pfant "bore, "bccje^^ti/, oniel "bijric/, 515 



ROSE. — It is worthy of notice how little the name of the 

 Rose varies amonffst different nations. Tlic Greeks call it Rodon, 

 the Latins Rosa (a form adhered to by Italians, Russians, Spaniards, 

 and Portuguese), the E^nglish, French, Germans, and Danes, Rose, the 

 Poles Roza, the Dutch Roos, and the Swedes Ros. Roses embellish the 

 whole earth, and are natives of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; 

 Nature having apparently, in this generous distribution, designed 

 to offer these flowers to all people, as the type of grace and beauty. 

 The origin of the queen of flowers is told us by the Jesuit poet 

 Rapin, according to whose verse — 



" She was a Grecian born, gave Corinth laws, 



And fame proclaimed her worth with such applause, 



That youthful rivals for her favour strove, 



And high-born kings were suppliants for her love." 



Of her numerous suitors, Brias, Orcas, and Halesus, a warrior, 

 were the principal. Provoked at their importunities, she haughtily 

 bade them " from arms and not entreaties seek a bride;" and then, 

 to rid herself of them, she entered the temple of Apollo and Diana 

 with her father and people. The lovers, not to be denied, com- 

 bined in an attack upon the temple gates, and the excitement of 

 the combat so enhanced the maiden's beauty, that the people 

 shouted, " Let Rhodanthe be a goddess, and let the image of 

 Diana give place to her ! " Rhodanthe being therefore placed upon 

 the shrine, Phoebus, Diana's brother, became so incensed at the 

 insult to his sister, that he turned his scorching rays against the 

 would-be goddess, who bitterly repented that she had ever appeared 

 a deity; for — 



" Fast in the shrine her foot takes hold and cleaves. 



Her arms stretch'd out are cuver'd o'er with leaves ; 



Tho' chang'd into a flower, her pomp remains, 



And lovely still, and still a queen she reigns. 



The crowd for their offence this doom abide, 



Shrunk into thorns to guard her beauty's pride." 



Her too ardent lovers were transformed respectively into a worm, 

 a drone, and a butterfly. 



This account bears a general resemblance to the legend re- 

 counted by Sir John Maundevile, who visited Bethlehem in the 

 fourteenth century, and found there the field Floridus, wherein, he 

 tells us, a fair maiden who had been unjustly accused of wrong 

 was doomed to be burned ; and, after praying devoutly to God 

 that, inasmuch as she was not guilty. He would help her, and 

 make her innocence known to all men, " she entered the fire, 

 and immediately the fire was extinguished, and the faggots that 

 were burning became red Rose-bushes full of Roses, and those 

 that remamed unkindled became white Rose-bushes ; and these 

 were the first Rose-trees and Roses, both white and red, that ever 

 any man saw." " Thus," concludes Sir John, " was this mayden 

 saved be the grace of God. And therfore is that feld clept the 

 Feld of God florj-sscht : for it was fulle of Roses." Southey, in his 



