FLOWERS AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. 



363 



those who are occupied with it ! It is odi- 

 ous ! It is a scandal ! It is a tyranny !" 



I saw that he was much excited, and, 

 consequently, little disposed to listen to 

 reason. Nevertheless, I attempted again 

 to treat his fears as imaginary. 



" No," said I, "be assured the Republic 

 will respect the heraldry of flowers." But, 

 not succeeding in convincing him, I adroitly 

 changed the topic ; and after having spoken 

 of the rain, and the fine weather, I know 

 not how, my thoughts transported me, all 

 at once, into Algiers, where I endeavored 

 to force my friend to accompany me. I 

 occupied him with colonization, Abd-el- 

 Kader, the Kabyles, the great deeds of 

 our soldiers and their brave commanders, 

 which naturally led me to mention General 

 Cavaignac, Gen. Lamoriciere, and Gen. 



BUGEAUD. 



My neighbor seemed to grant me only a 

 doubtful attention; he murmured between 

 his teeth, darting the most ferocious looks 

 towards his flower borders. At the men- 

 tion of the last name, however, he raised 

 his head. 



" Marshal Bugeaud I Do you know 

 him?" asked he. "I have not the honor. 

 He is one of our finest Roses, mo7isie2ir." 



" How, Marshal Bugeaud, a Rose ?" 



"Yes, a Tea Rose, — superb; whose 

 name, of course, it will be necessary to 

 chansfe !" added he, with another sig-h. 

 "He is not in favor just now." 



" You are needlessly alarmed, dear neigh- 

 bor," said I. "The Republic will not re- 

 pudiate any of the glories of France. * * 

 But, pardon me, I hardly believed that a 

 Rose could have the name of a man." 



" "Why not ? Flowers are of no sex ; at 

 least, the double ones. It is an undisputed 

 truth in botany. See here, just beside 

 Marshal Bugeaud, are M. Theirs, M. Victor 

 Hugo, M. de Lamartine" — 



" You have a glorious collection," I said, 

 examining them. 



" It is tolerably complete, thank you. 

 But you cannot judge of M. de Lamartine, 

 just now; he has suffered. * * * * 

 He is a little cast down — out of flower 

 just now; but he will rise again! He 

 is one of the perpetuals — (c'est une remon- 

 tante.y 



I fancied he was making a touching al- 

 lusion to the great poet ; and immediately 

 seizing the hand of the excellent old man, 

 I pressed it warmly. He looked at me 

 with a confused air. The dear neighbor 

 had no finesse, and spoke as a simple, naif 

 horticulturist. 



" M. Theirs, M. Victor Hugo, M. de La- 

 martine,^^ rejoined he, "still political Roses! 

 Names that I shall be again obliged to 

 change some day, if the contrary party 

 should triumph. You see the horticultural 

 nomenclature is threatened with a complete 

 overturning, and this nomenclature is sci- 

 ence itself. Consult the professors. I com- 

 prehend that a change of government brings 

 some modifications in the names of certain 

 streets, of certain places. That the street 

 Ruyale is named street of the Republic, I 

 agree readily ; that the Place Royale should 

 be called Place des Vosges, if they wish it, 

 I will not oppose it. These places may 

 still be recognized by their outward appear- 

 ance and circumstances. We shall say, the 

 Place des Vosges, in the Marais, at the end 

 of the street Saint Louis, if they will leave 

 even Saint Louis in repose. And, for those 

 persons who do not easily become familiar 

 with new names, they may say, the street 

 of the Republic, near the Place Louis XV., 

 or, that of La Concorde, or, of the Revolu- 

 tion, as you will ! But when I wish to de- 

 signate the Rose Royal, or the Reine des 

 Pimprenelles, is it becoming to say La 

 Rose des Vosges, or La Republique des Pirn- 



