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has its thistle, Ireland its Shamrock, and England the rose. 

 France, under the Bourbons, had the golden lily. 



The different festivals in England, have each their own 

 peculiar plant or plants, to be used in their celebration ; at 

 Easter the willow as a substitute for the palnti ; at Christmas, 

 the holly and the mistletoe ; on May-day every flower in 

 bloom, but particularly the hawthorn or May-bush. In Per- 

 sia they have a festival called the Feast of Roses, which lasts 

 the whole time they are in bloom. Formerly, it was the 

 custom, and still is in some parts of the country, to scatter 

 flowers on the celebration of a wedding, a christening, or 

 even of a funeral. 



It was formerly the custom also, to carry garlands before 

 the bier of a maiden, and to hang them, and scatter flowers 

 over her grave : 



The Queen scattering flowers : 



" Sweets to the sweet. Farewell ! 



I hoped thy bride-bed to have decked, sweet maid, 



And not have strewed thy grave.'' 



Hamlet, Act v. Scene 1. 



In Tripoli, on the celebration of a wedding, the baskets of 

 sweetmeats, &c. sent as wedding presents, are covered with 

 flowers ; and although it is well known that they frequently 

 communicate the plague, the inhabitants will even prefer run- 

 ning the risk, when that dreadful disease is abroad, rather 

 than lose the enjoyment they have in their love of flowers. 

 When a woman in Tripoli dies, a large bouquet of fresh flow- 

 ers, if they can be procured, if not, of artificial, is fastened at 

 the head of the coffin. Upon the death of a Moorish lady of 

 quality, every place is filled with fresh flowers and burning 

 perfumes : at the head of the body is placed a large bouquet, 

 of part artificial, and part natural, and richly ornamented with 

 silver : and additions are continually made to it. The author 

 who describes these customs also mentions a lady of high 

 rank, who regularly attended the tomb of her daughter, who 



