
Or trac'd to the shade by her sweetness alone;
She timid appeared in the meekest array,
Like pearls of clear dew on an evergreen spray. Now moved the procession from dressing-room bowers,
A brilliant display of illustrious flowers:
Young HEART'S-EASE in purple and gold ran before,
To welcome them in at the great temple door,
Where old Bishop MONK'S-HOOD had taken his
stand,
To weave and to sanction the conjugal band:
The trumpeter SUCKLING, with musical air,
Preceded as herald, and then the young pair ;
With little Miss LILY, as bridemaid, behind,
Alone; her fair head on her bosom reclin'd.
The old Duke of PEONY, richly arrayed
In coquelicot, headed the long cavalcade,
Duchess Dowager Rose leading up at his side,
With her daughters, some blooming, some fair as
the bride.
My Lady CARNATION, excessively dashing,
Rouged highly, and new in the Rotterdam fashion,
Discoursing of rank and of pedigree, came,
With a beau of distinction, Van TULIP by name ;
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