OUR QUEEN OF BEAUTY. 35 



and would so extol the charms of our Queen of 

 Beauty, that all brave knights gallantly armed, 

 should leap upon their steeds for the lists. In 

 more homely and modern metaphor, I would ex- 

 hibit to him whom I propose to make a fisherman, 

 his fish. I would take him, as it were, to the 

 broad rivers, from which silvery salmon leap, or 

 peep with him stealthily through brookside bushes 

 at the dark, still, 3 -lb. trout. Then, when his eyes 

 glisten and his fingers itch for a rod, I would teach 

 him how to throw and spin ; and would say to 

 him, as old Izaak said : ** I am like to have a to- 

 wardly scholar of you. I now see that with advice 

 and practice you will make an angler in a short 

 time. Have but a love of it, and I'll warrant 

 you.'' 



I will essay, therefore, while I enumerate and 

 extol the special charms of the Rose, to convince 

 all florists why, before I proceed to demonstrate 

 how, they should admire and honor pre-eminently 

 the Queen of Flowers. 



First of all, because she is Queen. There is 

 no Fenian, no Nihilist, in her realm, but her 

 monarchy is the most absolute, and her throne 

 the most ancient and the most secure of all, 

 because founded in her people's heart. Her su- 

 premacy has been acknowledged, like Truth itself, 

 3* 



