176 FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



on meeting him, ' Virgo ante partum.' He 

 struck the ground with his staff and from the 

 spot there immediately sprang a hly. * O doubt- 

 ing Master,' he said again, ' Virgo in partu.' 

 He struck the earth and again a Hly sprang. 

 He spoke a third time, ' O my brother, Virgo 

 post partum,' a third lily bloomed, and the 

 Master of the Dominicans doubted no more. 



A detached vase holding three lily blooms 

 occurs frequently as the motive of an archi- 

 tectural decoration executed in low relief, one 

 beautiful example being above the door of the 

 Bad] a Church of Florence. But it is not con- 

 fined to buildings of Dominican origin, and the 

 arrangement seems to owe its popularity more 

 to its symmetry than to any supporting legend. 

 In pictures, where greater freedom of treatment 

 is desirable, the hlies are one, two, three or more 

 — there is no rule. 



