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Down with the rosemary and bays
Down with the mistletoe
Instead of holly, now upraise
The greener box for show
The holly hitherto did sway
Let box now domineer
Until the dancing Easter day
Or Easter's eve appear.
Then youthful box which now hath grace
Your houses to renew,
Grown old, surrender must his place
Unto the crisped yew
When yew is out, then birch comes in
And many flowers beside
Both of a fresh and fragrant kin
To honor Whitsuntide.
Green rushes then, with sweetest bents
And cooler oaken boughs
Come in with comely ornaments
To re-adorn the house
Thus times do shift, thus times do shift
Each thing his turn does hold
New things succeed, new things succeed
As former things grow old.
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