EARLY HISTORY OF THE ROSE. 13 



breast, but found, as the legend says, nothing there but some 

 white and red roses, the most beautiful he had ever seen. 



D'Orbessan, in his work on the Rose, states that, in the church 

 of Sainte-Luzanne, at Rome, is a mosaic of the time of Charle- 

 magne, in which that prince is represented in a square mantle, 

 and on his knees, while St. Peter is placing in his hands a stan- 

 dard covered with roses. 



Michaud, in his Biographie Universelle^ speaks of Clemence 

 Isaure, a French lady, who lived in the latter part of the 15th 

 century. She bequeathed to the academy of Toulouse a large 

 income, exclusively for the celebration of floral games, and for 

 the distribution of five prizes for as many pieces of poetry. The 

 prizes consisted of an amaranth and rose of gold, and of a violet, 

 marigold, and lily, of silver. The will also required that every 

 three years, on the day of the commencement of the floral games, 

 among other ceremonies to be observed, the members of the 

 academy should visit and spread flowers upon her tomb. Ron- 

 sard, the French poet, having gained the first prize in the floral 

 games, received, in place of the accustomed rose, a silver image 

 of Minerva. Mary, Q-ueen of Scots, was so much delighted with 

 Ronsard's beautiful poetry on the Rose, that she sent him a mag- 

 nificent rose of silver, valued at £500, with this inscription : — 

 " A Ronsard. VApollon de la source des Muses." 



