^ The Old %oses & 



the murder of one of the royal officials. On his return to 

 England he took the device of the red rose. The Gallica 

 rose is very prolific in producing seed, and there were 

 formerly innumerable varieties in cultivation. Of these 

 we have unfortunately lost the Portland rose. According 

 to Andrews, this rose was ' called after the late Duchess of 

 Portland, a great lover of roses. A fine scarlet rose, in 

 flower like the gallica officinalis, in foliage like the Pro- 

 vence, with seed buds more resembling the Damask 

 species ; yet with all these affinities it has a perfectly 

 distinct character in the fiery colour of its flowers, its 

 stalks of a whiter green, and the foliage of a yellower green 

 than roses in general. It continues in bloom from the 

 middle of summer to late in autumn.' 



No one knows the origin of the white rose of England 

 (R. alba) and the red variety, the red rose of England. 

 Parkinson, writing of them in 1629, describes them as 

 ' the most ancient and knowne Roses to our Countrey, 

 whether naturall or no I know not, but assumed by our 

 precedent Kings of all others, to bee cognizances of their 

 dignitie, the white rose and the red.' Is there not a tradi- 

 tion dating from time immemorial that England was 

 called Albion from the beauty of these white roses P 1 

 R. alba (according to some a cross between R. canina and 

 R. gallica) was the white rose of the House of York. It is 

 described by Gerard as having ' very faire double flowers 

 of a white colour and very sweete smell.' Parkinson, in 

 his Theatrum Botanicum (1640), refers to the old tradition 



Albion insula sic dicta ab albis rupibus quas mare alluit vel ob rosas 

 albas quibus abundat.— Pliny. (The Isle of Albion is so called from its 

 white cliffs washed by the sea or from the white roses with which it 

 abounds.) 



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