iJPocoeril) of tfte (i)alat/'. cz 



Persicaria is the Virgin's Pinch ; Polytrichum commune, St. Winifred's 

 Hair; Myrrhis odorata. Sweet Cicely ; Origanum vulgare, Sweet 

 Margery; Oscinium Basilicum, Sweet Basil. Angelica sylvestris, the 

 Root of the Holy Ghost ; Hedge Hyssop, Craneshill, and St. 

 John's Wort are all surnamed Grace of God ; the Pansy, having 

 three colours on one flower, is called Herb Trinity ; the four- 

 leaved Clover is an emblem of the Cross, and all cruciform flowers 

 are deemed of good omen, having been marked with the sign of 

 the Cross. The Hemp Agrimony is the Holy Rope, after the rope 

 with which Christ was bound ; and the Hollyhock is the Holy 

 Hock (an old word for Mallow). 



The feeling whicli inspired this identification of flowers and 

 herbs with holy personages and festivals is gracefully expressed by 

 a Franciscan in the following passage : — " Mindful of the Festivals 

 which our Church prescribes, I have sought to make these objects 

 of floral nature the timepieces of my religious calendar, and the 

 mementos of the hastening period of my mortality. Thus I 

 can light the taper to our Virgin Mother on the blowing of the 

 white Snowdrop, which opens its flower at the time of Candlemas ; 

 the Lady's Smock and the Daffodil remind me of the Annunciation ; 

 the blue Harebell, of the Festival of St. George ; the Ranunculus, 

 of the Invention of the Cross ; the Scarlet Lychnis, of St. John the 

 Baptist's day ; the white Lily, of the Visitation of our Lady ; and 

 the Virgin's Bower, of the Assumption ; and Michaelmas, Martin- 

 mas, Holy Rood, and Christmas have all their appropriate 

 decorations." In later times we find the Church's Calendar of 

 English flowers embodied in the following lines : — 



"The Snowdrop, in purest white arraie. 

 First rears her hedde on Candlemass daie: 

 While the Crocus hastens to the shiine 

 Of Primrose lone on S. Valentine. 

 Then comes the Dafibdil beside 

 Our Ladye's Smock at our Ladye tide, 

 Aboute S. George, when blue is worn, 

 The blue Harebells the fields adorn ; 

 Against the daie of the Holie Cross, 

 The Crowfoot gilds the flowrie grasse. 

 When S. Bamabie bright smiles night and daie, 

 Poor Ragged Robbin blooms in the hay. 

 The scarlet Lychnis, the garden's pride, 

 Flames at S. John the Baptist's tide ; 

 From Visitation to S. Swithen's showers, 

 The Lillie white reigns queen of the floures 

 And Poppies a sanguine mantle spread. 

 For the blood of the dragon S. Margaret shed, 

 Then under the wanton Rose agen. 

 That blushes for penitent Magdalen, 

 Till Lammas Daie, called August's Wieel, 

 When the long Corn smells of Cammomile. 

 When Marie left us here belowe, 

 The \'irgin's Bower is full in blowe ; 

 And yet anon the full Sunflower blew, 

 And became a starre for S. Bartholomew. 



