44 SHROVE TIDE 



7 



FEB. 13. St. Cathakixe de Ricci, virgin, a.d. 



1589. 



St. Licinius, bishop of Angers, confessor, 618, 



St. Polyeuctus, martyr, 257. 



St. Gregory II. pope and confessor. 



St. Martinianus, hermit at Athens. 



St. Madomnoc or Dominick of Ossory, bp. and c. 



St. Stephen, abbot. 



St. Roger, B. abbot and confessor in 1175. 



Obs. The family of St. Catharine de Ricci are said still to exist 

 in Tuscany, and to be of antient and illustrious origin. Her original 

 name was Alexandrina, but she took that of Catharine at her reli- 

 gious profession. She was born in Florence in 1522, and died on 

 Candlemas Day in 1589. The ceremony of her beatification was 

 performed by Clement the Xllth. in 1732, and that of her canoni- 

 zation by Benedict the XR'th. in 1746. Hfer festival was deferred 

 til! the 13th of February, probably at the alteration of the style. 



Polyanthus Pritmda Polyantha flowers. 



The Polyanthus or Flower of St. Catherine has justly been said 

 to be of unnumbered colours ; it is apparently a variety between the 

 Primrose and Cowslip, celebrated for the rich varieties of brown, 

 red, and purple, displayed in its flowers, which in the centre are 

 yellow. They blow all March and April in profusion, and it is 

 only in early mild seasons, and scantily, that they are in flower to- 

 day. Planted on large beds they have a pleasant effect. They 

 also serve for the bordering of parterres. Thompson the poet calls 

 this plant, 



" The Polyanthus of unnumbered dyes," 



and compares it with the early Snowdrop and Crocus, its compa- 

 nions in the garden. The deep brown sorts with a bright yellow 

 centre are the most esteemed, but variety is the principal thing 

 sought for, and there are all varieties of colour, from the pale Prim- 

 rose through all the shades of pink, red, and brown, to the complete 

 old fashioned brown and yellow Polyanthus, which is almost equal 

 in beauty to the Auricula, 



