DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERING SHRUBS. 439 



Such, I believe, was the first Rose's hue, 

 Which at God's word in beauteous Eden grew ; 

 Queen of the flowers that made that orchard gay, 

 Tiie morning biusiies of ihe spring's new day.' — Cowley. 



''The Rose, as well as the Myrtle, is considered as 

 sacred to the Goddess of beauty. Berkley, in his Utopia, 

 describes the lover as declaring his passion by presenting 

 to the fair-beloved a Rose-bud just beginning to open ; if 

 the lady accepted and wore the bud, she was supposed to 

 favor his pretensions. As time increased the lover's affec- 

 tions, he followed up the first present by that of a half- 

 blown Rose, which was again succeeded by one full-blown ; 

 and if the lady wore this last, she was considered as en- 

 gaged for life. 



" Poetry is lavish of Roses ; it heaps them into beds, 

 weaves them into crowns, twines them into arbors, forges 

 them into chains, adorns with them the goblet used in the 

 festivals of Bacchus, plants them in the bosom of beauty, 

 — nay, not only delights to bring in the Rose itself upon 

 every occasion, but seizes each particular beauty it posses- 

 ses as an object of comparison with the loveliest works 

 of nature : — as soft as a Rose-leaf; as sweet as a Rose ; 

 rosy clouds ; rosy cheeks ; rosy lips ; rosy blushes ; rosy 

 dawns, etc., etc. It is commonly united with the Lily : — 



' In the lime tliat the morning did strew Roses and Violets on the heavenly 

 floor against the coming of the sun.' 



' A bed of Lilies flower upon her cheek, 

 And in the midst was set a circling Rose.' 



'Rosed all in lovely crimson are thy cheeks, 

 Where beauiies ever flourishing abide. 

 And "as to pass his fellow eitlier seeks, 

 Seem botli to blush at one another's pride' 



" The Red Rose is said to be indebted for its color to 

 the blood which flowed from the thorn-wounded feet of 

 Venus when running through the woods in despair for the 



