The History of the Rose. 23 



"To these words all the deities that were present, having first fill'd the court with murmurs, answer'd in this 

 manner : ' Great Goddess, be pleas'd to reflect a little on the animosities such a choice may create among the 

 rival flowers, even the worthless Thistle will pretend to deserve the crown, and if deny'd will perhaps grow 

 factious, and disturb your peaceful reign. ' 



"'Your fears are groundless,' reply'd the Goddess, 'I apprehend no such consequence; my resolution is 

 already fix'd ; hear therefore what I have determin'd. In the deep recesses of a wood where formerly the Oaks 

 were vocal and pronounc'd oracles to mortals, at the foot of a little hill is a grotto, whose structure is nature's 

 masterpiece ; there a wood-nymph pass'd her quiet days. She was extremely beautiful and charm'd all that 

 beheld her, her looks, her mien, and her behaviour had something of more than human, and indeed she was the 

 daughter of a Dryad and of a Sylvan god. Her chastity and devotion equall'd her beauty, she was perfectly 

 resign'd to the will of heav'n, and never undertook anything without having first implor'd our assistance, her heart 

 was pure and her hands undefil'd. This Nymph is dead and my intention is to raise a flower from her precious 

 remains to be queen of all the flow'ry race. ' The applauding gods strait prepar'd for the ceremony ; Priapus put 

 on a grave countenance ; Vertumnus loaded himself with perfumes of an excellent scent ; Pomona heap'd up 

 canisters with all sorts of richest fruits ; Venus was attended with a train of smiles and graces ; Vesta promis'd 

 wonders ; and Bacchus suppli'd rivers of nectar, and crown'd vast goblets with that divine liquor. In this equipage 

 they left their celestial mansions and repaired to the grotto, where they saw the dead body of the Nymph stretch'd 

 along on a soft couch of turf, and approaching it with profound awe and silence prepar'd to pay the sacred rites ; 

 and Flora having thrice bow'd herself to the ground was heard to pronounce this prayer: 'Almighty Jupiter, great 

 ruler of the Universe, exert thy creating power, and from the dead corps of this lovely Nymph let a plant arise and 

 bear no less lovely flowers, to be queen ot all thou hast already created. ' Scarce had she made an end when 

 behold a wondrous change the Nymph's extended limbes were turned into branches, and her hair into leaves, 

 a shrub sprang up adorn'd with sprouting buds, which strait unfolding disclos'd a fragrant and vermilion 

 flower ; a sudden light fill'd all the grotto, and the well pleas'd Goddess breathed thrice on the new-born babe to 

 spread it into life, and give it an odorous soul. Then seeing the vegetable queen adorn'd with every grace she 

 kiss'd her thrice, and breaking the general silence reveal'd her secret joy. 'Approach,' said she, 'at my 

 command, O all ye flowers, and pay your grateful homage to your queen, the ROSE, for that's the name I give 

 her. ' Then taking a crown in her hand, that had been made on purpose in heav'n, she plac'd it on the head of the 

 new-made majesty ; while to compleat the ceremony, the attending gods sung joyful lo Paeans, amidst a symphony 

 of flutes, harps, and all other tuneful instruments with which the air resounded, while Flora and her bright celestial 

 train ascended back rejoicing into heav'n." 



Salmon, in his "English Herbal," 1710, recognises and describes thirty-two kinds, 

 and has a great deal to say on the " Planting and nursing up," and on " the Virtues " 

 of Roses ; he also gives a separate and additional chapter " of Rose-Wild or Briar 

 Bush." He has the following note (p. 955) on the double yellow Rose (R. SULPHUREA) 

 which it would appear was as difficult to deal with then as now : " The best way that 

 is known to cause this double yellow Rose to bring forth fair and kindly flowers is 

 done thus : first in the stock of a Frankfort Rose, near the ground, put in a bud of 

 the single yellow Rose, which will quickly shoot to a good length ; then half-a-yard 

 higher than the place where the same was budded, put into it a bud of the double 

 yellow Rose, which growing, the suckers must be kept from the root, and all the buds 

 rubbed off except those of the kind desired, which being grown big enough to bear 

 (which will be in two years) it must in winter be pruned very near, cutting off all the 

 small shoots, and only leaving the biggest, cutting off the tops of them also as far as 

 they are small." 



The " Dictionarium Rusticum " (1717) has an article on Roses, and in " The Lady's 

 Recreation," by Charles Evelyn (1717), there is a very good notice of them. John 

 Cowell, in "The Curious and Profitable Gardener" (1730), has "Particular Memor- 

 andums concerning the Management of Rose Trees." 



