THE ROSE 79 



The rose represents Christ, the perfect flower of 

 the human race, sprung from the root of Jesse, and 

 the dove descends upon it as the Holy Ghost de- 

 scended upon our Lord at His baptism in Jordan. 

 Saint Bernard, differing from Origen, identified 

 the Virgin Mary with the flower of the field and 

 also with the abstraction described as * Wisdom ' 

 in Ecclesiasticus, ' exalted like a palm tree in 

 Engeddi and as a rose plant in Jericho.' 

 • Rosa Mystica, ora pro nobis / ' 



prays the Church. 



' Here is the Rose 

 Wherein the Word Divine was made Incarnate,' 



wrote Dante. 



An Enghsh hymn composed about the year 

 1300 has the lines: 



' Lavedy (Lady), flower of alle thing 

 Rosa sine spina 

 Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king 

 Gratia devina.' 



And nearly two centuries later William Dunbar 



wrote: 



' Kevins distil your balmy showris : 

 For now is risen the bricht day -stir 

 Fro the rose Mary, flour of flowris.' 



Therefore, in the decoration of churches dedi- 



