14$ FLORA DOMESTICA. 



And of a perle fine orientall, 

 Her white croune was imaked all, 

 For which the white croune above the grene 

 Made her like a daisie for to seme, 

 Considred eke her fret of gold above : 

 ***** 



Quod Loye * * * * 



***** 



Hast thou not a book in thy cheste 



The great goodnesse of the Queene Alceste 



That turned was into a daisie, 



She that for her husband chose to die, 



And eke to gone to hell rather than he, 



And Hercules rescued her, parde, 



And brought her out of hell again to bliss? 



And I answerde againe, and said, ' Yes, 



Now I knowe her, and is this good Alceste, 



The daisie, and mine own hertes rest * ?' " 



Chaucer makes a perfect plaything of the Daisy. Not 

 contented with calling to our minds its etymology as the 

 eye of day, he seems to delight in twisting it into every 

 possible form ; and, by some name or other, introduces it 

 continually. Commending the showers of April, as bring- 

 ing forward the May flowers, he adds : 



" And in speciall one called se of the daie, 

 The daisie, a flower white and rede, 

 And in Frenche called La Bel Margarete. 

 O commendable floure, and most in minde ! 

 O floure and gracious of excellence ! 

 O amiable Margarita ! of natife kind" 



In another poem, describing an arbour, he says : 



" With margarett.es growing in ordinaunce 

 To she'we hem selfe as folke went to and fro, 

 That to beholde it was a great plesaunce, 

 And how they were accompanied with mo, 

 Ne momblisnrsse and soneness also 

 Thepoure pensis were not dislogid there, 

 Ne God wote ther place was every where." 



* See Chaucer's Prologue to the Legend of Good Wojncn. 



