"The May-pole was once decorated with the best flowers, now with only some elm-branches and furze in blossom. The horse is formed as follows: The dress is made of sackcloth painted black--a fierce mask--eyes red, horse's head, horse-hair mane and tail; distended by a hoop--some would call it frightful. Carried by a powerful man, he could inflict much mischief with the snappers, &c. No doubt it is a remnant of the ancient plays, and it represents the devil, or the power of darkness. They commence singing at sunrise.
'Unite and unite, and let us all unite, For summer is comen to-day; For whither we are going we all will unite, In the merry morning of May.
'Arise up, Mr. ----, and joy you betide, For summer is comen to-day; And bright is your bride that lays by your side, In the merry morning of May.
'Arise, up Mrs. ----, and gold be your ring, For summer is comen to-day; And give us a cup of ale, the merrier we shall sing In the merry morning of May.
'Arise up, Miss ----, all in your smock of silk, For summer is comen to-day; And all your body under as white as any milk, In the merry morning of May.
'The young men of Padstow might if they would, For summer is comen to-day; They might have built a ship and gilded her with gold, In the merry morning of May.
'Now fare you well, and we bid you good cheer, For summer is comen to-day; He will come no more unto your house before another year, In the merry morning of May.'"
(George Rawlings, September 1st, 1865, through R. Hunt, F.R.S., Droles, &c., Old Cornwall.)
Mr. Rawlings all through his song has written "For summer has come unto day," but this is clearly a mistake. He also gives another which he calls the "May-Song," but it is not as well worth transcribing: it bears in some parts a slight resemblance to that sung at the Helston Hal-an-tow.
Mr. George C. Boase, in an article on "The Padstow May-Songs," has many additional verses in "The Morning-Song." He also gives "The Day-Song," sung in honour of St. George, of which I will quote the first verse, and the last paragraph of his paper.
"Awake, St. George, our English knight O! For summer is a-come and winter is a-go, And every day God give us His grace, By day and by night O! Where is St. George, where is he O! He is out in his long boat, all on the salt sea O! And in every land O! the land that ere we go.