172 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



his hand to Julie, came to her in the guise of this 

 flower. 



FLOWER-DE-LUCE (Iris pseudacorus). Per- 

 dita's mention of "lilies of all kinds, the flower-de- 

 luce being one," shows that Shakespeare classed this 

 flower among the lilies. So did the botanists of his 

 time. Symbol of eloquence and power, the Egyp- 

 tians placed the purple iris upon the brow of the 

 Sphinx. The scepter of their monarchs was adorned 

 with this flower, its three petals representing faith, 

 wisdom, and valor. The kings of Babylon and 

 Assyria also bore it on their scepters. The Greeks 

 laid the iris on the tombs of women because they 

 believed that Iris guided dead women to the Elysian 

 Fields. Although the iris was also dedicated to 

 Juno, it is more particularly the flower of Iris, lovely 

 Iris, one of the beautiful Oceanides, daughters of 

 Ocean, and messenger of the gods, who whenever she 

 wished to descend upon the earth threw her rainbow 

 scarf across the sky and with all its prismatic colors 

 glistening in her perfumed wings descended from 

 heaven to earth upon the graceful bow that joins 

 the seen and the unseen worlds. The purple, yel- 

 low, orange, and blue tints of the rainbow live again 

 in the petals and drooping lips called "falls." What 



