LILIES. 257 



This Lily is considered as an emblem of purity and 

 elegance; and 



" The lady lily, looking gently down," 



is scarcely less a favourite with the poets than the rose 

 itself. 



Ben Jonson, to express the extreme loveliness of a beau- 

 tiful woman, asks 



" Have you seen but a bright lily grow 

 Before rude hands have touched it ?" 



" The lily, of all children of the spring 

 The palest fairest too where fair ones are." 



BAURY CORNWALL'S FLOOD OF THESSALY. 



" Thus passeth yere by yere, and day by day, 

 Till it felle ones in a morwe of May, 

 That Emelie, that fayrer was to scene 

 Than is the lilie upon his stalke greene, 

 And fresher than the May with floures newe, 

 For with the rose color strof hire hewe ; 

 (I n' ot which was the finer of them two) 

 Er it was day, as she was wont to do, 

 She was arisen and all redy dight ; 

 For May will have no slogardie a-night." 



CHAUCER. 



In virgin beauty blows 



The tender lily languishingly sweet." 



ARMSTRONG. 



" Hevinlie lyllyis with lokkerand toppis quhyte, 

 Opynnit and schew thare istis redemyte." 



GAWIN DOUGLAS. 



" Queen of the field, in milk-white mantle drest, 

 The lovely lily waved her curling crest." 



MODERNIZED BY FAWKES. 



It is said that these flowers were originally of a deep 

 yellow colour, but that when Jupiter removed Hercules, 

 whom by stealth he had placed at the breast of Juno, some 

 of her milk falling upon them, rendered them white, at the 

 same time as the Galaxy was formed. 



