pPant "Isorc, Tscge'r^C)/, and Isijric/', 433 



to the Virgin, and had the prefix Mary appended to its name. 

 According to an old tradition, however, the Marigold was so called 



because the Virgin Mary wore this flower in her bosom. Shaks- 



peare, in ' Cymbeline,' speaks of the flower as the Mary-bud, and 

 in ' A Winter's Tale,' alludes to its habit of closing at sunset and 

 opening at sunrise : — 



•' The Marigold that goes to bed witli the sun, 

 And witli him rises weeping." 



Linnaeus states that the flower is usually open from 9 a.m. till 

 3 p.m., and this foreshows a continuance of dry weather. Should the 

 blossom remain closed, rain may be expe(5ted. This circumstance, 

 and the plant's habit of turning its golden face towards the sun, has 

 gained for it the name of the " Sun-flower " and the " Spouse ot 



the Sun. Marguerite of Orleans, the maternal grandmother of 



Henri IV., chose for her armorial device a Marigold turning 

 towards the sun, and for a motto, ''Je fie veiix suivre que Ini senl.'' 



In America, Marigolds are called Death-flowers, in reference 



to an existing tradition that the crimson and gold-coloured blossoms 

 sprang upon ground stained by the life-blood of those unfortu- 

 nate Mexicans who fell vicTtims to the love of gold and arrogant 



cruelty of the early Spanish settlers in America. In the reign of 



Henry VIII., the Marigold was called Souvenir, and ladies wore 



wreaths of them intermixed with Heart's-ease. To dream of 



Marigolds appears to be of happy augury, denoting prosperity, 



riches, success, and a happy and wealthy marriage. The 



Marigold is deemed by astrologers a Solar herb, under the sign 

 Leo. 



MARJORAM. — The origin of Marjoram (Origaninn vulgare : 

 Greek, Amarakos) is related by the Greeks as follows : — A young 

 man named Amaracus was employed in the household of Cinyras, 

 King of Cyprus : one day, when carrying a vase containing perfumes, 

 he unfortunately let it fall, and was so frightened at the mishap that 

 he lost all consciousness, and became metamorphosed into an odo- 

 riferous herb called at first Sampsuchon, and afterwards Amarakos. 

 According to Rapin, the goddess Venus first raised Sweet Marjoram. 

 He says : — 



"And tho' Sweet Marjoram will your qarden paint 

 With no gay colours, yet preserve the plant, 

 Whose fragrance will invite your kind regard, 

 When her known virtues have her worth declared : 

 On Simois' shore fair Venus raised the ]>lant, 

 Which from the goddess' touch derived her scent." 



The Greeks and Roman crowned young married couples with Mar- 

 joram, which in some countries is the symbol of honour. Astro- 

 logers place the herb under the rule of Mercury. 



MARSH MALLOW.— The name Altho'a (from a Greek root 



meaning tu ciucj was given to this plant on account of its manifold 



2 f 



