26 THE' ROSE IN CEREMONIES, FESTIVALS, ETC. 



compliance with a popular custom ; while the street leading to 

 the cemetery is filled with shops in which are exposed for sale the 

 wreaths of flowers. 



The prevalence of the same custom in Denmark, is alluded to 

 by Shakespeare, in Hamlet, in the scene of Ophelia's burial. 



The custom still remains also in some parts of Great Britain. 

 In Wales, when a young girl dies, it is customary for her female 

 companions to bring flowers with them to her funeral, and place 

 ihem in her coffin. They plant lilies and snow-drops over the 

 graves of children, and wild and cultivated roses over those of 

 adults. 



Gwillym, a Welsh poet, thus speaks of the custom in one of 

 his elegies : — " Oh ! while the season of flowers and the tender 

 sprays, thick of leaves, remain, I will pluck the roses from the 

 brakes, to be offered to the memory of a child of fairest fame ; 

 humbly will I lay them on the grave of Ivor." 



Evelyn tells us that " the white rose was planted at the grave 

 of a virgin, and her chaplet was tied with white riband, in token 

 of her spotless innocence ; though sometimes black ribands were 

 intermingled, to bespeak the grief of the survivors. The red 

 rose was occasionally used in remembrance of such as had been 

 remarkable for their benevolence : but roses in general were ap- 

 propriated to the graves of lovers." 



Drummond, the Scotch poet, requested one of his friends to 



have the following couplet placed over his grave : 



" Here Damon lies, whose songs did sometimes grace 

 The murmuring Esk : — may roses shade the place." 



The first Christians disapproved of the use of these flowers, 

 either at their festivals or as ornaments for their tombs, on 

 account of its connection with the pagan mythology, and the 

 custom thus became extinct. Tertullian wrote a book against 

 crowns and garlands. Clement of Alexandria thought it im- 

 proper that Christians should crown themselves with roses. A 

 little later, however. Christians relaxed from this strictness, and 

 the Christian poet Prudence, did not fear to invite his brethren 

 " to cover with violets and with verdure, and to surround with 



