PANSIES, VIOLAS, SWEET VIOLETS 271 



viation of la fleur de ses pensees, the use of pensees as a 

 name for the flower becomes intelligible. The Pansy 

 has always been associated with tender thoughts, such 

 as those of love. It is the "Cupid's flower" of Shake- 

 speare in the " Midsummer Night's Dream " 



" Dian's bud o'er Cupid's flower 

 Hath such force and blessed power." 



Shakespeare knew, too, of the origin of Pansy, for in 

 " Hamlet," Act iv. scene 5, Ophelia exclaims : " There's 

 Rosemary, that's for remembrance ; pray you, love, re- 

 member ; and there is Pansies, that's for thoughts." 

 To which Laertes responds : " A document in madness, 

 thoughts and remembrance fitted." 



Shakespeare was familiar with the folk-name, Love- 

 in-idleness, for in "The Midsummer Night's Dream," 

 Act ii. scene i, we find 



" Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell : 

 It fell upon a little western flower, 

 Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound, 

 And maidens call it Love-in-idleness. 

 Fetch me that flower, the herb I showed thee once ; 

 The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid 

 Will make or man or woman madly dote 

 Upon the next live creature that it sees. 

 Fetch me this herb." 



The Pansy, then, was a " western " flower, and it 

 was a component of love potions. As regards its 

 habitat, it is a British plant, found in Scotland, Ireland, 

 the Channel Islands, and by many English waysides. It 

 is purple and pale yellow in colour, so that the Bard was 

 not far wrong in his description of it. The wild moun- 

 tain Pansy, found on many moors and hills, is yellow. 



We have found already three folk-names for the 



