WAYSIDES AND HEDGEROWS. 43 



pice. By-an d-bye it will deck the meads not only of 

 our b<>lovod England, but of Europe. Italian children 

 will peek it in a warmer clime, and gloat over Prato- 

 lina (meadow flower), whilst the Trench boys will 

 tenderly gather la belle Marguerite, our own sweet 

 " constellated flower that never sets," the Bellis pe- 

 rennis of botanists, the common Daisy of our child- 

 hood. The unfortunate Margaret of Anjou chose it 

 as her device, and in the sunshine of prosperity the 

 nobles of her Court wore it in wreaths in their hair 

 or had it embroidered on their robes. Chaucer, and 

 every poet who has followed in his train, has sung the 

 praise of the humble flower which another Margaret 

 she of Valois, the friend of Erasmus and of Calvin, 

 the Marguerite of Marguerites had worn to her 

 honour ; and not inappropriately, for she could leave 

 the glitter of Courts, to study her Bible and her own 

 heart. Though some historians say it was the mari- 

 gold and not the daisy that was the device of the 

 " Pearl of Pearls," I am loth to separate the flower 

 and the legend. 



"We shall have but little difficulty in recognizing 

 the red Dead Nettle (Lamiwn purpureum), with its 

 rough dull green leaves slightly tinged with purple. 



