THE FLOWERS OF THE VIRGIN 211 



grows upon the Tuscan mountains. Possibly 

 the symbolism may lie in the simultaneous 

 flowering and fruiting of the pea, for the palm 

 was held by some writers to be an emblem of 

 the Virgin, and for the reason that * it flowered 

 and fruited at one and the same time.' ' 



There are three subjects, all connected with 

 the Virgin's death, where lilies are once more 

 found. They are her Ascension, the Giving 

 of her Girdle to Saint Thomas, and her Corona- 

 tion. In each of these the flower-filled tomb, 

 from which she has just arisen, is introduced, 

 usually as the base of the composition. 



But the lilies in these pictures do not refer 

 to the immaculate purity of the Virgin Mother, 

 but represent the souls of ' angels, confessors and 

 virgins.' The legends which the Legenda Aurea 

 contains were collected by Jacobus de Voragine 

 during the last half of the thirteenth century, 

 while the lily was still the flower of virgin martyrs 

 and was not yet the Madonna's lily. He gives 

 the following account of the burial of the Virgin : 



' The Lord commanded the Apostles that 

 they should carry the body into the valley of 



' W. Menzel, Chvistliche Symbolik. 



