^ The Scented Qarden ^ 



slopes beneath the city walls ; of the Merovingian Chil- 

 debert's queen in whose garden * the air was balmy with 

 the perfume of roses of Paradise ' ; and later, of the ninth 

 century monk, Walafred Strabo, who, above all, loved his 

 roses and lilies, and l the glow of their sweet scent.' In 

 the gardens of our own mediaeval ancestors roses, lilies, 

 gilliflowers, wallflowers, violets and irises were the chief 

 flowers, besides the large number of aromatic herbs used 

 in medicine, in cosmetics and in cooking. Chaucer, in 

 The Franklin's Tale, immortalized the perfume and the 

 beauty of the garden that ' May hadde peynted with his 

 softe showers.' 



1 The odour of flowres and the fresshe sighte 

 Wold han maked any herte lighte 

 That ever was born, but if too greet siknesse, 

 Or too greet sorwe, helde it in distresse ; 

 So full it was of beautee with plesance.' 



We know that as early as the twelfth century the French 

 perfume makers were of sufficient importance to be 

 granted a charter. There was no such trade in England for 

 centuries later, and even in Chaucer's day it was only 

 possible to buy perfumes from the mercers. From 

 Crusading days the far-famed perfumes of the East were 

 valued gifts, but in England they never found so much 

 favour as on the Continent, and when perfumes became 

 the fashion in Elizabeth's reign, it was to their gardens 

 the women-folk of England turned rather than to the 

 products of Eastern lands. The use of perfumes in every 

 way became so popular that even the smallest country 

 houses had their still-rooms and the old gardening and 

 still-room books are full of fragrant recipes for rose- 

 water, honey of violets, lily of the valley spirit, conserve 

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