FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES. 01 



stalke that is of great honoure." * Roses were the commonest of 



all flowers, for weaving into wreaths and garlands : — 



" And on hire hed ful semely for to see 

 A rose gerlond fresh and wel smelling." f 



" And also on his head was sette 

 Of roses rcdde a chapelctte." t 



The periwinkle, with trailing leaves, was suitable for wreaths, and 

 many other flowers were used. Emely in her garden gathered 

 " floures, party whyte and reede, to make a sotil gerland for hire 

 heede."§ But these pretty chaplets of flowers were not only 

 worn by beautiful maidens, for we find even the far from 

 prepossessing sompnour, among the Canterbury pilgrims, had 

 " a garland set upon his heed." The annual rendering of a red 

 rose was a common kind of" quit rent," also a flower or seed of 

 the clove pink, or gilliflower, 1| was frequently the payment. The 

 hly ranked next to the rose in importance in a garden, and 

 vied with the rose for a share in the poet's song.t The white 

 lily {Lilium candidum) served to typify all that was good and 

 pure, or beautiful. 



" First wol I you the name of Seinte Cecilia 



Expoune, as men may in hire storie see : 



It is to sayn in English, Heven's lilie." ** 



" That Emelie, that fairer was to seene 

 Than is the lilie or hire stalke grene."!! 



" Upon his hand he bore for his delyt 

 An eagle tame, as any lily whyte." %% 



* Political poem, 1460-71. — Early Eng. Text Soc, Vol. I\ . 



-j- Knight's Tale. 



X Roman lit of tlie Rose. 



§ KnigJit's Tale. 



II Among the receipts of Bicester Abbey, 19th Rich. II., for lands and 

 tenements " una rosa rubea recept' di Henrico Bowols de Curtlyngton . . . et 

 de uno g'no gariophili rec' de Rog' o de Stodele "... &c. — Dunkin, Hist, of 

 Bullington and Ploughley. In most instances the clove seed = the clove spice 

 of commerce. 



% " Lillys " and " roses " are the only flowers mentioned on the gardeners' 

 rolls of Norwich Priory. 



** The Second Nonne's Tale. 



ff Kitight's Tale. 



