358 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



whence the Tartars call the heps by a name signifying 

 dog-fruit. In French these roses are called rosier sauvage, 

 wild rose-bush ; rosier des haies, hedge rose-bush ; rose de 

 chien, dog rose ; rose cochonniere, swine rose ; eglantier ; 

 eglantine : in Italian they are called rosa salvatica ; rosa 

 canina. 



Montgomery finding one of these roses late in the month 

 of October, addressed some lines to it, in which it must be 

 confessed he treats it with singular harshness. He shows it 

 none of that delicate consideration poets usually feel for 

 distressed flowers. Moore expresses the tenderest com- 

 passion for a rose that lived late in the summer, when all its 

 companions were faded and gone ; this unhappy rose was 

 found suffering the keen blasts of approaching winter, yet 

 the poet aggravates its misery by bitter reproaches : 



' ' Last, and meanest of thy race, 

 Void of beauty, colour, grace !" 



" How thine ancestors would blush 

 To behold thee on their bush." 



A little consideration might have shown the poet that the 

 said ancestors, had they lived to see this, their unfortunate 

 offspring, would probably have been as little given to blush- 

 ing, as that pale flower itself. 



The Scotch Rose is also common to most parts of Europe ; 

 the petals are white, or cream-coloured ; yellow at the base, 

 and sometimes striped with red : the fruit is a dark purple, 

 and the pericarp contains a fine purple juice, which, diluted 

 with water, dyes silk and muslin peach-colour : the addition 

 of alum will make it a deep violet dye. The fruit, when 

 ripe, is eaten by children : the leaves are small and elegant : 

 the whole plant seldom exceeds a foot in height : it likes 

 the shade and a moist soil. 



