pFant "bore, l^ege^/, anE Tsijric/', 269 



lines to C. auiara, whose brilliantly-white blossoms might well be 

 taken for linen laid out to bleach. The plant derives its name 

 Cardamiuc from its taste of Cardamoms. It is also called Meadow 

 Cress. For some reason, if this flower was found introduced into 

 a May-day garland, it was torn to pieces immediately on discovery. 

 Our Lady's Smock is associated by the Catholics with the Day of 

 the Annunciation. The Cardamine is a herb of the Moon. 



CARDINAL-FLOWER.— Of the extensive Lobelia family 

 the L. Cardinalis, or Cardinal's Flower, is, perhaps, the most beauti- 

 ful. Its blossoms are of so brilliant a scarlet, as to have reminded 

 the originator of its name of the scarlet cloth of Rome, while its 

 shape is not altogether dissimilar to the hat of the Romish digni- 

 tary. Alphonse Karr, remarking on the vivid hue of the Cardinal's 

 Flower, says that even the Verbena will pale before it. 



CARLINE THISTLE. — The white and red CarHne 

 Thistles (Carlina vulgaris) derive their name from Charlemagne, 

 regarding whom the legend relates that once — "a horrible pesti- 

 lence broke out in his army, and carried off many thousand men, 

 which greatly troubled the pious Emperor. Wherefore, he prayed 

 earnestly to God ; and in his sleep there appeared to him an angel, 

 who shot an arrow from the cross-bow, telling him to mark the 

 plant upon which it fell, for that with that plant he might cure his 

 army of the pestilence. And so it really happened." The plant 

 upon which the arrow alighted was the Carline Thistle, and, as 

 Gerarde tells us, Charlemagne's army was, through the benefit of 



the root delivered and preserved from the plague. The Carline 



Thistle is under the dominion of Mars. 



CARNATION.— The Carnation {DiantJms caryophyllus) is 

 generally supposed to have obtained its name from the flesh-colour 

 of its flowers; but it was more correcftly spelt by old writers. 

 Coronation, as representing the Vetonica coronavia of the early 

 herbalists, and so called from its flowers being used in the classic 

 corona or chaplets. Thus Spenser, in his ' Shepherd's Calendar ' 

 says: " Bring Coronations and Sops-in-wine, worn of paramours." 

 From Chaucer we learn that the flower was formerly called the 

 Clove Gilliflower, and that it was cultivated in English gardens in 

 Edward the Third's reign. In those days, it was used to give a 

 spicy flavour to wine and ale, and from hence obtained its name 

 of Sop-in-wine: — 



" Her springen herbes, grete and smale, 

 The Licoris and the Setewales, 

 And many a Clove Gilofre, 



to put in ale. 



Whether it be moist or stale." 



The name Gilliflower (formerly spelt Gyllofer and Gilofre) is a cor- 

 ruption of the Latin CaryopJiylluvi, a Clove (Greek, KaruophuUon) ; and 

 has reference to the spicy odour of the flower, which was used as a 



