"SWEET SUMMER BUDS" 173 



a flower of charm, mystery, and majesty! Sphinx 

 of the flower world ! The iris was extremely popu- 

 lar in Shakespeare's day. Parkinson gives a great 

 many "Flower-de-luces, or Iris" in his monumental 

 work. We find "the Purple, the Blue, the Purple- 

 striped, the Peach-colored, the White, the White- 

 striped, the Parti-colored, the Milk- White, the Sil- 

 ver color, the White with Yellow Falls, the Straw 

 color, the Spanish Yellow, the Purple and Yellow, 

 the Purple or Murrey, the Great Turkic, the Com- 

 mon Purple, the Great Dalmatian, the Yellow of 

 Tripoli, the Double Blew, the Double Purple, the 

 Purple Dwarf," and many others which prove how 

 popular this flower was in Tudor and Stuart gar- 

 dens, and what splendid specimens were known to 

 the people of Shakespearian times. Parkinson also 

 adds: "The dried root called Orris is of much use 

 to make sweet powders, or other things, to perfume 

 apparel or linen." 



The fleur-de-lis early became the symbol of 

 France. At the proclamation of a new king the 

 Franks always placed a living flower, or flag, as it 

 was called, in his hand as the symbol of power. Be- 

 cause his wife, St. Clotilde, had a vision of the iris, 

 Clovis erased the three frogs on his shield and sub- 



