394 WILD FLOWERS. 



THE IRIS, FLAG. 

 Iris. 



Welsh, Gladden, Gladwyn, Camminiad, Llys hychgryg y glosia. 

 French, Fleur de lys, or de luce, Flambe aquatique. 

 German, Schwertel, Iris. Italian, Iride. Spanish, Iris. 

 Illyric, Perunika, Bogista, Sabljica, Csmin, Macsinac 

 (/. Germanica.) 



LINN^AN. NATURAL. 



Triandria. Iridece. 



Monogynia. Iris. 



SPEAKING of coronary herbs, Gwillim says : " But 

 of all others the flower de lis is of most esteem (in 

 heraldry), having been from the first bearing, the 

 charge of a Regall escocheon, originally borne by 

 the French Kings, though tract of time hath made 

 the bearing of them more vulgar : even as purple 

 was in ancient times a wearing only for Princes, 

 which hath now lost that prerogative thro' costome 

 * * * This flower is in Latin called Iris, 

 for that it somewhat resembleth the color of the 

 rainbow. Some of the French confound this with 

 the lily ; as he did, who doubting the validity of 

 the Salique law to debarre the females from the 

 crowne of France, would make it sure out of a 

 stronger law ; because (forsooth) lilia non laborent 

 neque nent, 'the lilies neither labour nor spin ;' which 

 reason excludes as well a laborious Hercules as a 

 spinning Omphale." This last idea, however incom- 

 prehensible, is by no means so singular as Gwillim 



