MYTHOLOGY, AND HISTORY OF THE PEONY 



J^. P. LUTEA {yellow) — see colour plate. Discovered 

 in southern China in 1882. 

 The main portion of this book is devoted to 

 herbaceous peonies. Two chapters (IX and 

 X) cover tree peonies exclusively — their de- 

 scription, history, planting, cultivation, propa- 

 gation and best varieties. 



The Peony in Mythology and in the 

 Classics 



Zeus and Leto were the parents of Apollo, 

 god of healing, who was the father of ^sculapius, 

 god of medicine. According to the ancient writers, 

 Paeon, pupil of ^sculapius and physician of the 

 gods, first received the peony on Mt. Olympus 

 from the hands of Leto. With it he cured Pluto 

 of a wound inflicted by Hercules during the Tro- 

 jan war. To quote from Homer's Iliad with its 

 stirring action: " Pluto also endured a swift shaft 

 when the same hero (Hercules) the son of ^Egis- 

 bearing Jove, afflicted him with pains at Pylos 

 amongst the dead. But he went to the palace of 

 Jove on lofty Olympus, grieving in his heart and 

 transfixed with pain; for the shaft had pierced 

 into his huge shoulder and tortured his soul. But 



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