"SWEET SUMMER BUDS" 163 



at the first so highly esteemed, it deserveth its place 

 and commendations. It riseth out of the ground 

 bearing a round, brownish stalk, beset with many 

 fair green leaves confusedly thereon, but not so 

 broad as the common White Lily, upon the top 

 whereof stand one, two, or three, or more, flowers 

 upon long footstalks, which hang down their heads 

 and turn up their leaves again, of an excellent red 

 crimson color and sometimes paler, having a long 

 pointel in the middle compassed with whitish chives, 

 tipt with loose yellow pendants, of a reasonable good 

 scent, but somewhat faint. We have another of this 

 kind, the Red Spotted Martagon of Constantinople, 

 that groweth somewhat greater and higher with a 

 larger flower, and of a deeper color, spotted with 

 divers black spots, or streaks, and lines, as is to be 

 seen in Mountain Lilies." 



The martagon belongs to the tiger-lily class, 

 whose characteristics have been so imaginatively 

 brought out by Thomas Bailey Aldrich : 



I like the chaliced lilies, 

 The heavy Eastern lilies, 

 The gorgeous tiger-lilies, 

 That in our garden grow. 



For they are tall and slender; 



Their mouths are dashed with carmine, 



