26 FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



with unbending head and grandly-spreading 

 branches, was considered, both by Saint Mehtus 

 and Petrus of Capua, to typify pride, while the 

 violet, wearing the colour of mourning, and 

 keeping timidly beneath its leaves, they chose 

 as a symbol of humility. 



Some symbols were of pagan origin, for the 

 palm of victory and the ohve branch of peace 

 were borrowed from the Romans, who had them- 

 selves inherited them from older civilizations. 

 Their significance was not changed but simply 

 limited and sanctified; the victory, for Chris- 

 tians, was the victory over sin, and the peace, 

 the peace of God. 



These various methods of determining the 

 value of different plants as symbols did not 

 always accord. M. Huysman, in La CathMrale, 

 a very complete study in Christian symbolism, 

 instances the sycamore : ' Saint Melitus pro- 

 claims that the sycamore stands for cupidity. . . 

 Raban Maur and Uanonyme de Clairvaux qualify 

 it as the unbelieving Jew; Petrus of Capua com- 

 pares it to the Cross, Saint Eucher to wisdom.' 



Even the sifting of the text of Scripture did 

 not always lead to identical conclusions. ' I 



