THE ROSE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. 33 



Rosiere has received a ring, and she and her companions have 

 worn the blue riband. 



The Lord of Salency at one time enjoyed the right of choosing 

 La Rosiere from three of the village girls, who were presented 

 by the inhabitants. But in 1773 a new lord, who purchased the 

 estate of Salency, wished to take away the right enjoyed by the 

 inhabitants, of naming and presenting to him the three candi- 

 dates for the Rose. He assumed the nomination of La Rosiere, 

 without any assembling, election, or presentation, and suppressed 

 entirely the pomp and ceremonies which until that time had 

 always been observed. On the complaint of the inhabitants of 

 Salency, the Court of Chancery at once set aside the pretensions 

 of their lord ; but he, not wishing to yield them, instituted a civil 

 process before the Parliament of Paris, which gave a decree in 

 favor of the inhabitants of the place, by which it confirmed to 

 them all the ancient customs of the fete of La Rosiere, of which 

 the Lord of Salency was ordered to pay all the expenses. 



The ceremony of La Rosiere was suppressed during the ex- 

 cesses of the Revolution, but was again re-established when the 

 times had become more quiet. The celebration takes place in 

 the first summer month, and would be well worthy the attend- 

 ance of foreign travelers. 



We have mentioned this custom very much in detail, as it is 

 one of the few ceremonies still existing, in which the Rose occu- 

 pies a prominent position, and is made alone the reward of merit. 

 Other festivals of the Rose, similar to those of Salency, were 

 established in several other villages of France and the neighbor- 

 ing countries. When Louis XYIII. was staying at Blakenbourg, 

 in Germany, during the years of his exile, he was invited to 

 assist a*t a festival of La Rosiere. When he had placed the 

 crown on the head of the young girl who was designated as the 

 most virtuous, she said to him, ingenuously, " My Prince, may 

 your crown be restored you." 



There exists a touching custom in the valley of Engadine, in 

 Switzerland. If a man accused of a crime is able to justify 

 himself the same day on which he is liberated from prison, a 



