232 ON THE ROSE. 



" Come gentle air ! and while the thickest bloom, 



Convey the jasmin's breath divine, 



Convey the woodbine's rich perfume, 



Nor spare the sweet-leaved eglantine." Shenstone. 



It is noticed by Chaucer, as long back as the middle of the four- 

 teenth century : 



" The greene herber, 



With sycamore was set and eglaterre. 



This species of rose is found in chalky or gravelly soils, on 

 heaths or hedges in most parts of Europe ; but the size and frag- 

 rance of the leaf is greatly improved by cultivation, that has pro- 

 duced six varieties of this fragrant leaved brier, the most beau- 

 tiful of which are the double-flowered and the double moss brier. 

 It is hardly possible to scatter this shrub too thickly in the plan- 

 tation, and when we pass hedges of this odorous thorny plant, 

 after a spring shower, we feel not only delighted but refreshed 

 by the fragrance. 



The name of Eglantine, by which the sweet-leaved brier is 

 known, is taken from the French eglantier. That we so often 

 find French names given to our native plants is not singular, as 

 after the conquest, French became the written language of this 

 country for many centuries. The Greeks called all the wild 

 roses or briers Kunorodon, because the root was thought to cure 

 the bite of a mad dog, and the Latins for the same reason, named 

 them canina, and from them we call one of our hedge briers, 

 the Dog-rose. 



It is the Dog-rose, rosa Canina, that decorates our hedge-rows 

 with its tall arching branches and lively odorous flowers in the 

 months of June and July. From the petals of this blush-colour- 

 ed wild rose, a perfurmed water may be distilled, which is 

 thought to be more fragrant than that from garden roses. The 

 leaves of this brier, when dried and infused in boiling water, are 

 often used as a substitute for tea, and have a grateful smell and 

 subastringent taste. 



The fruit of this brier also forms one of the greatest beauties 

 amongst the autumnal tints, being of a bright scarlet, perfectly 

 smooth and glossy, and of an elegant oblong shape. This briar is 

 often called the hip tree, from the name of the fruit. 



(To be continued.) 



