X RIVERSIDE LETTERS 77 



which is wrong and foolish, because there 

 never was such a person, the supposed author 

 of Shakespeare being " Francis Bacon, Lord 

 Verulam." Now and then we come on a 

 name of the good old sort, as, for' example, 

 " Pride of Waltham," " Queen of Queens," 

 or " Fair Rosamund." 



When these snobbish names are given to 

 what are called " Florists' Flowers " I do not 

 regret it so much as in the case of the roses, 

 as I am not a great admirer of most of the 

 florist's pets. Begonias, gloxinias, show 

 chrysanthemums, and some others give me 

 no delight ; the natural flower amongst such 

 plants has generally been tortured out of 

 existence by persistent and tasteless inter- 

 ference. Even our roses have been, I think, 

 a little spoilt by cultivators. The dog-rose, 

 sweet briar, or the damask being still far 

 ahead, in pure loveliness, of the whole herd of 

 modern bred roses. One forgives a cabbage 

 or a moss rose for not showing its golden 

 stamens on account of its delicious perfume, 



