20 RANUNCULACE^ 



and the decking of houses and churches with wreaths, are almost over now; 

 and even the garlands of May-days become fewer every year. The practice 

 of dressing the " shrine where Ave kneel in prayer " with funeral or wedding 

 chaplets, though one of high antiquity, was early preached against by the 

 Fathers of the Church, as a custom of heathen people ; yet in country places 

 it was long continued, and even a century ago these wreaths of flowers were 

 very general. A writer in the Gentleman's Magazine of May, 1747, treating 

 of flower chaplets placed in churches, says : " About forty years ago these 

 garlands grew much out of I'epute, and were thought by many to be a very 

 unbecoming decoration for so sacred a place as the church ; and at the 

 repairing and beautifying of several churches where I have been concerned, 

 I was obliged, by order of the minister and churchwardens, to take the 

 garlands down, and the inhabitants were strictly forbidden to hang up any 

 more for the future." He adds, however, that wreaths of flowers were long 

 after carried at funerals, and placed on the face of the departed friend. That 

 garlands were general on festive occasions our old poets abundantly testify ; 

 but after their discontinuance in the churches, their use in every way 

 gradually lessened, till hardly a trace of it remained. Milton, in his 

 "Comus," alludes to the ancient use of the chaplet of flowers : — ■ 



" Tlie shepherds at their festivals 

 Carol her good deeds loud in rustic lays, 

 And throw sweet garland wreaths into the stream, 

 Of pansies, pinks, and gaudy daffodils." 



This Globe Flower is our only British species ; but various kinds from 

 America, and difierent countries of Asia, are cultivated in our gardens. 



8. Marsh Marigold (Cdltha). 



1. Common Marsh Marigold (C. palustris). — Stem erect, rooting or 

 creeping ; leaves kidney-shaped, their edges with rounded notches, calyx- 

 leaves soon falling off. This flower, which is not of the form of a garden 

 marigold, but which resembles a large thick buttercup, is very common on 

 moist pastures and by the side of streams. It is one of our earliest blooming 

 wild flowers, sometimes gleaming with golden beauty as early as February, 

 and continuing for three or four months. It is the first flower of the 

 meadows in Sweden and Lapland, and in the former country is called Kalfleka. 

 It is very abundant and conspicuous in the northern lands of Europe, and in 

 May gives quite a yellow tint to the fields. The French, who commonly call 

 it Le Solid d'eau, term it in some provinces Le Fopulage ; and the Italians give 

 to it the poetic name of Sposa del sole. It is common in the moist fields of 

 Germany, where it is known as Die SunrpfdoUer-hlume ; and in Spain the 

 peasant calls it Hierha centcUa. In some counties in England its rustic names 

 are Water-dragon, AYater-blob, or Horse-blol). 



Old herbalists tell that the yellow tint of the Spring butter is owing to the 

 cows having fed upon this plant ; but it is not wanting in the acridity which 

 characterises Eanunctdaceous plants in general, and cattle only eat it when 

 urged by hunger. Boerhaave said that it caused so much inflammation to 

 animals eating it that they rarely escaped death. The young flower-buds, 

 prepared with salt and vinegar, are used instead of capers ; and the juice of 



