132 WILD FLOWERS. 



by Geoffrey, earl of Anjou, the husband of 

 Matilda, the haughty empress of Germany ; 

 who, having placed a sprig of the broom in his 

 helmet on the da}^ of battle, acquired the sur- 

 name, and bequeathed it to his descendants. Per- 

 chance, before engaging in the contest, he had 

 lain down among the fragrant broom, and had 

 been struck by its beauty. Yet flowers seem 

 ill suited to accompany the horrors of war. 

 "Bring flowers," says Mrs. Ilemans, " to deck 

 the bride, and to crown the feast ;" but bring 

 them "to die in the conqueror's path." 



The dyer's weed, or woad-Avaxen, {Genista 

 tinctoria,) has blossoms very much like those 

 of the broom, but they are not in flower till a 

 month later. It is common on pastures and 

 field-borders, and is used by dyers in giving a 

 yellow colour to yarn. It is much valued in 

 Russia as a cure for hydrophobia. 



JULY. 



"In the breeze 

 That wafts the thistle's plumed seed along. 

 Blue bells wave tremulous. The mountain thyme 

 Purp'es the hassock of the heaving mole, 

 And the short turf is gay with tormentils, 

 And bird's foot trefoil, and the lesser tribes 

 Of hawkweeds ; spangling it with fringed stars." 



How often do a few lines, like those which 

 are placed at the head of this chapter, bring 

 before us the pleasant scenes of the country ! 

 The wide-spread open down ; the upland moor; 

 the flowers which are springing in the fresh 

 grass or on the brown summer turf of the heath ; 



