OF GARLANDS AND CORONARY OR 

 GARLAND PLANTS 



Sir, 1 The use of flowery crowns and garlands is of 

 no slender antiquity, and higher than I conceive you 

 apprehend it. For, besides the old Greeks and 

 Romans, the Egyptians made use hereof ; who, besides 

 the bravery of their garlands, had little birds upon 

 them to peck their heads and brows, and so to keep 

 them [fromj sleeping at their festival compotations. 

 This practice also extended as far as India : for at 

 the feast of the Indian king, it is peculiarly observed 

 by Philostratus, that their custom was to wear garlands, 

 and come crowned with them unto their feast. 



The crowns and garlands of the ancients were either 

 gestatory, such as they wore about their heads or necks ; 

 portatory, such as they carried at solemn festivals ; 

 pensile or suspensory, such as they hanged about the 

 posts of their houses in honour of their gods, as Jupiter 

 Thyraeus or Limeneus ; or else they were depository, 

 such as they laid upon the graves and monuments of 



1 This letter was written to John Evelyn (see Introduction) 

 151 



