102 DUTCH BULBS AND GARDENS 



early Victorian poets. The early Victorians loved 

 the tulip, and, as usual when they loved a flower, 

 they enshrined it "in poesy," a rather doubtful 

 compliment : 



And sure more lovely to behold 



Might nothing meet the wistful eye, 



Than crimson fading into gold 

 In streaks of fairest symmetry. 



This sounds like the old original Due van Tholl, 

 which is almost ugly enough to deserve such a 

 fate ; at least in some people's opinion, although an 

 old grower, once contemplating it in admiration, 

 exclaimed, " It is a grand flower grand ! But the 

 English amateurs now have no taste. They no 

 longer know what a tulip should be ! This, this 

 I tell you, this is a Tulip 1 " 



One other quotation, this from Montgomery, 

 admired of our grandmothers. He would seem to 

 have been planting a tulip bulb, evidently one of 

 the streaked florist's variety, and the thought of 

 the flower to come moved him to utterance worthy 

 of the " Elegant Album " : 



Two shapely leaves will first unfold ; 



Then, on a smooth, elastic stem, 

 The verdant bud shall turn to gold, 



And open in a diadem. 



