THE ROSE TRIBE. 183 



own English flower, it is such a sweet and beau- 

 tiful one." 



"True; yet there are sad remembrances con- 

 nected with it ; for during the fatal struggles 

 between the Houses of York and Lancaster, which 

 filled our country with misery and bloodshed from 

 1450 to 1485, the white and red rose were taken 

 as badges by the rival parties." 



" Oh, yes !" said Henry ; " York took the white 

 rose, and Lancaster the red ; and those terrible 

 civil wars were called the 'Wars of the Eoses.' 

 At last the red rose married the white ; for Henry 

 VII. was of the House of Lancaster, and he married 

 a daughter of the House of York, and so ended 

 the quarrel." 



Mary had her scrap of poetry ready, as usual ; 

 and, as they drew near home, she sang this little 

 ditty to her brothers : 



" The Rose is red, the Rose is white, 



The Rose it blooms in summer's light ; 



But ah ! it clouds the heart's delight, 



To muse upon its history : 

 " It tells full many a woeful tale, 



Of hearts made cold, of cheeks made pale, 



Of love's sad sigh, the widow's wail, 

 In days of strife and chivalry. 



Sweet Freedom, may the age prevail, 



That strife no more may be 1" 



