BROOM. 77 



" Down with the rosemary and bays, 

 Down with the misseltoe ; 

 Instead of holly, now upraise 

 The greener box for show. 



The holly hitherto did sway ; 

 Let box now domineer, 

 Until the dancing Easter-day, 

 Or Easter's eve appear : 



Then youthful box, which now hath grace 

 Your houses to renew, 

 Grown old, surrender must his place 

 Unto the crisped yew. 



When yew is out, then birch comes in, 

 And many flowers beside, 

 Both of a fresh and fragrant kin 

 To honour Whitsuntide : 



. Green rushes then, and sweetest bents, 

 With cooler oaken boughs, 

 Come in for comely ornaments 

 To readorn the house." 



BROOM. 



SPARTIUM. 



LEGUMINOS.E. DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 



French, le genet * ; le genet a balais. Italian, sparzio ; scopa ; gi- 

 nestra ; scornabecco : all referring to its use as besoms. 



THE Brooms are very ornamental shrubs, with few leaves, 

 but an abundance of brilliant and elegant flowers : they 

 strike a deep root, but are too handsome to be rejected where 



* The family of Plantagenet took their name from this shrub, which 

 they wore as their device. It has been said that Fulk, the first Earl 

 of Anjou of that name, being stung with remorse for some wicked 

 action, went in pilgrimage to Jerusalem, as a work of atonement; 

 where, being soundly scourged with broom-twigs, which grew plenti- 

 fully on the spot, he ever after took the surname of Plantagenet, or 

 Broom-plant, which was retained by his noble posterity. 



