The History of the Rose. 



CHAPTER II. 



The History of the Rose, from the Fall of the Roman 

 Empire to the Present Day. 



FROM the fall of the Roman Empire there exists a chasm in the history of 

 gardening which cannot be filled up. The world, sunk in a state of barbarism, 

 had neither inclination for nor opportunity of enjoying pursuits of this kind, the 

 learning and amenities of Greece and Rome were temporarily obscured, and Roses 

 share in the general oblivion. As however mankind emerged from this state as 

 wars became less frequent, and men felt the blessings of peace they found time to 

 attend to the comforts and enjoyments of life. Charlemagne, who flourished in the 

 beginning of the ninth century, recognises the Rose among other flowers, and shows 

 his appreciation of it by desiring it to be grown in his garden. 



The Rose was the favourite flower with the Moors of Spain, and they paid con- 

 siderable attention to its cultivation. They sowed the seeds ; and it has been said 

 they had blue Roses, which were obtained by watering the plants with indigo-water. 

 That they had such cannot for a moment be supposed, and the means by which it 

 has been said they obtained them are still more questionable. Nevertheless, a French 

 writer (Marquis D'Orbessan, Essai sur les Roses] states that he saw them. I have 

 heard persons unacquainted with Floriculture, maintain that they have seen pure 

 yellow Moss Roses ; a deception probably practised on them by some charlatan or 

 jocular friend. Is it impossible that the same thing might happen with the 

 Marquis D'Orbessan ? 



In the middle of the thirteenth century was written the famous Roman de la Rose, 

 by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. I have recently inspected a manuscript 

 copy of this work, which was once the property of Horace Walpole a small folio 

 volume, written in the fourteenth century. This pleasing but wire-drawn allegory 

 long found favour in France. 



Pierre de Crescent or Crescentius, an Italian, who wrote early in the fourteenth 

 century, mentions the Rose, and many of the Italian poets have sung its praises. 

 Of the state of gardening at this period we read " Crescentius dilates upon horti- 

 culture, and gives a pretty long list of herbs both esculent and medicinal. His notions 

 about the ornamental department are rather beyond what we should expect, and I 



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