50 FLORA HISTORICA. 



flower in the gardens of that age, and where we 

 may presume it had long held a situation, since 

 amongst other names it was called " London 

 Tuftes." Gerard calls them Sweet- Williams, but 

 on what account they were so named we are left 

 to surmise, unless we could persuade ourselves 

 that they were so called after the greatest man of 

 that age, Vv^illiam Shakspeare. Gerard notices 

 many varieties, both with double and single 

 flowers ; he says, '' We have in our London 

 gardens a kinde hereof, bearing most fine and 

 pleasant white flowers, spotted very confusedly 

 with reddish spots, which setteth foorth the 

 beautie thereof, and hath beene taken of some to 

 be the plant called of the later writers Superba 

 Austnaca.y or the pride of Austrich." This author 

 quaintly observes, " These plants are kept and 

 maintained in gardens, more for to please the 

 eie, than either the nose or belly." 



In the floral vocabulary the Sweet- WiUiam is 

 made the hieroglyphic of Finesse, 



In the inimitable imitation of the bard of Mar- 

 mion, the flames of Drury are represented as 

 giving to every object the hue of this flower: 



" To distant fields the blaze was borne, 

 And Daisy white and hoary tliorn 

 In borrowed lustre seem'd to sham 

 The Rose or Red Sweet Wil-Ii-am." 



Rejected Addresses, 



