186 COMPOSITE 



This word was much more in use formerly than now in this country, as we 

 associate it simply with a woman's name ; but pearls and daisies were both 

 once very generally called margarets. Thus, in Wiclif's version of the Bible, 

 we have in Matt, viii., " Nyle ye gyve hooly things to houndis, neither caste 

 ye your margarites before swyn." 



This flower was by the Monks dedicated to Saint Margaret — a very 

 popular saint in the olden times, her name and legend having been introduced 

 all over Europe by the first Crusaders. She was the type of female innocence 

 and meekness, and is described in the old metrical legends as 



"Maid Marguerite that was so meeke and niildc." 



Mrs. Jameson tells us that in some pictures she wears a. wreath of roses round 

 her head, "I have seen one picture," she adds, "only one, in which she 

 wears a garland of daisies, and carries daisies in her hand and lap." 



The Daisy very early became connected with several eminent women of 

 the name of Margaret. Margaret of Anjou, during the days of her pros- 

 perity, not only wore the Daisy as a device, but saw it embroidered on the 

 silk and velvet robes of the courtiers who surrounded her, and worn by ladies 

 in their hair in her honour ; but when sorrow came to the queen, the Daisy 

 flower was rejected as unfit for a courtly ornament. Though Margaret had 

 little of the meekness of which the Daisy is the type, yet her woman's heart 

 was crushed when she saw this neglect, and knew herself to be, too, a blighted 

 flower. Michael Drayton represents the unfortunate queen as saying to the 

 Duke of SuflTolk— 



" My Daisy flower which erst perfumed the air, 

 winch for my favour princes once did wear, 

 Now in the dust lies trodden in the ground, 

 And with York's garlands every one is crown'd." 



In later days these devices, or devizes as they were called, came to be matters 

 of profound study, especially among the learned men of Italy, and the Daisy 

 figured, Avith the rose, thistle, and other favourite flowers, very largely in the 

 designs. Paul Jovus, who died in 1552, left a learned treatise on the subject, 

 Avhich about thirty years after his decease was translated into English, to aid 

 persons who made an art of arranging flowers and other objects into devices. 

 The title of this book was, " The Worthy Tract of Paul Jovus, conteyning a 

 Discourse of rare Inventions, both Military and Amorous, called Imprese : 

 whereunto is added a Preface conteyning the Art of composing them, with 

 many other notable Devizes : by Samuel Daniell, late Studente at Oxenforde. 

 1585." A large number of writers followed on this subject. Even the 

 learned Camden did not disdain to treat of this matter, and in his "Remains 

 concerning Britain " may be found a chapter on Impreses. One of the 

 writers of the sixteenth century, referring to the art of making devices, says, 

 " It is the most compendious, most noble, most pleasing, and most efficacious 

 way of expressing one's self that human art could invent." Henry VII. bore 

 for a device the white and red rose conjoined, or he sometimes wore a haw- 

 thorn bush with the crown as it was found on Bosworth field, the Lady Mar- 

 garet, his mother, wearing the three white daisies growing on a turf. Margaret, 

 the sister of Francis L, wore the Daisy also for her device, and was called by 



