208 ON THE ROSE. 



In the Abbey of Saint Croix, at Poictiers, they show a pil- 

 lar that was raised to commemorate a pretended miracle, and 

 where they tell you a rose-tree in full blossom sprung out of the 

 grave of a young man after the day of his interment. It is truly 

 shocking that the teachers of Christianity should countenance 

 such absurd superstitions. We could enumerate many others coup- 

 led with the rose; but we are more anxious to give space for an 

 account of the agreeable use to which this flower was put by 

 Saint Medard, who about the year 530 instituted the most affec- 

 ting prize piety has ever offered to virtue. It was a crown of roses 

 for that villager's daughter who was the most modest, most obe- 

 dient to her parents, and the most discreet. The first rose tree 

 was his own sister, whom he crowned in the church of Salency. 



We cannot pass over unnoticed the well-known story of the 

 rose leaf, which shows how fond the eastern nations were of con- 

 veying their thoughts by hieroglyphics. 



.At Amadan there was a famous academy, the rales of which 

 were, that the members of it should think much, write little, and 

 speak as seldom as possible. Zeba, a learned doctor, celebrated 

 all over the east for his great knowledge, hearing of a vacancy in 

 this institution, hastened to the city in order to be elected. Un- 

 fortunately he arrived too late, for the place had already been 

 filled by a candidate, who, like many in those times, owed his 

 success more to his power than to his deserts. The president 

 of the academy filled a vase so full of water that an additional 

 drop would make it run over, by which the doctor was to under- 

 stand that their society was too full to admit of another mem- 

 ber. 



The learned Zeb was retiring sorrowfully, when by chance he 

 perceived a petal of a rose at his feet, which he seized with 

 promptness, and placed so delicately on the top of the water, that 

 it did not disturb it in the least. This ingenious allusion was 

 received by the assembly with thegreatest approbation, and the 

 academicians testified by their unanimous applause, their con- 

 sent to the reception of the illustrious Zeb as a member of their 

 mute society. 



(To be continued) 



