HOSE-BUSH. 379 



" Then father Anchises decked a capacious bowl with a garland, and 

 filled it up with wine." DAVIDSON'S TRANSLATION. 



" To crown the bowl," says Mr. Davidson, " sometimes 

 signifies no more than to fill the cup to the brim ; but here it 

 is to be taken literally for adorning the bowl with flowers, 

 according to the ancient custom. Otherwise, implevitque 

 mero would be mere tautology." Horace repeatedly speaks 

 of crowning the bowl with Roses. 



The Romans were at great expense to procure Roses in 

 the winter : Suetonius affirms that Nero spent upwards of 

 4,000,000 of sesterces, about thirty thousand pounds, for 

 Roses, at one supper. Horace alludes to this custom in his 

 thirty-eighth Ode, Book i. 



" Mitte sectari, rosa quo locorum 



Sera moretur. 



Simplici myrto nihil allabores 

 Sedulo euro." 



" Seek not for late-blowing roses ; I ask no other crown than 

 simple myrtle." 



It is said that the Turks cannot endure to see a Rose-leaf 

 fall to the ground, because, says Gerarde, " some of them 

 have dreamed that the first Rose sprang from the blood 

 of Venus." 



It may, perhaps, be worth while to quote Gerarde's 

 translation of a passage from Anacreon, rather for its 

 curiosity than beauty : 



" The rose is the honor and beauty of flowers, 

 The rose is the care and the love of the spring, 

 The rose is the pleasure of th' heavenly powers : 

 The boy of fair Venus, Cythera's darling, 

 Doth wrap his head round with garlands of rose, 

 When to the dances of the Graces he goes." 



This is scarcely to be recognized for the same passage 

 given a few pages back, in the translation of one of our 

 living poets. 



