286 FLOWERING OF PLANTS. 



The Crocus was dedicated to St. Valentine, as it appears 

 about the period of that Saint's day, which is regarded as pecu- 

 liarly sacred to affection ; St. Valentine is recorded to have 

 been eminent for love and charity. One species of daisy ap- 

 pears about the time of St. Margaret's day ; this is called in 

 France, La Belle Marguerite, and in England, Herb Margaret. 



The Crown Imperial blossoms in England about the 18th of 

 March, the day of St. Edward, King of the West Saxons ; 

 nature thus, as was' imagined, honouring the day with a royal 

 flower. 



The Cardamine, or our Lady's flower, distinguished for its 

 pure white, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 



The Mary-gold, so called from a fancied resemblance of the 

 florets of its disk to rays of glory, is also consecrated to the 

 Virgin. 



On the day of St. George, the patron saint of England, 

 the 'blue bells, there called field hyacinth, tinge the meadows 

 and pastures with their deep blue colour ; they are thought to 

 afford an emblem of the empire of the ocean, over which Eng- 

 land assumes the rule. 



The St. John's- wort blossoms near that saint's day. The 

 scarlet Lychnis, called the great candlestick, or candle ( CAN- 

 DELABRUM ingens), was supposed to be lighted up for St. John 

 the Baptist, who was a burning and a shining light. The 

 white lily expands about the time of the annunciation, afford- 

 ing another coincidence of the blossoming of white flowers at 

 the festivals consecrated to the mother of Christ. The roses 

 of summer are said to fade about the period of St. Mary Mag- 

 dalen's day. 



The passion flower is said to blossom about Holy Rood day. 

 Allusions tcr this day being frequently found among writers of 

 former days, it may be well to in form you that according to the 

 legends of the Romish church, the cross on which our Saviour 

 was crucified was discovered in the year 326, by Helena, the 

 mother of Constantino, who is said to have built a church on 

 the spot where it lay. The word Rood signifies the Cross ; 

 thus this day is the day of the Holy Cross. 



It was during the middle ages, when the minds of men were 

 influenced by the blindest superstition, that they thus imagined 

 every operation of nature to be emblematical of something 

 connected with their religious faith. Although these supersti- 

 tions are trifling and absurd, they are interesting as connected 

 with the annals of the human mind, and as showing us the ori- 

 , gin of many names of plants. Had the superstitious monks 



During the middle ages men imagined the operations of nature connected 

 with their peculiar religious tenets Ignorance of the monks and nuns. 



