ROSE-BUSH. 375 



Makid of goodly ilouris white and red, 

 The knightis eke that they in honde led 

 In sute of them ware chaplets everichone ; 

 And before them went minstrels many one. 



"As harpis, pipes, lutis, and sautry, 

 Alle in grene, and ther hedis bare 

 Of diverse flouris made full craftily, 

 All in a sute, godely chaplets they ware, 

 And so dauncing into the mede they fare, 

 In mid the which they found a tuft that was 

 All ovirsprad with flowris in compas." 



In two different poems where Venus is represented, she 

 has a crown of white and red flowers : 



<f I saw anone right her figure 

 Nakid yfletyng in a se, 

 And also on her hedde parde 

 Her rosy garland white and redde." 



In the KnightVTale he again describes the goddess 

 floating in the sea ; 



" And on hire hed, full semely for to see 

 A rose gerlond fresh and wel-smelling 

 Above hire hed hire doves fleckering." 



" She gathereth floures, partie white and red, 

 To make a sotel gerlond for hire hed." 



St. Cecilia receives a miraculous crown of Roses and 

 lilies ; and Cupid is crowned with Roses. In the Romaunt 

 of the Rose, he describes himself as selecting from many 

 Roses the one which shall best please him : 



" Of knoppis close some saw I there, 

 And some well better woxin were, 

 And some there ben of othir moison, 

 That drowe nigh to ther seson, 

 And spedde *hem faste for to spredde : 

 I love well such rosis redde, 

 For brode rosis and open also 

 Ben passid in a <Jty or two, 



