60 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



called to the position of honor scattered roses, violets and fragrant 

 plants through all the chambers of Parliament ; and, before the audi- 

 ence, the president, councillors, and even the lower functionaries, met 

 at a splendid breakfast. As the rose scatterer went through each 

 chamber, before him was borne a great silver bowl fall of as many 

 bouquets as there were ofiScers present, and above his head, carried 

 high over his armorial bearings, was an equal number of wreaths. 



He was given audience in the great chamber, where he assisted 

 with the entire Parliament at mass. 



Daring the ceremony, the audience time excepted, there was a con- 

 cert of hautboys ; the players of these instruments afterward serenaded 

 the presidents before their dinner hour arrived. "The presentation of 

 roses was for all those of the peers who had the right to attend the 

 Parliament of Paris." 



During the reign of Francis I, there arose a dispute between the 

 Due de Montpensier and the Due de Nevers upon the right of scatter- 

 ing the roses. Parliament gave precedence to the Due de Montpensier, 

 as being prince of the blood, although the Due de I^evers was the 

 more ancient peer. This fact throws some light upon the ground on 

 which the rose scatterer was chosen, and the dignity of his office. 

 Among the princes of the blood who took part in this ceremony, 

 acknowledging vassalage, were the Dacs de Vendome, de Beaumont, 

 de Angouleme and many others. Even Antoine de Bourbon, King of 

 Navarre, vassal in right of his title as Due de Vendome, submitted 

 himself to it. Henry lY, while he was still King of ]S^avarre, was ab- 

 solved from the necessity of performing this act of fealty to the reign- 

 ing King of France by the procareur-general ; but he required it of his 

 subjects all the same when he was elevated to the French throne. 

 This singular ceremony was kept up till some time in the seventeenth 

 century. At this tim<^ the Parliament of Paris had a regularly appointed 

 officer of the court, " Rosier de la Oour " by title — a sort of lord high 

 keeper of the royal roses. 



It is curious that the rose has seemed to establish herself inde- 

 pendently among all nations as the symbol of love and joy and inno- 

 cence, and no less curious that here and there, where there is an excep- 

 tional use or symbol, they are the exact opposite of the rule. In 1284, 

 while the Christian synod was in session at Nismes, each Jew of the 

 city was required to wear a rose upon his breast, as a mark of dishon- 

 orable distinction. And at one time, in Germany, a crown of roses was 

 worn as a punishment for immorality — this last, perhaps, in contradis- 

 tinction to our Lord's crown of thorns. 



